Sofia walked at a steady pace, but her legs felt weighted. Her heart was beating too fast. Her fingers were curled into the fabric of her dress at her sides, gripping without meaning to. She kept her face composed, but the faint furrow between her brows betrayed her.
The two ladies-in-waiting flanking her exchanged a glance.
"Please don't worry, Your Highness," one of them said gently.
Sofia smoothed her expression and offered them a small smile. "Thank you."
She didn't say what she was actually thinking. It wasn't that she didn't feel bad for Shirin. She did. She understood what it was to want something and be denied it. But Shirin's grief and Shirin's rage had never been easy to separate, and Sofia worried she would be on the receiving end of it. She walked the rest of the way in silence.
