Chapter 113 It Was Alexander Who Stayed

• Vee walked back into the room slowly, bringing a tray with a glass of water and two pale capsules nestled inside a small ceramic bowl. A soft click came from the door. In dim light, the tray sparkled and reflected the sparkle of the crystal wall lamps around it, giving the room a warm glow. The soft whisper of her boots cut through the heavy silence in the air as she moved slowly across the thick, fluffy carpet. There was a delicate kind of quiet that was heavy with too many feelings and words that were not said. The soft velvet furniture and small gold accents in the room seemed to know—they were caught between stress and release, like the quiet before a storm.
• Vee spoke with a gentler, more measured tone than normal.
• "Lucian advised taking them before bed," she remarked, gently arranging the tray on the nightstand next to the bed. Her gaze stayed on Dysis, observing the worn-out sag in her shoulders and the subtle lines of tension starting to show up on her face. Under the low light, the edges of her silk robe shimmered; the soft gold fabric caught the light in a way that gave her robes a halo, delicate and nearly ethereal appearance. Though she was far from it, she seemed like she should be bathed in delight, shining from the day's events. Dysis was just too quiet. Too slow. Too restrained. Not only does the weight of the day but also the weight of everything left silent, much as one might manage.