Late evening found Mariana in her private office, reviewing the day's decisions with the mix of satisfaction and exhaustion that had become her routine. Stacks of remaining documents reminded her that leadership never truly ended, but she no longer approached them with the overwhelming anxiety of her early weeks.
Her guard training had taught her physical endurance; this mental exhaustion was different but manageable. More importantly, genuine satisfaction underlay the fatigue, she was helping people in ways that felt meaningful rather than merely dutiful.
The loneliness of command was real, especially without Elara's guidance, but she was discovering that solitude could breed strength rather than uncertainty. She was no longer just filling her sister's role; she was creating her own approach to leadership that drew on protective instincts she'd always possessed but never fully utilized.
