She gave him a smile that was gentle, and reassuring. For a brief moment, a hint of affection flickered in her expression.
She knew what he wanted to do. She also knew he didn't need to. He was a prince, and people would seek his attention. She knew that wherever he went there would always be people eager to pull him aside, often for matters they preferred not to discuss before his human wife.
"It's all right," she murmured to him, tilting her head toward Mina and Elara. "Go on. I'll be with them."
Women she had begun, cautiously, to think of as friends. It was an odd feeling, having friends of her own. First there had been Ragnar, and now that small circle had quietly widened to include Mina and Elara. The quiet happiness it brought was unlike anything she had known before. So when Ragnar finally released her arm, she went straight to Mina and Elara.
