Each detail registered and was categorized, not just for potential threats, but for patterns that might reveal more about his charge. The way she straightened her spine when addressing a concern. The subtle shift in her tone when asserting authority.
The measured pace of her breathing even during what appeared to be disagreements. A woman accustomed to control, to being heard, to having her will executed.
After several hours, the carriage window slid open, and Lady Aveline leaned slightly outward, those amber eyes finding Soren with uncomfortable precision.
"You've been watching me," she said, her tone neither accusatory nor pleased, simply observational.
Soren didn't deny it. "I'm meant to keep you alive. Understanding helps."
"And what have you understood so far?" A challenge in the question, testing boundaries.
"Enough to do my job."
Her mouth curved slightly, not quite a smile, more an acknowledgment of the game being played. "You don't talk much, do you?"
