ALDRIC
The warmth of the wine I had drunk earlier still sat in my stomach, leaving behind the dull, floating buzz that usually softened my thoughts and slowed the world around me. That haze however disappeared the moment my eyes settled on Madeline. The fog cleared with sudden sharpness, leaving my mind unpleasantly alert.
Because she was staring straight at me.
And she was shaking.
At first I thought it might be the wind or nerves or something small, something that could be explained away with a few calm words, but the longer I looked the more obvious it became that the trembling was supposed to look real and far from subtle. Her shoulders jerked slightly with each breath. Her hands were pressed tight against her chest, fingers curled in the fabric of her dress like she was holding herself together.
