Lady Bella was already waiting in a private room when Lyanna arrived, standing by the window, looking relaxed and confident. She turned as Lyanna entered and smiled.
"Thank you for meeting with me."
"Lady Bella," Lyanna said, gesturing to the seating area. "You mentioned this was important. I'm curious why you want to have a private conversation with me instead of the king."
"Because it concerns you, not him. I believe in direct communication, so I'll be blunt. This courtship arrangement is politically beneficial to all parties involved, but it could also damage your marriage. I wanted to discuss how we can avoid that."
"I'm listening."
"I've been watching you and King Azrael since I arrived, and I can tell bond between you two is genuine and rare."
"Come to the point directly."
"The point is that I have no interest in destroying your relationship. I'm here only because House Nightshade benefits politically from this association. But I don't want to be queen.
