Liora and Cassian scrambled to look, their heads bumping together. On the cream-colored page was a precise drawing of the Northern fortifications, shaded so finely it looked alive beneath a charcoal sky.
"Whoa," Cassian muttered, his usual cockiness replaced by genuine surprise. "You did this? The angles are... they're perfect."
"Excellent work, Lucius," Julian praised, his hand resting warmly on the boy's shoulder. He could feel the child trembling slightly with the sudden influx of praise. "The perspective is flawless. You've captured the depth of the valley perfectly."
He felt Alaric's gaze linger on that touch, and he was drawn to the affection level atop his head,
> [Target: Alaric Lucien Blackspire — Affection Level: 93% — Status: Impressed, Proud, Protective]
"You have your mother's eye for detail," Alaric said quietly, his large hand reaching out to stroke Lucius's head with a tenderness that seemed to pull the very air from the room.
