Stellara Brevaine was currently sitting in Seris's study.
She had the posture of a woman who expected all furniture to have been made with her in mind. Her legs were crossed, her wine glass held at the stem with two fingers, and her smile hadn't wavered since she'd walked through the front door.
"I heard about the unpleasant business with Signore Cabrian," Stellara said, tilting her glass gently. "These central kingdom traders can be so aggressive. I wanted to check in personally and see how you and Brynn were managing."
She said "personally" like it was a gift. Like the Signora of House Brevaine showing up at your estate was itself a form of generosity.
[Yeah, right. You wouldn't visit a lesser house unless you wanted something from it or wanted it to know you were watching.]
Katarina was betting on both.
