"The king gifted me a reliable raven that I can talk to inside my head," Mineah chuckled. "I asked it to look after you and report to me about how things are going for you every once in a while."
"I didn't even notice a raven spying on me…" Xenia mumbled aloud.
Opening the nearest carriage window to her, Mineah held a bashful smile as she said, "I'll introduce you to Nik then. I'm sure you'll like him."
[Nik, come here inside the carriage,] Mineah told her pet. [I want to introduce you to my sister.]
At her command, Nik flew inside the window and landed atop of her shoulder with a light caw.
"Ohhh… Did you name it after King Nikolai?" Xenia inquired.
"Indeed. He didn't react negatively though," Mineah defended with a bashful giggle.
"I see. So how do you address him? The king, I mean? And how does he address you?" Xenia curiously asked.
Mineah's face reddened, and Xenia teased, "Hahaha! Why are you blushing so hard?"
