Althea's astonishment was obvious as her eyes locked onto Darian's, her surprise mirrored in the subtle arch of her eyebrows.
It was a moment that caught her completely off guard, as Darian smoothly plucked the hairband from her hand. In that fleeting instant, her world seemed to tilt on its axis, the equilibrium of her expectations disrupted.
But, true to her adaptable nature, Althea's initial shock swiftly transformed into a calculated response. She lowered her head in a hasty curtsy, a gesture filled with reverence and an undercurrent of deference. "Your Majesty," she uttered, her voice infused with the respect due to a king.
