Tina's poker face was commendable. Alex knew the girl well enough to see her eye twitching slightly, but besides that, she acted as if the empress had just said she wanted to discuss what they were going to eat in the morning.
"You two are surprising me with each passing minute," the monarch said, smiling and rising from the throne. She was tall, taller than Tina, but not as much as Alex.
Her crown was a fine metal line with a single red arcanite ore on the top. Alex could see it was enveloped in something different, probably a material that prevented it from blowing up on the empress's head.
As the empress walked, her body moved like a hypnotic dance. Alex kept looking toward the horizon, trying to keep his cool. She might know they were the ones who killed Garpr, but he would never admit it. He had enough experience to know this was a terrible move.
