The Queen watched silently as Alex brushed himself off, his movements unhurried, his composure steady despite the events that had just unfolded. For a moment, her flower-like irises gleamed with a faint glow as she observed him.
Though she was starting to like this cautious boy, she couldn't ignore the harsh truth—he was still an enemy to her children. Yet, there was something about him, something she couldn't quite put into words, that made the thought of harming him unbearable.
'Let's see if I'm wrong about you, child,' she thought.
With an almost imperceptible shift in her posture, the Queen leaned forward, bringing her face dangerously close to Alex's. Their eyes met, and in an instant, her irises began to glow brighter, the four petals within spinning slowly, hypnotically.
Alex's pupils dilated, and the sharp focus in his gaze began to waver. He stiffened, his grip on his shortsword loosening until the blade hung limply by his side.
