Alyssane lit up the small oil lamp in the sitting area.
The duchess took a seat on the sofa and remarked. "You look scared."
"Nightmare," Alyssane responded quietly.
Serena chuckled softly, "I love them," her voice was laced with amusement. "They make my heart race faster."
Alyssane fell silent, feeling more uneasy around the duchess.
The duchess in front of her was not how Alyssane expected Serena to ever behave. She almost seemed like a stranger.
Or perhaps, Alyssane was overthinking. How could she claim to know the Duchess through the broken shards of her fragmented memories?
"I hope I wasn't disturbing you?" Serena asked, her voice soft, "It's just that this can't wait until morning. It would be too late by then."
Alyssane shook her head.
But her body tensed up. What could be so urgent at this hour? "Would you like some tea?" she offered, her voice steady despite the growing knot in her stomach.
