Viviana slowly lowered her spoon, the quiet click against the porcelain bowl echoing in the vast room. She finally lifted her head, her eyes, which had been so carefully focused on her soup, now meeting Prince Dominic's piercing blue gaze directly.
"Why the question, Your Highness?" she asked, her voice calm and even, betraying none of the surprise she felt. "Does my personal history hold some newfound relevance to the state affairs of Eldoria?"
Dominic leaned back slightly in his chair, a flicker of appreciation for her directness in his eyes. He hadn't expected her to cower. "Just curious," he replied, his tone deceptively simple. "Your princess made a rather bold claim about your past. I merely wished to understand it."
