Making a deal

A young woman, no more than seventeen years of age, strode into the room. She was pleasing to the eye, with dark hair falling past her shoulders.Her eyes, a deep shade of green, surged toward Alpheo, taking in his presence with a brief, cool assessment.

She gave him a long, piercing look, her expression guarded, before crossing the room and sitting elegantly beside her mother, Princess Rosalind. Without a word, she straightened her back and folded her hands neatly in her lap.Alpheo returned her gaze with a slight nod of acknowledgment, sensing that the true negotiation had just begun.