[past] I am so sorry

The faint buzz of conversation and the clink of goblets drifted through the open kitchen doors, the sounds of Tevinter opulence carrying a weight that made Calista’s shoulders ache. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she leaned against the cool stone wall just outside the kitchens, her breaths steady but shallow. The faint aroma of roasted pheasant and spiced wine couldn’t mask the sour undercurrent of anxiety twisting in her gut.

She tugged her shawl tighter around her shoulders, the fabric doing little to ward off the chill creeping from within.

Her mind itched with thoughts she couldn’t voice, a sharp contrast to the fire that normally blazed in her spirit. Calista was no stranger to biting her tongue—years under *his* thumb had taught her the art of silence well enough—but tonight felt different. Something about being paraded here, a breathing ornament for her master’s cruel pride, had carved a hollowness in her chest that she wasn’t sure she could fill.

Okay, Calista, she murmured under her breath, running her hands over her braid. The nerves made her fingers clumsy, and she winced as a strand pulled too tight. Just... keep it together. Smile, pour the wine, laugh at the jokes even when they suck. Maybe if you’re lucky, no one will notice you long enough to—

The sudden scuff of a boot against stone froze her words. Her heart leapt, and she straightened instinctively, eyes narrowing as she peered toward the source of the noise.

Who’s there? she called, her voice sharper than she’d meant it to be. The edge in her tone was a shield, one she clutched tight despite the way her pulse quickened.

@Kaczor Tilani