Lara coughed, trying to recover her composure as Sandoz looked at her with wide-eyed innocence. She waved a hand, as if to brush away his words, but her heart was suddenly beating faster.
"Sandoz, you shouldn't say such things so carelessly," Lara said gently, though a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
"But it's true!" the boy insisted, his face earnest. "When Prince Alaric looks at you, his eyes go soft. Just like my father's do when he sees my mother. It means he cares about you."
Lara glanced at Linnea, hoping for rescue, but the woman merely hid her smile behind her hand, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Come," Lara said, changing the subject before she blushed any deeper. "Let's go greet the Grand Duke."
They rode the distance to the Grand Duke's Estate while Sandoz used his new bike to travel.
