His heart skipped, then raced as she unbuckled it, setting it aside along with the Maridrinian marriage knives she habitually wore. Then she unfastened the laces of her tunic at her throat and pulled the garment over her head. The safe house went completely silent for a heartbeat, then filled with the overloud clatter of weapons being cleaned and mindless chatter, everyone looking anywhere but at their queen. Aren could not seem to do the same. While the other women wore thick standard-issue fabrics, Lara’s undergarments were the finest ivory silk, which was soaked, rendering it effectively
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