After the Sword Saint gently placed the crown into the Queen's hands, there was a brief pause that seemed to stretch longer than it should have. The weight of the moment settled quietly over the space, and then the Queen lifted her gaze, directing it straight toward Myrcella.
Myrcella responded with a simple smile.
It wasn't forced, and it wasn't the kind people put on just to look proper in front of a crowd. There was something real in it. Something soft, but also quite firm at the same time. The kind of smile that made it feel like it came from deep within her, from somewhere honest. It carried a sense of respect, maybe even gratitude, and something else that was harder to pin down but easy to feel.
