@antiqca
“Melia--!”
There was an extra note of excitement to his voice that Kallian regretted instantly. He tried to straighten his posture to make up for the momentary lapse in composure. That would’ve earned him a frown from his mother -- she didn’t think it was proper of him to show much emotion to his sister, at least not publicly.
“...Melia,” he tried again, calmer this time. She’d surely heard him the first time, standing outside the imperial villa as he was, but he still better now that he’d said it right. “It’s time, if... you’d still like to see the city.”
Their time together was planned in advance, usually. And Kallian, encouraged by their father to learn the role of Melia’s protector, today had the role of accompanying her around Alcamoth’s sprawling plaza. He hoped he would do well. Surely the emperor was watching, in the form of guards and citizens whose words would reach back to him eventually.
