The air in the Lysene villa was thick with the scent of myrrh and crushed lotus petals. Candlelight flickered against silk-draped walls, casting shifting shadows over Johanna as she reclined on a divan of deep violet. The sea breeze carried the distant sounds of revelry from the harbor, but within these walls, all was quiet save for the measured steps of the man who had just entered.

She did not rise. She never did. Instead, she ran a ringed finger along the rim of her goblet, eyes half-lidded in amusement as she regarded her guest.

“Take off your shoes please."