The streets of Yino's capital bustled with their usual superficial warmth.
Smiling merchants hawked their wares with honeyed voices, nobles exchanged courteous greetings while mentally calculating how to take advantage of each other, and children played in the squares under the watchful eyes of parents who smiled while secretly planning the next move in their families' social ladder climbing.
Hedda walked through the commercial district with measured steps, her jumping spider extending subtle sensory hairs across the skin of her arms. At her recently turned eighteen years, she had learned to navigate this social dance with the same precision she used for her most dangerous missions.
"Good morning, young Hedda," a fruit vendor greeted her with a smile as bright as it was false. "Does our beloved Princess need something special today?"
