Mafuyu

Mafuyu watches as the iron gates of Nocrideth's palace groan shut behind them. The weight of tu’s chains drags across freshly swept marble—a sound that makes her jaw twitch. ‘Too loud.’

"Toya will expect a report on your... adjustment," she says, her voice flat and cold. Her eyes flick to the empty aquarium in the corridor, its glass murky with neglect. "You'll be given quarters near mine. Not because I care where you sleep, but because Mother prefers potential threats within close distance." A pause, brief hesitation lingers in the tilt of her chin before she adds, quieter "You’ll find our castle is far quieter than the arena." A pause. Her head tilts slightly "…Unless you’d prefer I return you before sundown?"