The sounds of a carriage rumbling across the cobblestone was the only sound in the morning that could be heard. The Ambrose estate grounds awaited a carriage bearing the imperial seal approached the main entrance.
Grim stood waiting on the steps, having received word of Lin's arrival.
When the carriage door opened, Lin emerged with from the carraige.
"Grim," she said, her voice soft,but strong. "It's been too long."
"Lin," he replied, moving down the steps to greet her properly. "Thank you for coming so quickly."
She studied his face with the intensity he remembered, those bright blue eyes seeming to catalogue every change since their last meeting. "You look... different. Stronger, but also..." She paused, tilting her head slightly. "There's something else. Something that wasn't there before."
The observation was uncomfortably perceptive, but before Grim could respond, Chen Xing appeared to handle the practical arrangements of her arrival.
