The lock did not slam.

That was what scared Lyra the most.

The guards closed her chamber door carefully. Metal clicked into place, soft but final. Magic sealed the room, it made her skin feel weird, like the air before a storm. There was no shouting, no rough handling, no drama. Just quiet control.

Lyra stood in the middle of the room standing straight. She waited until the guards left and she didn't hear their footsteps before she finally felt at ease.

The chamber was large, warm, beautiful ...