The moment of stunned silence stretched between us before Seraphina's attention shifted to Luna, her ice-blue eyes softening with genuine warmth. Without hesitation, she gracefully knelt down to Luna's eye level and reached out to gently poke my daughter's cheek with one delicate finger.
"Hello again, little one," Seraphina said, her usually reserved voice taking on an almost musical quality. "You've grown even more adorable since our last meeting."
Luna's face lit up with recognition and delight. "Princess Seraphina! You came to see us!"
"Indeed I did," Seraphina confirmed, her lips curving into one of her rare, genuine smiles. "And I brought many gifts for you from my travels through the Eastern continent. Beautiful things I thought a precious girl like you might enjoy."
"Really?" Luna's eyes widened with excitement, bouncing slightly on her toes. "What kind of gifts?"
"That," Seraphina said with mysterious elegance, "will be a surprise for later."
