A Lack of Presence

Meanwhile, Daphne watched Cordelia watch Jonah speak, the fondness in her eyes unbearable. 

"Close your mouth before the flies fly in, sweetie," Daphne said, her lips curling into a grin as she watched her husband gape. 

Jonah and Cordelia were immersed in their own little world, and with each frantic scribble of the contestants' quills a distance away, Jonah was listing out more and more solutions, each one more probable than the last. He was practically a walking answer sheet at this point.

Atticus didn't say a word, but his wide eyes as he looked at Jonah and then back at Daphne, the action repeating itself a couple of times, was enough to elicit a short bark of laughter from Daphne's lips.

"Have you forgotten?" Daphne mused, unable to suppress her amusement. "Jonah used to help you with Vramid's politics before he moved to Nedour. He is perfectly in his element."