"Pfft! Hahahahahahaha!!!"
Anastasia's laughter burst out in Lorgar's private office like shattering silver bells, shattering the silence with undisguised, almost gleefully malicious delight.
She rocked back and forth with laughter, nearly sliding off the chair custom-made for her, her long silver hair cascading like a waterfall as her body shook.
One hand clutched her stomach while the other pointed at Lorgar, who sat opposite her with his face buried deep in his palms.
"Ahahaha, Lorgar! Lorgar! You should've seen it! The look on your face!" Anna struggled to breathe through her laughter as she mimicked his petrified expression, deliberately widening her eyes and stretching her mouth into an exaggerated O.
"Hahahahahaha! Absolutely priceless! The mighty lord of the Word Bearers, a Primarch whose word is law in the Imperium, nearly jumped out of his chair because his own brother called me his 'sister-in-law'!
"Hahaha! Lion El'Jonson absolutely did that on purpose! That expression, that tone! My processors are going to split from laughing!"
Lorgar lifted his face from his hands, traces of embarrassment and an irritated flush still lingering on his bronze features.
He shot the shaking, laughing Anna an annoyed glare, though there was little real anger in his eyes, only the weary resignation of someone begging her to give it a rest.
"Lion El'Jonson..." Lorgar tried to defend his brother and salvage some dignity after his earlier reaction.
"He was probably just... joking, right? Maybe... trying to lighten the mood?" Even he sounded unconvinced.
"Probably... right..." Anna finally managed to stop laughing, though her shoulders still shook slightly and a mischievous smile remained on her face.
"Still, that promise he made at the end was pretty solid. 'Help you keep this quiet'... tsk. Looks like your reputation as the 'most dependable elder brother' carries some weight with him.