The queen sat across from me, her elbow on the desk, and her fingers weaved together under her chin.

She waited patiently for my answer.

Ethan didn’t express his opinion, and I knew he wanted this to be my decision.

“How do I know you’re not lying to me?” I asked.

“You know I wouldn’t. Even if that’s the case, wouldn’t it be easy enough for you to hunt us down afterwards? I’m not that stupid. I need your word to guarantee our safety in ...