NORA POV

I kept my face steady while the queen mother spoke, but it was not easy. She called me a “rag.”. The things she was saying were hurtful, and even though she spoke calmly and without raising her voice, each word carried a weight that I felt deeply. I told myself it was not something to take personally, that this was normal and I should act like it did not affect me. Madam Kaelene had already trained me for situations like this. She always said I must never break down or show ...