When Gavriel left her to attend to an important matter, Althea thought she wouldn’t be able to attend the banquet after everything that had happened. The Queen Mother had made sure of that. She even forbade Lady Beatrice from helping her and even ordered the maids to remove every gown from her wardrobe that she could possibly wear.

Melva had called the Queen Mother “petty,” and honestly, Althea agreed. But she didn’t really mind. Missing the banquet or any event, for that matter, ...