“You heard what she said earlier?! How dare she speak to me like that? How dare she order me to do such a lowly task?!”

Rosentine’s scream echoed through the marble corridor, her voice carrying far enough for half the castle to hear.

“Calm yourself, Rosentine,” Freya hissed, leaning closer as if proximity alone could muffle the disaster. She could already hear the muffled snickers of passing maids. Humiliation burned under her skin.

“Winter crossed the line!" Cressida chimed in, ...