“Ladies and gentlemen of the court, it seems Paedyn Gray has successfully completed her first Trial.” And with that, Paedyn’s lips lift. She raises the crown then, matching its bloody and mud-streaked appearance. I smile before she’s even done it. Wide enough to show those damn dimples she loves to hate. Yes, I smile when she pushes the crown onto her head. It sits atop her blood-streaked hair, drawing gasps from the gaping court. My breath catches as she stands before the king, every bit his queen-to-be.
