“Is your family here?” I asked Brielle. She swallowed hard, shaking her head. “No, Highness. With such short notice, all I could do was send them a letter.” Her parents had a farm in Quentis. It was enough to sustain them and her brother’s family, but she’d had to leave for work in the city. And their farm was too far away for word to reach them in less than a day. Maybe I should have insisted on taking Mae’s lady’s maids instead. They’d known for over a year that they’d be leaving Quentis. They’d had time to prepare. In the whirlwind since the throne room, I hadn’t thought to challenge Father
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