Evangeline scoffs at me, brushing off the insult. “Only children take Protocol.” To my surprise, the queen takes my side. “Lady Mareena has grown up under terrible circumstances. She knows nothing of our ways, of the expectations she must fulfill now. Surely you understand her needs, Evangeline?” The reprimand is calm, quiet, and threatening. Evangeline’s smile drops,
Eat that insult. She pisses me off.
