"Tell me, Valinet," I murmur. "Was it true? Did Amanda start it?"
Valinet's shoulders twitch. She glances toward Amanda.
Their eyes lock.
Amanda stares back—wide-eyed, desperate. Silently begging. Pleading with what little dignity she has left. Please, her gaze screams. Don't betray me!
Valinet's lips part. No sound comes.
A drop of sweat rolls down her temple. Her fingers clench at her skirt.
She trembles.
But then—
She breaks.
"Y-Yes! Your Highness!" Valinet stammers, her voice cracking like glass underfoot. "It was her! Amanda—she started it all! She's the one who spread those stories! She filled our ears with lies and venom! She made us believe them! Twisted everything! Like a demon in disguise!"
The words burst from her lips like a confession at the gallows. And before I can even respond—
She crawls closer.
Her hands press to the cold stone as she throws herself at my feet in fervent submission. Her golden curls spill over her shoulders like unraveling ribbon.
