For a moment, no one breathed.
Not the maids.
Not the guards.
Not even Auburn whose face slowly shifted into something far more dangerous than panic.
Recognition.
Triumph.
Accusation.
"There," she said, pointing at me with a trembling finger as if she'd spotted a rat. "Her. She cleaned my room this morning."
And then Auburn's face squeezed up.
"Why was she even here in the first place?" Auburn demanded looking around. "She is not amongst any of my maids so why was she even here?"
Whispers rippled through the crowd like a wave crashing against stone. I
felt heat rise up my neck. Every pair of eyes pressed into my skin like needles.
How could I explain that due to the way the king had spoken to me about paying for every minute I stayed here, I was working as a maid.
Doing the one and only thing to do.
Queen Rose turned toward me, her expression unreadable too calm, too controlled, too quietly sharp.
"Jasmine," she said, her voice low. "Step inside."
