"What did you just say?" Isabella asked, jumping from her seat. "The emperor just betrothed Natalia De Montclair to the Astonville king, and the empress has been banished back to her father's house to be re-educated because of what happened to Consort Elara," Hannah said.
Isabella crouched, clutching her stomach, laughing. "Good riddance," she said. "When it happened to me, all he did was lash Elara fifty times. Suddenly he cares about justice," Isabella said, her laughter suddenly stopping.
"But Your Highness, yours was never real; you were faking it," Hannah said.
Slap! Isabella raised her hand, slapping Hannah. "I said no word of this! What if someone hears us? Are you out of your mind? You want me to be sent to my father's homestead as well?" she shouted.
"I am sorry, Your Highness. This will never happen again," she said, holding her cheek.
