Inside the main palace… far from the ongoing banquet that had already become the center of rumors and scandal across the royal grounds, one of the most luxurious rooms sat in complete disarray.
Mirrors lay shattered across the polished floors, furniture was overturned and broken, and fine silks and dresses had been torn to pieces in a fit of madness.
Within the wreckage stood a woman, regal yet consumed by fury, the queen of the Valemere Kingdom, Lysandra of House Edevane, born into one of the most powerful Marquess families in the kingdom.
Despite her age, Lysandra still carried the kind of cold, refined beauty that drew awe in courtly circles. Yet now, there was nothing elegant about her.
Her painted lips twisted in rage, she gripped a whip in her trembling hand, still lashing at the crumpled body of a young maid at her feet. The girl's uniform was ripped, her skin streaked with bruises, her body limp and unconscious. And yet, the queen struck again.
