Chapter 23
The Red Cross Gala was not merely a charity event; it was the first time Elisa would step onto a stage without Casper’s hand on the small of her back. In the high-stakes theater of the Dutch Regency, this was her debut as a sovereign entity, and the palace vipers were perched in the front row, waiting for her to stumble. In her dressing room, the atmosphere was suffocating. Queen Margriet had sent over a parure of sapphires that felt like lead weights against Elisa’s collarbones. Beside her, Saskia leaned against the vanity, watching Elisa’s reflection with the detached interest of a biologist observing a specimen in a jar. "The sapphires are a bit much for a humanitarian speech, don't you think?" Saskia remarked, tracing the edge of her own silk glove. "It screams 'Old Money' while y
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