Adeline POV
The morning light was soft when I arrived at the kindergarten, holding each of my twins by the hand. The boys were chattering about their lessons when the sound of hooves and carriage wheels made me look up.
A royal carriage gleamed to a stop near the gate. The air changed instantly when Myra called out and rushed towards my boys. I recognized the crest before the door opened. The Queen Mother.
She stepped down, elegant as always, every inch of her radiating authority. Her eyes found me at once, peering into me as a knife would do to bread.
The wary eyes only stopped hunting when I declared that we were not strangers. She took a deep pause for a moment and continued.
“So,” she said, her voice dripping disdain, “you’re the witch pretending to be a doctor.”
I didn’t flinc
