It was over.
The pretense went up in flames, literally. Princess Soraya calmed herself down, bidding the fire to subside. Small puffs of smoke continued to emanate from her palms. Then, they were gone. Images flashed uncontrollably in her mind’s eye. She could not hold on to one impression long enough to examine it. It made the princess feel exhausted as if she had gone to battle. She knelt on the floor, wordlessly. Everyone else was still watching her.
Then, suddenly it was as if she was no longer there. The kings seemed to be planning furiously in their heads, while the queens could not be more different in their reactions. Her mother was pale and listless, not quite knowing how she would seat herself. On the other hand, Queen Drusilla had straightened herself and stared at her with
