Liza’s POV
I tried settling down, but my mind refused to rest. The atmosphere of the palace had changed the moment that family stepped foot inside. There was something about them—an air of arrogance cloaked in pretense—that rubbed me the wrong way.
Despite my misgivings, they were still guests, and as Queen, I had a duty to uphold hospitality. I summoned the maids and personally assigned them to prepare the royal guest rooms. The visit may have been unannounced, but decorum demanded they be treated with the respect due to their title—no matter how undeserved I felt it was.
I lingered in the main hall, pretending to make polite conversation with Patricia’s mother while keeping a close eye on the rest of them. Their entitled airs made my blood simmer. Five minutes later, my most trusted e
