The next morning, Serafina stirred from a restless sleep, if two hours of tossing and turning even counted as rest. Her head throbbed, her eyes burned, but she refused to appear weak. She snapped her fingers, summoning one of her maidens.
"Bring me tea. Now."
The girl rushed off, anxious to avoid another outburst. She returned minutes later, hands trembling as she placed the cup on the tray.
Serafina took one sip, and froze.
Her expression darkened like a brewing storm.
"You dare call this tea?!" she thundered, slamming the cup so hard against the table the china cracked. "Did you boil this with swamp water or tears?!"
The porcelain cup shattered against the wall, spewing golden liquid across the velvet drapes like blood. The young maid gasped, eyes wide as the fragment
