Lyra’s POV
"Explain it," I said again, when Seraphine didn't answer immediately. "You called me leftovers in front of my own guards, my own King. The least you owe me is an explanation."
"You want an explanation?" Seraphine's laugh came out sharp, brittle, nothing like the confident, charming sound I remembered from our childhood. "Fine. You want to know what I think, Lyra? I think you've spent your entire life playing the quiet, wounded victim, and somehow it's worked out perfectly for you every single time. Rejected by Kael, and suddenly you're living in a King's palace, glowing like something out of an old prophecy, with an entire Council murmuring about how impressive you are."
"That's not—"
"Let me finish." Her voice rose, echoing off the receiving hall's high ceilings, drawing ev
