“Damn,” Aertis said. “It was the perfect plan though, and now wasted.” She and Lyria had been commiserating over dinner, which Lyria had asked Navaill to send into her chambers. She had no desire to eat in the dining room that day, under the angry eye of Haribelle, avoiding the King’s gaze.
“I’m just going to keep my head down, for now,” Lyria said. “Assuming that Haribelle doesn’t tell everyone what happened and I don’t get kicked out of the contest and banished from Winding Road,” she added.
“Banished? For so... adeptly securing the favor of the King? Alpha Windmere would be so pleased he could probably kiss you himself,” Aertis said. “And not just because you look like your mother,” she cackled.
“Ew!” Lyria protested in disgust, hurling a chunk of bread at Aertis’s head. Aertis batte
