Elmir’s face hardly moves. Even though I whacked him, he continues to stare down at me. But his expression is now a blank slate.
His pale cheek isn’t even red.
I had come here with the best of intentions. I had come here willing to learn. And yet he throws it back at me.
“Don’t insult me again,” I say firmly. “You know nothing about me. You don’t know what I’ve done, what I’ve fought for, what I earned. I spent years studying, learning, and practicing at the expense of wanting anything for myself. I earned the respect of my community and patients enough that they gave me their hard-earned money to get an education so I might better serve them.
“My life might not have looked like much to someone who came from a grand castle. But you know what, Your Majesty?” I sneer. “I worked for what
