CHAPTER FOURThe room went silent.
The general looked at the queen to see her reaction—her right eye twitched, but otherwise, she gave no acknowledgement of the interruption. The general followed her lead. He looked around the room and noted that only those trustworthy enough to hold state secrets were at this meeting. “I spent the last three months assisting the Phoenix Princess in mastering her phoenix state.”
“You assisted the daughter of our enemy?” she asked. “The one who betrayed us with the marriage contract, the one who wants you dead? Who tried to lure you into a trap to kill you? Are we correct in this assertion?”
The general bowed his head, staring at his shiny black boots. “The Phoenix Princess had nothing to do with the betrayal. She ensured I received the message about the
