Chapter 0050
My throat went dry. “Your Majesty, I had no intention of ”
“Whatever your intention, you have still insulted me,” the Queen said.
I straightened at the shortness of her tone.
I was terribly confused. What had I done that was offensive? Was it because Julian, Nicholas, and I had broken the order of the dances?
But she didn’t even seem to be watching them, if she was hiding away in here.
“The poor child looks confused, Your Majesty,” said one of the women sitting near the Queen.
“She’s common,” said the other woman. “Maybe she truly doesn’t understand how she has disrespected you.”
The Luna considered her friends” words. “Is that the case, girl?”
I didn’t much care for their patronizing tone of voice, but I could deny the truth to their words.
I nodded.
The Luna looked to the woman on her left, then gestured to me.
“It’s your gloves, child,” said the woman.
I looked down at my gloves. They were clean. The seams were straight.
“They are too short,” continued the woman.
All the other women dressed in formalwear wore their gloves up over their elbows. I could see that now, glancing around
Mine stopped mid–forearm.
“You have disrespected me and my family,” said the Queen. “We have accepted you into our home. We have clothed and fed you, and given you a chance in the selection. And this is how you repay us?”
1 bowed my head low. I’m terribly sorry, Your Majesty. I had no idea that –”
“A Luna accepts responsibility. You say you didn’t know. Were you hoping to pass your punishment off onto your maids? Or perhaps your tailor?”
“No,” I said, ashamed. She was right. The fault should fall on me alone. I would never want to see
Even if I did wonder about why my maids hadn’t warned me.
I lowered my head further. 7 personally accept whatever punishment you deem fit.”
I hoped my compliance might ease my sentence. If the Queen wished to have me expelled from the
palace, it would be so.
I couldn’t risk Elva’s health. Not yet. Not when she’d been doing so well.
“Your Majesty, if I may,” Lena spoke up.
The Luna waved her forward. Lena came around the couch to stand beside me.
She was in her typical uniform, a high neck navy blue dress with a simple black belt. But tonight, even she wore gloves, though their length was hidden under her long sleeves.
I wondered what Lena would say. I couldn’t imagine she would speak up in my defense.
Lena cleared her throat. “As you consider what is to be done with this fool girl, I would like to suggest the traditional punishment for such an offense.”
The Queen hummed thoughtfully.
“A harsh punishment, indeed,” said the woman on the left.
The one on the right added, “Fitting for the crime.”
The woman on the left watched me. “She’s confused again.”
“Explain the punishment, Lena,” the Queen said.
“Gladly.” Lena glared at me. “For the tradition punishment, the offended would be forced to kneel outside the palace for the length of an entire stormy day.”
I hooked my hands together to keep anyone from noticing my trembling.
This wasn’t a death sentence, exactly, though in those conditions, I would sure end up sick and exhausted. Hopefully the punishment did not include a withholding of medical care.
“Certainly a thing to consider,” said the woman on the right.
“What are you doing?”
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