Strong guards escorted two women into the queen's atrium, the heavy thud of their boots echoing against polished marble. The nobles already gathered turned in unison, eyes following the women's every step until the guards halted before where the queen sat. The air tightened with curiosity and the faint scent of incense drifting from tall braziers placed along the pillars.
Nheera's face remained an exquisite mask of composure as she surveyed the scene before her. Her pale eyes swept first over her two ladies-in-waiting, then the guards flanking them, and finally the scattering of courtiers positioned throughout the chamber.
They were all beneath her, insignificant insects she would crush without a second thought under normal circumstances, but she kept her expression serene, refusing to let her contempt bleed through. Today, she required their favor. Today, she needed to play a role she despised.
