The heavy doors of the throne room opened with a slow, echoing groan, and the Queen of Montegnera was led inside under the eyes of the court she once ruled beside.
Giselle remembered the first time she was introduced to the Court—it was as a Queen, respected even if just for her relations with Fabio. The same room now stood cold and hostile, lined with courtiers, nobles, and guards. The banners of the kingdom hung motionless against the high stone walls. The crowd parted for her as she was brought forward, the chains around her wrists clinking with every move.
Giselle's hair hung loose around her shoulders, tangled and a dull shade of auburn red. Her gown was plain, stripped of color and jewels. She had not seen a mirror in days, but she could feel the weight of their stares; the disgust, the pity, the hunger for spectacle. She felt every inch of it pressing on her like a hand to the throat.
"Look at her," someone whispered from the benches. "The King's poisoner."
