The room stayed frozen even after the echo of the slap had died.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Everyone waited for the Queen’s next command, terrified of making even the slightest sound.
Queen Rose didn’t look at any of them.
She kept her eyes on sharp, unreadable, silently asuring every breath I took. Then, slowly, she turned her head to the guards.
"Remove the onlookers," she said quietly.
It wasn’t a request.
It was a decree.
Instantly, the guards snapped out of their stunned trance and began ushering everyone out of the chamber.
The maids didn’t need to even be shooed out of the room.
With what the Queen had just displayed they were ready to disappear out of the room.
Maids scattered like startled birds.
Cherry walked out stiffly, still recovering from the shock.
Coral hesitated, she looked at as if she wanted to speak, but the Queen’s eyes cut to her and she obeyed.
Belle left last, grinning at Auburn’s misery before slipping out.
Within monts, it was only three of us:
The Queen.
Auburn.
And .
But then the Queen looked at and said, without raising her voice.
"I’ll like to ask you a very important question." She asked .
I swallowed hard.
All of a sudden my throat was itching.
"Why were you even cleaning Auburn’s room?" She asked more confusion than anger written in her eyes.
Now that Question baffled .
"I don’t understand your majesty." I said lost for words.
Her brows creased and she shook her head. "Jasmine. You are a guest in this place. I don’t care whatever you were in your previous pack. I don’t care about whatever happened to you. But here you are a guest."
I swallowed again.
I wished I could deep my hand into my throat and itch it.
I felt very sick and nauseous.
"So I’ll ask you again." She went on. "Why were you even cleaning Auburn’s room."
Auburn folded her arms and her eyes glowed in anger at as though I was the reason the Queen had hit her.
"Because of the King." I said after a short pause.
Queen Rose blinked at .
"What?" She asked :
"The King." I continued. "He told that if I wanted to continue staying here I would have to pay for it. I had no money so cleaning and doing chores were the only things I could do. It’s only life I’ve known and I didn’t want to seem ungrateful to you for all you’ve done for ."
Queen Rose looked like she had thunder written right across her face.
I had never seen her this furious.
For a split second I thought she was going to hit too.
But she closed her eyes and took in a very deep breath.
"And I will ask you this Jasmine." She said in a gentle and yet firm tone. "Did you steal Auburn’s necklace?"
I looked up into her beautiful green eyes that were almost identical to mine and said.
"No your majesty. I do not."
She took in a deep breath and said. "We will hold investigation but for now, you may go. Do not leave the palace walls."
It didn’t sound like comfort.
It sounded like a warning.
I bowed my head and quietly backed away, slipping through the door as the guards shut it behind .
But before it closed completely, I heard the Queen’s voice shift low, icy, dangerous.
"Auburn. To the window. Now."
The door sealed.
And whatever happened inside that belonged only to Auburn and the Queen.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Inside the locked chamber, Auburn moved stiffly to the window, still clutching her cheek where the slap had landed. Her eyes were red, but she didn’t dare cry. Queen Rose stood behind her, the soft glow of the sun outlining her as if she were carved from gold and steel.
For a long mont, the Queen said nothing.
Auburn fidgeted beneath the weight of that silence.
Finally she began.
"Auburn," the Queen said, her voice too calm to be safe, "look at the gardens below."
Auburn swallowed and obeyed, peering out the high window. The garden spread beneath them like a tapestry guards patrolling, maids washing linens, wolves shifting in the training yard.
"Tell ," the Queen murmured, stepping beside her, "how many people are beneath us?"
Auburn blinked. "I-I don’t know. Dozens?"
"Yes." The Queen’s voice hardened. "Dozens. All of whom heard you accuse an innocent girl."
Auburn’s jaw tightened. "She’s not innocent and I don’t think you can see that she is being very manipulative and-
"Do not interrupt when I speak!" Rose barked in order.
Auburn’s breath caught.
Rose sighed and took in a deep breath.
Queen Rose reached out and gently almost tenderly lifted Auburn’s chin so their eyes t regardless of the fact Auburn trembled from her touch.
"You are my grand daughter and heir to the throne," she whispered, "you will not sha this family. And you will not allow yourself to be turned into a fool."
Auburn’s lips trembled. "Grandma... I’m not lying."
The Queen’s eyes narrowed.
"No? Then tell the truth."
Her fingers tightened just slightly. "What makes you have so much conviction that Jasmine stole the necklace."
Auburn seed to be in thought for a while.
"She was the last person in the room." Auburn stated.
"And so does that an no one else ca in?" Rose asked.
Auburn went quiet.
Rose sighed as she looked at Auburn.
Sotis she wondered if the girl had taken any of Scarlett’s traits.
In more ways than she could imagine, she was beginning to sense so cruelty from Auburn.
It baffled her because it was nothing like Scarlett had been as a child.
So where was this coming from?
"We do not accuse anyone until they have been proved guilty do you understand ?" Rose asked.
Auburn nodded.
"Go." Rose instructed.
When the door shut, Rose clenched her fist.
Her Husband.
How dare he make Jasmine a slave again after all she had been through!
She twirled on her heels and marched to find him for herself.
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