The entire room rose, hundreds of people in unison.
It caught her off guard.
"Chin up. Shoulders back." Elara's hand found her elbow. "If you trip in front of these people I will never recover."
The courtroom was full. Most faces reflected surprise at her presence. She saw it in their widened eyes, their exchanged glances. They hadn't expected her to attend.
She hadn't expected to attend either. Not until this morning, when Elara told her who was being tried.
Cass. The seamstress. Single mother. The woman who had sewn every gown Serena had worn since arriving at Drakenfell, who had taken her measurements with warm hands and quiet conversation, who had a daughter she spoke about in the way only single mothers do.
But the woman being tried today had laced both of their clothing with poison.
They needed to be here.
They moved down the center aisle toward the seats reserved for the Crown. The whispers grew louder.
