Chapter 238: A Question of Propriety
The Queen's gaze moved slowly from Duke Valenridge to Diana, then back again. Her expression did not change—it rarely did—but there was a stillness to her now, a careful control that suggested she was choosing her words with deliberate care.
"Your Grace," she said, her voice smooth, "why are you questioning my maid?"
Duke Valenridge tilted his head.
"My maid?" he repeated. "I was under the impression the maid in question belonged to Princess Lyria. Is she yours, then? Or is she the Princess's?"
The Queen smiled. It was a pleasant expression, but it did not reach her eyes.
"All maids in the palace belong to me," she said.
The Duke tilted his head further, a faint furrow appearing between his brows.
"That is rather strange," he said. "I never expected Her Majesty to own people. Is that not… illegal?"
The Queen's eye twitched.
It was small—barely noticeable—but it was there.
