Ingrid's calm composure faltered at the remark.
People had spoken to her before, directly and indirectly alike, always reminding her that her position could vanish at any moment. That she stood on borrowed ground. That she was only ever one breath away from being discarded.
But to hear it from such a young woman…
It was another matter entirely.
She had already been preparing to speak to the King about Rosalyn. If the girl was this bold before even entering the royal family, then what would she become after helping Theron stabilize the throne? What would become of Ingrid, and of her son, when that happened?
No. That could not be allowed.
"Positions shift," Ingrid said lightly, though a faint smile hovered at her lips while bitterness coiled beneath it. "Like the spokes of a wheel. Up, then down. So the saying goes." Her gaze lingered on Rosalyn for a moment. "Though for some, the fall is far steeper than the rise."
Rosalyn caught the edge in her tone and adjusted at once.
