Chapter 323. Empty Promises

Ann smoothed her hands over the folds of her gown for what must have been the tenth time, the restless motion betraying nerves she’d tried to keep hidden. Her reflection in the tall mirror showed her crown perfectly set, her posture upright, her expression calm.

“You’re fidgeting,” Maeve observed dryly from the quiet corner of her mind. “You only do that when you’re worried. Or guilty. And unless you’ve secretly stolen my puppachino’s while I was sleeping, I’d say it’s the first of the two.”

Ann rolled her eyes faintly. “I’m not worried, I’m… preparing.”

“Preparing? You’re about to face an entire room full of nobles for the first time, Ann. Not the Enclave’s Elders...no neat little one-from-each-pack circle with rules and respect...but Lords and Ladies who’ve grown fat on politics and their own perfume. They’ll sniff out nerves the way wolves scent blood.”