Lira took the lead as the three girls filed into the room, their footsteps seeming all too loud. This receiving room was meant for smaller gatherings, but the decor still held enough grandeur to marvel at. Pristine, grooved walls soared upward, at least three stories high, before meeting the gold crown molding bordering the ceiling, and a few tasteful couches and chairs were scattered throughout the space.

Thus far, the room was empty, save for the three of them. None of them had any idea why they’d been summoned here, and Lira couldn’t help feeling a twinge of unease. She’d obey any command given by her queen, no matter where it took her, but how could she serve properly with no information?

She’d failed Nor during the attack, and had not been able to ease her mind since.

“Are we in trouble?” Gilly asked in a small voice. Lira wished she could provide a reassuring answer, but she, too, was wondering the same thing. They had been in the barracks, getting ready for breakfast, when the queen’s personal guards arrived to escort them away for some unknown reason.

Zahn, the queen’s head of security, had died in Arachnid’s attack. A flicker of worry echoed through her as Lira wondered whether the queen would blame them for his death. Lira knew that she blamed herself, at least in part—they should have found a way to do better. But no matter how hard they tried to protect everyone, it never seemed to be enough.

Breck just looked at her with a question in her eyes. Before she could put voice to it, however, a door on the right wall opened, and Queen Nor emerged from it.

The three girls instantly dropped to their knees.

“You may stand.”

They stood without hesitation, like dolls on a string and the queen, their puppet master. Lira assessed her carefully while keeping her head dutifully bowed. Queen Nor wore a plain black dress that fell to her ankles, and her hair was tangled, her usual elegant updo an utter mess. In all the times Lira had seen her, never had the queen looked so unkempt. And her eyes were so tired, so sad.

Lira couldn’t blame her.

She held her breath as Nor shifted her gaze to each of them, holding on to her silence. Lira wished she would just speak already, even if it was to punish them. She deserved punishment for failing the queen—perhaps she even deserved death.

“If you think I called you here to punish you, you’re wrong.” All three girls let out a breath. “But that doesn’t mean everything is alright.”

Lira nodded. “Please accept our condolences, my queen, for those who were lost in the attack.”

Nor stiffened, and Lira froze, hoping she hadn’t said something wrong. Then the queen acknowledged her sentiment with a slight tilt of her head, and Lira relaxed slightly.