All eyes turned toward her as she stepped away from the window, her carefully maintained composure shattering as outrage overwhelmed years of training in noble etiquette and proper behavior.
"You can't just march in here and announce I'm being married off like property! I have rights! The nobility has protections against forced marriages and..."
"Against what?" Celeste interrupted, her examination of the letter opener pausing as she directed her attention toward Victoria. A small laugh escaped before she continued.
"Oh, sweetie. Arranged marriages? Daughters used to seal alliances and transfer property. That's not a loophole in the nobility system... That is the system."
She sat up slightly, her eyes tracking across Victoria with an assessment that stripped away the girl's protests to reveal the reality beneath the outrage.
