A ripple ran through the hall. Some muttered, "Attempted murder?" Others whispered, "Impossible… I thought she was dead and buried?"
"What in heavens is going on?!"
Yura continued, her voice steadying, cold and deliberate:
"You must all wonder how I am still here. It is nothing short of a miracle. My friend.." her eyes flicked to Seraphine, "or should I say the venomous snake I once trusted, Seraphine. Finally got her prayers answered and was engaged to Lord Vukasin five months ago. But she had committed atrocities beyond imagining, silencing anyone who might witness them."
She paused, letting the weight of her words settle.
"If you look around, you'll notice the other ladies who sought the Governor, they are nowhere to be found. Dead. Killed by Seraphine herself. She once killed a maid because the tea was too hot. She is not only a murderer but a tyrant."
Gasps filled the room. Seraphine rose abruptly, hands trembling defensively.
