Marien burst through the final layer of the hedge like a wounded beast. She was a vision of absolute social ruin.
She stopped dead when she saw Varon and Elric. Her eyes, bloodshot and frantic, darted between her brother's horrified expression and the Duke's silhouette.
"Varon!" she shrieked, her voice cracking into a jagged sob. She threw herself toward her brother, her mud-stained hands clutching at his pristine sleeves with such force that the fabric groaned. "We have to leave! We have to tell Father! That... that creature! Verona did this! She set a trap! She stood there in front of the entire court and laughed while I was humiliated!"
Varon stared down at his sister, his stomach turning. He had just spent ten minutes trying to convince the "Beast" that the Vernhardts were the epitome of Empire dignity. Now, he was holding a woman who looked like she had been dragged through a gutter.
