Phoebe's POV
If these elders thought they could leverage my position as queen to pressure me, then I'd wield that exact same authority like a weapon to shield myself.
I wasn't the fastest learner, but my previous encounters with these council vultures had taught me something invaluable. Nothing would satisfy them except watching me fall from grace, and I'd rather die than give them that satisfaction.
After deliberately stretching out fifteen torturous minutes, I finally revealed what I'd been scribbling. There wasn't much to see—they could scan it in under five seconds. I'd crossed out words, rewrote sentences, and dragged the process out purely to watch their faces redden with frustration.
The paper stated simply that I was obeying the king's direct command to remain outside the palace, as my presence there posed unacceptable dangers to the kingdom's security.
