I leaned back, swirling the dark wine in my glass, my golden eyes moving from the wives' fury to the silent, simmering rage of the two heirs sitting further down the table. Julian looked like he was ready to leap across the table and rip Maegel's throat out, while Caelum sat in a state of icy, dangerous stillness, his eyes never leaving me.
"Is the tea to your liking, Vivienne?" I asked suddenly, my voice cutting through the heavy silence with a bored, sharp edge. "I made sure to tell the servants to pick a blend that wasn't quite so... bitter. After my experience at the Salon de Rose, I wouldn't want anyone else to have a bad taste in their mouth."
Vivienne's eyes flashed with a flicker of genuine hatred. She knew exactly what I was referencing.
"The tea is fine, Lyssa," she rasped, her voice tight. "Though I am surprised you found the time to notice the flavor, given how... busy... you were being seen in the streets."
