After the king's departure from the ladies' quarters, Verity and Rosalind began walking ahead side by side, while Rowan followed a few steps behind, keeping his usual distance. Rosalind had a slight frown on her face as they walked, and after a moment she let out a quiet sigh.
"Do I really have to do this dance?" she muttered, more to herself than to anyone else.
"It is the king's order," Verity replied in a low voice as she glanced at her. "You have to."
Rosalind's frown only deepened.
It must be nice to not have his attention at all, she thought bitterly to herself, and Verity couldn't help the faint smile that touched her lips, because it was true. Alaric's attention was suffocating. It was never about care or concern, only about what pleased him, and the only way Rosalind could truly escape it was if someone else managed to capture that attention. But Verity doubted that would happen anytime soon, because no one had ever managed to hold Alaric's focus the way Rosalind had.
