Adeline's eyes snapped open, and she looked around in a momentary daze. Then, she realized that she was in the palace. Sitting up, she found she had just experienced the best sleep she'd had in years. No one had disturbed her, no one had screamed her name, until a maidservant rushed in without knocking.
"Miss, you're awake! Your family… They are being punished!" the girl announced, her voice breathless.
"What?" Adeline scrambled out of bed, her heart hammering against her ribs. When had they arrived? Had they been here all night?
Ignoring her disheveled hair and wrinkled nightclothes, she followed the maidservant through the corridors and out toward the palace grounds.
Adeline skidded to a halt as she reached the edge of the courtyard. Her father, stepmother, and stepsister were forced onto their knees on the stone pavement. They looked broken, their clothes torn and faces bruised as if they had already endured a long night of questioning.
