Page 8 (1/2)

"That you have done nothing to stop!"

Tia stuttered, startingone "If you leave ru always iuilt"

"So do you deny this or not?"

Trapped

"I didn’t, my queen"

If she told the truth or if she lied, I didn’t think it mattered Tia’s fate was sealed before a as said

Queen Abby grabbed Tia by a fistful of hair and started pulling her toward the door "You’re leaving right now"

Tia screamed in pain and protested "But only Prince Clarkson can do that, Your Majesty It’s in the rules"

"So is not being a whore!" the queen shrieked in return Tia lost her footing and slipped so that the queen was literally holding her aloft by her hair She stumbled to keep up as Queen Abby pushed her onto the floor in the hallway "GET! OUT!"

She slammed the door and i her eyes over our faces,very clear," she began quietly, gliding slowly past chairs and couches of girls, looking glorious and terrifying at once "If one of you little brats thinks you can coain"

She stopped in front of a cluster of girls near the wall "And if you think you can act like trash and still end up on the throne, you have another think coer into Piper’s face "I will not stand for it!"

Piper’s face was flung back by the force of the queen’s finger, but she didn’t react to the pain until after Queen Abby had passed

"I am queen And I am beloved If you want toI tell you to be Obedient Tasteful And silent"

She wove her way through the tables and stopped in front of Bianca, Madeline, and me "From now on your only job is to show up, be a lady, sit there, and smile"

Her eyes ht that was a command So I smiled The queen was not amused, and she pulled back and slapped it off runt and fell into the table I didn’t dare move

"You have tenthe rest of your meals in your rooms today I don’t want to hear so much as a peep out of any of you"

I heard the door shut but still had to check "Is she gone?"

"Yes Are you okay?" Madeline asked, co to sit in front of me

"My face feels like it burst open" I pulled myself up, but the throb frooodness!" Bianca cried "You can see her handprint"

"Piper?" I called "Where’s Piper?"

"Here," she said through tears I stood up, and she was already walking toward ht?" I asked

"It hurts a little" She ran her hand over the place where the queen had pushed her, and I could see a half-moon shape from her nail

"There’s a little mark, but some makeup should cover it"

She fell into ot into her?" Nova asked, voicing all our thoughts