Unsettling Encounters

Amelia’s POV

I left the etiquette class feeling… lighter. It wasn’t the class itself, though Ms. Gentle seemed surprisingly kind and understanding, nor was it Sabrina’s failed attempt to humiliate me. What had eased the tension in my chest was something more subtle—a small victory, one that I didn’t realize I needed until I felt the weight lift.

The way Sabrina’s face had twitched when I flawlessly read the French paragraph was something I couldn’t help but replay in my mind, savoring the look of shock she tried to hide. She wanted me to fail, to stumble over words that had long since been second nature to me. I wasn’t just a rejected mate thrown into a royal role—I had my strengths, my abilities. And they were more than enough to carry me through this.

That felt good, Snow murmured in my head, her satisfaction radiating through our bond. You should’ve seen her face. Priceless.

I smiled to myself, the thought soothing the undercurrent of unease that had followed me into the class. “Yo