The female servants, the attendants, moved. Their hands, on the princess's arms, were there. The escort, the gentle but firm escort, was there. Yuexin, her dark eyes, the fury, the impotent, burning fury, was there.
'Father, you fool. You are playing into his hands. He wants me isolated. He wants me unable to help. He wants me... dependent on him.'
She was taken. To her chamber. The door, closed. The lock, engaged. The princess, imprisoned in her own palace, was there.
~~ The Chamber
The door clicked shut behind them, and the sound of the lock engaging felt final in a way that made Shen Yue's stomach drop.
