Ulrich looked down at Antonias as his eyes slowly closed.
The corridor smelled of spilled wine and blood.
Louise stood against the wall, frozen where Antonias had pinned her. A moment later, the glass slipped from her hand. It struck the white tiles and shattered beside the King's discarded cup, red wine spreading across the marble in thin streams.
She raised her gaze from Antonias's unconscious body to Ulrich.
Her mind was still burning with the last few moments.
She had thought she would have to fight Antonias off. If she had, he could have turned the situation against her. He was the King. His word could ruin her family if he decided to claim she had tempted him, insulted him, or attacked him. Kaliantha had watched Louise take Antonias from the dais. The Queen had no reason to know that Louise had done it for Ulrich's strange request, and regardless, she wouldn't have backed a woman who got herself into trouble with full awareness.
