"Winter. Please rise and come sit with me," Empress Katya urges.
She is in control of the scene. With one movement of her hand, a seat is set up beside her for me to sit. It seems like an honor, but it truly isn't. When people discuss this in later days, rather than discuss how the empress is a bad host, I'd bet 100 gold coins that people will only ask why the table was never set up for me initially. It makes me seem like a greedy opportunist who intruded on this exclusive brunch despite the fact that I was invited from the start.
The corner of my mouth quirks up.
I'd done us both a courtesy by not attending the Spring Ball last year, so as to minimize the potential clashes that could occur before the nobility and yet Katya insists on bringing them forth here?
Well, two can play the game and the easiest way to strike back is fuming in a seat right beside her.
