Athena never looked back. Her eyes were trained on the queen but her ears did the looking for her. Once Sir Nikolai was taken away, Queen Catalina and Princess Casindra turned their attention back to Athena.
"Now that we know you're safe, your sister and I are relieved. We will leave you to rest," the queen said casually as she picked up the hems of her dress, ready to leave.
But before she made it past Athena, she paused.
"Oh, don't forget to report to your father, princess. Don't forget about your punishment," the queen whispered to Athena before leaving triumphantly with her daughter.
Even after everyone left, Athena did not falter. She stood strong on her feet. She made her way back to her bedchamber and changed out of her clothes. She put on a simple set of garments before heading to see her father.
