*Serena*
Manila packed the last of my hair and turned me around to look at myself in the mirror. I loved it. "Wow, thank you Mani, I finally look like a decent human being."
"You're most welcome, Rena. Now," Manila said, her tone shifting, "can I ask you something else?"
I met her gaze in the mirror, her expression more serious now. "What is it?"
She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Is there anything going on between you and the king?"
The question hit me like a punch to the gut. "What?"
Manila shrugged, her voice casual but her eyes sharp. "I've noticed it since the first day we got here. There's something... different between you two. The way he looks at you, the way you speak to him—it's not like anyone else. People are shocked he didn't punish you harshly like he normally does and wondering if you are more to him than a maiden chosen to marry his brother."
