Tatiana stood up, her wine glass trembling in her hand, her face flushed not only from the drink but from the insult. "Who do you think you are exactly?" she spat, her voice sharp and bitter. "His Majesty himself assigned that position to me. You cannot fire me."
Lydia looked at her, her lips curling into a cold, mocking smile. She leaned back slightly in her chair, her eyes shining with icy fire. Then she chuckled softly, the sound both sweet and cruel. "Yes, I can, darling," she said calmly. "And you ask who I am? Let me remind you." Her tone dropped, colder, cutting through the tense air. "I am the Grand Duchess. And you? Who the hell are you? You are just a lady in waiting. Oh, forgive me." She tilted her head slightly. "A former lady in waiting."
Tatiana's eyes widened, fury and shame mixing together, but Lydia did not stop.
