The title was a challenge, not a greeting. "We have all heard a great deal about your beauty. As a lady of grace, one must have the confidence to show her true self. Come forward and open your veil."
The Empress was expecting to see her face covered in red rashes. She was expecting her to be humiliated and disqualified. Daphne did not hesitate. She took a step forward, her head held high. She reached up and, with a slow, deliberate grace, she unclasped the pins holding her veil in place. Every eye in the great hall was on her.
Daphne's face was utterly flawless. Her skin glowed. She was not only unharmed, she was breathtakingly beautiful. The Empress's smirk faltered, replaced by stark disappointment. Her plan had failed. She finally broke into a strained smile that didn't reach her cold eyes.
"Truly," she said, her voice thin and sharp as a needle. "Such a complexion... it is truly deserving of the Emperor's honor and noble title."
