Julian stared at her, his posture stiffening as a cold sweat broke out beneath his collar. The tight, defensive smile he wore felt entirely artificial.
"What... what exactly do you mean by that, Your Majesty?"
Evangeline leaned back against the plush velvet, her expression unreadable. "Hmm. Who knows?"
Before Julian could press further, the heavy carriage rolled to a halt. Outside, the muffled sounds of the royal guards saluting echoed through the wooden frame, accompanied by the familiar, heavy clatter of iron gates swinging open.
"Oh, it seems we have arrived," Evangeline noted dryly.
The carriage door was smoothly pulled open by a waiting footman, letting in the crisp, familiar air of her own kingdom. Julian, eager to escape the suffocating tension of the cabin, stepped out first. He walked two paces forward onto the stone courtyard before a sudden, cold realization hit him.
He had forgotten his place. He had forgotten the protocol.
