Clara stood up fully, her chin tilted high into a haughty, dramatic angle as she looked around the pavilion to rally the others. "I, for one, refuse to have my family crest dragged through the mud. I would not want to tarnish my name and get banished like Neisa Kara, so I will leave this instant!"
A collective gasp rippled through the ivory-draped tables. Spurred by Clara's dramatic display, three other younger debutantes nervously began to stand up from their places, smoothing down their pastel bodices and casting wary, panicked glances toward the exit.
The carefully curated tea party was seconds away from a catastrophic social walkout.
That was when Neisa's voice echoed sharply through the surrounding pavilion.
"Wait!" Neisa commanded, her voice dropping into a deep, desperate resonance that made the retreating girls instantly freeze in their tracks. Her green eyes flashed with a raw intensity as she took a half-step forward, completely abandoning her defensive posture.
