Nina's brows drew together slowly as her gaze settled on the figure standing quietly by the chamber doors.
For a brief moment, she almost didn't recognize her.
Sabrina stood in a plain maid's uniform that hung loosely from her thin frame. In only a matter of days, she had become frighteningly gaunt. Her cheeks were hollowed, dark circles shadowed her sunken eyes, and her once carefully tended hair was tied back in a rough, messy knot, loose strands clinging to her damp skin.
The sleeves of her dress had been rolled to her elbows, revealing reddened, raw wrists and chafed fingers that looked as though they had spent countless hours scrubbing laundry in ice-cold water.
Nina regarded her in total silence.
Several long heartbeats passed before she finally exhaled. "What are you doing here?"
Her voice was neither warm nor cold. It was completely devoid of feeling.
The moment the words left Nina's lips, Sabrina dropped to her knees with a heavy thud.
