#Chapter 106: The Debate

Amelia They gave me three hours to sleep. Not that it mattered. I tossed and turned the whole time, my nerves burning beneath my skin like static. When the knock came at six sharp, I was already sitting up in bed, staring at the soft gray light pushing through the curtains. I hadn’t dreamed, or if I had, I didn’t remember it. My head felt heavy. My stomach hollow. Lady Maris was already waiting in the sitting room with the precision of a military general. Two full racks of clothing, a steamer puffing gently in the corner, a tray of lemon-thyme tea, and a folder labeled simply "Presence." She didn’t speak right away. She just circled me like she was evaluating a gemstone for cracks. "You look pale," she said finally. "Good morning to you too." "You’re not there to be pretty," she said, ignoring the sarcasm. "You’re there to be seen. You are the spine. Don’t let anyone mistake you for decoration." She pulled a deep navy blouse from one of the hangers, layered it beneath a str