VANESSA

I stood in front of my mirror, adjusting my gloves and smoothing out my dress.

This was another part of being a concubine that I detested a lot. One had to wear all the sophisticated dresses instead of the simple outfits that I had gotten used to wearing, and it was annoying.

The corset strapped to my skin as its main aim was to squeeze the life out of me, but those were the rules. We had to dress like royalty.

Royalty to my foot.

I already knew that the tea party invitation from my fellow concubines was not an innocent gesture, but it would be the day I...