Giada bunched up her dress into her fists. Her fingers ached from how tightly she held the dress. She breathed in some courage and in a low voice thickened with anger said, "If it were my kingdom, the girl would have not only been thrown in the dungeons, but she would have been branded with hot iron, and then paraded around naked."

Marcus remained quiet. One of the guards grunted in approval. There was no movement from anybody.

"The servant girl is of no importance in front of me." Encouraged, Giada's voice raised when she noticed Marcus's silence. "I— I haven't come here on my own. It was Princess Morava's...