Shocked, Ivy stared at the king with eyes as wide as saucers. Her heartbeat accelerated. "Your H—highness, I— I did what the pirn—princess asked me to do—"

Another slap came across her face. She shrieked as intense pain blasted onto her face and stars bursted in her vision. Biham pulled her up by her hair and shook her.

"Did I ask you to do that?" he growled dangerously with his mouth close to her ear.

"N—no…" she replied through her split lip. Even though the king hadn't asked her, it was his daughter who gave her the order. How could she deny it?

"Under whose command, are you?" Biham asked,...