An Audience with the Pup 

~ ZARA ~

An hour later, Ash hovering like a bird of prey behind me, I led the Queen into the Audience chamber.

Each of the remaining Select was bringing their assigned dignitary, so there were crowds of people since even the nobles had an entourage—footmen, ladies in waiting, butlers, even a jester that I saw walking towards us in the corridor on our way.

It would have been fascinating. I wished I had time to pull Emory or Lizbeth—or better yet, David—aside and ask questions. Instead, with shaking hands and a clenched jaw, I was doing my best to get her to the audience without offending her again, or creating some kind of ridiculous scandal.