Celia remembered vividly how Tobin had crushed her dreams the past summer, by forbidding her from helping with anything useful. His cruel words had been branded in her mind for months.
It was delightful to now repeat his words to his parents and watch them both blanch in discomfort.
"Your language is appalling and disrespectful!" Queen Maura hissed.
"I'm sorry you feel that way, Your Majesty. I learned it from my husband, and isn't that what a wife is supposed to do? To learn in obedience and submission from her lord?"
"Regardless of how we ended up in this situation, we should be focusing on looking for a solution." the king interjected, showing no patience for the tension brewing between his wife and his daughter-in-marriage. "We have to make sure Havietten isn't negatively struck by any of the proposed changes. The lords of my kingdom derive their wealth from the merchant guilds' trade. If this wealth stops, we could end up with nothing but anarchy."
