Punishement
Leora stood in the grand hall, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised so high it looked like it might reach her hairline.
Her piercing gaze shifted back and forth between Lise and me as we stood side by side like a pair of scolded children. Aeliana, wisely, had excused herself to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
"Well," Leora began, tapping her fingers against her arm. "Where do I even start? The giant scorch marks on my courtyard? The shattered statue of Zephara great-grandmother that's now a pile of pebbles? Or the fact that you two lunatics decided to have a full-blown duel in the middle of the day while I was trying to finish the royal accounts?"
Lise, ever the fearless one, scratched the back of her head with a sheepish grin. "In my defense, I won the last duel against Zephara's minions, so technically, I was just upholding my honor as your most loyal bodyguard."