Fear

"Valerie, stop right there!" Queen Maeve's voice cut through the corridor like a whip, her footsteps echoing as she stormed after her son the moment she stepped out of the meeting room.

Valerie, however, was in no mood to heed her call. He strode ahead, his body tense, his hands balled into tight fists. His jaw was clenched so hard that it was a wonder his teeth didn't shatter under the pressure. Rage burned through him like wildfire.

But Queen Maeve wasn't the type to back down. She kept up her pursuit, her voice growing sharper. "Stop right there, Valerie Huxstabel! Don't make me chase after you!"