When Esme had left, one of the council members picked up the discarded letter from the ground. His eyes scanned the contents quickly before he passed it to the man beside him. He then turned to Emily, who was just beginning to regain her composure, his gaze stern.
"If the king finds out–"
"Should he find out that I switched the letters," Emily interrupted sharply, facing the council members after sending her guards away, "then prepare to share in the consequences. It would be in all of our best interest if the king never discovers the truth. Besides, everything is unfolding exactly as I intended."
