Living Like a Mouse? How About a Lion?

The Queen's Call

After my so-called abduction, I found myself in a new room in the palace—spacious, lavish, and undoubtedly the nicest prison cell I've ever had. Oh, don't get me wrong, it was beautiful. Expensive tapestries, plush furniture, a massive bed with sheets that felt softer than any fabric I'd ever touched.

It's almost like they want me to forget I'm being held hostage.

For a week, I was left to my own devices. No visits from Callisto, no messages, just silence. The servants delivered my meals and cleaned up after me, but otherwise, I was alone. It was... unsettling.

Is this my reward for not dying at the banquet?

I spent most of that week exploring the room, pacing like a caged lion. What else could I do? I had nowhere to go, no one to talk to. The palace walls were as tall as they were cold, and I could feel the weight of eyes on me everywhere I went.

Wonderful. 

Now I'm being watched by the invisible ghost army.

After days of this maddening solitude, word finally came: the queen wanted to see me. I knew it was coming. There was no way she'd let me sit in this palace without addressing the very obvious elephant in the room—me. Or, more accurately, what I represented.

And so, off I went, dressed in something suitably elegant but not overly flashy. I wasn't about to show up to a meeting with the queen looking like I was auditioning for court jester, after all. No, I needed to look like I belonged here, even if I didn't feel it.

I walked through the grand halls, flanked by guards, and when I finally reached the throne room, there she was. The queen. All regal in her icy glory, her expression as cold as the marble floors beneath my feet.

Oh, this is going to be fun.

"Penelope Eckhart," she said, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "Do you know why you are here?"

Oh, I have a pretty good guess.

I didn't bow. Instead, I stood tall, meeting her gaze with as much confidence as I could muster. "I imagine you've summoned me to make sure I know my place, Your Majesty."

Her lips twitched, but not into a smile. No, this was something else—something dangerous. "Your place, indeed."

Here it comes.

"You've caused quite a stir since your arrival," the queen continued, her gaze never wavering. "The rumors about you are... colorful, to say the least."

"Rumors tend to be," I replied, my voice steady. "But I assume Your Majesty has already heard the truth."

"The truth?" she repeated, her eyes narrowing slightly. "And what truth would that be?"

Oh, you're going to love this, lady.

"That I'm not here to play games," I said, letting the weight of my words hang in the air. "If you're expecting me to fall in line like every other noblewoman in this palace, you're going to be disappointed."

Her eyes flashed with something—amusement, maybe? Or was it rage? It was hard to tell, but I could see the tension in her posture. I had her attention now.

"You are bold," she said quietly. "Foolish, perhaps, but bold."

Foolish? 

Oh, lady, I'm just getting started.

"And you're a viper," I shot back, not bothering to hide the venom in my voice. "But I'm not afraid of you."

The room fell into a heavy silence, the queen's expression darkening. She didn't like being challenged, that much was clear. But I wasn't here to play nice. If Callisto wanted me to stand my ground, then that's exactly what I was going to do.

And if she's expecting me to cower, she's in for a rude awakening.

The queen leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing even further. "You should be careful, Penelope. You don't want to make an enemy of me."

I smiled, though there was no warmth in it. "I'm not the one who needs to be careful."

For a moment, I thought she was going to strike me. Her fingers curled into the armrest of her throne, and the tension in the room thickened until it was almost suffocating.

Oh, I've really done it now. 

She's going to kill me.

But instead of ordering my execution, the queen stood slowly, her eyes never leaving mine. "I see why Callisto chose you."

Oh? 

Do you now?

I raised an eyebrow, not breaking eye contact. "And why is that?"

"Because you're just as dangerous as he is," she said, her voice low and cold. "But let me give you a piece of advice, Penelope. You may think you're untouchable now, but everyone falls eventually. Even you."

Is that a threat? 

Because it sure sounds like a threat.

"I'll keep that in mind," I replied, keeping my tone light even though my heart was pounding in my chest. "But you should remember something too."

She arched an eyebrow. "Oh? And what's that?"

I smiled, sharp and cold. "I'm not falling anytime soon. And if I do, I'll take everyone with me."

For the briefest moment, I thought I saw a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. But then it was gone, replaced by that cold, calculating gaze she always wore. She wasn't going to give me the satisfaction of rattling her. Not yet, anyway.

I walked out of the room, head held high, my heart still racing from the confrontation. The queen had threatened me, sure, but I had given as good as I got. And as much as she wanted me to be afraid, I wasn't. Not of her.

If she wants to play with fire, she's going to get burned.