Ruby leaned back into the bathtub, the warmth of the water enveloping her weary body. The newly staffed maids moved about the chamber in silent efficiency, pouring fresh hot water into the tub. Their eyes remained lowered, never once daring to meet the queen’s gaze. She had grown accustomed to it over the past few weeks, though at first, the change in staff had been unsettling.
The familiar faces she had trusted, her closest attendants, had been stripped away from her. It had not been her choice. The king had made it clear—everyone surrounding her would be new. Her requests to keep at least a few of her loyal maids had been brutally denied.
Ruby sighed, sinking deeper into the water, letting the heat soothe the stiffness in her limbs. The scent of herbs filled the chamber as Lydia, gent
