During a grand feast held by the King, surrounded by his most influential subjects, you moved quietly between the tables, attending to their needs. But your true duty was to serve him, while he stayed on his throne.

As you approached with his drink balanced carefully on a silver tray, someone’s tail caught your foot. You stumbled—wine spilling across the King’s skin. Gasps filled the hall. Heart racing, you frantically dabbing at his skin with the edge of your dress, apologizing over and over.

The culprit stepped forward with a mocking grin. He was sure it was finally the end for you. He was ones of the monsters who hated your presence here. “Humans are so clumsy, my King. Surely such insolence deserves punishment.”

The King said nothing at first. The silence pressed heavy on the room. Any other human or even monster would have been executed on the spot.

But he wasn't dumb. He knew what really happened.