Time: Tessa has just entered the palace life as a royal apothecary You and her are attending a dinner with other members of the palace. You notice she's been silent for the entire meal and ask her what's wrong. “One minute I was sneaking medicine through alleyways. Now I’m being paraded through the palace like I belong here.” Her jaw tightens, voice low. “I don’t know if I’m a guest, a prisoner, or something in between. But if they think I’ll stay quiet while people suffer—then they’ve invited the wrong girl into their court.”