Welcome to Stories from Among the Stars.

You're listening to Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorn,

narrated by Jessica Threat.

Chapter 33.

Raina

The palace was cold.

It was ironic, considering that the capital was much farther south than Tani.

And yet at home, they were surrounded by good company, warm hearths, hot

tea, cozy books. At home, all Raina had to do was lean against Kianth, and the mage would

give her a hug so tight she'd lose air. Here, everything was stone. It was, after all, the Queendom's primary export,

a testament to the strength and power of the royal family. The walls were granite,

polished to a shine to reveal the natural movement of the stone. The floor was marble,

gleaming under the firelight.

The statues were gold, which was more common in Leonel, worth the handsome payments Queen Tulane offered to import it. But more than the physical stone were the people. Raina was raised

here, had played in these hallways, crashed into the kitchens,

and tested weaponry in the training rooms. She recognized every single person she passed,

but after the first five gave her the silent treatment, Raina stopped trying to say hello.

They were afraid. She understood. It still

hurt. And so, she kept her gaze locked on the guards she'd arrived with, who'd shifted from

colleagues to captors the moment they entered the Capitol. They wordlessly put her into a small waiting room near the throne room,

removed every weapon she had, even the hidden ones,

and finally left her in silence.

...