Her short, dark braids were pulled back into a neat ponytail, and her fitted travel vest looked more stylish than practical. She wasn't a noble, just a civilian who had worked her way into Abuchi's circle through street smarts, charm, and persistence.
She had no battlefield accolades, but she knew how to survive, how to watch, and how to stay close to power. Her loyalty to Abuchi ran deep, but it was tinted with quiet resentment.
At Nnenna's arrival, Karen did not bother hiding the way her lips pressed into a line. "This is the girl?" she said, her tone flat.
No direct hostility. Just clipped judgment.
Karen didn't like Nnenna. She never had. It wasn't about her skill, or lack of it, it was everything else. The adoption. The royal treatment.
The now growing bond with Abuchi. He hated her so much before.
What changed?
