"You lowly wretch, what vile tricks are you playing at? Daring to entice the King—are you mad?"
I burst into tears, shaking my head desperately, "Your Majesty, I did nothing wrong! I followed your orders, and never left the palace. I was just sunbathing in the tree—I never expected the King to come by here!"
"Still lying," she slapped me again, her anger flaring. "The King passes by here every morning after court. How can you claim ignorance?"
Stunned, I looked up at her, my eyes filled with confusion, "Your Majesty, it's my first time here. Today was the first time I ever left your side."
She paused, taken aback by my reminder. It dawned on her that in her palace, I couldn't have known about the King's routines, nor would she discuss such matters in front of me.
Despite this revelation, her demeanor remained unforgiving.
She scoffed and continued to scold me, "Jennifer, remember, you were born to a nobody; the King is out of your league."
I quickly bowed, submitting to her words.
That subdued her for the moment, and she strode away with an air of superiority.
Before leaving, she turned back to the maid following me, "From now on, keep her within the sleeping quarters."