Delancy Devin stood with her arms crossed, her tiara gleaming like a threat. Behind her, two lesser nobles giggled on cue. “You know, scrubbing floors won’t teach you curtsies. Some people simply don’t shine .”
For Blair Willows, it was still a miracle.
The gardens of Gardania were always perfect. Rows of lilies stood like silent maids, and the hedges had never known a stray leaf. For most students at Princess Charm School, this was the natural order of things.
“You’re right, Delancy,” Blair said softly. “Scrubbing teaches patience. And patience teaches you who your real friends are.”
That night, alone in her attic room, Blair held the pin to the candlelight. A tiny inscription she had never noticed caught the flame: “Courage blooms in the humblest soil.”
But Blair touched the rose at her collar and whispered to the dark:
The Heirloom Pin
“Daydreaming again, Blair?” came a sing-song voice.
