The sound of laughter continued, spoons scraped against plates, and children ran around, yet Serena seemed to be stuck in a vacuum.
Her hands went cold, and her feet numb. She could barely register the people around her- only Jack and Beatrice.
Time seemed to slow down, and all she heard was: She's not an ambassador. It played over and over again in her head.
Serena willed her body to move, but it wouldn't obey. Her breath seized, and tears pricked her eyes in an uncomfortable way.
Annamarie moved swiftly to Jack's side, pinching him discreetly.
"Don't be rude, Jack," she began with an awkward laugh. "We have a whole ambassador in Ironshade, please."
Annamarie held on tightly to him, though it did little to dispel the confused look on Jack's face.
Serena took a ragged breath, biting her tongue to force herself to speak.
Darius set his cup down and gave Jack a knowing look. "Apologize to the ambassador," he said in a commanding tone.
