"No."
That was the answer Serena gave her again. If she didn't stand for herself, then the little joy she found here would be ripped away from her.
It may seem small. Petty, even. But the warm bed she slept in at night, the luxury of choosing her meals, the silence free of accusation or fear, those things mattered. They were her pieces of peace.
And then there was Darius… she didn't even know his favourite colour yet.
Livia raised a single brow, her tone deceptively calm. "And if I may ask, why?"
Serena exhaled and laid her palms flat against her sides. Truth be told, she didn't owe Livia any answer, not after the way she had been treated by her. It was crystal clear the woman didn't like her.
"Why?" she echoed. "Because the council decided it. With a witness there, your scoutmaster. It was ruled I would leave Ironshade by springtime, and I intend to obey."
