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“This is Kai’s palace, not yours.”

Without time to think, the Queen slapped Noora across the face. The hit was so hard it made her head fly to the right but she did not show how it affected her.

The queen leaned closer. “Without me, Nikolai wouldn’t even have this palace. And without me, you would not even be here you half-blood whore.” Her hand wrapped around Noora’s braid and she tugged hard. Her head tilted back as the queen hissed at her, eyes narrowed and filled with hatred and rage.

“How would you feel if I cut all your hair off?” In a moment she pulled out a small pocket knife holding it over the very top of her braid.

Noora clenched her teeth, knowing that this was her fault.

“Let her go!” Josephine screeched.

“Quiet,” the queen barked.

But she could not just watch another child get hurt, this was what she always did. She protected Lulva from the matron and she would protect Josephine from the queen if she had to.

“I know how important your hair is to your species. That is why it’s so white, like snow, it channels all your magic. So I’m wondering, the longer the hair the more powerful the witch. Let’s find out,“ she growled and dug her knife into her hair.

“Mother.”

The queen faltered at the new voice, the knife leaving Noora’s hair. She could finally stand up straight and turn to see Nikolai standing in the doorframe to the library.

“Nikolai, I didn’t think you would grace us with your presence until the next trial.”

He stepped slowly into the room, his green eyes placed on his mother and nowhere else. “Well, then I think we got lucky I just got here earlier.” It was then that his gaze turned towards Josephine, completely ignoring Noora’s presence.

“Jo, why don’t you take our guest to her chambers?”

His sister nodded quickly, the shock still sitting in her bones. Her little hand slipped into Noora’s calloused one and tugged but the latter still tried to meet Nikolai’s gaze in vain.

Pushing the stinging of her eyes away she left the room without a second glance behind her.

“She wanted to cut your hair?” Tyra’s voice screeched. Noora helped Josephine up on the stool so she could lean her head over the bathing tub.

“Yes, but I don’t think she would have actually gone through with it.” She opened up the tabs waiting for the water to turn warm enough. Noora tried to appear calm, though she still felt rattled. She did not give much about her heritage but it seemed her hair was more sacred to her than she had thought.

Tyra blanched as she sat on the other side of the tub. Aileen was leaning against the sink, a thoughtful look on her face as Lulva swung her legs beside her.

“You don’t know my mother then. She is like a viper, first, she zeroes in on you and tries to find your weakest part and then she strikes. Is your weakest part your hair?”

“No,” Nora said, filling a small bucket with water before carefully tracing it over Josephine’s short hair.

“What is it then?” Josephine’s eyes regarded her curiously.

“I do not have one.”

“That is not true, everyone has a weak part. Your Achilles heel, my brother calls it that.”

Noora hummed, her hand going through the short strands. “I have not found it yet then. Is the temperature all right?”

“Yes. But she also slapped Noora!” Josephine added, making the other three girls gasp.

“It was not that bad and I did disrespect her. I should’ve never touched her.”

“Thank the heavens you did! Or else she would’ve spanked me for hours,” Josephine said eagerly as if she was talking about a mere bunny and not a mother who was prone to hurting her children.

Noora looked at Tyra, who saw the question in her eyes and nodded. So she would actually do it.