Jasmine's POV
"I'm grateful for your decision," I said to the king, weighing each word with deliberate care, "but if you expect me to make the palace my home, then I have certain terms that aren't negotiable."
The air in the room grew thick with tension.
Jayden remained motionless in his chair, his jaw clenched tight. Ebony fixed her stare on some invisible point beyond my head, while Sylvia observed me with the kind of disdain reserved for something unworthy that had wandered into her pristine world. The queen's expression stayed neutral, though I caught the slight arch of her perfectly sculpted eyebrows.
"Speak," the king commanded with a curt nod.
My hands felt clammy against the fabric of my dress. I steadied my breathing.
"First condition," I began, keeping my voice level, "my friends have unrestricted access to me. No surveillance, no eavesdropping, no reports filed about our conversations."
I kept my eyes forward, refusing to acknowledge the weight of their stares.
