Straw couldn't fall asleep that night, hearing Apple tell her that Berryanna was still in the Lord of Faith's mansion with Queen Peachtree; her mind was restless. She tossed and turned, the silk sheets feeling like rough parchment against her skin. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw visions of the Queen leaning in too close to Berryanna, whispering things that Straw wasn't there to hear.. Her heart hammered a frantic beat against her ribs, and the air in the room felt heavy, like a storm was about to break.
She got up from the bed and went to find Dory, who was busy eating in the royal kitchen. The kitchen was cold, smelling of rosemary and old hearth fire, lit only by a few dying embers in the stove. Straw yanked her off from the cake; the poor cat wanted to eat more of that cake, but Straw had plans. Dory let out a sharp, indignant trill, her paws still sticky with frosting, but Straw gripped her tight, her fingers trembling slightly from a mix of adrenaline and nerves.
