Chapter 2 - The Laughing Court
For a fleeting second, the grand hall remained dead silent, as if the guests were attempting to process the sheer audacity of the dirty intruder. Then, the illusion broke.
A high-born noblewoman standing near the piano burst into a sharp, cruel laugh. Her high-piled hair was topped with a tiara of spun gold and sapphires that caught the light with every tilt of her head. She lowered her crystal champagne flute, her eyes scanning the child with utter disgust.
"This isn't a shelter!" the woman sneered, her voice ringing out across the ballroom. She waved her silk fan dismissively, signaling two uniformed guards standing by the high arched doors. "Where is security? Throw this little street rat back out into the gutter where she belongs!"
Laughter echoed through the crowd as several guests nodded in agreement, turning back to their drinks. The child flinched, pulling her dirty arms close to her chest. Her eyes welled with hot tears, but she didn't run. Instead, driven by a desperate, gnawing hunger, she pulled back the heavy leather bench and sat down.
Her tiny, bare feet barely reached the brass pedals below. She lifted her filthy, scratched hands and placed her fingertips onto the gleaming white ivory keys.
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The noblewoman stepped forward, her silk dress rustling aggressively. "Did you not hear me, girl? Get off that—"
The child pressed her fingers down.
