Straw and Apple stepped toward the table, the sound of their footsteps momentarily lost in the hum of the room. As they approached, the air shifted. One by one, the nobles pushed back their chairs and stood up, their heads dipping in a synchronized bow to the King. Only Queen Peachtree remained still. She sat with her back straight, her fingers dancing over the edges of her cards, her one good eye fixed on the hand she had been dealt.
The tension was thick, like smoke. Two nobles quickly gathered their things and scurried away, leaving their empty seats for Straw and Apple. They sat down, the wood of the chairs creaking under them.
Suddenly, a flash of mixed color fur hopped onto the center of the green felt. Dory was no longer invisible. She stood right in the middle of the card game, her tail flicking back and forth as she let out a loud, demanding meow.
