The courts liked to gossip, and they liked to titter about how terrifying the Queen was, with the same air as children daring each other to inch closer and closer to a very large and fanged spider hung on the wall, thrilled with their own rising heartbeats. The spider was safe either way - either such children wouldn't dare squashing it, or one would be brave enough to raise their chubby kiddy fist, and then the spider would lunge, and there would be blood everywhere, and as much as some of the courtfolk liked to preen, they also knew the thing about the everywhereness-quality of the blood.

— Off with Their Heads by Zoe Hana Mikuta (Page 50 - 51)