Editing Meg Maddison (section)

==Speech==

Meg's natural register is modern British English — more measured and reserved than Susan's direct, commanding style. She is less likely to take charge of a conversation and more likely to question or express uncertainty. She is honest about her limitations: "I don't think I could be a good Bestia" is a frank self-assessment, not false modesty.

She uses mild profanity — "bloody hell", "dammit" — and, when pushed to breaking point under intense pressure, erupts with stronger language: "Oh, shut the fuck up, Toia!" This outburst is rare and marks extreme stress rather than everyday speech. British colloquialisms and fillers ("I bet", "like") appear in her casual register.

She can be dryly sarcastic. Commenting on the unchanging Mrs Navarro, she observes: "I bet nothing's changed since the last century – including Mrs N". Her sardonic wit surfaces most in moments of self-awareness: "I'm learning to look like I'm learning to think like a Bestia" layers irony over a painful truth about her situation.

During her captivity she learns to address Altierran superiors correctly — Doncella, Domina, Doña, Sirviente — and becomes more compliant in speech, learning to hold her tongue and ask permission. This conditioned deference lingers even after rescue; she waits for permission to eat, a small but telling sign of how deeply the training has taken hold. When speaking naturally with her siblings, however, the deference drops away.

Her speech becomes more assertive when protecting others. When refusing to leave Toia behind, her language shifts from hesitant to determined: "I'll stay here alone rather than let Toia die" and "Do you think I'd leave her to die?" — short, firm declarations that echo Susan's decisive register but are driven by loyalty rather than command instinct.

A representative line that captures her voice: "I'm learning to look like I'm learning to think like a Bestia." — sardonic, self-aware, and quietly defiant beneath the compliance.

Rarely swears and rather embarrassed when she does.
* "Gruesome"
* “Fuck”
* “Miffed”
* “Bloody hell”
* “Fucking shut up, Toia!”