The silence in the room felt heavier than before.
Not peaceful but confused.
Alaric's hand remained on Elara's wrist a moment longer than necessary, his expression unreadable but his eyes said everything.
He couldn't explain what was happening.
They all looked confused never have they seen anything like that.
Elara slowly pulled her hand back, her fingers curling slightly as if trying to hide something that was no longer hidden.
"It's nothing," she said quickly.
Unsure of how she felt
Darin's eyes narrowed. "That didn't look like nothing."
"It was just... " she hesitated, searching for a normal explanation in a situation that no longer felt normal, "aftereffects. From fainting."
No one looked convinced.
Especially not Alaric. "Elara…" he said quietly.
That tone.
The one he used when he wanted to make things look alright even though they were not.
He just wanted her to be calm, giving her that reassuring look that says "Dad will fix it".
She looked away.
Deep down she knew he couldn't fix it. These was far more complicated.
Before she could answer
A knock came at the door. Firm and urgent.
The kind that didn't wait long for permission.
Kaelen's expression shifted instantly.
"Enter."
The door opened.
A palace guard stepped in, bowing slightly.
"Your Highness. His Majesty requests your presence."
Of course he does.
Kaelen exhaled quietly, glancing once at Elara.
Just once, but it lingered.
"I'll be there shortly," he said.
The guard hesitated, then added, "general lysender is already there, Your Highness."
That changed everything. Kaelen's jaw tightened slightly.
"I'm coming."
The guard nodded and stepped out, closing the door behind him.
Silence followed after the guard left, everyone was tensed.
Elara noticed it immediately.
She looked at kealen "What is it?" she asked.
Kaelen didn't answer right away.
Because he didn't want to say it out loud.
Not here. Not in front of her family.
But the truth was already forming.
"This isn't over," he said finally.
Elara's stomach tightened.
"What do you mean?"
Kaelen looked at her without shifting his gaze.
"You didn't just collapse last night ," he said. "Something revealed itself."
Her breath caught slightly.
"And now," he continued, "the court will want answers, general lysender will make things more complicated."
Darin scoffed. "Answers? From her?"
"Yes," Kaelen said simply. That one word carried more weight than anything else.
Serenya stepped closer to Elara, her hand resting gently on her shoulder.
"She's not some threat to be questioned, Elara doesn't even know was happening, she said firmly.
Kaelen's voice softened slightly. "I know that."
But his next words wasn't reassuring.
"They won't believe her, they won't believe any of you too."
The room fell quiet again.
Alaric's gaze darkened slightly. "Then perhaps it's best we return home."
"No." The word came out sharper than intended.
Everyone turned to Kaelen.
He exhaled, steadying himself.
"If you leave now," he said, controlling himself , "it will look like you're hiding something."
Elara's heart sank.
Because that was exactly what it will feel like.
"And staying?" Darin challenged. "What does that look like?"
Kaelen didn't hesitate this time.
"it might prove that you are not hiding something, and they king himself said you should stay in the palace leaving will prove disobedience."
That word lingered in the air. "Disobedience, Hiding something"
Even he wasn't entirely sure which one it would become.
The throne room felt colder than usual.
Not in temperature but in atmosphere.
King Aldric stood near the center, his expression calm, but his eyes sharp with thought.
Beside him stood General Lysender.
Rigid, unyielding, looking like he understood everything.
Kaelen entered without hesitation.
"You sent for me."
The king nodded once. "and I assume you know why."
Kaelen didn't pretend otherwise.
"The creature came for her," Lysender said before anyone else could speak.
Straight to the point. Like he always was.
Kaelen met his gaze. "It didn't attack."
"That does not make it harmless." lysender said
"It walked through our defenses,"
Kaelen countered. "If it wanted destruction, we wouldn't be standing here."
Lysender's eyes hardened. "Or perhaps it was simply choosing its moment checking to see our strength and weakness ."
A brief silence followed.
Then the king spoke.
"What do you know about the girl?"
Kaelen didn't look away.
"She's a healer's daughter, Raised in the town, no known ties to magic or nobility."
"And yet," Lysender said, his voice cutting through the calm, "a creature of legend kneels before her."
Kaelen didn't respond immediately.
"He didn't kneeled it looked at her as if he knew her..."
He couldn't explain further.
Back in the chamber, Elara sat still on the edge of the bed.
Her thoughts couldn't settle.
The dream, the voice, the light that appeared on her wrist.
The way the Varyndor had looked at her.
Not like a prey, not like an enemy.
Like something… familiar.
Her hand moved again to her wrist.
This time the glow didn't flicker it paused for sometime. Soft and Allive.
"Elara?" Serenya's voice broke through gently.
Elara looked up quickly.
The light vanished instantly.
"I'm fine," she said. But even she didn't believe it anymore.
In the throne room, the tension had reached its peak.
"She should be questioned," Lysender said firmly.
"She just woke up," Kaelen replied.
"All the more reason to act before whatever this is grows stronger."
Kaelen's eyes darkened slightly. "She's not a weapon."
Lysender didn't flinch. "Then prove it."
An unavoidable silence fell.
King Aldric finally stepped forward.
"Enough."
Both men fell quiet immediately.
The king's gaze shifted slightly and thoughtful, calculating.
"We can not act blindly," he said.
"But we can't also ignore what we witnessed either."
He turned to Kaelen. "Bring her to me tomorrow"
Kaelen's chest tightened.
That wasn't a request.
"Yes, Father."
"Kealen walked out of the throne room with Elara's thought, he said too himself whatever it takes I must protect her."
Walking towards the training ground he felt a piercing gaze behind him, turning around he saw Lyra looking with cold, dangerous and unforgiving eyes.