Aeris’s pov
I stood trembling as I finished speaking to the court, the weight of my words still lingering in the air. The silence that followed was almost unbearable, but I knew I had to face it. These were my people, and they deserved the truth. They deserved to know what was coming, to make their own choices. I couldn’t force loyalty, not now—not after everything that had happened.
My heart was pounding in my chest, not from fear but from the overwhelming gravity of the situation. I had just told them of Arabella’s betrayal, of the impending war with Nathaniel, and of his claim that we shared blood. The revelation that my supposed enemy might be tied to me through our father—it shook the very foundation of who I was. And now, the entire kingdom knew it too.
As I scanned the room, my e
