I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The words echoed in my head, each syllable a hammer blow against my heart. Guilty. Stripped of titles. Sentenced to... No. I couldn't even think of it.
My eyes found Akari, standing there in the center of the courtroom. She looked so small, so vulnerable, yet her chin was raised defiantly. Even now, facing the worst possible outcome, she refused to be broken. God, I loved her for that.
Loved her?
Control, Flynn.
The emperor's voice droned on, listing the so-called crimes and punishments, but I couldn't focus on the words. All I could see was Akari, all I could think about was how badly I had failed her. I should have done more, should have…chosen her. Instead, I had watched helplessly as this farce of a trial unfolded, powerless to stop it.
Whe
