*Daphne*
I knew that it would only be a matter of time before my parents called me back to the throne room so that we could have a long, private discussion about everything that had occurred while I was away. I agonized over how to handle it, knowing that if they knew the full extent of the truth, it was likely that Rion would be put to death.
I briefly considered lying about certain things, or leaving some of the more extreme things out, but ultimately decided that I needed to be completely truthful. I could only pray to the Goddess that my parents would see the good in Rion just as I had, and that they would show him some mercy.
Less than twenty-four hours after returning to the palace, I got the summons to meet my parents in the throne room. My maid, Pepper, helped me into a casual
