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Queen Nerina leaned forward slightly, her gaze piercing. “Iryen, you understand that even if I believe you, the council will not move without sufficient cause. Thalor is too well-guarded by his manipulation and you know he will pin this to Ithra.”

Her words stung because they were true. He was too clever to leave anything that tied him directly to his misdeeds, and Ithra would become his scapegoat.

I clenched my fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms as I forced myself to remain composed.

“But Ithra is no innocent pawn. She acted on her own accord when she tried to drown the human at the Moon Pond. Her actions alone are grounds for punishment, whether Thalor’s hand was involved.

” I replied, my voice measured through a storm brewing beneath the surface.

She watched me closely, her silence heavy, as if weighing my words against her long years of experience .

“Punishing Ithra alone might temporarily satisfy the council,” she mused, “but it won’t root out the deeper corruption. Thalor will find another puppet, another opportunity. If you truly wish to stop him, you’ll need more than a single act of defiance from his follower.”

My pulse quickened at her implication. She was right. Punishing Ithra was a step, but Thalor’s influence was like a poison that had spread far beyond one servant.

“Then what do you propose I do, Grandma?” I asked, desperate for any guidance she could offer.

“You need to be patient,” she said, her voice softer now, but with a sharp edge of wisdom.

“Gather proof, but do it carefully. Find out who else Thalor has twisted to his will. Once you have enough, I can make sure the council listens. But until then…” Her eyes locked onto mine, hard as steel. “I will punish Ithra, but Thalor must remain untouched for now.”

I hated it. Every fiber of my being screamed against the idea of waiting, of allowing Thalor to slip away.

“And the elite royal guards won’t go unpunished. Thalor will make sure they get punished along with Ithra as retaliation,” Queen Nerina said, her words laced with a certainty that chilled me.

A frigid shiver ran down my spine at the thought of Ronan and Kieran facing consequences for something beyond their control. The image of them standing before the council, accused of treason, made my stomach churn.

My throat tightened. Ronan and Kieran would face punishment, not for what they did, but for simply being pawns in Thalor’s game.

“You can lighten their punishment. They only left their posts to confirm Ithra’s allegations. They deceived them, it wasn’t negligence.” I clenched my fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms.

Queen Nerina’s gaze softened, just for a flicker of a moment, a glimpse of the woman behind the crown.

“Very well,” she said, her voice measured.

“I can reduce their punishment, but know this: the council will look for any excuse to shift blame. Thalor will make sure they do. You need to be prepared for that.”

My jaw clenched in frustration, anger bubbling beneath my scales.

Of course, Thalor would twist this situation to his advantage.

He thrived in chaos, manipulating every shred of doubt to shield himself and redirect suspicion.

And Ronan and Kieran would be the perfect scapegoats, brave, loyal, but easily sacrificed in the grander scheme of political maneuvering.

“It’s not right,” I muttered through gritted teeth, my voice barely above a whisper. “They were following protocol, trying to protect the kingdom.”

She leaned back in her chair, her expression soft. “The council doesn’t care about right or wrong, child. They care about power and appearances. Thalor knows how to play that game far too well.”

“I’ll expose him,” I vowed, meeting my grandmother’s gaze with a resolve that burned hotter than my anger.

Her expression illuminated with pride, though I caught a flicker of something in her eyes, perhaps warning. “Well, I will demand a council meeting, and we will address Ithra’s actions,” she said, her voice steady and commanding.

I nodded, feeling the gravity of her words, but my resolve didn’t waver.

As I turned to leave the room, I couldn’t help but think about all of it, my decisions, the delicate balance of power and my role as heir to this kingdom.

I made my way to my chambers, each stride filled with the lingering tension from my conversation with.

My grandma. I felt crushed under the pressure of everything.

Her warning, the looming threat of the council, and the harsh reality that no matter what I did, people I cared about would get punished for their loyalty.

I clenched my fists, wrath rising from the surface. I hated this, hated that they would suffer for being deceived, hated that I had to play this role, hated that despite everything, I felt alone in carrying this burden.

As I reached the heavy golden doubled doors, I paused for a moment, letting the quiet of the hallway settle around me. My mind was a storm of conflicting emotions. Ithra, Thalor, the mate bond with Adrian. All swirled in an endless cycle of fear, anger, and confusion.

I stepped into the familiar space of my chambers, the cool waters instantly soothing, but it did little to calm the storm inside me. My thoughts kept drifting to Adrian.

What would he think of all this? Could I even explain it to him without dragging him deeper into a world he hadn’t chosen?

I sank onto the edge of my bed, burying my face in my hands. I had to be strong, for the kingdom, for my friends, and for him. But in this moment of solitude, the pressure was suffocating, squeezing the air from my lungs.