Kael immediately shifts his stance beside me. I hear the faint, warning scrape of metal as his heavy hand rests firmly on the hilt of his sword, immediately going into high-alert guard mode.
I take a slow, careful breath and approach Lord Lorien and Lady Aelira.
As I stand in front of them, the two of them stop. They both place their right fists over their hearts and bow deeply to me.
"Lady Cyrina," they say in unison, their voices heavy and subdued.
I look at them, my face twisting into a deeply uncertain expression.
I have no idea how to do this. How on earth are you supposed to talk to someone when their son got publicly executed for trying to assassinate you?
Before the silence can stretch into something unbearable, Lord Lorien speaks first. His proud shoulders are slumped, the weight of his family's disgrace visible in his eyes.
"We are deeply ashamed," he says, his voice thick with raw emotion. "And you have our absolute, deepest apologies, Lady Cyrina."
