I stood tall, the cold wooden floorboards vibrating beneath my boots as I met Malaki's frantic, protesting gaze head-on.
"I'll go," I said, my voice steady, sharp, and absolute.
Malaki blinked, his jaw dropping in sheer disbelief. "Your Highness, are you out of your mind?!" he barked, taking a desperate step forward. "I don't trust him! I don't trust a single breath that creature takes! He is dragging you into an isolated slaughterhouse!"
The imposter didn't even turn around from the balcony. He merely let out a low, mocking "Hmmm," his golden eyes reflecting the cold moonlight outside.
I whipped around, glaring directly at the commander, my voice dropping into an icy, lethal register. "Commander Malaki, you are crossing a line. You have no right to tell me what I can and cannot do. Do not forget your place, nor whom you serve."
