"Do you think this will change anything?" Elder Kane’s voice echoed in the hall, the mocking undertone of his words dripping like venom. His eyes, ever watchful, remained fixed on Sienna as she stepped into the great chamber, the crown now resting heavily on her brow.
The massive doors behind her creaked shut, locking her within the cold walls of the Council’s seat of power. The golden rays of dawn filtered through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the stone floor. She could almost taste the weight of the silence in the air , thick, suffocating. The Council waited.
Sienna didn’t flinch as Elder Kane’s words sank in. Instead, she raised her chin slightly, her lips curling into a thin, practiced smile. A queen’s smile. A mask. "It’s the only choice I had, wasn’t it?" she repli
