Kaelen’s POV
The high dining hall was way too loud for the middle of the morning. Lyra was currently having a full-blown, hysterical meltdown right in front of the entire royal court, her breathless shrieks echoing against the ceiling like a wounded animal.
"It's a mistake! There is no way my father would just abandon me!" Lyra sobbed, her hands clawing desperately at the fabric of her wet gown as tears ran down her pale cheeks. She looked completely undone, her perfect blonde curls sticking to her face as her chest heaved with wild breaths. "Kaelen, please! You have to do something! He was perfectly fine yesterday! Someone forced him to do this! Someone threatened him!"
I didn't move a single inch to help her. I didn't offer her a tissue, I didn't reach out to pat her shoulder, and I d
