Aeris’s pov
The crowd murmured, eyes shifting nervously between Arabella and me. The once-lively courtyard was drenched in the heavy silence of disbelief and anger. Arabella, standing alone and exposed, seemed smaller than I’d ever seen her, the confidence that once sparked in her gaze now dulled and haunted. But whatever remorse flickered there only fueled the fire inside me.
“How dare you stand here with that face after what you've done,” I spat, my voice cutting through the silence. “After the lives you stole, the kingdom you betrayed—did you think forgiveness would be waiting for you?” I took a step forward, fists clenched, letting the weight of my words linger.
Arabella swallowed, her gaze dropping to the cobblestone ground beneath her feet. She barely managed a whisper. “I... I un
