Mercer felt the accusation land like a physical blow, genuine shock mixing with desperate urgency to correct the terrible lie his daughter had apparently carried alone for days.
"Elena, that's not true," he said, keeping his voice carefully gentle despite the fear coursing through him. "Your grandmother's heart failed. The healer confirmed it directly, explained there was nothing anyone could have done differently."
"He showed me things," Elena said, tears finally spilling freely down her cheeks. "A conversation between you and the healer, where you specifically refused some treatment because it would have cost too much, taken too much time away from council business. I saw it so clearly, Papa. It felt completely real."
Mercer's chest tightened with genuine anguish, recognizing exactly
