A few hours later, the grand court hall was heavy with a suffocating silence. Isabella sat on the high dais, cradled securely within Killian’s arms. Surrounding them stood the realm's high-ranking elders and healers, their presence rigid and formal. Off to the side stood Elara, Valerius, Caelum, and his wife—Arabella’s mother. Their faces were a complex portrait of hope, exhaustion, and crushing guilt. On the cold stone floor before them knelt Arabella, her hands bound and her wrists bruised by heavy, iron-enchanted chains.Valerius broke the silence, his voice cold and devoid of warmth. “Alpha King, she has committed a crime against your line. She is your prisoner, and it is your right to pass judgment.”Though his tone was hard, the detachment was a shield—it spared him the agony of sentencing his own granddaughter, even if he knew her actions were unforgivable.Killian’s jaw set, his green eyes dark with an unyielding glare. “It is not my place,” he said, his voice dropping into a
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