Castien rushed towards Xanali and knelt beside her unconscious body. Tears streamed down his face as he gently brushed her hair back from her face, his heart heavy with the weight of despair.
"My dear Xanali," he sobbed, "How could this happen to you? To us?"
Gaya stood over them, her face twisted into a cruel smile as she watched the scene play out. She had achieved her revenge, and it tasted sweet. But Castien's anguished cries pierced through her triumph, and she felt a pang of guilt.
Castien lifted Xanali into his arms and turned to Gaya, his eyes filled with a mix of love and anger.
"How could you do this to your own family?" he shouted, his voice shaking with emotion. "Xanali was only trying to do what was best for the kingdom. And you...you have destroyed everything."
The stormy weather mirrored Castien's turbulent emotions, with thunder and lightning crackling in the distance. But Gaya remained unmoved, her eyes cold and empty.