Yana's eyes burned with defiance even as her body remained locked in place. "I am not weak," she hissed through clenched teeth. "I am a queen, and I will not be belittled by you or anyone else."
Loviatar chuckled, a cold, mirthless sound that echoed through the chamber. "Oh, my dear child," she said, her voice dripping with condescension.
"You may wear a crown, but you are still nothing more than a puppet in the grand scheme of things. Your emotions, your desires, they mean nothing in the face of true power. This is the reason why your father never gave you the throne in the first place... but you can prove him wrong, prove me wrong."
Yana's heart pounded within her chest, a mix of defiance and fury fueling her determination. She refused to accept her mother's words as truth, refused to be reduced to a mere pawn in her divine games.
