"No! After all the hardships we went through to find our daughter, are you going to treat her like this?" The queen stood up and embraced Loya tightly.
Listening to the growing uproar outside the window, Loya trembled. She was a noble princess, and the idea of apologizing to the mermaids seemed unthinkable to her.
However, the king had always been a man of his word. He stared coldly at the trembling Loya. "As the princess of the Empire, you must fulfill your duty. You need to apologize and take responsibility for your actions."
If she were to apologize, her standing in the eyes of the nobles might plummet. If the people no longer supported her and the nobles abandoned her, what would become of her in the end?
But in that moment, Loya summoned the courage to break free from the queen's embrace and stand up.
