"Father, please," Bright insisted, his desperation evident. "Emma couldn't have done this. She must have been framed.
"It's still strange that she ran away, even though she's your fiancée!" King Otto exclaimed, skepticism evident in his voice.
"Emma never wanted to be engaged to me in the first place. I forced her," Bright defended, his voice firm but tinged with guilt.
"But why would she run so far, even out of the continent, if she hadn't done something wrong?" King Otto remained unconvinced.
"Wait, what? Emma left Austervale?" Bright's eyes widened in disbelief. "I didn't know she went that far."
"Yes, she fled beyond our borders. This only strengthens the case against her. Innocent people don't run away like that."
Bright stammered. "I…,"
"Yes. We were lucky to catch her before she boarded the ferry. They found the ferry ticket on her. She was planning to leave the continent! We almost lost her trail!" King Otto continued.
