As I watched the guards drag Elena away, my heart twisted painfully in my chest. Her desperate pleas echoed in my ears, and I couldn't shake the look of terror in her eyes. Every instinct I had screamed that she was innocent, yet the evidence, the video, seemed damning. How could she have done such a thing? Or was she truly framed?
I walked to the window, staring out but seeing nothing. My father's death had sent shockwaves through the kingdom, and as the eldest son, the responsibilities fell squarely on my shoulders. Preparations for the funeral had to be made, and the weight of it all pressed down on me. But above everything, my thoughts kept drifting back to Elena.
"Dante, we need to talk about the arrangements for the funeral," Aunt Matilda said, her voice strained but composed.
I turned to her, nodding. "Of course, Aunt Matilda. We'll need to notify the neighboring kingdoms and ensure all the proper rites are observed."
