Helena took a deep breath and stepped forward, "Have you all lost your minds?"
Her voice rang out, echoing through the air, but no one paid her any attention. They were too caught up in their own arguments, too eager to see whose daughter would become the Archpriest's bride.
Helena's cheeks turned red with embarrassment. She coughed softly, straightened her back, and spoke louder this time.
"The person our Archpriest is going to marry is the Princess of Naiadae… and a chosen one."
That was enough to silence the crowd. Every voice died down instantly, their faces frozen in disbelief as they turned to her.
Helena's expression shifted into one of quiet disappointment.
"I am not criticizing or belittling others," she said calmly, "but it is a simple fact. The moment the Archpriest marries the sole Princess of Naiadae, he will become the next Emperor of the Naiadae Empire. So please… stop whatever foolish thoughts you have and return to your respective houses."
