"What did you say?" The King's voice rang through the palace.
I stood tall, spine straight, defiance thrumming through every bone. A smirk tugged at my lips.
"Well, beloved Love Fairy King," I said clearly, "is this where you're at now? Yelling when things don't go your way? Like a spoiled child?"
Gasps rippled through the court.
Doverel's hand flew to her mouth.
"Scarlette—have you lost your mind?"
"No," I said darkly. "All of you did. And none of you can see it."
The King's voice turned low, cold.
"And what does being a Love Fairy mean to you, if not helping others fall in love?"
I didn't flinch.
"It means teaching communication. Helping people understand themselves. Real love is messy. Earned. It's vulnerability, strife, truth. What you do?" I stepped forward. "That's not love. That's control. And I'm the mirror you've spent centuries avoiding."
His face darkened.