The moment Evelisse saw her mother, the dam within her broke. She ran forward and crashed into Seraphina's embrace, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe.
"Mother—I couldn't—I didn't—" Her words drowned in tears, her small hands fisting into the Queen's dress.
"My darling, hush." Seraphina held her tightly, her arms protective as steel, though her own chest rose and fell too fast. She glanced over Evelisse's head, her gaze locking on Caelith's limp form as guards bore him out on a stretcher. Her face blanched. "What happened here?"
Lady Marwen bowed her head deeply, trembling. "Your Majesty… an intruder. Dark magic… like nothing I've seen. The wards—were useless."
"Caelith..." Evelisse sobbed, her face crumpling as she collapsed into her mother's arms. "...Caelith... he's—he's—"
The Queen's eyes flickered to the sight of Caelith being carried ahead, his head lolling, blood on his pale lips. Her regal mask cracked, if only for a second, horror tightening her features.
