Aria's smile stretched wide across her face, wicked and sharp as broken glass. She placed both hands on the table and leaned forward, her eyes glittering with malice.
"Well, let's say everyone gets to know that you're an exiled prince." Her voice dropped to a whisper that cut through the silence like a poisoned blade. "A cast-out elf. And on top of that, you slept with the queen and caused her divorce."
Lirion's body went rigid, his hands gripping the armrests of his chair until his knuckles turned white.
Aria straightened, circling around him like a predator stalking wounded prey. "The wife of your brother is in dungeons because of you. And that's not all."
She stopped directly behind him, her breath warm against his ear. "You tried to kill your elder brother, the king. Just because you're your father's favorite, that's why you're still breathing."
Lirion's eyes widened, panic flashing across his face. He spun around to face her, his voice cracking. "You don't have evidence."
