Elara had her head down, tears gathering in her eyes but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
Her chest heaved with ragged breaths, each inhale burning her raw lungs, while the sting of her bruised skin reminded her of the harshness she had endured.
She could feel the rough stone floor pressing against her knees, her gaze now stayed fixed downward, as if hiding from the world.
"I pardon her!" Lucian's voice echoed through the grand hall, sharp and commanding, reverberating against the stone walls and making Elara's breath hitch in disbelief.
Her body froze, her muscles taut, and for a moment the pain in her back and arms seemed to dull under the sheer shock of hearing those words.
She slowly lifted her head, her tear-filled eyes glistening as they scanned the hall, searching for any hint of deceit, any sign that she had misheard him but everyone was just like her shocked, that's when her eyes fell on her father.
