Her father, Azarion Flameborne, strode forward with the unhurried arrogance of a man who had never been denied entry to any hall in his life.
His cloak of crimson and black rippled behind him like a moving flame, each step deliberate, measured. Golden eyes swept across the Hall of Balance.....not in greeting, but in appraisal. The lords seated in their semicircle were not his peers in this moment; they were pieces on a board he intended to win.
To his left walked Aldric Flameborne, his son...tall, broad-shouldered, his jaw tight. Every inch of him was a warrior, and every step screamed vigilance. He didn't just walk beside his family—he shielded them.
Behind them came Aurelia.
Each footstep echoed faintly in the marble chamber, yet in her mind it was deafening. Beneath her veil and heavy cloak, she kept her chin high, though the weight of every stare pressed like an invisible hand against the back of her neck.
Her gown....a deep sapphire silk trimmed in black...was chosen with care that morning: elegant enough to honor House Flameborne's name, yet restrained, without the gaudy ostentation that Calista paraded like a crown.
Calista made her entrance as though this were her coronation. The molten gold of her gown clung shamelessly to her frame, its neckline plunging, its trailing sleeves fluttering like banners that announced her vanity. Her lips curved when she noticed the Winterbourne delegation.
And there he was.
Lord Neris Winterbourne.
Even seated, he looked as though he had stepped out of a master's painting....hair white as first snow, eyes a glacier's coldest blue. His posture was perfect, his expression unreadable. His gaze brushed Aurelia for the briefest second, and in that sliver of time… something flickered there. Recognition. Discomfort. Or perhaps nothing at all, and she had only imagined it.
The head of the council voice rang out, formal and clear:
"Lord Azarion Flameborne of Ashmere. Lord Neris Winterbourne of Frostmere. You both stand before the High Council of Caelmont to settle a matter brought to this court...."
"I would hardly call it a matter," Azarion cut in smoothly, irritation coiled beneath his tone. "Merely a question of honor and a contract."
"A contract I will not uphold," Neris said, his baritone carrying easily through the chamber. The sound was calm, but there was steel beneath it. "For reasons I have already made plain."
"And reasons," Azarion replied, taking a step forward, "rooted in rumor, superstition… and perhaps fear."
A ripple stirred through the council seats.
Neris's gaze sharpened. "Fear?"
Golden eyes gleamed, molten and unyielding. "Yes. You heard whispers that my daughter was cursed, and instead of seeking the truth from me...or from her...you chose to dishonor the engagement."
"She is cursed," Neris said, not sparing Aurelia a glance. "And I do not take such matters lightly, Lord Flameborne. I will not bind my house to doom."
Beside Aurelia, Calista's lips twitched in amusement. She leaned toward Aldric, her voice pitched low, though not low enough to escape Aurelia's ears.
"Imagine....rejected before even standing at the altar. I'd almost pity her if she weren't so… forgettable."
Aldric's jaw clenched and eyes narrowed, but he kept his gaze fixed ahead.
Aurelia's fingers curled into her skirts, nails biting through silk. The words stung, but she swallowed them whole. This was not her moment to speak. Not yet.
The head of the council raised a hand, silencing the murmurs. "The council will hear full arguments before judgment. Lord Winterbourne, you may present yours first."
Neris rose. The chamber seemed to still around him, as if the frost in his veins had seeped into the air.
"My refusal is not born of malice toward the Lady Aurelia," he began, tone measured, formal. "It is born of duty. A union with one marked by a curse invites disaster....upon my house and upon Frostmere itself. My province has endured centuries by guarding itself against such dangers."
Azarion's smile was faint, but his voice carried a dangerous softness.
"A noble excuse. But let us not pretend this is truly about your people. You fear what you do not understand. And in doing so, you insult the honor of my house."
Murmurs swelled again, the tension thickening.
The voiceof the head council cut through them. "Enough. This council will decide according to the traditions of Caelmont. All sides will be heard...including the testimony of the Lady Aurelia herself."
Her heart skipped. So she would be allowed to speak. Not today, but soon.
Azarion inclined his head, though there was nothing yielding in the gesture. "Very well. But when the truth is heard, I expect the council to uphold the oath. The honor of Ashmere demands nothing less."
Neris's reply was ice. "And the safety of Frostmere demands my refusal."
The tension between them was alive—fire and frost, coiled and ready to strike.
When the session adjourned, the parties were escorted out into the echoing corridor.
Calista fell into step beside Aurelia, voice dripping with false sweetness.
"You'll have your moment to speak, you know. I do hope you make it… memorable. After all, it's the only chance you'll have to convince anyone you're worth marrying."
Aurelia didn't slow, didn't look at her. But deep within, a spark caught flame. When her turn came, she would speak. And they would remember.
The great doors closed behind them. Cool air washed over her flushed skin. The corridor was dim, the golden light of the chamber replaced by pale stone and shadow.
Aldric walked beside her, steady as a shield. "Don't let her get to you," he murmured. "She thrives on torment."
She nodded, grateful for the warmth in his tone, though her thoughts were already turning toward the days ahead.
Her father had always said honor lived not only in bloodlines, but in the words and deeds a person left behind. Soon she would have the chance to prove her worth.....to herself, to the council, to all who doubted her.
Aldric paused near a tall window, the sun casting long spears of light across the courtyard below. "We'll get through this," he said, his gaze steady. "Together."
She managed a small smile. "Yes. Together."
And with that, she walked on....each step steady, the spark within her growing brighter.