Chapter 69. War or Peace

Elliot's POV

The silence is thick, weighted with anticipation and dread. My fingers twitch at my sides as I stand before my brother, King Nathan, whose gaze could freeze fire.

"What was that scream?" Nathan asked with a smirk. 

"Explain yourself, Elliot," he commands, his voice devoid of warmth.

"Her name is... was... Aurelia," I begin, faltering as the weight of my actions crushes down on me. "I didn't know."

"Didn't know what?" Nathan's eyes narrow, a predator sizing up its prey.

"That she was a princess," I confess, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.

A sharp breath escapes Nathan, and for a moment, I see the facade crack, revealing a glint of fury. "You've compromised everything, Elliot. Our alliance with the Kestrel realm is severed because of your recklessness."

My hands clench into fists, nails digging into my palms. It's not j