The courtroom was almost as cold as it had been when the Disciples had been present. No one said anything for a while. Aeric continued to glance between Ilyon and his mother, trying to look guilty.
Mother Guinevere had a sharp and stern gaze locked onto him, making him dart his eyes away from her nervously.
Finally, she broke the silence with a ntion of his na; "Aeric," she said coolly. "Do you have any idea at all why you're here?"
Aeric swallowed hard, trying to maintain a semblance of composure. "Mhm… I might have a feeling."
Her lips pressed into a thin line, her piercing gaze scanning her son deep in his eyes as though she could extract the truth from there. "Is it true?" she asked. "Is there a Daughter of Moonlight currently residing in my castle?"
Aeric opened his mouth, then closed it again, searching for the right words. None ca.
"Aericccc?" Guinevere called his na with a silent warning.
"Well…" He cleared his throat. "When you say 'currently', you could very well be right about that. But who knows, maybe in the next... three minutes, if you let leave. There wouldn't be... a..." He squeezed his face. "... Moonlight Daughter in your castle."
Mother Guinevere narrowed her eyes. "What were you thinking, Aeric? Which one is it?"
Aeric hesitated before shrugging and answering. "lina."
"lina?" the Queen's eyes widened. "The last one?"
"Yes."
Her cheeks inflated, her lips tried to speak but she was too flabbergasted to find the right words. "W— why?" she managed to ask. "Why is she in my castle? She's the child of the woman who tried to have you killed."
"It's a really long story, Mother," Aeric replied. "But her mother banished her from the Castle of Moonlight for a week. She had nowhere to go."
Mother Guinevere looked taken aback for a mont, but when she regained herself, she shot out another question. "And so you brought her here?"
Aeric quickly turned defensive. "I didn't bring her here. She ca here on her own, she just showed up at the doorstep and asked to take her in."
Guinevere turned silent, staring at her son. "Why would she do that?"
He also turned silent. There were multiple answers to that question and he wasn't certain which was true or adequate. So he shrugged, saying; "I don't know. She just did."
But the Queen wasn't letting it go. "There were other Daughters that she could have gone to stay with, weren't there?"
"I guess."
"So why would she choose you? Why would she travel past another Region, just to co to mine and ask to stay with my Son?" Guinevere's face turned suspicious as her eyes squinted at Aeric. Then, surprisingly, she broke into a worried frown.
"Aeric? You wouldn't happen to be in a relationship with the Daughter of Moonlight now, would you?" she asked.
"What?" he panicked, recoiling backwards.
Guinevere lifted her face and said, "What I ant to ask is; is she your girlfriend?"
The courtroom went silent again.
Aeric stiffened, his throat tightening under the weight of his mother's piercing gaze. 'Jeez, mom. That kind of question? In front of Ilyon and the maid? I can't go spilling out my personal business like that!'
"They told ," Mother Guinevere said, redness growing in her cheeks as she looked away, "that you and lina of Moonlight shared a room last night."
Aeric winced. He trusted Ilyon so it was obviously the maid who spilled.
Guinevere looked at him. "So is it true? Are you both... involved?"
"Involved?" Aeric sputtered, scratching the back of his head. "You're putting on the spot here, Mother. It's… complicated."
Her brows arched ever so slightly. "Complicated, my son? But why then of all the other Daughters in the Royal Institution, she chose to stay with you. Isn't this lina the sa girl who bullied you rcilessly during your first days there?"
Aeric sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. "I don't know. We've just… gotten close over the last few days."
Guinevere's eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze unreadable. "I see." She straightened in her seat, her voice suddenly brisk. "Inter-Region relationships might be allowed amongst commoners. But I don't think it is a good idea for Royals. Though there are no rules against it as there has never been a royal son up until now. But, if it is complicated, why don't we ask her, then?"
"Ey?" Before Aeric could react, the door to the courtroom creaked open. He turned sharply, his stomach sinking as he saw his elder sister, Rosette, step inside. Her face was alight with a mischievous, almost predatory grin.
"Caught you now, little brother," she whispered grimly.
Behind her, lina walked into the room, dressed in an elegant silver gown that shimred as she moved. Her silver hair frad her nervous face, and her silver eyes darted between Aeric and Guinevere.
Aeric grimaced. "Damn it, that witch" he muttered under his breath.
lina curtsied politely, though her movents were tense. "Your Majesty," she greeted with a tiny voice.
Guinevere's gaze shifted to lina, cool and calculating. "lina of Moonlight," she began, her voice carrying a regal authority. "You have so nerve showing up in my castle after all your mother has done to . But I will look past your naivety for now. I have a question."
lina waited.
"Why have you chosen to stay with my son after being exiled by your mother? Was it to spy on him? To deceive him? Declare your intentions now."
lina's eyes snapped open, her fingers quivering against each other. For a mont, she seed unsure, but then her posture straightened, and she stepped forward confidently.
"No, Your Majesty," lina said firmly. "I chose to co to Aeric because irrespective of how I've treated him, he has been nothing but kind to . His kindness made see the wrong in my actions, and I have done everything in my power to earn his forgiveness. Everything, I promise. I swear to you, my intentions are sincere."
Guinevere remained silent, her expression unreadable, so lina continued. "The reason my mother banished was because of Aeric. I took his side over my sister Luna's, and my mother viewed it as an act of disloyalty. That alone should prove where my loyalties lie."
The courtroom was silent for a mont as lina's words hung heavy in the air. Guinevere's gaze lingered on her as though she were dissecting every word.
Finally, she leaned back on her throne. "I see. Very well, lina of Moonlight. You may remain here, but under strict conditions. Your activities will be closely monitored, and Aeric must be with you at all tis. Is that understood?"
lina's knees buckled, and she dropped into a low bow. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I swear I will not betray your trust. May my Moon and your Stars forever guide your wisdom."
Rosette, standing to the side, was livid. "What?" she exclaid, her voice rising. "You're just going to let him do this? He's obviously working with the enemy to destroy us!"
Guinevere eyed her daughter. "Enough of that nonsense, Rosette."
Rosette opened her mouth to argue but thought better of it under Guinevere's icy glare. She turned sharply on her heel and stord out, her frustration evident.
Aeric wasted no ti. He stepped forward, grabbed lina gently by the arm, and guided her toward the exit. "Co on," he muttered.
Once they stepped outside the castle, the cool air greeted them. The courtyard was abuzz with whispers and stares. Nobles and servants alike paused in their tracks, gawking at the silver-haired girl beside Aeric.
"So it's true," soone murmured.
"A Daughter of Moonlight… here?"
lina stood out starkly against the muted tones of the Starlight nobles. Her silver gown shimred, her pale skin and silver eyes glinting like polished moonstone. She was like an ethereal figure among mortals, and the crowd couldn't help but stare.
"Well, well, well," ca a familiar voice.
Aeric turned to see Delva leaning casually against her horse, an amused grin on her face. "This isn't sothing you see every day," she remarked, her tone teasing.
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