"Then why do you still stand by him? Don't you resent him? You would be well within your rights to," she pressed, her brows knitting together. Knowing what she did now, Azul's behavior still made no sense to her. She would never stand beside someone the way Azul supported Hairan's claim to the throne if they had done such a thing to her. She could not even begin to fathom it.
"It is far beyond whatever strife we encounter as brothers when it concerns the future of our kingdom," he replied. "And at the end of the day, it was just a dog… and Hairan is my brother. Turning away from my family is something I have never been able to bring myself to do." His gaze shifted, distant, as though weighed down by something unseen. "Maybe one day I will be able to but not now."
The soft echo of approaching footsteps broke the fragile moment between them.
"Pardon me, Your Highness." The voice cut through their quiet exchange, snapping the invisible thread that had held their gazes locked.
