Tears formed in Elira's eyes. She wiped them in an instant. Refusing to show even the slightest sign of weakness and then continued.
"Congratulations, Father. For grabbing this deal where the one who will gain the most from it is only you."
Her voice was steady despite everything crumbling behind it.
"And I'm happy that I'm the one making this possible. At least I was useful to you and your obsession with the throne. At least I did something more than being a political item to be sold off for the kingdom. For the purpose I was raised for. For the purpose you called me daughter."
Guilt spread across her father's face. But he wasn't alone in carrying that weight. Beside him, Seraphina's father broke too. Because he was walking the exact same path.
And the worst part was he didn't even know when he had stepped onto it. He had adored his daughter for years. But somewhere along the way, politics had stripped away his duty as a father and replaced it with the duty of a king.
