Elynor's breath catches slightly at his mother's words, but his grip on Isolde remains firm. "There are always consequences," he says, his words steady despite the strain beneath them. "But the greatest danger would be in pretending this isn't happening. In trying to ignore what's between us. I won't stop until Isolde is mine."
Queen Ana Sofia's fan stills abruptly, her shoulders rising and falling with measured breaths. "So you've decided?" she asks, her voice carefully controlled. "Despite everything I've said. Despite everything at stake."
Elynor doesn't hesitate. "Yes."
A long silence falls. The candlelight wavers as a draught sneak through the high windows, casting shifting shadows across the marble floor.
