Lorien POV

“He can’t be trusted, Lorien,” Queen Elara said, her voice smooth but laced with warning.

Something deep inside me rebelled against her words. A whisper in the back of my mind insisted she was wrong he could be trusted. But her? Not so much.

The way she looked at me sent a chill down my spine. Her gaze lingered too long, sharp and calculating, like she was assessing whether I was a rival or a threat. The air around her seemed to tighten, making me uneasy.

“I appreciate ...