Chapter 202: Being Questioned (II)

Elara:

I listened without interrupting, allowing her words to settle around the table. It was a clever attempt to shift the discussion away from whether my decisions had been sensible and toward whether I had shown sufficient respect for their authority.

They couldn’t find a flaw in the transactions themselves, so now they were questioning my judgment. I almost admired the effort.

I lowered my eyes briefly, letting my expression change from innocent confidence to something resembling dawning realization. "You are right," I admitted softly. "Looking back, I should have asked for your guidance before making such significant decisions."

Several people seemed to relax at my words, perhaps believing I had finally understood the error of my ways.

I continued before anyone could interrupt. "At the time, however, I thought it would be unfair to burden you with the management of my personal assets when you had already spent so much time and effort dealing with the consequences of my return. I knew the Regents had responsibilities toward the kingdom, and I didn’t want to add another task to your already demanding schedules just because I hadn’t learned how to manage my own inheritance."

I lifted my gaze again, allowing a small, apologetic smile to touch my lips. "I suppose I was trying to be considerate, but I can see now that I should have approached the matter differently. I’ll keep your advice in mind in the future."

The room fell silent. Not the ordinary silence of a meeting waiting for the next speaker, but a peculiar, heavy quiet in which everyone seemed to be reconsidering what I had just said.

Regent Ashbourne looked momentarily uncertain, as though she hadn’t expected me to agree so readily. Mrs. Valemont’s expression remained guarded, while Mrs. Greymark studied me with renewed curiosity. Some faces revealed genuine surprise, others confusion, and a few appeared to be calculating what my response meant for their authority.

I kept my expression perfectly composed, but my attention drifted toward the two men who interested me most.

Lorien sat at the opposite end of the table, his face unreadable, while Regent Valemont watched me with a peculiar glint in his eyes. Neither of them looked convinced by my sudden admission. In fact, they seemed more interested than before. And that, I realized, was far more dangerous than any lecture they could have given me. They had seen through the act, and they knew that my apology had been just as deliberate as my earlier explanation.

With no obvious wrongdoing to accuse me of and no further argument they could make without exposing the real purpose of their concern, the meeting gradually came to an end.

The Regents exchanged a few final remarks, and chairs began scraping against the polished floor as everyone prepared to leave. I rose from my seat, thanked the room with the appropriate courtesy, and turned toward the door with Jasper immediately falling into step behind me.

All I wanted was to return to the palace, escape the suffocating atmosphere of the council chamber, and enjoy a few hours without another powerful person deciding that my life required their supervision.

I had barely made it past the doorway when a familiar voice stopped me. "Princess Argentis."

I closed my eyes for half a second, silently asking the universe for patience, then turned around. Regent Valemont stood a short distance away, his attention fixed entirely on me. "A moment of your time, if you please."

Jasper’s gaze shifted toward me, and I recognized the question in his eyes immediately. More importantly, I recognized the promise behind it. If I so much as gave him the slightest indication that I wanted to leave, he would whisk me out of the Council Headquarters without a second thought, even if it meant walking straight past one of the most powerful men in Starfall.

It was one of the many things I appreciated most about my blood knight. Jasper had never been particularly impressed by titles, wealth, or political influence, and he certainly wasn’t going to let any of those things intimidate him when my safety was concerned.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford to share his complete disregard for the consequences. Being a little sneaky with the Regents was one thing; openly ignoring or insulting them was another, and neither Jasper nor I had enough influence yet to survive a direct confrontation with all of them.

I gave him a brief look, silently asking him to trust me, before turning toward him with a calm expression. "Wait for me in the car, Jasper. I’ll be there shortly."

His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, and for a moment, I thought he might argue. He clearly disliked the idea of leaving me alone with Darren Valemont, and I couldn’t blame him. And here came another thing about him I both liked and appreciated - no matter how strongly he disagreed with a decision I made, he never challenged my authority in front of outsiders. He might lecture me later, question my judgment in private, or remind me of every possible danger I had overlooked, but he would never undermine me before someone else.

After holding my gaze for another second, he inclined his head. "As you wish, Your Highness." Then he left without another word, and I turned toward the Regent, wondering what fresh inconvenience he had planned for me.

Darren Valemont gestured for me to follow him, and I did so with a polite smile that concealed my growing suspicion and unease. I hadn’t expected him to approach me personally after the meeting, and I certainly hadn’t expected him to request a private conversation. Whatever he wanted, I doubted it was something as simple as congratulating me on my recent academic progress.

We took a different staircase from the one leading toward the main entrance, descending into a quieter section of the building where the sounds of the council chamber gradually faded behind us.

The hallway was empty, its tall windows overlooking the vast forest surrounding the headquarters. Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting shifting patterns across the polished floor as we continued toward a large balcony at the end of the corridor. When we finally stepped outside, the cool air brushed against my face, carrying the scent of pine and fading snow.

Darren stopped near the railing before turning to face me. I lifted my chin and met his gaze, refusing to let the weight of his reputation influence my expression.

He had the kind of presence that made people instinctively straighten their backs and measure every word before speaking. His eyes were sharp and assessing, as though he were searching for something hidden beneath my skin. I couldn’t feel any attempt to probe my mind, but that didn’t mean I intended to become careless. I quietly reinforced the mental shields I had been practicing, ensuring my thoughts remained safely behind their walls.

I didn’t believe Darren would stoop to secretly invading my mind during a private conversation, but then again, I had learned that being a princess meant never assuming powerful people would respect boundaries simply because they should.