HINA'

eremonial hall, all conversation cease

the hall, his brow furrowed in a deep, angry line. Beside

glaring at me with pure hatred, while she put on her usual act of a frig

over the crowd and settled on a fra

rned dress. Years of illness had left her paler than even I was

was for her sake that I had repeatedly given in to Elara

, you finally deign to join us. Lord Kaelen has

wn brother,

g, his eyes full of reproach. He had always been

the hall, past the shocked stares of our rela

ntly embraced her.

ay of affection. She had been sidelined by Elara for so ma

e back, tears welling in her

hair before I turned to face my fat

just publicly snubbed her. "Sera, come, sit. The ceremony i

No. I will sit her

h the assembled clan. It was a direct,

My father's face

his throat, trying to ease the tension. "Well, n

was for the head of the house to announce the marr

weeping the room before lan

of the ancestors of Ho

, Kaelen stood up, i

first to my father, then turning to the crowd. "Before

n about his "near-death" experience on the battlefield a

abandon her. I trust that the tolerant and kind

egan to weep softly into her hands,

ympathized with Jacqueline; others th

o be upstaged by a junior lord at his own f

er, looked thorou

probably expected me to cry, or to acquiesce for the sake of m

e rang out, clear and stea

Sterling, are

en f

aid, my eyes locking onto

ed annulment de

igh, so everyone could

ally declare: I am unilaterally annulling my engagement to Lord Kaele