Chapter 24: The Dining Ban
"Your grace,"
The guards acknowledged the couple when they reached the royal hall entrance.
When Salviana and Alaric entered the main hall, the heavy atmosphere was palpable. The round table, usually reserved for the royal family’s solemn discussions, was filled with faces twisted in a mixture of anger, fear, and disgust. Everyone was there except the children, their absence noticeable amidst the tension.
Something immediately drew Salviana’s attention, Irene, her face was blotched red from crying. She sat at the center, her shoulders shaking with quiet sobs while Jennifer, always the peacemaker, tried to comfort her.
Salviana didn’t understand what was happening.
The sneers and side glances told Salviana something was gravely wrong, but it wasn’t until someone cleared their throat and pointedly glared at her that the full weight of the accusation came down.
"You’ve been summoned," one of the elders Lawrence Velthorne, the kings brother said, his voice laced with judgment, "because of your actions last night."
Salviana’s heart sank. Her actions? She had done nothing but try to endure dinner with grace, despite the subtle jabs thrown her way and the hot water incident that left her burning.
Surely, they couldn’t be blaming her for that... right?