Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 451: Shattered Loyalties

Elowen's brows lifted slightly, genuine surprise flickering across her face. "Is something wrong? Please, bring them in."

Outside, attendants hurried in disarray, carefully supporting Isla as they guided her forward.

Maerwyn remained where she stood, her breath uneven, her chest rising sharply, yet she made no move to approach. After a brief hesitation, she set her jaw and turned, heading straight into the inner chamber instead.

On the bed, Elowen had just been helped upright, Cassian seated beside her with a steady arm around her shoulders, keeping her from slumping back.

Her complexion was so pale it almost seemed to fade into the linens beneath her, while the last trace of color had drained from her lips. Damp strands of hair clung to her temples and the curve of her cheek, making her look as though even sitting upright took more strength than she had to spare.

Maerwyn slowed, then stopped entirely, still several steps away, as if something unseen held her in place.

Elowen looked up at her and offered a faint, gentle smile, her voice soft but warm. "Maerwyn, you made it."

"A-Aunt..." Maerwyn's voice came out thin, unsteady, almost unfamiliar to her own ears.

She had come with so much to say, yet now every word seemed to slip out of reach.

"I'm all right," Elowen said before she could struggle further. "I just didn't get much rest last night. I shouldn't have caused such a fuss and pulled you away from your day."

Maerwyn's fingers curled tightly at her sides as her brows drew together. She forced herself to speak. "I... I heard what was said outside."

Elowen paused, as though the words had caught her off guard, then let out a quiet breath. "Alyssa hasn't admitted anything, which tells me there's more going on here than meets the eye. Your mother is Her Majesty, and she knows you better than anyone. You know her just as well. She wouldn't do something like this."

Maerwyn said nothing.

That was exactly why she couldn't just brush it aside. She knew all too well what her mother was capable of when it came to guarding her position, and there was no denying it. This was well within her reach.

Elowen watched her for a moment before continuing gently, "You came all this way to see me, and I truly appreciate that. But today matters to you, doesn't it? You shouldn't let something like this interfere. You should head back to the palace."

Maerwyn didn't move.

Elowen seemed to remember something, her expression softening further. "I read everything you sent me. I know you were younger before, and you didn't really understand me, so you made a few mistakes. That's all right. I never held it against you."

She met Maerwyn's gaze, her smile warm and unguarded. "And I'm glad you like my stories. That means more to me than you think."

Maerwyn's vision blurred almost instantly, her eyes burning as tears welled up.

Behind her, Isla had finally been steadied. She endured the pain in her ankle, lifting a hand to adjust the intricate gold hairpiece that had shifted out of place, though the rest of her carefully arranged hair remained slightly disordered.

Cassian's gaze passed over her, cool and unreadable. When he spoke, his tone carried the detached clarity of someone handling a formal matter. "I assume Your Majesty sent you and the princess to visit. Please inform His Majesty that, thanks to Doctor Dray, Ella is no longer in danger. With a few days of rest, she'll recover fully."

He did not wait for a response, simply motioning to the attendants. "Escort Her Majesty and the princess out."

Maerwyn gave Elowen one last look, then glanced at Isla, whose expression had tightened into something rigid and controlled. Her thoughts in complete disarray, she turned abruptly and walked out, her pace quick and unhesitating.

"Maerwyn!"

Isla called after her and moved to follow.

Maerwyn didn't slow down. If anything, she walked faster.

By the time she crossed out of Stillwater Court, Isla's composure had begun to crack. Her voice rose, sharp with authority. "Maerwyn, stop."

Maerwyn halted at last.

Isla stepped closer, lowering her voice, though urgency edged every word. "You're letting yourself be misled. Can't you see what this is? This was planned. The Duchess did this deliberately..."

"Planned?"

Maerwyn cut in, turning back, disbelief and bitterness plain across her face. "Mother, from the moment I walked in, every word Aunt Elowen said was defending you. She said you wouldn't do something like this. She said there had to be another explanation. She's kind, she's fair. And you?"

Her voice broke, then rose again, sharper this time. "You hurt her child. What comes next? Are you going to go after her too?"

Tears spilled freely now, tracing down her cheeks.

"You promised me," she said, her voice shaking, "you said you wouldn't make things hard for her anymore."

Frustration flared in Isla's eyes. "I told you, I had nothing to do with this."

But seeing the look on Maerwyn's face, that raw, unfiltered disappointment, something inside her snapped.

"I carried you for months and nearly died bringing you into this world," Isla said, her voice tightening. "I've spent years navigating this court, making sure you were protected, making sure your future was secure so you could grow up with every privilege. And this is how you repay me? You read a few romantic tales, listen to a few carefully chosen words, and suddenly you turn against your own mother?"