Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 511: A Line Drawn

Elara nodded firmly, her voice full of conviction. "So what if he's the Crown Prince? If he tries to push you around, I'm not letting that happen."

Rowena's face darkened, her voice low but sharp as she cut in, "Elara. That's enough. Get over here."

Elara had always held a healthy fear of her mother.

At that tone, her body stiffened, hesitation flickering across her face as she wavered in place.

Maerwyn glanced at her, then toward Rowena, and without overthinking it, she let go of Elara's hand. "It's fine. Stay here and wait for me. I've argued with my mother before, you think I'm worried about him?"

With that, she turned on her heel and strode off quickly, her steps brisk and determined.

Elowen watched her figure disappear down the path, then quietly raised her hand and wiped away the faint trace of tears left on her cheek.

Outside the arched courtyard gate, Alaric stood with his hands clasped behind his back, a rare hint of anticipation on his face.

When he heard footsteps approaching from inside, his eyes lit up, a small smile forming at the corner of his lips.

He was certain it was Elowen coming out.

A horse like that, a rare war-bred stallion with unmatched grace and power, no one who loved riding could possibly turn it down.

And he had gone to great lengths to find it, something even more exceptional than Ember had been.

She would understand eventually.

Alaric adjusted his coat and stepped forward, lifting his head with quiet expectation.

Instead, he found himself staring at a familiar face filled with anger.

"...Maerwyn?"

He paused, his brows knitting together. "Why are you—"

Maerwyn planted her hands on her hips and cut him off without hesitation. "Alaric, seriously? Do you have any shame at all?"

He froze for a brief second.

Then his expression darkened, irritation sharpening his voice. "Maerwyn. Who taught you to speak like that?"

"I should be asking you that!"

She didn't back down in the slightest, her voice bright but cutting. "You got Ember killed, the horse she loved most, and now you show up with another one like that fixes anything? What is wrong with you? Are you actually trying to make things better, or just make sure she hurts even more?"

"You don't understand."

Her words struck a nerve, frustration rising in his chest.

Wasn't he doing this because he regretted it? Because he wanted to make up for what he had done?

"Oh, I understand perfectly."

Maerwyn let out a short scoff. "If she wanted another horse, Cassian would've brought her one already. Or she'd go out and choose one herself. She's got more than enough money. Why would she need you to show up with one? You're not helping, you're just making it worse."

Those words hit harder than he expected.

Alaric's face paled slightly as he stared at her, then let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Oh really? And what does that make you? You think you get to speak for her now?"

Maerwyn lifted her chin, refusing to back down. "At least I'm not like you. We actually get along now. She likes me. She even promised to give me the original manuscript of Ode to Springlight."

She tilted her head, her tone openly challenging. "What about you? Got anything like that? After everything you did, she doesn't even want to see you. You really think she's going to forgive you? That horse isn't a gift, it's an insult."

Alaric's gaze turned cold. "And you think you're innocent? You didn't treat her well before either. If she won't forgive me, what makes you think she'll forgive you?"

"That's completely different."

Maerwyn's voice didn't waver. "I only acted that way because you kept feeding me lies about her. If anyone started that, it was you. And yeah, I was wrong, but I never did anything I couldn't take back. She's kind. She'll forgive me for being young and stupid. But you?"

She gave a sharp, dismissive scoff. "She probably can't stand the sight of you."

Alaric's temples throbbed, anger surging as he struggled to keep it in check.

He clenched his jaw and moved forward, trying to push past her. "Move. I'll ask her myself."

Maerwyn stepped directly into his path, blocking him without hesitation.

He let out a short, disdainful laugh. "You really think you can stop me?"

Just as he was about to shove her aside, her expression hardened, her voice dropping into a firm, cutting warning. "Try it. Go ahead and walk in there and ruin her birthday dinner. I'll head straight back to the palace and tell Father everything. Exactly what you did today. And I won't hold back. I'll make sure he hears how arrogant you were, how disrespectful you acted, and what you were really trying to do."

Alaric stopped in his tracks.

If that reaches Dad...

Maerwyn caught the flicker of hesitation in his eyes and pressed on, her confidence growing. "And when that happens, who do you think he's going to believe? You or me? If he ends up disgusted with you, do you really think you'll still be in charge of the court qualification trials this year? Lose that, and maybe you'll finally learn your lesson."

The court qualification trials were everything to Alaric right now.

He couldn't afford to lose them.

He stared at her for a long moment, his jaw tight, then let out a sharp breath through clenched teeth. With a swift turn, he walked away without another word.