Time/Date: TC1853.01.22 – Afternoon
Location: Imperial Palace, Throne Room
"You're making a mistake," Darian said, his voice rough with emotion. "Raven, please—"
"No," Raven interrupted. "You made the mistake. Thirty years ago, when you chose Caelia. Today, when you chose containment. Every moment you prioritized comfort over truth."
She looked at him for long moments, and something in her expression made Darian's breath catch. Not anger. Not hatred. Something worse—pity mixed with irrevocable finality.
"I wish you had been different," Raven said quietly. "I wish you had been the father prophecy intended. The one who would protect rather than suppress. Who would choose honor over expedience."
Her voice dropped to something barely audible, yet somehow it reached every corner of the vast throne room.
"But you weren't. And I won't pretend otherwise just to make you feel better about your choices."
