Cerys raised an eyebrow, her piercing red eyes narrowed as she spoke.
"Your Highness, what in the world happened here?"
Mikhailis sighed, putting on a sheepish smile as he stepped forward.
"It's… well, it's a bit of a long story," he started, scratching the back of his head. He needed a good, solid story—sothing convincing but not overly elaborate. He needed to make this feel like a genuine mistake, an unplanned adventure. He t Cerys's gaze, then glanced at Aria and Callen, the two siblings standing slightly behind him, visibly shaken but trying to stay composed.
"You see," Mikhailis began, "I was at the market, just wandering around and enjoying the sights. And then… I stumbled upon these two." He gestured toward Aria and Callen, his voice softening as he continued.
"They were being harassed by so local thugs. They were clearly in trouble, and I couldn't just… stand by and watch."
Cerys's eyes remained narrowed, her skepticism evident.
"And that led to… this?" She gestured to the unconscious guards and the general chaos around them.
Mikhailis nodded, his face earnest.
"I know it looks bad. It was reckless of to get involved. But they needed help. These thugs—they were extorting them. Aria and Callen here, they're siblings. They've been targeted by so gang that's been taking advantage of vulnerable families in the capital."
Aria, catching on to Mikhailis's story, nodded quickly. Her face still showed signs of fear, her eyes wide as she spoke, her voice shaky.
"It's true… They've been after us for a while now. My brother and I… we're just trying to make a living, but they won't leave us alone."
Callen, his face bruised and tired, looked at Cerys, his eyes filled with a mix of exhaustion and desperation.
"They… they said they'd hurt my sister if I didn't do what they asked. I… I didn't know what to do."
Mikhailis put a comforting hand on Callen's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze before turning back to Cerys.
"I couldn't just walk away," he said earnestly.
"I know I acted rashly, and I apologize for any trouble I may have caused. But I couldn't ignore people in need."
Cerys stared at him for a long mont, her expression unreadable. The silence stretched between them, the tension thick as Mikhailis waited for her response. He could feel Lira's eyes on him, her skepticism almost palpable. Serelith, on the other hand, looked more amused than anything else, her lips curling into a slight smile as she watched the scene unfold.
Finally, Cerys let out a long sigh, her shoulders relaxing slightly.
"Your Highness," she began, her tone stern, "while I understand your intentions were… noble, you must understand the risk you took. You put yourself in danger, and by extension, the entire kingdom with this. You cannot afford to act so recklessly. You're not accustod to battle, after all,"
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