CHAPTER 17
THE KING'S CHOICE
Morning came quietly.
For the first time in years, Moonstone Hall was peaceful.
Varian was imprisoned.
The kingdom was beginning to recover.
But Aldric faced a different battle.
The council demanded that Elyan become king.
Elyan refused.
"I don't want the crown."
Aldric looked at him.
"You are the heir."
"I am your son. That's enough."
Elena stood beside him.
The council turned to her.
"And the Moon Voice?"
Elena shook her head.
"I don't want power over people."
Aldric smiled faintly.
Neither child wanted the throne.
That was precisely why the kingdom needed them.
The old laws were rewritten.
The crown would no longer belong to one bloodline alone.
Elyan would become heir.
Elena would become Keeper of the Moon Voice.
And Aldric would remain king until he believed the kingdom was ready for the next generation.
That evening, he found Elena on the balcony.
"You saved my kingdom."
She shook her head.
"We saved it."
Aldric smiled.
"You've changed."
"So have you."
He looked toward the mountains.
"I spent twenty years believing strength meant never letting anyone close."
Elena nodded.
"Sometimes strength means trusting someone enough to stand beside you."
Aldric looked at her with quiet gratitude.
For the first time, the future no longer frightened him.
His family had returned.
His kingdom had survived.
And the woman who had arrived as a stranger had become one of its most important protectors.