Those hazel eyes met the amber ones across the council table, the collision between them immediate and incendiary.

Vaeron’s expression turned glacial. There was no mistaking the disdain carved into every hard line of his face, nor the way his jaw tightened with the effort of restraint.

For a moment, the room seemed to narrow around the two brothers until Lord Aurelion stepped in.

"Now is hardly the hour for accusations, Greed," he said, his voice carrying the weight of practiced authority. His gaze moved between them, sharp and warning. "Trading blows with your brother will gain us nothing,"

A slow, taunting smile curved across Greed’s lips.

"This is far from accusations, Lord Aurelion. It is a simple reason." He straightened from the table, amber eyes gleaming in the torchlight. "The mortal was present at the time of the attack. She remains the only conscious witness to what transpired before Vespera fell," His smile sharpened. "Surely, that makes her... valuable."

The word hung in the air. Or perhaps dangerous. He seemed to have thought about the latter, and tilted his head slightly, eyes never leaving Vaeron.

"She must have seen something," he continued softly. "Something no one else did."

Vaeron felt the familiar pull of violence tighten in his chest. It took more effort than he cared to admit not to cross the room and drive that smug expression straight into the stone.

And Greed knew it. The glint in his brother’s eyes said as much. He was enjoying this.

"Greed is not entirely wrong," another voice cut in and all eyes shifted towards the direction.

Envy stepped forward from the shadows near the far wall, his expression composed, though the cool intelligence in his gaze made him no less dangerous. His brown eyes glistened, caught by the torchlight, revealing the sharp curves of his jawline and the unmistakable contours of masculinity.

"She was seen beside Vespera when the attack began," Envy said evenly. "That places her closer to the epicenter than any surviving witness. Her testimony may prove as important as Vespera’s—perhaps even more so, given Vespera’s current state."

A murmur moved through the chamber. Then the bald Elder lifted his chin, the only movement of purpose stirred in the room. "Mm," That sound was thoughtful, and deliberate. "And where is she now, Lust?"

The title cut through the room, but the question weighed even more. Vaeron turned toward him with an unreadable face. The stillness in him had become something dangerous.

"Asleep," he said at last, voice calm enough to freeze blood. "She is in no condition to be questioned," And a beat passed before he added, colder still, "My wife suffered injuries no less severe than Vespera’s."

The room changed as silence reigned. Not the earlier kind because this one struck like thunder.

Several heads snapped toward him. Even Rheonara’s eyes widened slightly.

Greed blinked once and laughed softly. "Well, "His smile widened, slow and poisonous. "That is certainly new,"

Vaeron’s gaze darkened.

"You may enjoy baiting him, but if you have an actual point, make it," It was his other brother, Gluttony, the one who came to his chamber earlier, his dark hair swept neatly back from a face marked by deep, jagged scars that traced one side of his cheek and brow, lending him a fierce, battle-worn appearance.

Greed’s gaze slid to him. "Oh, I do," His expression sobered, the amusement dimming into something more calculating. "But for all we know you reached the poor creature before any of us did. It places your response under scrutiny," His insufferable brother countered, taking pleasure in irritating the mood of the room, utterly undeterred by the death-threatening glare he was receiving. The implication was clear and tampering, the kind that suggested concealment and possession.

Something cold and vicious moved through Vaeron’s expression as his eyes locked on Greed, especially when he said, "You would do well to address her accordingly or I will remove every tooth from your mouth and ensure you never speak another word for the remainder of your existence."

The threat landed like a blade across the table, and the torchlight seemed to quieten in fear. A few lords shifted uneasily, noticing the tension that had only increased like fuel set on a burning fire.

Greed only smiled wider, as if the threat was something he’d long to hear. "There it is," he murmured. "I was beginning to wonder whether the years had softened that part of you as well," He commented, and leaned forward slightly. "How curious that you should become so protective over a mortal."

Rheonara’s voice cut sharply through the tension. "Enough."

The steel in it made even Greed glance her way.

"This is not a family dispute," she said, stepping closer to the table, eyes fixed on Greed. "If the princess truly witnessed what happened, then her account matters," There was something sour when she referred to the word ’princess’. Then her amethyst eyes moved to Vaeron, which softened for a brief moment, before returning to normal. "But not at the expense of her life."

Vaeloria straightened from where she had been leaning against the pillar, her expression cool and unreadable. "For once," She said dryly, "I agree."

That drew several glances.

Her gaze settled on Greed. "Badgering an unconscious woman because you enjoy provoking your brother serves no one. I saw for myself. She was affected as well,"

Greed gave a small mock bow. "My intentions are purely strategic."

Vaeloria’s smile was thin. "Of course they are." Her sarcasm spread throughout the room like a dangerous poison.

But Greed being undeterred by anyone continued, "I was merely stating that if the mortal truly witnessed the collision of those forces, then what she saw may be the key to understanding the breach," He looked back at Vaeron. "And if our dear brother is keeping her hidden, intentionally or otherwise, then that is a matter the council cannot ignore."

The room fell into another uneasy silence, and the movement of the cold wind could be heard. A look of victory flashed across one’s face, while the other remained unreadable.

Then a sound broke the sudden stillness. Vaeron laughed, low, sharp, and utterly devoid of amusement, cutting through the room like the edge of a blade that could send a shiver down one’s spine.

His eyes lifted slowly to meet Greed’s, hazel darkening into something stormlike. "One might almost admire the effort, were it not so transparently self-serving,"

Greed’s smile thinned.

Vaeron stepped forward then, the measured sound of his boots against stone echoing through the chamber, completely closing the distance between them. "You speak of scrutiny yet, curiously, your first instinct is not to question the enemy who breached our wards, but the one who preserved the only surviving witness," His gaze swept the council table. "Had I not reached her when I did, she would be dead."

The words landed with force and a few of the lords shifted. They understood what that meant. The werewolf princess was all part of the accord. She was a Punishment after all, and death not by him was a disaster none wanted. As important as she was to him, she was also to them.

Vaeron’s attention returned to Greed. "So pray tell me, brother," he said, his voice dropping lower into something more dangerous. "...would you rather I had left her bleeding on frozen ground to satisfy your sense of procedure? Or is this less about my wife and more about your desperate need to find fault in every step I take and claim what’s not yours?"

The accusation turned neatly, blade for blade, sharp enough to sting and draw blood. The amber-eyed Sin straightened, amusement returning in a colder form abruptly.

"You’re mistaken,"

With one gloved hand pressed against the scarred map, "I’m not," he said flatly. "If you question my intentions then question why your scouts, who patrol the eastern ridges under your direct oversight, failed to detect movement until after the breach."

That changed the room as several heads turned sharply toward Greed. Even Vaeloria’s brows lifted slightly, but Vaeron did not relent.

"If we are to begin casting suspicion within this chamber then let us do so thoroughly."

Greed’s smile vanished at once. The air shifted, and all suddenly, the scrutiny moved, eyes directed towards Greed. What was once directed toward Vaeron backfired at once.

"You dare imply...." Greed began, anger seething in his tone.

"I imply nothing," Vaeron cut in smoothly. "I am merely following your example,"

A dangerous silence spread across the council.

Elder Acheron struck the base of his staff against the stone, the sound cracked through the chamber like lightning. "Enough. Both of you."

Those words were sharp with command, adding to the tension despite the stillness evaporating the room. Though it was enough to shift attention slightly towards him.

His gaze swept the room, "The mortal will be questioned when she is conscious and only when the healers permit it," he said, and his eyes shifted to Vaeron. "Until then, she remains under your protection."

Vaeron was the first to break eye contact, his gaze narrowing. Greed shot a glare at him, one that promised, hands fisted at his sides.

He blatantly ignored him. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"But understand this, Lust," he continued, his tone darker and promising. "If she knows anything regarding the breach, the light, or Malachi’s movements, the council will have its answers, with or without your permission."

The silence that followed was colder than winter like a cautious blade when he concluded. The atmosphere suddenly turned wary with finality and judgment.

Vaeron nodded.

He already knew that it was no longer merely about the attack, but about her. It was inevitable. His mind slipped to the memory of the glow beneath her skin, and every instinct in him was beginning to understand exactly how dangerous that had become.