Chapter 687: The Weight of Crowded Truths

The door opened fully and Daniel stepped in first, followed closely by Madam Tyler and Caspian.

The shift in atmosphere was immediate, as if the room had briefly held its breath and only now remembered how to exhale.

Caspian narrowed his eyes slightly as he took in the scene and then spoke with a low, questioning tone.

"And who exactly did you just call the three musketeers?"

Ronan’s lips curved immediately into an easy smile, the kind that always suggested he had no intention of explaining himself properly.

Caspian stared at him for a moment longer, then let out a low grunt of discomfort as he placed a hand behind his back and stretched slightly.

"Get up," he said to Ronan. "You are sitting like an entitled brat. Come and massage my back."

Tobias hid his laugh behind a chuckle, and Ronan quickly gave him the middle finger.

"I am speaking to you, boy," Caspian told Ronan, who made a sound of protest.

But before he could even form a proper complaint, Caspian shot him a look that shut him down instantly.

"Do not test me, boy."

Ronan blinked once, then sighed dramatically as though the weight of the world had just been placed on his shoulders.

"Yes, yes," he muttered, standing up anyway.

"Boy," Tobias muttered under his breath.

Ronan glared at him, and Tobias only smiled back.

He let Caspian take his seat, then walked behind the older man, beginning to massage his shoulders with ease.

The house, despite everything, relaxed slightly at the absurdity of it.

Madam Tyler cleared her throat softly.

"I apologize for our delay," she said. "We were not aware there was a mob gathering outside until things had already escalated. We also had no idea that word had spread this far regarding Sophia’s origins."

Brynhild turned slightly toward her voice, her expression calm.

"You do not need to apologize," she replied gently. "The situation was already out of control before anyone could properly respond. Things have calmed down now, at least for the moment, and we were just trying to figure out how to end this properly."

Madam Tyler nodded slowly.

"That is good to hear."

Daniel finally spoke then, his voice steady but heavier than usual.

"What have you arrived at?"

The question drew the attention of everyone present.

Sophia shifted slightly in her seat and then looked directly at Daniel.

There was a brief pause before she spoke.

"Are you still annoyed at me?"

The question was simple, but it carried enough weight.

Daniel exhaled through his nose, and for a moment it looked as though he was choosing his words carefully.

"I am not annoyed at you," he said at last. "I don’t think I ever was. I was more... frustrated with the situation."

His gaze flickered briefly, just for a second, toward Sophia before settling forward again.

"I hate that Victoria is your mother," he admitted. "And I may have reacted poorly yesterday. But Orion is like a son to me. Everyone here... except Madam Tyler and Caspian..." he added with a small glance toward them, "...are like children I have watched grow. And I should have known they do not make rash judgments."

His tone lowered slightly.

"When Orion, Ronan, Tobias, Brynhild, and Lysander all stood by you and insisted you stay, that should have been enough for me to understand one thing clearly. You were not the problem."

A faint pause followed.

"I was," he added bitterly. "Or rather, my anger was."

His jaw tightened slightly.

"I let what Victoria did cloud my judgment."

He looked toward Sophia again, this time holding her gaze more firmly.

"I support you," he said. "I like you with Orion. And none of this is your fault. It should have been obvious to me from the beginning."

A beat of silence settled after that.

Ronan made a small sound from behind Caspian.

"Well," he said lightly, "you being all soft like this does not really suit you, Dad."

Daniel turned his head slightly and gave him the middle finger.

"And you are supposed to be my role model?" Ronan asked him.

Chuckles spread immediately after that. The tension broke just enough for it to breathe again.

Madam Tyler spoke next, her voice returning them to the matter at hand.

"So what exactly is the plan?"

All eyes shifted to Sophia.

She straightened slightly in her seat before answering.

"We are going to make it known that I am the Luna foretold," she said calmly. "And we will also make it clear that I stand with this pack, not with Victoria. We plan to hold court in the square and address everyone directly."

Daniel nodded slowly, considering it.

"That is actually a good idea," he admitted. "What the people need right now is reassurance. Being silent will only make the unrest continue. It will be better to give clarity than to stay quiet about everything."

"Some will still be angry," he continued. "Some will still try to blame you for things that are not yours to carry. But this... this gives them something solid to hold onto."

Sophia nodded quietly.

Caspian spoke then, still half-relaxed into the ridiculous massage.

"I honestly thought this would be far more grim," he said. "But it seems like things are... aligning better than expected."

Ronan muttered under his breath behind him.

"Perhaps that is because I am here. I’ve been known to—"

"Shut up," everyone said, just as Caspian turned in time to flick Ronan on the head.

Ronan yelped softly.

"Really?"

Caspian nodded.

"Go down my back. Leave the shoulders," he instructed.

"When you are done, massage mine too," Daniel added.

Ronan made a disgusted face.

Brynhild let out a faint smile, her expression softening as she listened to everyone settle into agreement.

"Then it is decided," Eldric said simply. "We prepare for court."

"I’ll start making preparations. The sooner the better, after all," Daniel muttered as he headed for the door.

Caspian stood up and stretched his back, then patted Ronan on the shoulder.

"Good job, son," he said, and then started heading out too along with Madam Tyler.