#Chapter 150: A Foundation

ELENA I hadn’t expected to be called so early. The defense had barely finished their opening remarks when Tessa Harrow turned to the Council and said calmly, “We call Princess Elena Hart of the Moonstone Pack as our first witness.” A sharp intake of breath sucked the air from the room. Whispers burst out in a dozen directions, rippling like wind through dry grass. Even behind the enchanted barriers, I could hear them. “Did she just say Elena Hart?” “She’s Moonstone—why would she testify for the defense?” “What in the Goddess’s name is going on?” The presiding judge—an older man with ivory robes and a gaze like ice—raised his hand. “Order. There will be order in this court.” I stood. My boots echoed on the polished stone as I walked past rows of shocked faces, past Maggie, who sat with her wrists cuffed but her shoulders straight. She didn’t meet my eyes. I stepped up to the dais and placed my hand on the carved crest of the Council. The truth-binding magi