Aiden also relaxed his stance, though his sharp gaze never wavered. "Alright I'm listening."
"I owe you an apology," As she then took a steady breath her voice tinged with remorse. "I couldn't bring justice to your fallen team members. They were under my command too, and I failed them. I failed you."
Aiden's eyes softened but his tone remained steady. "You don't need to apologize, Aunt Helen. This isn't on you and you tried... but there wasn't much you could do. No one could."
Helen's expression twisted with frustration. "Then why did you go straight to the Elder Council for a vote without telling me? Why didn't you trust me to help you?"