Aria's POV
I stood frozen, my mind reeling from the confrontation with Isabel. The sting of her words still echoed in my ears as I tried to process what had just happened. My friends huddled around me, their concerned faces blurring as I struggled to focus.
My eyes were on him—Kaine, who had appeared before us.
"Good morning," Kaine greeted, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine. He smiled warmly at our group. "I trust you're all settling in well?"
Tom stepped forward, his chest puffing out slightly. "We're doing great, Your Majesty. Just defending our friend here from some unpleasantness."
Kaine's gray eyes flickered to me for a moment before he turned his attention back to Tom. "Is that so? I'm glad to hear Aria has such loyal companions." He paused, studying Tom intently. "I must say, I'm quite impressed with you, Tom. With all of you, in fact. Your defense of Aria speaks volumes about your character."