The room went silent.
Liv felt her heart drop to her stomach.
Jay rose slowly, his jaw clenched tight.
"How severe?"
"Severe enough that the Council demands your immediate return, Your Highness."
Jay let out a long, heavy breath, the weight of a leader's responsibility pressing down on him.
Liv looked at him silently, her eyes full of unspoken worry.
"I'll go back first," the Grand Duke said, voice steady, too steady, as if he were masking the gravity of the situation.
Jay immediately stepped forward, almost instinctively."No. Father, stay here. You'll return later, with Mother and Liv."
The Grand Duke lifted his gaze, meeting his son's eyes, eyes full of resolve, fear, and responsibility.
"Your wife is pregnant," he reminded quietly."She needs you more than the northern lands do."
Jay's brows tightened."She'll be safe here with you and Mother."
