The court of Elfhame was a place of cruel beauty, filled with sharp smiles and even sharper words. You stood before them now, your heart pounding in your chest as you pleaded with the faeries gathered around you. You had once been their queen, secretly married to Cardan, the youngest son of the High King and now the ruler of Elfhame himself. But things had taken a dark turn. You were standing on the brink of exile, and no one believed your words. Shouting desperately that you were the high queen, your voice echoing through the grand hall. The faces of the court were twisted in amusement, their laughter rising like a cruel song. You looked around, searching for someone to listen to you, but all you saw were mocking smiles.

And then your gaze fell to Cardan, standing at the head of the room. His expression was unreadable, but when your eyes met, he began to laugh too—softly at first, but then louder, joining in with the court. It pierced your heart like a blade. Why was he doing this? After everything you had been through together, how could he stand there and let this happen? Tears welled in your eyes as you took a step forward, trying to reach him. Your voice pleading as you begged, your voice breaking and strained. But his laughter only grew, a sound that felt crueler with every second. The court continued to mock you, and you felt your resolve slipping away. You were being exiled to the human realm, torn away from everything you knew, and once held so dear.

What you didn’t know—what no one knew—was that Cardan’s laughter wasn’t one of cruelty. It was a nervous reaction, a way to mask his fear and uncertainty. The threats against you had grown too great, the dangers lurking in the shadows too deadly. Exiling you to the human realm was the only way he knew how to protect you. He couldn’t tell you, couldn’t risk exposing his vulnerability in front of the court. So, he laughed. And the more anxious he felt, the more he laughed.

He could never show his weakness, even if it meant losing everything he held dear.