Cleora turned her gaze towards Kairo as he spoke, her eyes narrowing slightly while he reiterated the desire for the focus to be solely on him and Coco.

She sat silently, listening to the firm conviction in his words, the protectiveness in his stance, and there was no denying his dedication to Coco— and the sentiment tugged at something within Cleora.

It was a relief to know that her husbands and soon-to-be husband will stand up for her, even if the one they need to confront is a higher figurehead among the nobility.

Kairo continued speaking, emphasizing the importance of the day being centered around them, to which Cleora found herself nodding in agreement.

She couldn’t help, but agree that the focus should be on the couple.. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

And it is, so why is this a problem now? Cleora thought, her mind spinning, trying to make sense of the situation.

"You two will be the focus, alright." She stated plainly, her voice firm and steady, leaving no room for doubt, her gaze sharpening as she leveled a pointed look at Kairo. "Have I said otherwise, son?"

She paused, her expression shifting slightly.

She exhaled through her nose, rubbing the bridge of it with one hand before continuing in a softer tone. "This wedding is about you and Coco. The princess’s presence is an honor, but not the center."

Alhai huffed, unable to keep his frustration in check, which was immediately by a scoff that was sharp, his patience clearly worn thin.

The words spilled out, anger dripping from each syllable.

"That’s what you say now." He breathed out, practically hissing the words out. "But isn’t the true reason why you invited the crown princess was because of your past lives— just to confirm if she’s one of your daughters?"

He stepped forward, his eyes narrowed as he addressed Cleora directly.

Cleora’s composure faltered slightly at the bold confrontation, her jaw clenching as her gaze darted between Alhai and Kairo.

The room went still, with Zaque and Kairo stiffening beside the silver haired mediator.

The older woman’s lips pressed into a thin line, her gaze shifting to Coco— searching for confirmation, but Zaque moved swiftly, stepping in front of his wife with a frown tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Is this what you truly feel?" She asked quietly, her tone dripping with akin to shock.

Zaque’s jaw clenched as he shielded Coco from view. "What we feel is that Kairo’s wedding should be about them, without the pretense of you inviting the princess as an excuse to know if she is indeed your daughter."

Cleora pushed back from the desk and stood up, her expression turning into a frown.

The sight of her doing so caused the mediators and the hybrid to become tense, especially more so when she started stalking forward, coming to stand in front of Zaque and Coco— trying to get a better look at the latter.

Zaque bristled visibly, moving to block Cleora’s view even further.

His eyebrows creased stubbornly, refusing to budge an inch as he met the older woman’s gaze unflinchingly, standing straight to his whole height to protect his wife if need be.

Cleora held the mediator’s gaze for a minute, her expression firm, but not unkind, not wanting to back down because if this is what actually her daughter wanted, then Coco would tell her all these things herself, no?

No. A voice at the back of Cleora’s mind stated, making her flinch audibly in front of Zaque, then she let out a quiet sigh and softened her tone slightly.

"Can you please move?" She asked, her voice quieter now, more softer than earlier. "I need to look at and talk to my daughter. I know that she’s.. Not the best with words when it comes to this and quite dense, but.."

She stopped talking, her eyes snapping over Zaque’s shoulder where she could see Coco’s head peeking. ".. I just need to hear it from her."

Coco couldn’t stop herself from tensing, her eyes widening.

Cleora had always had this thing about hearing it from her daughter’s mouth rather than listening about it from someone else, and she always loved that about her mother.

To think that she still does it till this day brought joy to Coco.

Okay.. I have to speak up. She thought as she took a shallow breath, her thoughts swirling.

Earlier, she had felt a deep sense of love and security when her husbands spoke up for her sake, their protectiveness and support was a source of comfort, but with Cleora now waiting for her side.. She couldn’t stop feeling guilty.

"I..." She began softly, her voice catching in her throat.

Coco swallowed hard once more, her hand lifting to grip Zaque’s shirt and pressing even closer against his back.

"I.." She repeated, only pausing to gather her thoughts and choose the right choice of words, but it was difficult, incredibly difficult, and she doesn’t know how to say it without sounding ungrateful.

"I.. I feel.." She started again, her voice wavering and gaze flickering briefly to the floor. "I don’t like how it feels.. Like you’re more excited for the crown princess to be at the wedding.. Or at the thought of Carina being the crown princess.. Than for the fact that it.. It’s really about Kairo and I."

Cleora’s heart clenched in her chest, a pang of realization and heartache shooting through her at the words her daughter spouted, her expression turned pained as she processed what she had been blind to.

It was all clear now.

She had been so wrapped up in her own excitement of possibly reuniting with one of her daughters that she had overlooked the most important thing.

She had expected resistance, stubbornness, annoyance, and even anger— but the hurt and disappointment in Coco’s voice was a dagger to her chest, and it hurt more than the four things she had expected combined.

How had things come to this? How had she managed to make her own daughter feel like an afterthought on her upcoming special day?