Chapter 1231

The sight left Elliana humbled and slightly dazed. She had expected resistance. As an outsider claiming the Sovereign’s Orb, she had braced herself for protest and conflict. Yet none came. Her caution had been needless.

Anita, now one hundred and two years old and once the Griffiths family’s matriarch, stood at the front. Elliana couldn’t bear to see the elder bow so low. She quickly moved forward to help Anita rise.

“There’s no need for such ceremony,” she said softly.

“Thank you,” Anita murmured, straightening with a faint smile. Her eyes were still swollen from tears shed for Maxine, but she held herself with dignity before the new leader.

“Everyone, please rise,” Elliana said gently.

A chorus of “Thank you!” echoed through the cold air as they all stood.

Elliana’s eyes swept over the faces before her—she recognized almost no one.

The Griffiths family’s famed longevity elixirs made it impossible to tell one’s age. Youthful appearances, in this family, could be quite deceptive. It would take time to learn their names and their stories.

Elliana was not agitated. That could wait. For now, there was a more pressing duty—Maxine’s funeral. Turning to Anita, she said quietly, “I brought Maxine’s remains back.” Her eyes shifted toward the helicopter.

At her signal, the Four Guardians approached, wheeling the stretcher draped in white.

Anita’s trembling hands lifted the cloth from her daughter’s face. The moment she saw Maxine, her body shook with grief.

“My daughter…” she cried, her voice breaking.

The Griffiths family’s sorrow spread like wildfire. Soon, the air was filled with sobs. Whatever Maxine’s faults as a leader, she had once ruled them all. That alone demanded their respect.

To the Griffiths, Maxine remained their fallen matriarch—one who deserved to be sent off with honor, as their royal ancestors had done for their rulers. This was not the time to revisit her mistakes. What mattered was her final farewell. The family elders stood silently, their eyes dim with age and pain, while the younger ones lowered their heads in mourning.

For a long while, grief was the only sound that filled the air. Elliana and Cole stood apart, heads bowed. Their crew followed their lead, honoring the ceremony with quiet reverence.

Find your next read at g?lnσνs?com

When the rites ended, Maxine’s body was carried to the chapel for the vigil.

Elliana, as the new leader, was escorted to the council hall and seated upon the great throne at the head of the room. The rest of the clan arranged themselves according to rank. Anita sat closest to Elliana, with Davin standing by her side.

Elliana had only glimpsed Davin earlier, during the commotion of her arrival and the transfer of Maxine’s body. Now, as calm returned to the hall, her gaze lingered on him.

.

.

.