Astor's Pov
This was not the happy day we all planned. This was not the joyful crowning.
My father usually strong like a rock, stood nearby. His face looked hard. His eyes, usually calm, were now full of anger. I rarely saw him this angry, especially not at me. He waited quietly, but his silence felt louder than any yell.
Elder Lyra sighed sadly. She started the ceremony again, her voice a little shaky. I know how mandatory it was for her to be here. This broke our oldest rules. It showed everyone how big the problem was.
The old words of the ceremony felt empty to me after that. I heard them, but I felt no happiness. Only a deep, empty pain in my chest, a cold place where my heart should be.
After the ceremony ended, the people slowly left and they wished me well, but I heard the whi
