The elf captain's eyes flared with indignation, but he quickly masked it.
"My lady, we found him with the secret daughter of the king. A human! I was ensuring he confessed before—"
"Before what?" Elowen interrupted, voice slicing through his excuses.
"Before you had any actual proof? Before you considered the possibility that someone else failed in their duties? Like, perhaps, the guards assigned to protect her?"
The elf captain's mouth opened, but no sound came out.
Elowen's gaze sharpened.
"My men reported that he rescued her. Rescued. Yet you chose to torture him instead of questioning him. Tell me, how does that fit within our 'civilized' ways?"
The elf captain flinched at the last word, shame coloring his features.
"My lady, I... I only acted with the kingdom's best interest—"
"No," Elowen cut him off, her voice cold.
