King Lucien sat at the head of the table, looking amused like always while Lord Valdren sat beside him, looking calm but dangerous.

"Duke of Ravenmoor, you assaulted one of our nobles in front of witnesses over a few words," King Lucien said.

"I didn’t like those words," Austin replied casually.

The king leaned forward and smiled faintly.

"And you think that justifies violence?"

"Some words are like blades," Austin replied. "You can’t ignore them, or else they could cut you deeply."

Lord Valdren chuckled before finally speaking.

"Is it so? Or are you someone who cannot control his temper? You are a man driven by dangerous attachment. I wonder whether you should stay here or not."

"What do you mean?"

"From now on, the Duke of Ravenmoor is forbidden from joining Lady Alina during any petition events," the king announced. "She must face all trials alone. If she is truly worthy, then she should be able to stand without the duke’s help."

Silence filled the room.

"That is unacceptable," Austin said immediately.

"The other option is to remove you from the palace. Would you rather watch from outside the gates?" Lord Valdren said.

Austin’s fists clenched with fury, but he stayed calm. He knew another outburst would destroy Alina’s chances completely.

"You are dismissed."

Austin was about to turn when Lord Valdren spoke again.

"Love becomes easiest to destroy when it turns into a weakness, Duke. Remember that."

Austin wanted to give him a befitting reply but he understood this was not the right time. So, he ignored his words and walked out.

The moment Austin returned to his chambers, the tension is the room exploded. Alina ran to him the second he closed the door.

"What did they say?"

He told her everything.

"How can they do that?" Alina snapped in frustration. "Now I have to face every trial alone?"

Tears rolled down her face. She wiped them angrily, but more kept falling.

"I didn’t even want to be a princess," her voice cracked. "I came here because I want to be with you. And now they’re is using your love for me as a weapon to separate us. We ourselves gave them the perfect excuse."

Guilt flashed across his face.

"You’re right," he said as he wiped her tears. "I lost control and made things worse."

Alina shook her head immediately.

"I’m not angry that you defended me. I’m terrified because now I have to do this without you by my side."

Austin pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her hair.

"I’m not going anywhere," he whispered. "They can ban me from the trials, but they can’t keep me away from you. I’ll be right outside every door. I promise."

Alina clung to him, her fingers gripping his coat tightly.

"You better be," she whispered. "Because the only thing that scares me more than these trials is facing them without you."

The next morning, a servant knocked on her door with an official summon.

"Lady Alina is required to attend the Riding Trial immediately," the servant announced. "It is a test of physical strength, endurance, and horsemanship. She must come alone."

Another test. Another chance for them to watch me fail.

"You nervous?" Austin asked.

"A little," she confessed but then she smirked. "But I’m a good rider. Elspeth trained me well. I can impress them."

"You are indeed," he smiled. "But still be careful. Try not to fall off and make me look bad," he said playfully.

Alina laughed and poked his chest.

"Don’t worry," she replied. "I’ll make you proud."

"You already do. Every day."

He then pulled her close and kissed her forehead.

The riding trial was held in the large palace courtyard. Many nobles had come to watch. They sat comfortably under shade, talking and drinking as if it were an entertainment show.

Alina was given a big black horse. The task was to complete three fast laps around the courtyard, jump over three low obstacles, and finish with a strong gallop.

Alina mounted the horse and looked around. There was no one to cheer for her. Everyone was staring, hoping to see her fail. She felt lonely.

But then she spotted Austin standing on a balcony in the distance. He wasn’t allowed in the courtyard, but he had found a place where he could watch. His arms were crossed, and even from far away, she could feel his gaze on her. He gave her a small, encouraging nod.

A small smile touched Alina’s lips. She straightened her back, and took a deep breath.

I’m ready!!

Soon, the signal was given. Alina tightened her grips around the reins and rode forward, and she was good. All thanks to Elspeth’s training. The crowd murmured in surprise. She was doing much better than they had expected. She cleared the first two obstacles perfectly. On the third lap, she pushed the horse into a fast gallop.

But as she finished the last jump and slowed down, a nobleman standing near the edge secretly threw a sharp metal pin under the horse’s hooves. At the same time, another person cracked a loud whip hidden behind the crowd.

The horse panicked and reared up sharply.

Alina tried hard to hold on, gripping the reins tightly, but she couldn’t control it. She lost her balance and fell hard onto the ground.

A short scream escaped her lips as pain shot through her right shoulder and ankle. The stable master immediately caught the horse but no one cared about her. She remained on the ground, breathing hard. She bit her lips to stop herself from crying. She didn’t want to cry in front of them.

The nobles were silent at first, then began whispering.

"She fell..."

"See? She’s not strong enough."

On the balcony, Austin’s entire body jerked forward.

"No!" he growled.

His hands gripped the railing tightly as fear and rage flashed across his face. He took two steps toward the stairs, rushing to her, but Dorian grabbed his arm.

"You can’t! They’ll disqualify her immediately if you interfere."

"Ahhhhh!" he sighed loudly in frustration.

He watched helplessly as Alina lay on the dirt. He wanted to go to her, to pick her up, and kill whoever had caused this.

When she didn’t get up right away, his breathing became ragged.

"Alina..." he muttered under his breath.

Then he saw her move. She pushed herself up with one arm, her face covered in dirt and sweat. He slammed his fist against the railing, and wounded his hand.

"They cheated," he said through gritted teeth. "I saw it."

Dorian stayed silent, knowing nothing he said would calm him right now. Alina then

limped slowly towards the edge of the courtyard, keeping her head high despite the throbbing pain. She didn’t look at Austin, knowing he won’t bear to look at her like this. Pride swelled in his chest along with the anger boiling inside him.

From the stands, Lord Valdren watched Alina with a small, satisfied smile.

"You will break, Alina. No matter how hard you try."