"Lord Garrick... if you knew my sister was murdered...then why did you stay silent for all these years?" King Lucien asked.

King Lucien at that moment didn’t sound like the cold ruler Alina had come to know. He sounded like a brother who had just realized that how badly he had failed his sister.

Lord Garrick lowered his head in response. His shoulders trembled under the weight of decades of guilt.

"Because I was terrified, Your Majesty," he confessed. "I was a coward. I had a family to protect, and a name to preserve. I was afraid that speaking up would only get me and my family killed and change nothing. I tried to convince myself that Isadora was already gone and speaking up would only result in more deaths."

He lifted his head, and glanced around the hall.

"But I was wrong. By staying silent I only protected her murderer. Princess Isadora didn’t deserve what happened to her? no matter how much you believed she was wrong," his gaze then drifted to Alina.

"And when I heard her daughter had come to claim what’s hers, I decided to tell her the truth. I didn’t want to carry this shame and guilt to my grave."

A few nobles who still doubted Alina were convinced now. Lord Garrick had been a highly respected noble of Arcasedia, known for his loyalty towards the kingdom. If even he was standing against Lord Valdren, the accusations could no longer be dismissed as lies.

King Lucien then turned to Lord Valdren.

"Lord Valdren. Are these accusations true?" his voice was dangerously calm.

The entire hall held its breath. Every eye was fixed on Lord Valdren, waiting for his answer. Lord Valdren met the king’s gaze without flinching.

"Yes," he said casually. "I ordered it."

A wave of shock rippled through the hall. Several nobles gasped aloud. Even the guards standing by the doors looked stunned.

But Lord Valdren showed no regret.

"I’m repeating what I said earlier," he said, his voice absolutely calm. "Isadora abandoned her duty to this kingdom for a foreign man. Because of her, our kingdom had become a laughing stock for others. I did what was necessary to protect the honor of Arcasedia."

Some nobles looked horrified by his shameless confession while others understood his reasoning but were still sickened by how far he had gone.

The confession hit Alina the hardest. After hearing Lord Valdren confess so calmly shattered even the smallest chance that her mother had died a natural death. Losing her mother was already painful enough, but losing her because someone had decided she deserved to die for just wanting to live her life on her own terms was a different kind of pain.

Suddenly, her breathing became shallow, and the hall began to spin around her. Her knees gave out but Austin held her immediately.

On the other hand, King Lucien had completely lost his control. He rose to his feet, shaking with fury and betrayal.

"For years I trusted you," he said turning to Kord Valdren. "You stood beside my father, beside me. And all this time..."

"I protected this kingdom while you ignored its dangers," Valdren cut him off coldly.

Lucien wanted to kill him right there but he stopped himself.

"Guards! Take Lord Valdren into custody immediately!" he shouted.

The guards hesitated, glancing nervously at each other and then at Lord Valdren. He was so powerful that even the king’s order meant nothing against him.

"NOW!" Lucien shouted again.

The guards finally moved and grabbed his arms. But even as they dragged him towards the doors, he remained calm. He showed no guilt and remorse. He kept his head high, as if he had done something great.

When he reached at the door, he turned and looked at Alina, his eyes gleaming with something dark.

"This kingdom has made men like me," he said. "If not me, someone else would have done the same."

He left and the doors slammed shut behind him. The hall then fell into an uncomfortable silence. No one knew what to say. King Lucien sat back into his chair, suddenly looking exhausted.

He looked at Alina with shame in his eyes.

"I failed your mother," he said. "For years I told myself she was selfish for fleeing, and had betrayed her own family."

His voice trembled slightly.

"But I never wanted something like this to happen to her. I am ashamed of myself ... as a king, and as her brother. I failed her."

Alina didn’t react. She stood still beside Austin, who had been holding her from her back protectively.

"Your guilt and shame are useless now," she said softly. "My mother is long dead. When she was alive, she begged her family to let her live in peace. But no one listened."

She smiled bitterly.

"Your honor, your traditions, and your precious royal blood are all hollow."

No one argued with her this time. Because deep down, they knew she was right. King Lucien lowered his head for a second, then looked up again.

"I’m ordering a full investigation into Princess Isadora’s murder. Every conspirator will be punished." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Yes! That’s a good decision!"

"Princess Isadora deserves this!"

Nobles began whispering again, changing their side immediately.

"And despite everything, you have proven yourself worthy of Ashrael name. Your claim will be formally acknowledged. And you will have everything you came here for," Lucien said as he looked at Austin for a brief second.

Alina had been waiting for this moment since she had come to Arcasedia. It was the thing that was standing between her and Austin’s marriage. But she immediately shook her head.

"I don’t want it," she announced.

Everyone looked stunned, except for Dorian and Austin, obviously.

"I didn’t come here for a crown. I came here for my love and to learn more about my mother. And now that I have learned much more than I had expected ... I’m done. I don’t want anything from this kingdom."

"What?" Lucien almost couldn’t believe his ears.

Instead of answering to Lucien, Alina turned and took Austin’s hand. And together, they

walked out of the hall with Dorian following them.