Chapter: CHAPTER 43: THE COUNCIL’S DECISIONAVIANA’S POVThe Council chamber was already crowded when I arrived the next morning, but the atmosphere was strangely quiet. Nobody was arguing, nobody was whispering loudly enough to be heard, and nobody seemed eager to turn the hearing into another spectacle. I took a slow breath before stepping inside, reminding myself that I had nothing left to prove. The evidence had already been gathered, and for once, the truth wasn't depending on whether someone believed me.Damian was seated at the head of the chamber, with Lucas standing a few steps behind him and the Council members occupying their usual seats. Mina sat across the room with two guards beside her, looking exhausted but still composed enough to hide whatever she was feeling. I didn't stare at her, and she didn't look at me either. We had already had enough confrontation between us, and I wasn't interested in giving her another opportunity to twist my words.The head Council member called the hearing to order and began wi
Last Updated: 2026-08-29
Chapter: CHAPTER 42 — THE QUESTIONDAMIAN’S POVI remained behind my desk long after Philip left, staring at the closed door as his final words continued to circle through my mind. I hated the way the question had settled inside me because I knew there was only one person who could answer it, and yet I had no desire to approach Aviana with Philip's words hanging between us. If I asked her, I wanted the answer from her, not from a man who had every reason to make me suspicious of her.I pushed away from the desk and left the office. I found Aviana in the small sitting room overlooking the inner courtyard, standing near the window with her arms folded as she watched two guards change positions below. She turned when she heard me enter, and the slight surprise on her face told me she hadn't expected me. “Is something wrong?” she asked, studying my expression.“Not exactly,” I replied as I stopped a few feet away from her, keeping my voice even. “I wanted to ask you something.” She waited, and for a moment, I almost c
Last Updated: 2026-08-28
Chapter: CHAPTER 41:THE RUMORDAMIAN’S POVI hadn't wanted Aviana to feel as though every movement she made had to be approved by me, especially after everything that happened at the banquet. That was why I had allowed her to meet Annabel when the invitation arrived. After the previous night's incident, I could have easily told her not to go anywhere near Annabel, but I knew Annabel well enough to believe she wasn't going to try anything reckless inside the palace, especially with guards nearby. More importantly, Aviana needed to feel that she still had control over her own decisions. If I started deciding whom she could speak to and where she could go every time something went wrong, I would end up making her feel trapped.Still, I had made sure guards remained nearby, and Lucas knew exactly where Aviana was. I wasn't going to pretend I wasn't concerned. I simply didn't want my concern to become a cage.By the afternoon, the palace seemed calmer. The damaged room from the previous night had been cleared, the g
Last Updated: 2026-08-21
Chapter: CHAPTER 40: ANNABEL’S VISITAVIANA’S POV“I don't think you should go alone,” Harper said immediately, her eyes fixed on the invitation in my hands as though the seal itself were dangerous. “The last time someone claimed Annabel wanted to see you, you ended up locked inside a room with Mina, so I don't think we should ignore that.”I stared at the invitation again, feeling the uneasiness settle in my stomach. The message was simple, requesting a private meeting with Annabel, but after everything that had happened the previous night, nothing involving that name felt simple anymore. “I wasn't planning to go anywhere alone,” I assured Harper as I placed the invitation on the table. “If Annabel wants to speak with me, she can do it here, where there are guards nearby.”Harper's shoulders relaxed slightly, although she still looked unconvinced. “That's better, but I still don't trust her,” she admitted as she folded her arms. “You two have never exactly been friends, and after what happened last night, I don't unders
Last Updated: 2026-08-20
Chapter: CHAPTER 39 — THE COUNCIL’S DECISIONDAMIAN’S POV“The Council will not make a judgment against the Luna based on an accusation that has already been contradicted by the evidence before us,” the eldest Council Elder declared as he placed the documents from the previous night on the long table.“Mina’s claim will remain under investigation, but until we understand why Aviana was deliberately taken from the ballroom and locked inside that room, nobody will treat her accusation as fact.”I sat at the head of the Council table, listening to the murmurs that followed. News of the previous night's incident had already spread through the palace, and I knew the longer we allowed people to speculate, the harder it would become to control the story.“The problem is that the palace is already talking,” another Elder said. “Servants have heard the accusation, several nobles witnessed Mina's injury, and people are already asking why the Luna was alone with her. If we don't address the matter publicly, speculation may become worse.”“
Last Updated: 2026-08-18
Chapter: CHAPTER 38: The WitnessDamian’s POVThe crowd slowly parted as an older palace servant stepped forward. I recognized her face from around the palace but couldn't remember her name. She wore the plain grey uniform of the senior servants, and unlike everyone else, she didn't seem interested in Mina's tears or Aviana's title. Her attention remained fixed on the Council Elder.“My name is Martha, Your Majesty, and I work in the east wing,” she said after bowing. “I wasn't inside this room when whatever happened between Lady Mina and the Luna took place, so I cannot speak about that. But I saw the maid who brought Luna Aviana away from the ballroom, and I saw something afterward that I think everyone here needs to know.”“Tell me exactly what you saw, Martha. Only what you're certain about,” I instructed. “Start from the moment you noticed Aviana leaving the ballroom.”Martha nodded. “I was carrying empty wine trays toward the servants' kitchen when I saw Luna Aviana following one of the palace maids into the e
Last Updated: 2026-08-17
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