The courtroom had already been on edge after the Council’s thunderous declaration. The sentence of death by decapitation had rung through the chamber like a death knell. The nobles were murmuring, scandalized or satisfied—depending on which side of power they pledged themselves to.
But then—the doors slammed open with a force that silenced the entire hall.
Heads whipped around.
Gasps echoed across the marble walls as two figures stepped forward, their silhouettes backlit by sunlight spilling into the hall like divine wrath.
First came Queen Alia, regal and radiant, her silver and midnight cloak flowing behind her like storm clouds in motion. Her face was carved from stone—proud, furious, and unrelenting.
But it was the figure beside her that stole the breath from every onlooker.
A yo
