They had just finished their dinner when soone knocked at Alina’s door. A royal servant entered and bowed.
"Lady Alina, you have been summoned for a private interrogation in the Grand Hall tomorrow morning. The council wishes to question you alone regarding certain allegations that cannot be discussed beforehand."
Before anyone could ask him anything, the servant left.
"He knows," Austin’s said instantly.
"Valdren?" Dorian asked.
Austin nodded.
"He must have found out about our eting with Lord Garrick. This interrogation is a trap for Alina."
"Then she shouldn’t go," Lara was scared.
"No," Alina said, a small smile forming on her lips. "Maybe this is exactly what I need."
Everyone frowned.
"What do you an?" Dorian asked.
"Valdren wants cornered," she explained. "He thinks I’ll get scared and panick. Let him think that way."
"Are you thinking of confronting Valdren in the Grand Hall?" Laura asked, horrified with the thought itself.
"Why not?" Alina smiled.
"You’re planning to expose him there," Austin’s voice was filled with pride.
Alina nodded.
"If he wants a private interrogation, then let’s give him one he’ll never forget."
"Alina, this could destroy you," Laura tried to stop her.
"I don’t care," she replied.
"Count in," Dorian said.
Laura looked at all of them in frustration.
"You’re all insane."
Austin slowly exhaled and walked towards her.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked.
"Very much."
"Then let’s plan it properly."
The next morning, as Alina walked through the corridors towards the grand hall everyone looked at her with curiosity. No one knew about her allegations but everyone wanted to know. Alina had sohow beco the hot topic of the palace since the day she had arrived.
Austin walked beside her, holding her hand tightly while Dorian walked a few steps behind.
"Sothing feels wrong," Dorian muttered under his breath. "There are too many guards near the council chamber. I haven’t seen this much guards here before."
Austin’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the hallway. After making sure no one was nearby, he pulled Alina into a small alcove. Then carefully, he slipped a folded piece of paper into her hand.
Alina looked at it in confusion.
"What’s this?"
"A copy of the servant’s confession letter," Austin whispered.
Surprised flickered across her face.
"But didn’t we plan that I will wait and Lord Garrick..."
"Dorian and I changed the plan," Austin didn’t let her finish. "There were guards outside your chambers while we were discussing the plan. I’m sure they were planted by Valdren."
Alina looked at him in shock.
"Why didn’t you tell earlier?"
"Guards have been surveilling us since we ca back from the eting with Lord Garrick. There was too much risk."
Alina looked around, scared.
"Don’t worry," he said. "There’s no one right now. I checked."
"So...what’s the new plan?" she asked.
"Last night when you fell asleep, soone tried to break into your chambers and tried to steal the letter and vial," Austin inford her. "But since Dorian and I were already expecting this from Valdren, we were ready."
"His n broke out in my chambers and I didn’t even know?" Alina was horrified.
"Your sleep was more important," Austin said, brushing a strand of her hair away. "We had already hidden the original letter and vial safely sowhere else. What his guard stole was a copy and what I gave you is also a copy. We need to keep the original safe."
"You did all this... without telling ?"
Austin cupped her face, his thumbs brushing her cheeks gently.
"I didn’t want to burden you," he replied. "You’ve already carried so much weight, Alina. Let carry so of the weight this ti."
Alina imdiately pulled him into a tight embrace, as tears brimd in her eyes.
"Thank you!" she whispered. "Thank you for standing beside always. I don’t know what I would have done without you."
"You still have done everything," Austin replied. "I’m just sharing your burden a little."
He then pressed a soft kiss on her forehead and explained her their full plan.
"Now go show them who you really are. I’ll be cheering for you."
The grand hall today felt even more colder. King Lucien sat on his throne, his face unreadable. Valdren sat to his right, perfectly composed, like always. A handful of senior council mbers were also there, looking at Alina with a predatory gaze.
A chair was placed in the center of the hall. Alina sat on it without waiting for anyone to order her to do so. Everyone flinched at her audacity. Her heart was thumping but she didn’t let it show on her face. She looked calm and confident.
The questioning began imdiately.
"You have failed to complete even one trial satisfactorily," one council mber said, his voice dripping with disdain. "So you are secretly eting with elderly nobles. What are you planning against Arcasedia?"
So this is his plan?? Childish!!
"Our guards have reported that you are secretly eting with so nobles in the garden. They heard you planning to accuse loyal mbers of this court with baseless accusations. Would you care to explain yourself, Lady Alina?" Lord Valdren asked.
Alina lowered her gaze and didn’t reply for a few seconds, letting him think he won. Then she lifted her head and looked straight into Valdren’s eyes. Although, her stomach was churning from inside, she didn’t let that affect her voice when she spoke.
"I did et with a noble in the garden. But I didn’t make any such plans," she replied.
Lord Valdren chuckled.
"Is it so?" he asked. "Then soone is lying. And I don’t think they are the loyal guards who have protected this kingdom for years without a single complaint."
"You’re right, Lord Valdren," she smiled. "Soone is indeed lying."
The chamber fell into awkward silence.
"Can you please stop repeating your mother’s madness?" Valdren snickered and with him all the other nobles.
The words were ant to hurt Alina. And it worked. But instead of lashing out or crying, she stood up.
"Fortunately...or should I say unfortunately...you all will see that today."
She clapped and the doors of the grand hall opened again. Dorian stepped in, carrying a small vial bottle. Austin walked behind him, ignoring the rules that banned him from her trials. Everyone began to shout, threatening them to stop but no one actually moved.
That’s how most of the Arcasedian nobles were—all talks and no action.
Dorian then put the vial on the table in front of the king. Alina too walked to the table and put the letter she had hidden under her sleeve beside the vial bottle.
Gasps rippled through the chamber like a wave. And Valdren’s calm expression finally cracked.
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