Evangeline took a deep, shaky breath, her gaze fixed on Ezra's. His name, a simple sound, settled a profound calm in her heart. She wasn't a prize. She wasn't a pawn. She was a person who had made a choice. She stepped away from him, a silent thank you in her eyes, and walked to the center of the courtyard.
The four kings stood still, their gazes fixed on her. The silence that fell over the courtyard was a heavy, expectant thing. Evangeline looked at her former kingdom's king, then at the Dragon King, then at the Shadow King, and finally, at Arion. Each one of them, in their own way, had tried to take a piece of her.
"You speak of allies and treaties," she began, her voice gaining strength with every word. "You speak of fated mates and ancient bloodlines. But you do not speak of me. I am not a bargaining chip to be traded between kingdoms. My heart, my will—they are not yours to own."
Arion's father, the Dragon King, stepped forward. "Princess, we only want what is best for you. For our kingdoms. We believed my son's union with you would bring peace."
Evangeline scoffed, a bitter, humorless sound. "Peace? A peace built on a lie, a peace that would have chained me to a man who did not trust me. You speak of peace, but all I have found here is war. A war for my heart, a war for my soul."
A sound of a low, pitiful sob broke the tension. Seraphina, who had been lying on the ground, slowly and theatrically got to her feet. Her face, still red from Evangeline's slap, was a picture of wounded innocence. She hobbled towards Arion, her hand outstretched. "Arion, my love, you can't listen to her! She's a monster! She's a liar!"
She turned to the kings, her voice a fragile, trembling whisper. "She came here, and with her, she brought chaos. She has lied, manipulated, and now, she has stolen. That beautiful ruby she wears—it is not hers. It is a family heirloom, a gift my ancestors gave to Prince Ezra's family. It was given to me by my mother, and it was to be used as a betrothal gift."
Evangeline's heart sank. She had no proof, no way to defend herself. The stone felt like a lie in her hand, a simple gift that had just become her greatest weapon and her greatest weakness.
Ezra, sensing her distress, stepped forward. "That is a lie," he said, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "The ruby is mine. I gifted it to her."
Seraphina laughed, a high, hysterical sound. "Oh, please! You gave her that? A worthless bauble you found in the shadows? No. This is the Heart of the Mountain, a legendary ruby passed down through my family for generations. It has been missing for a century, stolen by a thief. Evangeline, the 'monster,' the one who can control beasts, simply used her 'gift' to take it from me."
She looked at the Shadow King, her eyes filled with a desperate plea. "Your Majesty, I beg you. You know this gem. You know it belongs to the royal line of my family. It is a symbol of my people's connection to the earth. She stole it!"
The Shadow King's eyes, which had been glowing with a quiet understanding, now narrowed. He looked at Evangeline, then at the ruby in her hand. He didn't speak, but the weight of his gaze was a silent question. Evangeline felt a familiar feeling of betrayal. Even the man who had promised to stand by her, who had listened to her confessions, now doubted her.
Arion, seeing Seraphina's tears and hearing her plea, felt a new wave of confusion. Could he have been wrong about her? Was Evangeline a cold-hearted liar, after all? He was a fated mate to her, and yet, he had seen her turn away from him and slap a woman. His mind, so recently cleared, was now filled with a new, dark cloud of doubt. He looked at Evangeline, his eyes a conflicted mess of anger and a desperate desire to believe her.
The courtyard was a silent stage for a new act of betrayal. Evangeline, who had just found the courage to stand for herself, now stood accused of a heinous crime. Her heart, so recently opened, now felt a fresh, agonizing pain. She had no one to defend her, and everyone, from a prince to a king, was watching her, waiting for a single lie to confirm their worst fears.