The courtyard, a stage for lies and betrayal, was now filled with a shimmering purple smoke that erupted from Evangeline's body. It was not the calm, controlled power she used to tame beasts, but a raw, unfiltered expression of her pain. Her eyes, now a swirling vortex of anger and sorrow, focused on Seraphina.
"I didn't steal it!" Evangeline yelled, her voice echoing with a fury that shook the very ground. "Someone dear to me gifted it to me!"
The words, a desperate, raw plea for understanding, hung in the air, but they were lost in the chaos. The kings and princes watched, stunned by her outburst. Seraphina, who had been so confident, now flinched, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and fear.
And then, from within the purple smoke, a new voice rang out. Ezra, the Shadow Prince, stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Evangeline. He smiled, a genuine, warm expression that filled her with a sense of peace. "True," he said, his voice a low, melodic rumble. "I am the Black Cat Prince, and I was the one who gifted it to her. She needed it the most."
Evangeline's heart, which had been a hollowed-out shell, now felt a flicker of warmth. He had stood for her. Not with a lie, not with a promise, but with the simple, unadorned truth. He had revealed his own identity to defend her honor, a greater act of faith than any she had ever known.
The courtyard erupted in a collective gasp. The Black Cat Prince, a figure of myth and legend, was not just a prince but the ruler of the untamed, the protector of the shadows. The kings and princes, who had just moments ago been engaged in a heated dispute, now stared in silent, respectful awe.
Arion, who had been so sure of his place, felt a wave of humiliation wash over him. He had been so blind, so caught up in his own pride and jealousy that he had missed the one thing that truly mattered: the truth. He had stood by while the woman he was supposed to cherish was accused of a crime she didn't commit. He had let his pride overshadow his love.
The Shadow King, a ruler of a thousand years, simply watched, a flicker of pride in his eyes. His son, a powerful figure in his own right, had just shown that true power was not in strength, but in honor.
The atmosphere in the courtyard changed completely. The tension that had been building for hours now dissipated, replaced by a quiet, somber understanding. Evangeline, who had been a prisoner, a pawn, and a monster, now stood in the center of the courtyard, her head held high, a queen of her own fate.