Well, except for now, of course.
My gaze drifted over to the charming prince who sat only a few inches beside me. His steel-blue eyes had been fixated on his tricky eldest brother, but every once in awhile, I caught him sneaking affectionate smiles in my direction. My chest fluttered in adoration each time his loving expression graced me. Things had been far too chaotic for us to consider a proper betrothal while we were handling the details of Conan’s trial and Ashbourne’s new leadership.
Killian never requested to regain his position as an heir, so the crown fell to Miron once Conan was officially removed from power. Mabel offered up her home to me and the other mages, while Miron dealt with the mess his father had left behind. The kingdom had been loyal to Darius out of fear for so long, that it was difficult to establish a healthy trust with his new subjects. Fortunately, Miron’s transparency about the crystalleaf contamination and the hidden truth behind the mages helped him gain a lot of favor in only a few short weeks. The rulers from the other kingdoms helped a great deal when it came to convincing their citizens to trust Ashbourne once again.
My gaze drifted across the courtroom onto the farthest balcony, where King Peter sat prominently alongside his stunning wife. The beautiful Queen Arabella had been a tad apprehensive when being reintroduced to Miron, but apparently, Peter managed to talk her down from slapping him. After a mountain of apologies from Miron, she agreed to remain cordial, and even introduced us to her darling daughter, Princess Annie Glenda Williamson of Isalla.
Seated one balcony over was a less familiar face. From what I had been told, the golden-haired woman was the wife of the judge that would be ruling over Conan’s trial. According to Miron, her name was Aurelia, and she was Nixie’s half-sister. I found it impossible to believe they had any relation until I saw them side by side. As elected representatives of Sybettal, Killian and Nixie sat directly next to Aurelia’s balcony. Nixie’s warm smile and rounded face was a near identical copy to her blonde sister. Killian’s gaze was far less sunshine filled, and it remained intensely trained on the trial stands below.
The last balcony seat, aside from my own, contained the King and Queen of Drancos. Queen Kalina looked absolutely radiant with the healthy glow of pregnancy illuminating her already lovely features. Her husband, King Jasper, was radiating as well, but with a fiery pent-up desire for justice. My stomach knotted as I recalled his vendetta against the dark prince. Conan had slain his father almost a year ago... I could only imagine what type of hatred he was feeling, now that he was facing the man who had robbed him of his only family.
My gaze darted to the front of the room as Judge Elias Oberon tapped his gavel to gain the assembly’s attention. “Thank you all for joining us at this historic moment for our beautiful realm. I believe all our witnesses are accounted for, and we are now ready to proceed.”
The trial began with a statement from Conan that mostly consisted of mumbled curses toward his brothers, then each of the representatives from the kingdoms stated their histories with the beastly prince. My hands twisted nervously in my skirt as my turn to speak grew nearer. Technically, as the kidnapped princess of Sybettal, my history with the prince held a heavy importance within this trial.
Miron caught sight of my bunched skirts and rested a warm hand atop mine. “Don’t worry, Elle. You’ll be fine.” His calming smile sent a much-needed swell of ease through me. When Miron’s turn came to speak, he stood to his feet and addressed the crowd in a strong voice. He told the entire story from top to bottom of how he first discovered his father’s secret crimes and how Conan slowly accepted them as his own.
After summarizing the entire story, he invited me to speak and share my experience. My legs rose a little shakily, causing the reflective silver satin in my skirt to dance against the glistening light of the courtroom’s chandeliers. Miron brushed my hand soothingly as he returned to his seat, and I took his reassurance and ran with it.
Once I started talking, my words seemed to simply spill out of me. The pain of being locked away and utilized as a weapon didn’t seem to sting the same way it used to. The memories would always be unpleasant, but at the same time, they served as a reminder of how far I had come from the skittish little Crystal who was content with being as fragile as her name. My story made me who I am today—the lost Princess Estelle, who now burned as brightly as the stars she was named for.
Once I had concluded, I returned to my seat and waited anxiously as the jury adjourned. Not even the full-blooded royals could sit still as we all held our breath in anticipation. There were so many people in this room that had been hurt by only one man and his father. While King Darius was never able to stand trial for his crimes, the kingdoms were still able to gain a shred of justice from whatever sentence Conan was granted. My stomach lurched at the thought of all the heavy punishments the jury may find fitting. It was true that he bore more crimes than any other criminal known to the realm, but it was still grim to consider his odds of being executed.
Judge Oberon stepped away from the jury and met the eager eyes of the crowd with a level expression. “Our jury has reached an agreement,” he announced in a flat tone. My nervous hand reached over toward Miron, and he accepted it with a soft squeeze. “Prince Conan Leander of Ashbourne has been found guilty of all accused crimes.” A soft round of agreeable murmurs sounded from the gawking spectators. My grip on Miron’s hand tightened as I awaited the dreaded sentencing. “Due to Conan’s direct assault against the Draconian royal family, the jury has deemed it fit that King Jasper be the one to select his sentence.”
A soft gasp parted my lips as every eye in the room turned to the wide-eyed king. Queen Kalina pressed a stunned hand to her mouth as she lovingly touched her stiff husband’s shoulder. The king remained motionless for a moment with a mixture of thoughtful rage and restrained sorrow flashing between his eyes. Finally, he let out a silent sigh and cupped his hand over his queen’s ear to exchange a private word. The entire courtroom watched with rapt attention as the queen’s expression went wide. The king pulled away from her and they shared a wordless exchange as the queen nodded in agreement.
King Jasper rose to his feet and cleared his throat. “Prince Conan has committed some of the most heinous crimes a man could ever imagine. Therefore, it only seems appropriate that he received a heinous punishment in return.” I swallowed uncomfortably as a stressful quiet swept over the room. “I have dreamt of the day I would bring my father’s murderer to justice, and now that the day has arrived, I feel as though I can make him proud one last time.” He cast a soft gaze over to his wife and she gave him an encouraging smile. “King Garrett was a kind ruler who strongly believed in seeing the best in others despite their rank or past. In honor of his rule, I hereby sentence Prince Conan Leander of Ashbourne to be banished from the Emerald Realm.”
A collective gasp passed through the room as stunned whispers broke out amongst the assembly. Judge Oberon cracked his gavel against the stand. “Quiet. Please continue, Your Highness.”
The king nodded. “King Darius envisioned a world where our realm existed amongst an ocean of many others. To be honest, we don’t know for certain if his theory was true, but it only seems fitting that his son carry out his dying wish.” Jasper glared down at Conan, whose face had now gone ashen in shock. “For his sentence, he shall be placed on a boat with minimal supplies and an empty destination. If his father’s predictions were true, then allow this to be his chance to start anew and learn from the humble perspective of an outsider. If his father’s belief was incorrect... then as his son, he shall bear the weight of his foolishness.”
An eerie hush washed over the crowd, causing the crack of the judge’s gavel to split the ears of every witness. “Then it shall be so,” Judge Oberon declared. “Prince Conan, you are officially sentenced to banishment from the Emerald Realm for the rest of your natural life. Guards, you may remove him from the stand.”
Conan’s eyes darkened with heavy shadows as he obediently stepped away from the stand. Before stepping out of the courtroom, he flicked one final narrowed glare toward Miron and Killian. The brothers remained stone-faced as the banished prince was led away in chains for the final time.
Casual applause erupted amongst the assembly as relieved smiles broke free across every face. The lingering worry that I had pressed down on me lifted freely from my chest as I watched the end of my nightmare disappear for good. I turned to smile at Miron in victory, but my heart dropped as I took in his now-empty chair.
He was just here a second ago... Where did he go?
I began searching the courtroom from top to bottom from my elevated seat, but I couldn’t locate the dark-haired prince anywhere. A nervous patter began to tap at my heart just as my hunt was interrupted by another gavel clack from Lord Oberon. “If I may so kindly have your attention for one final order of business. I would like to welcome King Miron Casper of Ashbourne for a brief address.”
My hammering pulse ceased as I watched my heart-attack-inducing prince calmly approach the front of the room.What is he doing?
Miron calmly positioned himself in front of the audience with a tall and proud posture. His stance reminded me of his father for a moment, but not the twisted evil part, more of the proud and strong king. “Thank you all for lending me a moment of you time.” His voice carried clear and strong to every corner of the dazzling room. “As most of you know, I have been crowned the newest king of Ashbourne. It is common knowledge that my kingdom has been the scar of our beautiful realm for longer than any of us would care to admit. My father ruled Ashbourne with an iron fist and a thirst for power, and he claimed that was what made our kingdom thrive.”
His eyes drifted toward me and for a moment everyone else in the room vanished behind his adoring stare. “Today I wish to inform you that Ashbourne will never again be ruled in such a manner. Our kingdoms are strongest when we are united. For too many years, King Darius has sought to divide our realm by weakening each other, when all along we should have been the source of each others' strength. As Ashbourne’s new ruler, I wish to start off my rule with a proper apology.” He directed his gaze toward the balcony that housed Killian and Nixie. “On behalf of my kingdom, I would like to apologize for all the suffering the kingdoms have endured by my father’s and my own hand. Especially the broken kingdom of Sybettal. And if I may be so bold, in the company of all these witnesses, I would like to nominate my brother, Killian Jay, and his wife Nixie as the new monarchs of Sybettal.”
Killian and Nixie both dropped their jaws as the crowd erupted into heated debates. Questioning stares flashed at me in every direction as they all awaited my reaction. I simply stared at the assembly in a daze without any formal opinion to make on the matter. Technically, I was the true heir to the Sybettian throne, but I knew nothing of the kingdom or any of its people. Nixie had lived in Sybettal her entire life, while Killian had been granted the proper education of a royal. Honestly, there wasn’t a bone in my body that wanted to reject Miron’s idea.
“I know what you’re all thinking,” Miron announced as he held his hands up in an attempt to silence the chattering crowd. “It’s true that Princess Estelle has been found and is with us here today. She alone possesses the birthright to the Sybettian throne. However, despite her royal blood, I believe we can all agree that Killian and Nixie have proven themselves as loyal and just leaders. I am not nominating them as monarchs to undermine Estelle, but I am doing it to highlight their hard work.” He adjusted his gaze toward me and I gave him an approving smile. “Besides, I am still my father’s son, so admittedly, selfishness runs thick in my blood.” He flashed me a sly grin. “I can’t allow Princess Estelle to return to her own kingdom, simply because I wouldn’t be able to handle even another moment away from her side.”
My hand flew to my pounding heart as a soft ‘aw’ echoed across the room from Queen Kalina. Loving warmth cascaded through me as I mentally acknowledged that I couldn’t bear to be without him, either. My cheeks flushed bright red as hundreds of love-struck eyes flicked to me, but I couldn’t look away because Miron was now running toward me at full speed.
I leaned over the edge of the balcony in bewilderment as he skidded to a stop beneath my elevated seat. He winked at me. “What do you say, Elle?” he shouted from below. “Will you let your hair down and take a chance with the wild prince?”
Before I could even formulate an answer, he dug his hands into the long fabric of the pinned curtain that cascaded from my balcony and began to climb. Startled gasps echoed from across the room along with Killian’s hearty laugh in the background. I watched with feverish intensity as Miron seamlessly scaled the curtain and swung his legs over the edge of the balcony. I gaped at him with a laugh, and he cocked his head at me while he looked straight through me with his perfect blue eyes.