The courtyard fell silent, as if the very air had thickened with tension. Adrian’s eyes widened as Leona’s words sliced through the chatter of the festival, hanging heavy in the air like a storm cloud waiting to burst.
“How long do we pretend Evelyn is the only Queen… when the throne was bought with deceit and malice?”
The gasps rippled through the crowd like a wave crashing against the shore. Faces turned, whispers spread, and every pair of eyes in the kingdom seemed to lock onto Evelyn and Adrian.
Evelyn froze.
Her heart stopped for a split second as she processed what had been said. The blood drained from her face. She looked down at the cobblestone ground beneath her feet as her hands slowly clenched into fists.
Adrian, at first, stood in shock, eyes darting between Leona and Evel
