Chapter 1: Prologue
The great halls of the imperial court were overflowing with murmurs as Lady Evelyne Ashbourne stood at the foot of the judgment platform, her delicate frame trembling.
She looked like a wilting flower, her white curls disheveled, her lips bitten raw from pleading. Yet her diamond eyes burned only for him.
Duke Raphael Everhart, the ruthless warlord, stood at the throne, his face an unreadable mask of cold authority.
The man who had once threatened to burn entire cities for defying him now held the fate of a woman in his hands.
But not Evelyne's.
No, the one at his feet, cloaked in chains, her once-pristine dress torn and muddied, was the infamous Lady Verena D'Auvergne.
The court had already judged her guilty.
She had stood in the way of fate.
This woman had orchestrated wars, assassinations, and betrayals.
Evelyne took a deep breath, stepping forward. "My Lord," she began, voice trembling with emotion, "I beg you, do not let this woman deceive you any longer. She has done nothing but stand in the way of our love, of the peace you seek to bring to this nation."
The Grand Duke barely spared her a glance. "I have no interest in her lies."