Chapter 191 - 190: The Truth That Broke The Crown Prince

Caelestis moved first, cutting cleanly through the crowd toward the center with Eleanore close behind him, the murmur of confused whispers trailing in their wake as the two of them stepped directly into the space beside the newly announced couple.

"Duke Sinclair," Alastor said, a surprise flickering across his face. "This is an unusual moment to—"

"Forgive the interruption, Your Highness," Caelestis said, voice carrying clearly across the now-silent room, "but there’s something you need to know before this engagement goes any further."

A ripple of unease moved through the crowd. Lauriel’s composed expression faltered, genuine confusion crossing her face as her eyes darted between Caelestis and her own father, who had gone very still near the edge of the room.

"Raiden Thornberry," Caelestis continued, "has been orchestrating a plot against the crown for some time now. We have credible testimony that he hired a man to gather intelligence against me, with intentions that extended far beyond simple espionage." His gaze hardened, sweeping briefly toward Lord Thornberry himself.

"We also have reason to believe he was directly involved in the deaths of both my parents and Eleanore’s, years ago. Deaths that were made to look like accidents, but were, in truth, murders carried out for the sake of acquiring Sinclair and Lancaster property and influence."

The room had gone utterly silent now, the weight of the accusation settling over the ballroom like a physical thing. Lord Thornberry’s face had drained of all color, his mouth opening as if to protest, though no sound emerged.

"This is a serious accusation," Alastor said slowly, his earlier warmth replaced entirely by grave, careful attention. "Do you have proof?"

"We do," Eleanore said, stepping forward beside Caelestis, her voice steady despite the tremor she could feel building beneath it. "A man named Theon, currently held in our custody, has confessed to being hired directly by Lord Thornberry. He’s willing to testify formally, in full detail, before whatever tribunal Your Highness deems appropriate."

A guard, previously stationed discreetly near the ballroom entrance, moved forward at Caelestis’s earlier signal, escorting a visibly shaken Theon into the room. He didn’t hesitate once brought before the prince, the fear of his own precarious position clearly outweighing whatever loyalty he might once have owed his employer.

"It’s true," Theon said, voice unsteady but clear. "Everything they’ve said. Lord Thornberry hired me. He’s spoken, in my presence, of eliminating obstacles to his family’s rise, obstacles that included the Sinclair and Lancaster families, years ago, and Duke Sinclair more recently."

The ballroom erupted into a chaos of hushed, urgent whispers, and Lord Thornberry, sensing the tide turning irreversibly against him, took an instinctive step backward before palace guards moved swiftly to block his path.

"This is absurd," Thornberry finally managed, voice cracking with indignation that fooled no one. "Lies, all of it is fabrications from a man desperate to save his own neck—"

"Save it for the tribunal, my lord," Alastor said, and something in his tone, quiet and final, left no room for further protest.

Alastor’s expression had hardened into something cold and unreadable, the celebratory warmth of the evening entirely extinguished. He turned first toward Lauriel, whose face had gone pale with shock, tears already gathering in her eyes as the full weight of her father’s crimes settled over her.

"Lauriel," Alastor said gently, "did you know anything about this?"

"No," she whispered, voice breaking. "I swear to you, I had no idea. None of it."

"I believe you," Eleanore said quietly, stepping closer, her own voice softening now that the accusation had been laid bare. She reached out, briefly touching Lauriel’s arm in a small gesture of solidarity. "You are not your father’s crimes, Lauriel. No one here should hold you responsible for what he’s done."

Lauriel’s tears finally spilled over, overwhelmed, and Alastor moved immediately to her side, steadying her with quiet, protective tenderness that spoke volumes about the sincerity of his feelings, untouched by the scandal now unraveling around them.

Eleanore turned then to Alastor directly, her expression softening with genuine sympathy. "I’m sorry, Your Highness. I know this isn’t how tonight was supposed to go, and I know this news carries weight beyond just tonight’s celebration."

"No," Alastor said slowly, jaw tight with barely restrained anger, though none of it aimed at her. "You did the right thing, bringing this forward now rather than letting it fester. Thank you, both of you, for your honesty." He turned, gaze sweeping coldly toward Lord Thornberry, still held firmly in the grip of palace guards. "Take him into custody. We’ll deal with this properly, and thoroughly."

As the guards led a struggling, protesting Lord Thornberry from the ballroom, the weight of years-old grief finally found its answer, and across the stunned silence of the room, Eleanore felt Caelestis’s hand find hers, steady and sure, both of them finally standing at the edge of closure they’d waited a lifetime to reach.

The ballroom did not so much resume as limp forward into something resembling normalcy, the orchestra striking up a hesitant, subdued piece more out of habit than any real desire from the guests to dance. Eleanore found herself pulled aside by well-meaning nobles offering murmured condolences for old grief finally acknowledged, though she barely registered half of what was said to her, her attention split entirely between Caelestis’s rigid composure beside her and the sight of Lauriel being quietly escorted from the hall by a visibly shaken Alastor.

It was well past midnight before they finally climbed into their carriage for the ride home, the adrenaline of the confrontation only now beginning to drain out of both of them, leaving something heavier and more exhausted in its place.

"It’s done," Caelestis said quietly, staring out the window at the passing dark. "After all this time."

"It’s done," Eleanore echoed, reaching for his hand. "I only wish it hadn’t cost Lauriel anything at all."

"So do I," he admitted. "But we couldn’t have protected her and exposed him both. Not tonight."