There she knelt.
Before King Gerald and Crown Prince Theodore, beneath stained glass that painted her in crimson, sapphire, and gold. The light of War, glory and judgment.
Not a fitting backdrop for a snake.
The hall was silent. Not out of respect, but tension. Her disappearance after the massacre hadn't gone unnoticed, and now she returned uninvited, untrusted, yet impossible to ignore.
She bowed low.
"I stand before you with grave news, your Majesty."
Felicia stood at the King's right, Princess of Gravinest, and now fiancée to the heir. Her presence was the only thread of safety Veronica had. A voice of reason. A lifeline in royal silk. And for that she could not hate her. Not like her last life.
"Crown's judgement is now in session," intoned the High Mage, staff tapping once on the marble floor. "We will hear the testimony of Duchess Veronica Venenatus."
Veronica rose smoothly. Every motion she made was calculated. Every breath was deliberate. One misstep, and the judgment of kings would fall like a guillotine.
If I don't convince them now… Aucteros wins. And this world ends.
Veronica smiled. But her smile was venomous.
I hate losing.
"First, allow me to offer my congratulations to Crown Prince Theodore and Princess Felicia on their engagement," she began, voice as sweet as a wine laced with her poison. "Might I suggest it be announced publicly during the New Year's Festival? A symbol of unity and hope."
Felicia gave her a small nod. Subtle support. A message to the court: Hear her out.
"As it should be!" the King declared, but his eyes, lit faintly with the glow of the Judgment Blessing, remained fixed on Veronica. Watching. Measuring.
She let the silence build. Then spoke again, softer now:
"And yet, I did not return to defend my own crimes. I come bearing a warning, one we cannot afford to ignore."
The air shifted.
"Prince Charles," she said. The name cut the room, many flinched at the name.
The King's jaw tensed. "He has been sentenced. His crimes are known."
"Yes," Veronica agreed, "but he was not alone. He was the face of a deeper evil. The true threat stood beside him."
She raised her chin. Let her words ring through the hall. "A dangerous man cloaked in charm. In lies. In prophecy."
She met Gerald's eyes.
"His name is Aucteros."
A stir moved through the court. Even the guards shifted.
Theodore's brow furrowed. "Charles mentioned him. Said he was a prophet. A seer."
Veronica's voice turned razor-sharp. "And that is how he hides. With knowledge of futures, he should not know. With a book, one that writes the world's events before they happen. It bends fate itself."
The Judgment Blessing behind Gerald's gaze flared faintly. He said nothing. But she saw it. She felt it.
"I know how this sounds," she continued, calmer. "But I have no blessing that can sway you. Your bloodline resists manipulation. Your Blessing reveals falsehoods. And yet… I am telling the truth."
King Gerald remained silent. Unmoved.
Theo spoke. "And what of Rhenvar, your so-called God sent knight who slaughtered countless nobles? The one whose crimes you now share."
Here it was. The real trial.
Veronica faced him. Assessed him.
"Everything I've said ties to him," she said. "He was manipulated. The mind blessing of Prince Charles turned the ballroom into a trap. Rhenvar did not cause it; he was broken by it. And remains broken for what he's done."
She glanced at the King.
She paused. Just briefly. Just enough to breathe.
"I know what true monsters are," she said quietly, thinking of Viir. "He isn't one."
Theo's eyes narrowed. "You want his crimes pardoned."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because if we do not show him trust, if we lock him away like a rabid dog, then we will lose one of the few crucial weapons we have that can stop Aucteros."
She stood and stepped closer to the throne; the knights readied themselves. King Gerald waved his hand.
"He feels guilty, not just regret, but a true soul crushing guilt. He chose imprisonment. He thinks he deserves it. He could leave if he wanted, yet he's still here. I'm sure the prison mage's testimony will confirm his obedience. He is not our enemy."
The Judgment Blessing shimmered again.
Still, the King said nothing.
She turned to Theo, her last move, her final gamble.
"You will be king one day. And the people are already looking at you. So, I ask you, not as a noble, not as a duchess but as someone who has fought to survive: when truth comes to you, wrapped in pain, do you turn it away out of fear… or do you listen?"
Theo looked at her. Then at Felicia.
And nodded.
"I believe her," he said clearly.
The court shifted. Talks erupted.
Theo stepped forward. "She spoke plainly. Left out nothing. She came here by herself knowing her crimes! She didn't return to beg for mercy. She returned with purpose."
He turned to his father. "You always told me Judgment isn't just about knowing what's right… it's about having the strength to act on it. She showed true judgment and in the end, she only did what she felt was right for the good of the kingdom."
That's him... my Theo...
A piece of her died right here.
Gerald looked at his son. Then at Felicia. Then at Veronica.
And for the first time, his voice softened.
"…Very well."
Veronica's heartbeat stood still.
"Rhenvar will be released," the King said. "But under watch. And with conditions. Should he prove himself, we will ask for his aid against this man you speak of."
He rose slowly from the throne.
"As for the book… our archivists will investigate it. Find anything, we can to suppress its power. And if it holds what you claim, then we will be calling on your counsel."
For the first time, he used it right then and there: Judgment. The blessing had flickered the whole time, and he knew. She was right. They all saw the blessing and they all understood. The Judgement blessing would never be questioned.
Veronica bowed deeply. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
As she rose, she met Theodore's eyes.
And offered him the faintest, most dangerous smile she had.
A thank you. A challenge. A pact. And a wish he was her Theo.
The snake had not only survived the lion's den. She'd once dreamed of standing by that throne. But that dream was dead.
Before leaving she looked back on all the nobles and especially Theo.
Take a good look at what you lost. Because after we save this world, I have no intention of helping you anymore.