Chapter 102

MILA

The trek back to Fresia was quiet. I could tell that Felix was haunted by what had happened on the battlefield, and he was not the only one–most of the men were staring forward with solemn eyes, not speaking about what they had seen.

Felix limply held my hand. I knew that he felt terrible, overwhelming guilt over blinding Charles and over Albert’s death. Thankfully, his army had suffered fewer losses than the enemy, but every loss was a heavy hit on my husband. My heart ached for him.

I knew he was not yet ready to talk about what had occurred between him and Charles–that burst of power that had somehow changed everything. But when he was ready to talk, I would be, too.

“The prisoners will be escorted to the dungeons,” Felix announced to his generals–what was left of them. They all nodded solemnly. “We will begin trials for the Fresonians next week. Prisoners will be turned over to their home countries so that their royal families can dole out consequences as they see fit.”

The generals nodded. Prince Orlando stood. He had survived the battle, but lost a few fingers in the process. “Is there anything we can assist you with, Prince Felix? We understand that this conflict was mainly fought on Fresonian soil.”

Felix paused for a moment, considering. After a beat, he said, “The people of Barlow lost everything. I would appreciate any and all boots on the ground that you can spare to help the village rebuild in the coming months.”

Orlando pressed a fist to his chest. “You have my word that the kingdom of Prazole will donate any resources necessary to help with the rebuilding. The people of Barlow are brave, loyal, and true.”

The next few days passed by in a blur. I was vaguely aware of taking tea with the queen, who was debating whether to visit Charles in the dungeons, and of the frantic swirl of activity surrounding the trials. Felix was presiding over each sentencing, and I knew he was saving Charles and Isabella for last.

He needed evidence of their misdeeds, and any information gathered from previous trials to help both of them get the justice they deserved.

Charles’ trial was on a sunny, bright Tuesday morning. I was attending, along with Ivan and Rowena, to show my support for Felix and the entire royal family. The courtroom was packed–many Fresonian citizens wanted to see the trial of their former prince.

As the judge read out Charles’ various crimes, I could feel Rowena shudder. I reached over and gently took her hand. I prayed that I would never know her sorrow, her loss in this moment. Her family was being torn apart, and I knew Felix’s curse weighed heavily on her mind.

Felix stood to face the gathered crowd, his eyes focused squarely on Charles. Apparently, the younger prince’s sight was slowly starting to return, which I knew was a relief for Felix. I hoped that Charles was at least able to see the hurt and anger on his brother’s face, and slowly started to understand the depth of his betrayal.

“Charles.” Felix’s voice rang out across the courtroom. “You are hereby stripped of your royal title and privileges. Moving forward, you will no longer be considered part of the royal family and will not have access to your heritage. Let this be a lesson to you about turning your back on family.”

Rowena quietly sobbed. I tightened my grip on her hand.

“You are sentenced to life in the Fresonian dungeons,” Felix continued. I was the only person in the courtroom who knew him well enough to hear the strain of sadness in his voice. “Destined to spend the rest of your days below the castle that was once your home. Your deeds will never be forgiven. You will never see the light of day again. You tried to destroy this country. You do not deserve a swift death. You deserve to rot.”

He spat the last words at his brother, and I winced. My poor husband was holding back tears, but he would never show such vulnerability in front of his people. My heart ached for him, but he stayed strong.

Charles said nothing. Instead, he raised his hand to his head in a mocking salute.

Guards escorted him from the courtroom, and the entire crowd was silent. I think in that moment, everyone was mourning the loss of a prince.

Isabella’s trial was the next afternoon. Where Felix’s trial had been wall-to-wall people, hers was practically empty. I was the only member of the royal family aside from Felix in attendance, and the only other people present were Isabella’s own family.

Her mother was weeping. I had no idea whether it would be a good idea to talk to them. I was afraid to approach them and tell them the tale of Isabella’s bravery. I knew Felix would take her last deeds into consideration, and I also knew that Isabella herself would accept nothing less than a lifelong punishment.

Her crimes were read out loud. Treason, attempted assassination of a prince, conspiring with an enemy army. Even the judge seemed sad to read them out loud. Isabella was well-known in the country, and it was a shame that she was meeting her bitter fate this way–alone and heartbroken.

Felix turned to me. “Princess Mila will be delivering your sentence.”

Isabella raised watery eyes to meet mine. A part of me still hated her for the emotional distress she’d taken upon herself to inflict on me, but truthfully, I mostly just pitied her.

“Lady Isabella will be exiled to the United States,” I declared. “Once there, she will reside with the Benson family and be their personal servant. She will never hear a kind word, or step foot in Fresonia, again.”

It had been my decision. She would spend the rest of her days waiting on my family, hand and foot. It would break her, but the manual labor would be good for her.

As Isabella was escorted from the courtroom, she could not bring herself to look at her family. Instead, she held her head high, and walked out of Fresonia and to her new life of servitude.

I almost respected her.

The night after Isabella’s trial, Felix and I lie awake in bed, not talking or touching, but just looking at each other. His face was searching, desperate–as if bracing himself to ask questions he wasn’t sure he wanted the answers to.

“What happened?” Felix whispered. His eyes shone in the dark. “What did I do to blind Charles? I know you saw.”

I swallowed. “He was holding a knife to your throat. I thought you were about to die. But then, it was like… time slowed. You just exploded with light. I’ve never seen anything like it. The blast threw Charles backward and across the field. He must have been blinded because he was so close. For a second, I thought you were gone, too, but then I saw you moving and realized that you’d done it unintentionally. From that point on, all I could think of was getting to you.”

Felix’s eyes narrowed. “There have long been rumors of a great power in the royal family, passed down from one of my ancestors. I’ve never felt such magic before. I don’t even know if I could summon it again.”

I laid my hand against his chest. “Maybe your ancestors came to you in a time of need, giving you the magical boost you needed to defeat Charles.”

Felix kissed my open palm. “Maybe. I’m just glad I survived and am here with you.”

I smiled and leaned against him. “Me, too.”