THE KING'S POSSESSION

Chapter 104

Chapter 104: No Mercy

Empress Ilyana's voice cut through the silence like a blade. "There you have it, King Lucian," she began, her tone dripping with disdain. "The answer to your question as to why you have failed this trial." A soft, mocking chuckle escaped her lips as she moved with deliberate grace toward the restrained Lucian.Lucian's eyes blazed with fury, his body tensing against the guards who held him. His mind raced, searching for a way to salvage his shattered pride, but as Ilyana's words bore down on him, the cold reality of his situation settled in. He had lost, and worse than that, he had been outplayed by an empire he had underestimated.Ilyana stopped a few feet away, her gaze locking onto his with an intensity that made the air feel heavy. "But even if you had won," she continued, her voice sharp and unforgiving, "I would never have allowed you to marry my daughter. You dare to deceive me?" Her voice rose, the anger behind it undeniable. "Did I not make it abundantly clear that the Royal Entreaty was for unmarried men? Yet you, a king with a 'wife' waiting for you in Montebello, had the audacity to participate."Lucian's face drained of color, his mouth opening and closing as if to argue, but no words came. The humiliation was like a vice around his chest, squeezing the breath from him. He had planned for everything, or so he thought. But standing before Empress Ilyana now, he realized just how thoroughly he had been outmaneuvered.From her position beside the empress, Isabel watched the scene unfold with wide, shocked eyes. The moment Lucian had revealed himself, her heart had nearly stopped. The man who had caused her so much pain, who had stolen so much from her—was now kneeling before her mother, defeated and stripped of his arrogance. A mixture of relief and sorrow churned within her, but she remained silent as her expression was unreadable."You began this quest with deceit and failure," Ilyana pressed on, her voice cold and merciless, "and you shall end it in disgrace." She then stepped closer, her eyes narrowing as she delivered her judgment. "For daring to deceive this empire's ruler, you shall be stripped of your title and rank, King Lucian. You are no longer a king, but a mere Viscount, the lowest of nobles, and that title will extend to your wife, Queen Victoria, and your son as well."Lucian's breath hitched, his eyes widening in horror as the empress's words struck him like a physical blow. Viscount—the title was a mockery of everything he had been. His fists clenched at his sides, knuckles white with the force of his grip. How had it come to this? How had he, a king, fallen so far?"You will be a mere shadow of what you once were," Ilyana continued, her voice unwavering, "a fallen ruler, bound by your shame. No longer will you walk the halls of power; no longer will your voice command respect. You will live out your days as a forgotten noble, cursed to watch your lineage wither, powerless to change your fate."Isabel's gaze shifted to her mother with her heart heavy. She had dreamed of this moment, of seeing Lucian brought low, but now that it was here, it felt hollow. The man she had once loved was now a broken figure, his arrogance shattered. And yet, a part of her still grieved for what had been lost—what could never be reclaimed.Then, Ilyana's voice dropped to a deadly whisper, sealing Lucian's fate with finality. "As punishment for your deception, you shall never be allowed to take another wife, even if Queen Victoria should die. You will live out your days bound to her, the woman you neglected in pursuit of your own selfish ambitions. You, Lucian, will know no greater shame than to watch your lineage dwindle, knowing that you, and you alone, are the cause."The chamber was deathly silent. Lucian's face twisted with rage, his teeth clenched so tightly that his jaw ached. His eyes burned with unshed tears—not of sorrow, but of sheer, unrelenting fury. His mind screamed for revenge, but he was trapped, caught in the web of his own making. With one last attempt, Lucian's voice quivered with desperation as he played his final, most desperate card. "But Isabel and I have a son..." The words escaped his lips like a plea, hanging in the air like a fragile lifeline, his last attempt to reclaim what he had lost. The tension in the room was palpable, the silence deafening as everyone held their breath, absorbing the weight of his revelation. Isabel's heart stilled, her eyes widening in shock. For a moment, it felt as if the world had stopped spinning, her mind struggling to grasp the full impact of his words. Liam? How dare he mention my Liam? The thought thundered through her mind, igniting a storm of emotions she had fought so hard to bury. She could feel her pulse quicken, anger and fear warring within her chest. The memory of her son, spoken by the man who had destroyed so much, sent a sharp jolt through her heart, tearing at the carefully constructed walls she had built to protect herself. Empress Ilyana's serene expression darkened, her eyes narrowing as she fixed her gaze on Lucian. The warmth in her demeanor was gone, replaced by an icy resolve that made even the bravest of men tremble. "You dare speak of a child after all you've done?" Her voice was cold, unyielding, each word laced with quiet fury. "Do you think invoking the name of a child will absolve you of your sins, King Lucian? Do you truly believe that mentioning this child will change the fate you have sealed for yourself?" Lucian's gaze flickered with the faintest glimmer of hope, his desperation clinging to the slender thread that remained. He turned to Isabel, searching her eyes for some sign of understanding, of mercy. "Isabel, Liam—" "Enough!" Isabel's voice sliced through the air like a blade, trembling with both of fury and anguish. Her hands clenched into fists, the emotion she had fought to suppress for so long now rushing to the surface as she abruptly stood.

Isabel's voice seethed with venom, her words striking like daggers. "You dare use Liam to flee from this punishment? How selfish can you be?" Each syllable was laced with fury, cutting deeper than any blade. "I did not know I had loved a man whose greed and selfishness run so deep it could drown anyone."

Her icy blue eyes blazed with a fiery intensity as she met Lucian's gaze with a ferocity that could have scorched him alive. Her anger was palpable, a storm that had long been brewing now unleashed in full force. "My Liam is dead! Because of you!" The words tore from her with a rawness that echoed through the chamber. "You tore apart everything I had. And now, you dare to mention our son as if it could erase all of that?"

The room seemed to hold its breath, the tension thick and suffocating. The finality of Isabel's words was undeniable, the depth of her pain laid bare for all to see. There was no forgiveness in her eyes, only the searing rage of a mother whose child had been ripped away.

"If I was the one deciding your fate," Isabel continued, her voice trembling with unbridled fury. " I will do it with no mercy! I would have had your head!"

In a sudden, swift motion, Isabel turned and drew the sword from the armor statue beside her, its blade gleaming in the dim light.