PART 3: The Trial of the False Heir
The following morning, the kingdom awoke to astonishing news.
The lost princess had returned.
Crowds gathered outside the palace gates.
Church bells rang across the capital.
But inside the royal court, justice was only beginning.
The Queen Mother confessed to every detail.
The fire had been used as cover.
Records had been altered.
Witnesses had been bribed.
And Celeste...
Celeste had known the truth for years.
The courtroom fell silent.
“You knew?” the king asked.
Celeste lowered her eyes.
“Yes.”
The answer shattered whatever sympathy remained.
She admitted discovering old letters hidden in her mother's chambers years earlier.
She had learned Mara was alive.
Yet she stayed silent.
Because revealing the truth meant losing the throne.
The king's expression hardened.
“You stole seventeen years from my daughter.”
Celeste began to cry.
Not from guilt.
From fear.
The court stripped her of all royal titles.
The Queen Mother was sentenced to spend the rest of her life in exile.
As guards escorted them away, Celeste turned once more toward Mara.
“I was supposed to be queen.”
Mara looked at her quietly.
“No.”
A long pause followed.
May you like
“You were supposed to be family.”
For the first time, Celeste had no answer.
