Chapter 5: The Queen's Arrest
The first guard entered the underground chamber with a silver document in his hand.
"By order of the Royal Council, Queen Eleanor and Elia Brooks are to be placed under protective custody.""
Adrian stepped between the guard and the two women.
"Nobody touches them.""
The guard hesitated.
"Your Highness, we have our orders.""
"And I am the heir to this throne.""
"Not anymore.""
Adrian stared.
The guard lowered his eyes.
"The council has suspended your authority pending an investigation into the late king's death.""
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Victoria stepped forward.
"Adrian, please don't make this worse.""
He turned toward her.
"You're enjoying this.""
"No.""
"Look at your face.""
Victoria's lips trembled.
"I never wanted you hurt.""
"You helped lock my mother in a hidden chamber.""
"Because she was about to destroy everything!""
"She is my mother.""
Victoria looked toward Elia.
"And that is the problem. Everyone is suddenly pretending this girl belongs here.""
Elia stepped forward.
"I never asked to be here.""
Victoria laughed bitterly.
"Of course you didn't. You had no idea what you were inheriting.""
Margaret struck the floor with her walking stick.
"Enough. The council has already made its decision.""
Adrian faced her.
"You arranged this.""
"I did what was necessary.""
"You forged documents, hid a child, and arranged the imprisonment of the queen.""
"I preserved the monarchy.""
"You destroyed my family.""
Margaret's eyes hardened.
"Your family was destroyed the moment your father fell in love with someone outside his station.""
Elia flinched.
The words were meant to humiliate her.
Instead, they made something inside her go cold.
"Don't talk about my mother like that," she said.
Margaret looked surprised.
"You never knew her.""
"I know she had a daughter. I know she died. And I know someone decided that her child wasn't worth telling the truth to.""
Elia stepped closer.
"You can call me a servant. You can take away my uniform. But you will not stand there and pretend that my mother was the problem.""
For a brief moment, Margaret said nothing.
Then she turned to the guards.
"Separate them.""
Two guards seized Elia's arms.
Adrian immediately struck one guard's wrist, forcing him to release her.
"Take your hands off her!""
The second guard raised his weapon.
"Your Highness, stand down!""
Queen Eleanor rushed forward.
"Adrian, stop!""
He looked at her.
"Mother, they're arresting you.""
"I know.""
"I won't allow it.""
Eleanor placed both hands against his cheeks.
"Listen to me. You have to survive this.""
"I don't care about the throne.""
"You should.""
Her eyes filled.
"Because if they take the throne, they will take every opportunity to erase what happened to your sister. Elia deserves the truth.""
Adrian glanced toward Elia.
Then he slowly lowered his sword.
A guard approached him with silver restraints.
"Your Highness, your weapon.""
Adrian handed it over.
Margaret watched with satisfaction.
"At last, some intelligence.""
Victoria looked away.
Elia felt a pair of cold metal cuffs close around her wrists.
She didn't cry out.
She didn't resist.
But as the guards led her toward the stairs, she turned toward Queen Eleanor.
"Will Mrs. Brooks be safe?""
The queen's eyes widened.
"Who?""
"Ruth. My foster mother. If Margaret knows where I lived, she may know where she lives.""
Adrian immediately looked at Mr. Whitmore.
"Find Ruth Brooks. Put her under protection.""
The old official nodded.
"I'll send the royal police.""
Margaret interrupted.
"No.""
Everyone turned.
"Mrs. Brooks has already been moved.""
Elia went pale.
"What did you say?""
Margaret adjusted her pearl necklace.
"She was taken to a secure residence yesterday.""
"Where is she?""
"Somewhere you cannot reach.""
Elia pulled against the guards.
"You said she was being protected!""
Margaret's expression remained calm.
"I said she was moved.""
"Where is she?""
"Ask the woman who raised you.""
Elia lunged forward.
Adrian caught her before she could reach the elderly woman.
"Elia, don't.""
Margaret watched them.
"Now you understand the importance of obedience.""
Queen Eleanor's face changed.
"Margaret, if you have harmed that woman—"
"I haven't.""
"Then prove it.""
Margaret turned away.
"Bring them upstairs.""
By noon, the palace ballroom had been transformed.
The crystal hand remained on its marble pedestal, but the white curtains behind it had been replaced by royal blue banners. The noble court gathered beneath the chandeliers.
Every nobleman and noblewoman had received the same official announcement.
Queen Eleanor was unwell.
Prince Adrian had been suspended.
A false claimant had attempted to manipulate an ancient royal artifact.
The crown was taking temporary protective measures.
Elia stood near the marble pedestal in her gray uniform, her wrists still cuffed.
Her hair had begun to loosen from its bun.
A guard stood on either side of her.
Queen Eleanor was seated on a chair near the platform, accompanied by two officers.
Margaret stood before the royal council.
"Members of the court," she announced, "we have endured enough confusion. For twenty-two years, rumors have circulated about a missing princess. Tonight, we will finally end them.""
A nobleman raised his hand.
"Your Grace, does the maid truly possess royal blood?""
Margaret smiled.
"That is precisely what we are investigating.""
Serena stepped forward.
"I believe we should all remember that a coincidence is not proof.""
Several nobles nodded.
Serena continued.
"An old sculpture reacting to a hand does not make a servant royal. Nor does a photograph or an old scar.""
Elia looked at her.
"You were the one who told me to touch it.""
Serena smiled.
"Because you begged to.""
"I asked once.""
"And you were told to stay quiet.""
Adrian's voice suddenly rang through the ballroom.
"That's enough.""
The crowd turned.
Prince Adrian entered through the main doors, accompanied by Mr. Whitmore and two palace officers.
His military jacket was still immaculate, but his sword was gone.
Margaret frowned.
"Adrian, you were ordered to remain in your chambers.""
"The officers assigned to guard me have been removed.""
"By whose authority?""
"Mine.""
"You have no authority.""
Adrian approached the platform.
"Then let the council explain why it is relying on forged documents.""
He placed the letter from his father on the table.
Several council members leaned forward.
"That confession was written recently. The handwriting was copied.""
Margaret's face hardened.
"An accusation is not evidence.""
"Then explain the royal medical watermark and the date printed beneath it.""
One councilman examined the letter.
His expression changed.
"This document is not authentic.""
Margaret looked at him.
"Careful, Lord Pembroke.""
Adrian turned to the assembled court.
"My father did not die from natural causes. His mother knew about the poisoning. Someone inside this palace concealed the evidence.""
The room exploded with whispers.
Victoria hurried forward.
"Your Highness, please. This is not the place.""
Adrian looked at her.
"You're right. It is the place to ask why your family received more than two million dollars from a company owned by Lord Malvern three days after my father's death.""
Victoria went white.
"What?""
Mr. Whitmore produced a financial ledger.
"Payments were transferred through three offshore accounts. The final recipient was a company registered under Lady Victoria's family estate.""
Serena looked at Victoria.
"You told me there was no money.""
Victoria stared back.
"Be quiet.""
The prince continued.
"And Lady Serena's family received a separate payment to ensure the old royal succession records were destroyed.""
A councilman stood.
"Is this true?""
Serena raised her chin.
"Those are private family transactions.""
"Not when they involve the murder of a king.""
Margaret struck her walking stick against the floor.
"Adrian, this is becoming tiresome.""
He turned toward her.
"Then answer one question.""
"Which is?""
"Where is Evelyn Brooks?""
Margaret's face changed.
Only for a second.
But Adrian noticed.
Elia noticed too.
The elderly woman adjusted her necklace.
"Dead, as I told you.""
Adrian nodded toward the rear doors.
"Bring her in.""
The doors opened.
Two officers entered.
Between them walked a thin elderly woman with silver hair, a dark coat, and a trembling hand gripping a walking stick.
Elia stopped breathing.
"Mrs. Brooks?""
The woman looked around.
Her eyes found Elia.
Then she began to cry.
"Oh, sweetheart.""
Elia tried to run toward her, but the guards held her back.
"Mrs. Brooks!""
Ruth hurried forward.
One officer released her arm.
Elia threw herself into the old woman's embrace.
For a few seconds, the ballroom disappeared.
There was no queen.
No prince.
No crystal hand.
Only the woman who had raised her.
Ruth held Elia's face between her hands.
"Are you hurt?""
"No. Are you okay?""
"I'm fine, baby.""
"Where were you?""
Ruth glanced toward Margaret.
"Some people wanted me to stay quiet.""
Elia pulled back.
"Did you know?""
Ruth closed her eyes.
"Yes.""
Elia's expression fell.
"Know what?""
"Who your parents were.""
The words hurt more than the restraints.
Elia stepped away.
"You knew all this time?""
Ruth nodded, tears running down her cheeks.
"I was trying to protect you.""
"From what?""
"From the people who killed your mother.""
Elia felt the blood leave her face.
"My mother?""
Ruth looked toward Queen Eleanor.
Then toward Margaret.
And finally, she spoke.
"Evelyn didn't die after giving birth to you, sweetheart.""
Elia shook her head.
"Then where is she?""
Ruth's lips trembled.
"She was alive when I last saw her.""
"Where?""
Ruth looked directly at Margaret.
"Because Margaret arranged for her to be taken away.""
The queen rose.
"What?""
Ruth pulled a folded photograph from her coat.
"I kept this because Evelyn begged me to.""
She handed it to Elia.
The photograph showed a young woman holding a sleeping baby.
On the back were three words written in hurried handwriting.
*Find your real father.*
Elia turned the photograph over again.
She looked at the woman's face.
Then at the queen.
"Is this Evelyn?""
Ruth nodded.
"Yes.""
Elia's fingers trembled.
"Then why does she look exactly like...""
She stopped.
The entire ballroom waited.
Elia slowly raised her eyes toward Lady Serena.
Because the young woman's face in the photograph looked almost identical to Serena's.
Only younger.
And on the photograph's back, beneath the words, was a name.
*SERENA BROOKS.*
Lady Serena staggered backward.
"No.""
Ruth's voice broke.
"Your mother had another daughter.""
Elia stared at Serena.
"You mean...""
Ruth nodded.
"She's your older sister.""
The courtroom-like silence became unbearable.
Serena shook her head.
"That's a lie.""
But Ruth had one more photograph.
And when she held it up, Serena's face crumpled.
The second picture showed Evelyn standing beside a little girl, her hand resting on the child's shoulder.
The child wore a small emerald necklace.
The same necklace Serena had worn that evening.
Then Queen Eleanor whispered the question nobody else dared ask.
"If Serena is Evelyn's daughter...""
She looked toward Margaret.
"Why did you raise her in this palace?""
May you like
Margaret's expression hardened.
"Because she was supposed to inherit everything.""
