Chapter 14 - The Confession in the Dungeons
Back in the capital, the underground dungeons of Nightfall were cold, damp, and inescapable. Isolda Varon sat chained to a stone chair, her once-pristine silk gown ruined, her hair matted and tangled.
The heavy iron door swung open, and the sound of heavy boots echoed down the corridor.
Cassian and Elara walked into the cell. Cassian’s face was an impassioned mask of stone, while Elara held the ledger recovered from the northern fortress.
“Isolda,” Cassian said, his voice dangerously low. “Your little northern friends have surrendered. And they left us a very detailed reading list.”
Isolda lifted her chin, a bitter, hysterical laugh escaping her lips. “You think you’ve won, Cassian? You think your precious little commoner Luna will keep you safe? The noble houses will never truly accept her! They remember her brother was a convicted—!”
“A convicted man whose name has just been officially cleared by every high court in the realm,” Elara interrupted, stepping forward into the light of the torch. Her voice was steady, infused with a quiet, commanding power that made Isolda flinch. “The forgery ledger has been read into public record. Your father is already facing trial for high treason, and you... you are facing permanent exile to the salt mines.”
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Isolda’s face drained of all color. She lunged forward against her chains, screaming, “You ruined everything! I was supposed to be Queen! I was supposed to rule Nightfall!”
“You were a thief wearing a stolen crown,” Cassian said coldly, turning his back on her. “May you rot in the dark with your lies.”
