Some nobles lifted their gazes anxiously, as if they could feel a cold grip tightening around their souls. But Talia did not stop. She continued reading, and with every word, the ground beneath them seemed to crumble.
Talia: "The First Betrayal... Viceroy Gilbert Kaldor. Year 901.
Betrayal does not always come from outside. More often than not, it grows from within our own castles, from the hearts sworn to loyalty. Viceroy Gilbert Hastings, once the protector of the throne, turned into a poisoned dagger buried in the king's shadow.
He was the man sworn to protect the crown, the right hand of King Ravalon Astorith VIII. But he was nothing more than a venomous blade hidden in the dark. When King Ravalon sought to pass a law limiting noble power, it was Gilbert who sent secret messages warning them. It was he who orchestrated the assassination of Royal Advisor Ser Edrick Linatras, the only man brave enough to challenge corruption in the court. His blood stained the royal carpet, yet the culprit remained free… until today."
Viceroy Gilbert had nearly stopped breathing, sweat dripping from his brow. There was no escape now.
Talia: "The Second Betrayal... Earl Randolph Valstar. Year 913.
When you trust the wolf among the flock, blame only yourself when you realize that blood has always stained its fangs.
Earl Randolph Valstar, keeper of courtly secrets, was one of the most influential figures in the kingdom. But he was not as loyal as he appeared.
The moment Randolph Valstar's name rang through the hall, Marchioness Atris felt as if an invisible force had struck her ears directly, like a hammer shattering a fragile glass wall within her mind. She forgot to breathe for a moment, as if the very air had ceased to exist around her.
Her eyes, which had been locked onto Talia with sharp focus since the beginning of the reading, froze on the words. But her soul was drowning in an unrelenting storm. It wasn't just shock... it was an internal collapse, an earthquake tearing down every belief she had built throughout her life.
Atris: "This... can't be..."
She stumbled a step backward but quickly steadied herself, as if her body refused to acknowledge the shock that had struck her. She recalled her uncle's gaze... the man she had always seen as a pillar of the family, a man of wisdom and unwavering resolve. A man who, to her, had been a symbol of strength…
And now?... A traitor."
Her voice was barely audible, but she felt its heat burning in her throat as she whispered it.
She turned to her uncle, who stood rigidly, his eyes narrowing as though trying to read invisible lines. His face bore no denial, no anger... only an unsettling stillness. At that moment, Atris realized something terrifying…
He was not shocked. He was not outraged. He was not even attempting to defend himself.
She searched his face for any trace of innocence, or even a fabricated expression of disbelief... but there was nothing. Nothing but utter silence.
Something heavy sank inside her chest, something deeper than anger, heavier than sorrow. It wasn't just treason against the kingdom. It wasn't merely a conspiracy. It was the collapse of the image of the man who had been part of her life.
The gazes of the nobles around her watched, some staring expectantly, as if she were an actress on stage, awaited to perform a predetermined role. But no… This couldn't be real.
Her hand trembled as she clutched her garments, then slowly raised her eyes toward Talia, who stood unwavering in the center of the storm, as if she had always known this day would come.
Atris felt the urge to say something… anything… but she couldn't.
For the first time in her life, she was utterly speechless.
Talia: "In the second year of King Irvin Luskarth's reign, Earl Randolph Valstar secretly met with a delegation from the Kingdom of Evalin, our kingdom's eternal rival, and struck a deal with them. He promised to open the southern passage for their hidden guards disguised as merchants in exchange for military support in the event of internal war. But what Randolph did not know was that the Evalynians never intended to support anyone. They wanted chaos. And chaos has come, just as they desired."
Earl Randolph turned to Talia with wide eyes, then toward the guards, raising his hand in protest.
Randolph: "Lies and slander! Where is your proof?"
But Talia ignored him and continued.
Talia: "The Third Betrayal... Duchess Ronissa Blackmirth. Year 913.
When values are sold in the marketplace of interests, hunger becomes not just an ache in the stomach, but a wound in the very soul of humanity.
In the second year of King Irvin Luskarth's reign. the royal court had to make a decision regarding the famine that ravaged many provinces, most notably Arkith and the outskirts of Saveros. It was not an easy choice, but a solution existed; the royal treasury was full, and there was enough gold to save thousands. But Duchess Ronissa Blackmirth had already struck a deal with war profiteers, selling the kingdom's grain stockpiles to the eastern provinces at twice the price and depriving her own people of food. And on those cold nights, while children starved to death, the duchess sipped her wine in her grand palace, speaking of the ethics of leadership."
Ronissa suddenly stood up, as if the ground had shaken beneath her feet. Her eyes blazed with wild fury, and her face turned pale like the moon on a dark night.
Ronissa: "What!? How dare you?!!"
she shouted, her voice cutting through the air like a sword.
Outraged murmurs erupted in the hall as Duchess Ronissa took a step back, her face drained of color.
Talia: "The Fourth Betrayal… Ser Aven Stumford. Year 914.
Aven's treachery… was like a deep pit, carefully concealed, waiting for the moment of revelation. And when it finally surfaced, it dragged everyone down into the abyss of his bloody schemes.
Viscount Aven was one of the most powerful nobles in the Kingdom of Arcadia. Born into a family with vast influence in the southwest near the borders of the Nightforce Kingdom, he was known for his sharp intellect and a solid reputation among the nobility. He strengthened ties with the kingdom's great powers and oversaw many crucial towns, making him a key figure in the royal economy.
But behind his calm demeanor and moderate policies, Aven concealed bold personal ambitions... a desire to seize the throne or, at the very least, gain enough power to dominate internal politics. Over the years, he began forging secret deals with arms dealers and warlords from the Kingdom of Nightforce. He knew that the neighboring kingdom, which was in a state of internal division, was eager to obtain military intelligence to target Arcadia.
His Crime... In the year 914, the kingdom was at a delicate stage, as King Irvin began increasing his vigilance against external threats. Aven, who had a strong relationship with a commander in the Nightforce army, secretly sent him reports about Arcadia's military movements, training locations, and even transferred military maps and royal strategies.
But the peak of his betrayal came when he decided to take part in a secret assassination plot against King Irvin. He contacted a hired killer from Nightforce to eliminate the king during a royal event. The plan involved poisoning the royal meal... an idea he had drawn from past defeats in previous wars against Nightforceian forces. The food was laced with poison, and according to his agreement with the assassin, the king was meant to ingest the poison during the grand banquet at the palace.
The Critical Moment... Aven believed the time had come to reap the rewards of his betrayal. One evening, as King Irvin prepared to attend a court feast, all eyes were on the lavish tables meticulously arranged by Aven, surrounded by generals and members of the royal council.
But what he did not know was that another betrayal had been set up against him. A palace servant had discovered his ties to Nightforce and decided to inform me. When I learned of it, I did not rush to arrest him immediately. I knew the time was not yet right to strike the final blow. I decided to let him believe he had deceived everyone until his betrayal became undeniably evident, letting him fall into the trap of his own arrogance and the illusion of security. I needed to gather more evidence, and I wanted to show him that no one could manipulate the kingdom's fate in such a way without facing the consequences."
The hall was silent. The attendees were in a state of shock, exchanging questioning glances. No one had expected that a high-ranking nobleman, known for his good reputation, would betray the kingdom in such a manner. Everyone knew that Aven had always sought more power, but none had imagined he would go as far as assassinating his own king.
But what truly struck terror into their hearts was the sudden shift... the speed at which the blind trust they had long granted to those in power turned into a consuming, deadly suspicion that eroded what little sense of security remained. It was as if the very room had become filled with an invisible fever, spreading from glances to souls. No one dared to look at their neighbor with trust anymore; every face became suspect, every smile laced with fear. Unspoken questions haunted their minds: "Who's next?" The silent voice was the loudest of all, as the people in the hall began to see betrayal lurking in every corner, in every whisper, in every look.
The Fifth Betrayal: Earl Cassius and Viscountess Ilara from House Morlan. Year 913.
When a man is stripped of his right to speak, he will speak behind your back… And when he is deprived of his right to influence, he will find someone else willing to listen.
When their names were uttered, Earl Cassius Morlan's expression froze, but his narrowed eyes gleamed with a sharpness akin to a hidden dagger in the dark. He slowly ran his hand over the collar of his robe, as if preparing to say something, but remained silent, knowing that any word he spoke might become an arrow in his chest.
As for Viscountess Ilara, her lips trembled for a moment before she regained her cold mask. She stared at Talia with a calm gaze, yet her fingers clenched tightly around the edge of her dress, as if trying to steady herself while the air in the hall grew heavier, thick with anticipation and accusation.
In the third year of King Irvin XI reign. both Cassius and Ilara were ambitious nobles who sought to change Arcadia's ruling system. However, their foreign ideas were not welcomed by the court members, leading to their marginalization and the suppression of their opinions, pushing them to seek refuge elsewhere.
The two secretly traveled to the Kingdom of Nightforce, where they were not treated as outcasts but as enlightened minds worthy of respect. It did not take long before they managed to infiltrate the great council there, gaining the recognition they had lacked in their homeland. But their loyalty did not come for free; they became spies for Nightforce, using their deep knowledge of Arcadia's secrets to benefit the enemy.
They revealed military battalion movements, allowing the Nightforceian army to avoid Arcadian ambushes.
They leaked details of military leader meetings, leading to the assassination of some commanders and the sabotage of defensive strategies that could have turned the tide of war.
They disclosed supply and weapon storage locations, enabling the Nightforceian army to execute precise raids that drained the kingdom's resources.
By 916 AD, the damage they had inflicted upon Arcadia had reached an unforgivable level. Their betrayal was not uncovered until some secret documents fell into the hands of a loyal spy within the Arcadian court."
The silence in the hall was as heavy as a storm's prelude. At that moment, all eyes turned to Earl Cassius and Viscountess Ilara, making them the undeniable center of attention. Both stood in silence, their gazes reflecting a mix of defiance and unease.
But despite the evident tension in their movements, there was something strange in their eyes… something that suggested they were merely waiting... for the moment when reality would finally collide with them.
Talia: "The Sixth Betrayal... Baron Kimri Akimont. Year 914.
Betrayal needs no sword... Sometimes, a single drop of poison is enough to erase the glory of an entire kingdom.
When Baron Kimri heard those words, his head snapped up suddenly, his heart seemingly skipping a beat. Time seemed to freeze, and everything around him turned blurry. A heavy sensation overcame him, as if the ground beneath his feet had crumbled. A cold shiver ran down his spine, as if this moment marked his inevitable end.
In the third year of King Irvin Luskarth's reign, the king fell into a spiral of mysterious illness, losing his physical strength, unable to fight or even move swiftly. The doctors were unable to determine the cause, but one of them suspected a rare poison extracted from the Pale Kraken... a venomous sea creature found only in the deep waters off Arcadia's eastern coast.
Acquiring the poison was not easy, but it was accessible to those with wealth and influence. Among them was Baron Kimri Akimont, a seemingly loyal figure in the royal court. Akimont was close to the palace, responsible for overseeing court banquets... a position that made him the perfect agent to carry out such a crime.
His involvement was only uncovered when a devoted cook reported his suspicious behavior to Commander Variss, prompting a raid on his residence. Small vials containing traces of the poison were found, along with encrypted letters exchanged with unknown parties.
After weeks of mounting tension, the servant responsible for procuring the poison was apprehended while attempting to flee across the border with a large sum of money... his reward for his betrayal. Under intense interrogation, he confessed everything, revealing that the poison had been acquired at Baron Akimont's command. The baron had initially instructed him to lace the king's food during select banquets. The plan was simple: to weaken the king gradually, rendering him incapable of making critical decisions and allowing Akimont to gain further control.
The poison had not been administered in one dose but rather introduced gradually into the king's meals during the final months of 914 AD, making his decline appear natural rather than an act of foul play.
Pale Kraken venom does not kill swiftly. Instead, it weakens the muscles, rendering movement painful and restricted, preventing the king from fighting back or escaping if faced with an assassination attempt."
At that moment, Baron Kimri could not even rise to his feet. He remained on the ground, his legs trembling, his heart aching… or perhaps it had stopped altogether. It was as if his very soul had left his body.
Talia continued, her voice sharp as a blade, reading aloud with unwavering conviction, exposing the crimes and betrayals of prominent nobles... entire families, even. Each name she uttered fell like a heavy stone in the hall, thick with held breath. Each revealed crime was like an invisible dagger stabbing into the fraying fabric of trust among the gathered elite.
Talia: "The final passage of the manuscript…
In a kingdom riddled with unspoken treachery, where soldiers show only feigned loyalty to those who stand at the frontlines, and where leaders weave their conspiracies in the shadows at the cost of innocent lives, betrayal is not a tragedy... it is the unveiled truth of a world we once believed was just. Betrayal is nothing more than the revelation of a hidden reality, once veiled by false hope. And as for blood... it is the price everyone pays in the end to lift the curtain."
When Talia finished reading, there was no sound in the hall except for rapid breathing and the frantic beating of hearts.
The nobles stood like specters, unable to process the fact that their names had been exposed... that the entire world now knew of their crimes.
But she did not grant them the luxury of time to comprehend further.
Talia lifted her head, her eyes sweeping over the hall, which had transformed into a graveyard of secrets. This was the moment the old pillars of the kingdom crumbled... the moment masks meant for immortality were torn away, revealing the wrinkles concealed beneath gold. Betrayal now appeared as a deep scar across the face of history.
In that instant, the air was no longer an empty space between walls; it bore the weight of centuries past, carrying the voices of souls who had fallen because of these traitors crowned in deceit. Now, they stood under a ceiling that seemed to shrink upon them, as though the walls themselves were preparing to devour them.
There was no need to shout... her voice cut through them like the inescapable sting of guilt. Each name she pronounced was a hammer strike upon bones hollowed by treachery. Each crime she revealed was like extracting a poisoned needle from the kingdom's heart… but too late.
Even King Blatir, once believed to be the absolute ruler, had been nothing more than another pawn... just another fallen piece in a game far greater than his reign. He had met his end as a cold corpse beneath tattered curtains, as though he had never truly ruled this throne.
Talia took a slow breath, as the thick silence hung over the hall. The sound of ragged breathing, the pounding of hearts like the drums of a losing war, the frantic darting of eyes... like trapped animals searching for escape in a room that no longer felt familiar, among faces that were once trusted but were now a blend of terror and doubt.
She gave them no chance to flee. With a voice as frigid as ice, she spoke.
Talia: "The time has come… Ser Variss, arrest the criminals."
And in an instant, silence exploded into chaos.
Screams rang out, mingled with desperate sobs and futile protests. Some nobles scrambled frantically, as if trying to flee a sinking ship, while others stood frozen, silent, like corpses that had delayed realizing they were already dead. The cleverest among them said nothing... their eyes gleamed with buried panic beneath a mask of composure, their minds racing to find an escape from this nightmare. But the doors were shut. Escape was no longer an option.
Ronissa, Her hands trembled, as if she were trying to grasp something invisible to keep her balance. Her gaze shifted to Talia, who stood with an impenetrable coolness. "You... you did this!" Ronissa shook her head, as if trying to force the words out of her throat, choked with shock. I will make you pay for your words, you s..."
But before she could say more... The royal guards advanced. their steps heavy and deliberate, like the tolling of destiny's clock. The eyes of Satheron, the stern Duke, were fixed on Talia, as if he were trying to read in her features what remained unspoken. But this time, his gaze was sharper, like a sword suspended in midair.
Ronissa turned to her husband, her eyes wide with panic and fury. "Sathiron!" she screamed, her voice trembling between fear and indignation. "Will you stay silent and let them do this to me? I am your wife! I am the Duchess of this land!"
But Sathiron did not move. He remained standing like a marble statue, silent, his eyes still fixed on Talia, as if drawing from her the strength of his silence.
"You know I'm innocent!" Ronissa continued to shout as the guards roughly pulled her hands behind her back. "This is a conspiracy! Talia... that damn owl! she orchestrated all of this!!"
Yet her words were lost in the air, like a scream in an empty valley. Sathiron did not even blink. His silence was more painful than the guards' restraints.
"Sathiron, please!" her voice finally broke as she was dragged away. "Don't let them do this to me... don't leave me alone!"
But the Duke remained silent, as if he had become part of the high walls of the hall.
The guards moved swiftly, the clinking of chains echoing as they locked around the wrists of men who once thought themselves above the law. The clang of iron against marble sounded like funeral bells, announcing the end of one era and the birth of another.
Talia did not move.
Her eyes were cold, observing the downfall as an artist studies his final masterpiece before stepping away, as a judge watches the condemned before the blade falls. There was no mercy in her gaze... no pity for those who had once stood atop the corpses of the innocent, building their power upon bones and blood.
Talia: "Betrayal is unforgivable."
The words left her lips like a final verdict... not merely spoken, but a blade drawn, a door sealed forever.