Saint took the scroll from her, and examine it to be sure it is indeed the King's and read it.
"Let go of her." he instructed the soldiers and Emilia is freed.
"Miss Emilia, please come with me then." Saint said to her but the soldiers tried to stop them.
"It's King Rutledge's seal. Don't you recognize it?" Saint yelled at them.
Thankfully after getting back last night, she retrieve the scroll from where it was kept and hid it. Otherwise, it would have been taken with the rest of the things seized.
Emilia went along with Saint and together they returned to the palace while everyone else remained arrested.
~
When Emilia arrived at the palace just as the evening shadows stretch across the cobblestones and the carriage slows before the towering gates where a cluster of royal guards stood firmly on alert.
One of them, clearly the leader, stepped forward with disdain written across his face as soon as he saw Emilia stepped out of the carriage.
"How dare a criminal walk into the palace with such boldness?" he spat, signaling to his men to seize her but Saint shoved the decree in his hand in front of their faces.
The guard hesitated, his brows furrowed with doubt but he eventually recognize the deal and his expression shifted instantly.
His arrogance melts into stunned obedience and he bowed.
"You… you may proceed," he stammered, prompting confused looked from the other guards.
Together with Saint, Emilia makes her way in, her nerves twisting in her gut and she halted briefly to catch her breath.
They met Thomas on their way and Saint bows slightly to him.
"commandeder…"
"I will lead Miss Emilia from here." he said, cutting him off and Saint immediately handled the edict to him.
Emilia watched, surprised by his different attitude from last night and turned to him after Thomas left.
"The King's study hall is way," Thomas simply gestured down a marble corridor to her and she followed him through the winding halls until they reach the King's private study.
"The King is waiting inside," Thomas said, handling the scroll to her before turning and walking away.
Emilia stood before the door, her heart thundering. She inhaled sharply and straightened her back before pushing the door opened.
Inside, King Lucas sat rigidly in a high-backed chair. A sheer divider screen separated them. Robert stood nearby, and when his eyes meet Emilia's, he offered a respectful bow. She returned a small nod then stepped closer.
Emilia dropped to her knees in front of him, bowing her head to the ground.
"Rise." Lucas said and she did, but remain on her knees.
Nathan, King's butler stood beside him and stepped closer to get the scroll from her. He handed it over to Lucas, who examined it and dropped on it on the table in front of him.
"You are you using the late King's edict to plead for your life?" Lucas asked, his expression grim and Emilia nodded, not meeting his eyes.
"Do you realize that once you use this, then you have to get married into the palace and become the Queen." Lucas said, rising up from his feet and strode slowly towards her.
Emilia bowed her head even more deeply, not daring to look his way. In the past, he used to be very cheerful but after he ascended the throne, he became a fierce and terrifying King.
Only few dared to stand in his presence and speak boldly without fear for their heads.
Lucas stood close to Emilia, bending a little and sensed the fear in her then moved away.
"Rise to your feet." he told her and she complied.
"You do know that the court will never accept a Queen whose family has been convicted as a traitor to the crown. Even though my father's edict is powerful, it is not powerful enough to save your life and also that of everyone else in Markham manor." Lucas pointed out and Emilia kept quiet, not sure what to say.
"Since the late King has made a promise to the Markham to grant us any favor we so desired of the country, I beg your Majesty to please help us." Emilia pleaded, bowing her head again and heard Lucas exhale slowly.
"Fine. I will honor this edict but on one condition." he turned aside back to his seat.
"You will be married into the palace not as a Markham but as a Benetton. You will take on the name of your late mother and become the Queen." he told her and Emilia lifted her chin.
"Your Majesty, you mean…"
"As long as you don't take your paternal name, then the court has no reason to refute you as their Queen. By then, only those bearing the name Markham will be punished." Lucas explained and Emilia fell on her knees quickly.
"Your Majesty, since I am renouncing my bloodline to become a member of the family, I beg you to spare everyone else. Only one person is found guilty of the crime, why should thousands of people die because of someone's mistake?" she said anxiously but Lucas nodded calmly.
"You want me to punish your father alone for his crimes?" he asked and Emilia widened her eyes at the implication of her words but even at that, there is nothing else she can do at this point.
"Are you satisfied with having your father take on his crimes all by himself." Lucas asked her again and Emilia slowly nodded, tears rolling down her face and she wiped it off quickly.
Lucas turned his face away, exhaling deeply with his eyes closed. The room fell in silence for a few minutes, and only their steady breathing can be heard.
Lucas returned to his seat, and picked up a brushed then starts to write on the edict Emilia came with, inscribing for about a minute.
"You would be wedded into the palace a day after Markham's execution." Lucas declared to her and Emilia raises her head in shock.
"Ye..yes your Majesty." she replied, bowing her head to the ground.
"Robert," Lucas called,
"Escort the future Queen back to her mansion. Place guards at the Markham estate until the day of the wedding ceremony, no one must get hurt."
Robert stepped forward promptly to obey.
"Ask Saint to come in and write a new decree for me," Lucas said to Nathan.
"Send it to the council and have it implemented immediately."