They expect an apology.
That's why the hall is full again. Not decorated this time—no gold, no music—just officials, council members, my parents, Khalid, and the weight of anticipation. This is meant to be clean. Final. A correction.
I stand alone at the center.
Khalid watches me closely, confidence carefully restored. My parents sit stiffly, prepared to nod when I speak the words they fed me.
I don't look at Fahad.
Not yet.
"Princess," the chief councilor says, "you may begin."
I take a breath.
"I was asked to apologize for disrupting the engagement ceremony," I say clearly. "Before I do that, I need to correct something."
A subtle shift ripples through the room.
"This was never a misunderstanding," I continue. "It was a construction. A decision made without my full consent, sustained by omission."
My mother stiffens. My father's jaw tightens.
Khalid smiles faintly. "Ria," he says gently, "this isn't necessary."
"It is," I reply, finally turning toward him. "Because silence is how this worked."
I lift the folder.
"These are council authorizations altered before I was ever informed," I say. "These are reassignment orders designed to isolate a single individual to remove perceived influence. And these—" I pause, letting the weight settle "—are records of conversations confirming that my compliance mattered more than my choice."
Murmurs break out.
"This is inappropriate," Khalid snaps. "These documents are unverified."
"They are verified," Khaleel says suddenly, standing. "I reviewed them this morning."
Seth rises beside him. "As did I."
Riyaz follows. "The timelines don't align with council procedure."
The room fractures.
I turn back to the council. "I was not coerced into silence because I was uncertain. I was coerced because I was inconvenient."
Then I finally look at Fahad.
"And for the record," I say, my voice steady now, "Fahad did not manipulate me. He did not influence my decisions. He was punished because restraint was mistaken for guilt."
Khalid steps forward, anger breaking through control. "You're dismantling stability for emotion."
"No," I say quietly. "I'm dismantling a lie."
My father stands. "Ria, stop this."
I meet his gaze. "You taught me that leadership requires truth—even when it costs."
The room goes silent.
"I will not apologize," I say. "I will not proceed with this engagement. And I will not allow power to hide behind tradition when it violates consent."
I lower the folder onto the council table.
"If this palace stands for anything," I finish, "then it must stand for choice."
For one long moment, no one speaks.
Then the chief councilor exhales slowly. "The engagement is officially suspended pending review."
Khalid stares at me like he's seeing me for the first time.
Not obedient.
Not controllable.
Dangerous.
As the hall erupts into controlled chaos, Fahad's eyes find mine across the room.
He doesn't smile.
He just nods.
And I know—whatever comes next, the truth is no longer trapped behind palace walls.
It's free.