The capital of Abeocia had never looked more beautiful.
Black banners decorate with silver flames hung from every tower, moving around gently with the evenings wind.
Courtyards were bathed in gentle violet light as crystal lanterns floated above the palace gardens. The streets were crowded with nobles from far-off places, their music and laughter filling the air like an endless celebration.
Tonight was meant to be a night that would change history.
Because tonight, a war that lasted centuries-long between the two major demon kingdoms would finally come to an end
And at the center of it all…
Was the young, beautiful, Selena.
Princess Selena stood before a tall mirror inside the royal dressing room, her reflection glowing beneath the soft light of candles.
The gown she wore shined like moonlight braided into the silk, deep crimson fabric threaded with golden runes that signaled that she was of royal blood.
Her long dark hair fell down her back in soft waves, pinned on the top of her head with a crown of black diamonds that marked her as the heir to the throne for the Abeocia Kingdom.
Yet despite the weight of the crown, Selena's lips curved into a warm, soft, smile.
She was happy.
For the first time in what felt like forever, she was actually truly happy.
Behind her, maids hurried around, adjusting the back end of her dress and whispering excitedly to each other.
"Your Highness looks soooo beautiful."
"The prince will be speechless."
Selena laughed softly, her cheeks blushing slightly.
"Please do not tease me like that" she said.
But deep down…
She was hoping they were right.
Because tonight she would finally marry the man she had loved since childhood, the man of her dreams.
Prince Heranus.
He was once a the boy who challenged her to sword fights in the palace gardens, the same boy who laughed too loudly during royal dinners and got scolded by their tutors.
But over the years that boy had grown into a man admired across both kingdoms.
Strong and Intelligent in every right.
Beloved by all the people of the two Kingdoms.
And tonight, she would become his wife and he would become her husband.
A soft knock at the door.
Before Selena could answer, the door opened and her younger sister stepped inside the room.
"Ahh, Big sister."
She screamed in excitement, jumping softly and waving her hands.
Selena turned.
"Fiora."
As she also began jumping excitingly, before her sister jumped into her arms and they hugged.
"Oh, careful, do not ruin her Majesty's dress, please Princess Fiora." The maids said, worried they would have to start all over.
"Relax Susan, I would never dream of ruining my sisters dress"
Princess Fiora walked around the room with graceful steps, her pale silver hair tied into an elegant braid. Her dress was nearly as stunning as Selena's, though it lacked the royal markings of the heir.
Fiora's smile was warm, way too warm.
"You look stunning sis" she said.
Selena chuckled softly.
"Thank you. Though I'm surprised you're not out celebrating with the guests."
"Oh, I will be," Fiora replied lightly. "But I wanted to see you first our guests."
She approached Selena and adjusted a loose strand of her hair with gentle fingers.
"You've waited for this day your entire life."
Selena nodded.
"I have, they'll be more time for celebrating later." She said that with a slight tone of mystery, as if it was a question, and not a statement.
Their father, the Demon King, had spent years negotiating this alliance. War between the two kingdoms had dragged on for generations, draining both sides.
This marriage would finally unite them.
No more battlefields and no more bloodshed, they will only be peace.
And somehow…
That peace had been placed in Selena's hands.
Fiora tilted her head slightly.
"You must be nervous."
"A little," Selena admitted. "But I'm mostly excited."
Her sister watched her for a moment.
Something flickered in Fiora's eyes.
But it disappeared so quickly Selena barely noticed.
"Well then" Fiora said sweetly, "I'll leave you to it. Father must have fallen asleep in his chambers, he was so tired earlier, I'm going to check on him before the ceremony begins."
Selena nodded.
"Tell him I'll see him soon."
Fiora smiled again.
"Of course."
She turned and left the room.
The door closed softly behind her.
Selena exhaled slowly.
Her heart was beating faster now.
In just a few hours…
She would walk down the grand hall and become the queen of a new united kingdoms.
The thought made her chest tighten with emotion.
Everything was finally coming together.
Everything was finally—
The palace doors suddenly slammed open somewhere down the hall.
Shouting erupted.
Footsteps echoed across the marble floor, heavy, fast paced footsteps.
Selena frowned.
"What's going on?"
The maids exchanged confused glances.
Then the door burst open.
A royal guard rushed in, his armor clattering as he stumbled to a stop.
"Your Highness!"
He was pale and looked very terrified.
Selena's smile faded.
"What happened?"
The guard struggled to catch his breath.
"It's the The King your highness!"
Selena's stomach dropped.
"What about my father?"
"The king won't wake up in his chambers."
For a moment the room went completely silent.
Selena stared at him.
"No, no, no, that's not possible."
"Princess Fiora found him moments ago, Your Highness. The royal Priestess has been summoned."
The words barely registered.
Selena lifted the heavy skirts of her gown and rushed past him.
"Take me to him."
The maids shouted behind her, but she didn't slow down.
Her heels echoed sharply against the palace floors as she ran through the corridors.
Guards.
Servants.
Nobles.
They were all gathering near the King's chambers.
Selena pushed through the crowd.
"Move."
The doors opened.
Inside the chamber,
Her father was lay there, motionless on the bed.
The royal Priestess knelt beside him, her expression was not promising.
And standing near the window was Prince Heranus.
He turned when Selena entered.
Concern filled his face.
"Selena…"
She rushed to the bedside.
"Father? Father? Please Father, wake up, this in no time for your cruel jokes"
The king didn't move, he didn't breathe nor did he speak.
The Priestess slowly lowered her head.
"Your Highness…"
Selena's voice trembled.
"No."
"I'm sorry."
The words felt like a blade piercing her chest.
"The King has left us."
Shock filled the room.
Selena's knees nearly buckled.
"No, he was healthy and just fine yesterday, laughing and drinking, he was just fine yesterday, what the hell happened!?."
She yelled.
The royal sage stepped forward, his ancient robes brushing the floor as he approached the bedside table.
His sharp eyes settled on a golden wine cup.
He picked it up.
Sniffed it.
Then his expression darkened.
"This…"
Everyone looked at him.
"What is it?" Heranus asked.
The sage turned slowly toward the room.
"This wine contains a magical toxin."
Silence fell.
The sage's voice grew colder.
"The King did not die of natural a cause."
He raised the cup slightly.
"He was poisoned."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
Poisoned.
For several seconds no one spoke.
The nobles standing in the chamber began whispering among themselves, their quiet murmurs slowly growing louder.
Poison? this was murder.
Treason.
Selena felt the room spinning around her.
Her father… poisoned?
Her hands trembled as she gripped the edge of the bed.
"No, that, that can't be" she whispered.
The royal sage placed the cup back on the table carefully, as if it were a dangerous artifact.
"This toxin is rare," he said slowly. "Very rare indeed, comes from a druid flower. It is not something one could obtain easily."
Prince Heranus frowned.
"Are you saying someone inside the palace could have done this?"
The sage nodded grimly.
"Yes my Prince."
The room immediately erupted into chaos.
"How could this have happen?!"
"Who would dare poison the Demon King?!"
"Find the culprit immediately!"
Selena barely heard them.
Her mind was still stuck on one thought.
Father is dead.
Just hours ago he had been laughing during the celebration feast.
He had raised his cup proudly and announced that the next morning his daughter would unite two kingdoms.
And now…
He was gone.
Selena clenched her fists.
"Who brought this wine to my father?!" she asked suddenly.
Her voice cut through the room.
The servants fell silent.
Several of them looked at one another nervously.
Finally, an older servant stepped forward.
"I… I did not see who prepared it, Your Highness. The wine was delivered to the king's chambers late in the evening."
The sage stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"This poison acts slowly. The King would have collapsed hours after drinking it."
Heranus crossed his arms.
"Then whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing."
Selena's chest tightened.
A calculated assassination.
But why?
The kingdom was about to enter an era of peace.
Who would risk destroying that?
Before she could think further—
The chamber doors suddenly opened again.
Princess Fiora stepped inside.
Her expression was filled with shock.
"Sister!"
She rushed forward quickly, her eyes widening when she saw the king's lifeless body.
"No… this can't be real…"
She covered her mouth with trembling hands.
"Father…"
Selena turned toward her.
"Fiora…"
Her sister looked devastated.
Tears welled in her eyes as she approached the bed slowly.
"I only went to check on him because he wasn't answering his door…"
Her voice broke.
"I thought he was just sleeping…"
The nobles murmured sympathetically.
The sage stepped forward again.
"Princess Fiora, we have reason to believe the king was poisoned."
Fiora froze.
"Poisoned?"
Her gaze slowly moved toward the wine cup.
Then something strange happened.
Her eyes widened.
"Sister…?"
Selena blinked.
"What is it?"
Fiora hesitated.
"There's… something strange."
Everyone looked at her.
"What do you mean?" the sage asked.
Fiora took a slow breath.
"I saw that wine earlier tonight."
The room went still.
Selena frowned.
"You did?"
Fiora nodded slowly.
"Yes… I remember because I thought it was unusual."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"It was brought to the royal kitchens earlier… but it wasn't meant for father."
A ripple of confusion spread through the chamber.
The sage narrowed his eyes.
"Then who was it meant for?"
Fiora hesitated again, she looked at Selena then she lowered her gaze.
"I… I'm not sure I should say." Selena's heart skipped. "What are you talking about?"
Heranus stepped forward.
"If you know something, Princess Fiora, you must speak." Fiora bit her lip. "I didn't want to believe it… I still don't want to"
She slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes met Selena's.
"I saw that same wine bottle in your chambers earlier today, sister."
The words struck Selena like lightning.
"What?"
Shook filled the room instantly.
"That's not possible" Selena said immediately. Fiora shook her head weakly.
"I wish it was…" She looked heartbroken.
"But I saw it myself."
The sage turned toward Selena.
"Your Highness, my Princess… is this true?"
"No," Selena said firmly.
"I've never seen that bottle before in my life."
Heranus frowned.
But before he could speak—
One of the palace guards rushed into the room.
"Princess Fiora!"
Everyone turned.
"What is it?" the sage demanded.
The guard knelt quickly.
"We searched the royal quarters as ordered."
Selena's stomach dropped.
"And?"
The guard swallowed.
"We found something in Princess Selena's room."
Silence fell.
The guard slowly raised a small glass vial.
Inside it was a faint purple liquid.
The sage stepped forward and took it carefully.
He opened the lid.
His expression darkened instantly.
"This is the same toxin, the druids flower, completely harmless to most creatures, very lethal to demons"
The entire room erupted in shocked voices.
Selena stared at the vial in disbelief.
"That's not mine."
But no one was listening anymore.
All eyes had turned toward her.
Accusing and suspicious.
Heranus was staring at her too.
Selena felt her chest tighten.
"Heranus…"
He didn't answer, the sage spoke again.
"There is more."
Everyone turned.
The guard hesitated.
"There were… witnesses."
Selena's breath caught.
"What witnesses?"
The guard swallowed.
"Servants saw Princess Selena delivering wine to the king's chambers last night."
The room went completely silent.
Selena's heart dropped into her stomach.
The memory hit her instantly.
Fiora.
Earlier that evening.
Sister, could you please bring this to father? I need to step away for a moment.
Selena's hands began to shake.
"Oh no…"
The realization slowly spread across her mind.
Heranus's voice was cold.
"Selena…"
She looked at him desperately.
"I didn't know it was poisoned."
The words escaped before she could stop them.
The moment she said them, she knew exactly how it sounded.
The sage's expression hardened.
"Princess Selena…"
Two guards stepped forward immediately.
The sound of their armor echoed through the silent chamber. Selena looked around frantically.
"No, no, no—wait!"
But the guards had already grabbed her arms.
"Princess Selena of Abeocia," the sage declared solemnly.
"You are under arrest for the murder of the Demon King, for the assassination of King Xer The IV, Ruler of the Kingdom of Abeocia, Devil of the Underworld, bringer of lost soul, my princess... You are under arrest for the murder of your father ."
The guards' grip tightened around Selena's arms.
Cold metal fingers wrapped around her wrists as they pulled her away from the be
d.
"Princess Selena of Abeocia," the sage declared solemnly, his voice echoing through the chamber, "you are under arrest for the murder of the Demon King."
The words slammed into her like a physical blow.
"No,wait!" Selena struggled against the guards. "You're making a mistake! I didn't poison my father!"
The nobles around the room whispered frantically.
Murder, The Crown Princess? this can't be real…
Selena looked around desperately, searching the faces in the room for someone, anyone, who believed her.
Her gaze landed on Fiora, her younger sister stood near the foot of the bed, tears streaming down her face, but behind those tears, for just a brief moment…
Selena saw it.
A faint smile, small, cold and nothing short of cruel, was gone in an instant.
Selena's heart dropped.
Fiora…
The realization struck her like lightning.
The wine, the errand she suddenly had before she gave her the poisoned wine to deliver to their father, the wicked smile, not now, even earlier in the her room.
It had all been planned.
Her breathing quickened.
"She set me up," Selena said suddenly.
The room quieted again.
Selena looked directly at the sage.
"My sister asked me to deliver that wine to father last night. She said she needed to step away."
The shook rippled through the nobles.
Fiora froze.
"S-Sister… how can you say something like that?"
Her voice trembled.
"I would never do such a thing."
Selena stared at her in disbelief.
"You gave me the wine yourself."
Fiora shook her head quickly, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"No… no, that's not true."
Several nobles began murmuring again.
The sage's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Princess Fiora… did you deliver the wine to the king?"
Fiora looked horrified.
"Of course not!"
She pointed weakly toward Selena.
"I saw the bottle in her chambers earlier today… I thought it was strange, because I know my sister does not drink but I never could have imagined…"
Her voice broke as she covered her face.
"That my sister would do something so terrible."
Selena's chest tightened, she turned toward Heranus.
"Heranus… you know me."
Her voice shook.
"I would never harm my own father."
The prince stood very still near the window.
His expression was conflicted.
Uncertain.
Selena's heart pounded as she waited for him to speak.
All he had to do was say one thing.
Just one.
That he believed her, that he knows she wasn't capable of such a crime, but the silence stretched on, and on, and on and finally, Heranus looked toward the sage.
"The evidence is..."
Selena felt something inside her break.
"Heranus...?"
His gaze shifted back to her, there was hesitation in his eyes but not belief, not trust, not even a hint of love.
"Selena," he said quietly, "if you truly are innocent, the investigation will prove it."
The words felt colder than any blade.
If you truly are innocent.
Selena stared at him.
The man she had loved since childhood, the man she was supposed to marry in a few hours and he couldn't even defend her.
The guards began pulling her toward the door.
"No!" Selena struggled harder. "Please, listen to me!"
But no one moved, no one stopped them, nobody listened to her plea.
The nobles avoided her gaze.
Fiora sobbed quietly into her hands.
And Heranus…
Heranus simply stood there.
Watching.
The heavy chamber doors opened, Selena was dragged into the palace corridor, her heels scraped helplessly against the marble floor as the guards pulled her forward.
Servants and nobles lining the hallway stared in shock.
The Crown Princess...?
They're arresting her...
She poisoned the king...
Selena shook her head frantically.
"I didn't do it!" But the whispers only grew louder.
A knight figure watched from the corner of the room, she was staring at the commotion, her face showed no emotion, she was just observing.
The celebration decorations still hung from the walls.
Black banners, the crystal lanterns.
Flowers meant for her wedding, all of it now felt like a cruel joke.
Just an hour ago...
She had been the happiest woman in the kingdom, now she was being dragged away like a criminal.
The guards led her down a spiraling staircase deep beneath the palace.
The air grew colder, it was darker, the sounds of the controversy above slowly faded into silence.
Finally, they reached the dungeon.
Heavy iron gates creaked open, the smell of damp stone and rust filled the air, torches flickered weakly along the walls.
Selena's stomach twisted.
"No, please, listen to me, I could never do such a thing"
The guards ignored her.
They dragged her toward an empty cell.
Iron bars slammed open, then, they shoved her inside.
Selena stumbled forward and fell to the ground, her wedding dress spreading across the dirty stone floor.
The cell door slammed shut behind her with a loud clang.
The guards locked it without another word.
Footsteps echoed as they walked away.
Only silence followed.
Selena remained on the floor for several moments.
Her hands trembled violently.
Slowly, she looked down at herself.
The crimson wedding gown, the royal crown still pinned in her hair.
She let out a shaky laugh.
It sounded broken, "this... was supposed to be my wedding day." Her fingers curled into the fabric of her dress, tears finally spilled down her cheeks.
Above the dungeon ceiling, the kingdom was preparing for a royal wedding.
But the bride...
Was sitting in a prison cell, accused of murdering her own father.
Selena closed her eyes and in the darkness behind her eyelids.
She saw Fiora's smile again, cold, victorious.
Selena's trembling hands slowly tightened into fists.
"Fiora..." Her voice was barely a whisper.
"You did this."
And somewhere far above the dungeon…
The bells of the palace began ringing.
Announcing the death of the great Demon King, and the fall of his daughter, the crown princess of Abeocia.