The
capital city
stood in tense silence.
The streets, once filled with
unease and dread
, now overflowed with
curiosity and whispers.
It had been
one week
since the
Mad Queen’s Curse.
One week since the kingdom had woken up to
a shattered throne.
And in that short span of time—everything had
changed.
Because today, beneath the golden light of the
morning sun
, a new ruler was set to take the throne.
A ruler that none of them had expected.
The Coronation of the Exiled Princess
Alice von Revenant
—once a forgotten
Duke
—now rode through the streets of the capital, her back straight, her piercing
emerald eyes
set forward.
Dressed in a sleek
black and silver cloak
, her royal attire was nothing like the
gaudy gowns
the previous Queen had worn.
No excess.
No indulgence.
Only
sharp elegance
and
authority.
The people lined the streets,
watching.
Some in awe.
Some in hesitation.
And yet—there was
hope
.
Hope that, for the first time in years, they were not being handed another
tyrant.
Hope that this was not just another
trap.
As Alice approached the
grand palace gates
, a hush fell over the crowd.
The gates creaked
open.
And there, standing at the steps of the
throne room
, surrounded by nobles, knights, and advisors—
Was the
King.
Lucius.
The last remnant of a
dying rule.
His expression was unreadable as Alice ascended the steps.
A final moment of
silent acknowledgment
passed between them.
And then, in front of the entire kingdom—
Lucius removed his
crown.
And placed it in Alice’s hands.
The crowd
erupted.
The exiled princess had become the Queen.
Blood & Justice
The
first day
of Alice’s rule was not one of
celebration.
It was one of
reckoning.
By the time the
sun set
, the palace was no longer filled with
whispers and schemes.
It was filled with
screams.
Because Alice had wasted
no time.
The
corrupt nobles
who had
bled the kingdom dry
were dragged from their estates.
The
execution grounds
, long abandoned under the previous Queen’s reign, now saw
use once more.
Names were read aloud.
Crimes were exposed.
Heads
fell.
And by the end of the
first week
, the nobility had been
purged.
The
people
?
They watched.
They listened.
And they whispered a new name for that week.
The Week of Justice.
The Rebirth of a Kingdom
But Alice was not just a
Queen of vengeance.
She was a
Queen of rebuilding.
As soon as the
rot
had been
removed
, she set to work.
Heavy taxes on the poor?
Abolished.
Trade restrictions that crushed merchants?
Lifted.
Cities left in ruin?
Rebuilt.
The starving?
Fed.
For the first time in
years
, the kingdom
breathed.
For the first time in
years
, they felt something they had long
forgotten.
Hope.
Seraphis Watches from the Shadows
High above the city, perched on a
rooftop
, Seraphis watched the events unfold with a quiet
smirk.
The
Mad Queen was dead.
A
new ruler had taken her place.
And the kingdom?
It was changing.
Fast.
"Not bad." she murmured, flicking a metal
playing card
between her fingers.
She had set the
stage
—and Alice had taken her role
beautifully.
Now, all she had to do was
wait and see
.
Would Alice truly bring
change
?
Would she remain a Queen of
justice
?
Or would power, as it always did,
corrupt
?
Seraphis
grinned.
"Let’s see how long this peace lasts."
Because in a kingdom like this—
There was always another storm on the horizon.