The grand hall of Eldoria Castle, usually a scene of opulent feasts and diplomatic dances, felt thick with tension. Every flickering torch cast long, dancing shadows that mirrored the anxiety etched on the faces of the assembled nobles. Ethan/Lucian, hand clasped firmly in Aurelia's, stood before the King, the Queen, and the entire court. He could feel the weight of their gazes, a mixture of curiosity, suspicion, and outright hostility.

He'd rehearsed this moment a hundred times in his head, picturing the words he would use, the evidence he would present. But as he looked out at the expectant faces, he knew that words alone wouldn't be enough. He needed to dismantle a reputation built on decades of service, shatter the image of a man revered as the very bedrock of the kingdom's military strength.

Beside him, Aurelia's jaw was set, her eyes radiating a steely resolve. She was a warrior princess in every sense of the word, ready to defend her kingdom and her family, even if it meant standing against one of its most respected figures.

"Your Majesty," Ethan/Lucian began, his voice resonating through the hall, "we stand before you tonight with grave news. We have uncovered a conspiracy, a plot to undermine your rule and destabilize the very foundation of Eldoria."

A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd. King Oberon, looking more frail than Ethan/Lucian had ever seen him, raised a hand for silence.

"Duke Thorne," the King said, his voice raspy, "these are serious accusations. Accusations you must substantiate with irrefutable proof."

Ethan/Lucian nodded. "We have proof, Your Majesty. Proof that points to a betrayal of the highest order. Proof that the architect of this conspiracy sits among us."

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. He could see General Marcus, the King's right-hand man and Head of the Royal Guard, standing near the throne. Marcus, a man whose face was a roadmap of battles fought and victories won, stood tall and impassive, his gaze unwavering. He looked like the epitome of loyalty, a bulwark against any threat.

Ethan/Lucian locked eyes with him. "General Marcus," he announced, his voice ringing with conviction, "we accuse you of treason, of plotting to overthrow the King and seize control of Eldoria."

A collective gasp swept through the hall. All eyes turned to Marcus, who remained unmoved. A slow smile spread across his face, a smile that sent a chill down Ethan/Lucian's spine. It was the smile of a man who was prepared.

"Duke Thorne," Marcus said, his voice calm and measured, a stark contrast to the outrage erupting around him, "these are wild accusations, born of paranoia and personal vendettas. I have served the Crown faithfully for over forty years. I have bled for Eldoria. How dare you stand here and accuse me of such a heinous crime?"

"We have evidence, General," Aurelia interjected, her voice sharp and clear. "We have intercepted communications, uncovered secret meetings, and gathered testimonies that paint a clear picture of your treachery."

Ethan/Lucian nodded, signaling to Mary, who had been waiting discreetly near the entrance. The old woman shuffled forward, carrying a stack of documents bound with crimson ribbon.

"These documents," Ethan/Lucian declared, "contain details of your plot: the planned assassination attempts, the forged alliances with neighboring kingdoms, the manipulation of the King's illness. It's all here, General."

Mary stepped forward, offering the documents to the King. As the King began to peruse them, Marcus’s expression flickered, a subtle twitch betraying the composure he was trying to maintain.

"Fabrications!" Marcus roared, his voice suddenly booming. "Lies conjured by this… this sorcerer! Duke Thorne has bewitched you all with his dark magic! He seeks to usurp the throne himself, using these false accusations to eliminate his rivals!"

He turned to the assembled nobles, his eyes blazing with righteous anger. "I have seen it myself! He communes with shadows, whispers incantations in forgotten tongues! He is a threat to the very soul of Eldoria!"

Ethan/Lucian felt a wave of disbelief wash over him. He had anticipated resistance, denials, even counter-accusations. But this… this was a masterstroke. He had underestimated Marcus’s cunning. The general was playing on their fears, tapping into the deep-seated suspicion and prejudice surrounding magic, painting Ethan/Lucian as a dangerous outsider.

The murmurs of the crowd shifted, growing louder, more agitated. Ethan/Lucian could see the doubt creeping into their eyes. They were torn between the evidence presented and the ingrained distrust of the unknown.

“He speaks the truth!” a nobleman shouted from the back of the hall. “I have heard tales of Thorne’s strange practices. He keeps to himself, shrouded in secrecy. He is not to be trusted!”

Other voices joined in, fueled by fear and suspicion. The atmosphere in the hall turned volatile, ready to erupt into chaos.

Ethan/Lucian knew he had to act quickly. He couldn't let Marcus control the narrative, let the mob turn against him.

"Your Majesty," he said, his voice cutting through the rising din, "I understand your concerns. I know that my abilities may seem… unorthodox. But I assure you, my only intention is to protect Eldoria. The evidence speaks for itself. General Marcus is a traitor, and he must be stopped."

Marcus laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "Evidence? What evidence? A few forged documents? This is a desperate attempt to deflect attention from your own treachery, Thorne! You seek to manipulate the King, poison his mind with lies!"

He turned back to the King, his voice softening, filled with concern. "Your Majesty, you are not well. Your judgment is clouded. You cannot trust this man. He is a danger to us all."

Ethan/Lucian saw the King wavering, his eyes filled with confusion and pain. He knew Marcus was winning. He needed something, anything, to turn the tide.

Then, he remembered something Mary had mentioned, a detail he had initially dismissed as insignificant. A small, almost imperceptible detail about Marcus's past.

"General Marcus," Ethan/Lucian said, his voice suddenly calm and confident, "tell me, what happened to your brother, Thomas?"

Marcus’s face paled. His eyes widened in shock, and for the first time, Ethan/Lucian saw a flicker of genuine fear in them.

"My brother is dead," Marcus said, his voice strained. "He died in battle, fighting for Eldoria, many years ago."

"Is that so?" Ethan/Lucian pressed, his voice like steel. "Because I heard a different story. I heard that Thomas was not killed in battle. I heard that he was disgraced, accused of cowardice, and executed by your own hand."

The silence in the hall was absolute. Every eye was fixed on Marcus, waiting for his response.

Marcus swallowed hard, his face now a mask of fury. "Lies! All lies! Thorne is grasping at straws, trying to distract from his own crimes!"

"Why would you kill your own brother, General?" Aurelia asked, her voice ringing with accusation. "What was he planning that you needed to silence him?"

Ethan/Lucian saw the opportunity and pounced. "Thomas discovered something, didn't he? Something about your involvement in a conspiracy, something that threatened to expose you. You silenced him to protect yourself."

Marcus exploded. "Enough! I will not stand here and be subjected to these outrageous lies! I demand that Duke Thorne be arrested, tried for treason, and executed for his crimes!"

He turned to the Royal Guard, his voice commanding. "Arrest him! Seize him now!"

The guards hesitated, their faces conflicted. They looked from Marcus to the King, unsure who to obey.

King Oberon, his face drawn and pale, raised a trembling hand. "Hold," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "Hold… I need time. I need to consider…"

Ethan/Lucian knew that time was the one thing they didn’t have. He had pushed Marcus too far, and now the situation was spiraling out of control. He could see the fear in the eyes of the assembled nobles, the growing belief in Marcus’s fabricated accusations. He had to do something drastic, something that would definitively prove his innocence and expose Marcus’s treachery. He had to make a sacrifice.

“Your Majesty,” Ethan/Lucian said, his voice clear and resolute, “I understand your doubts. To prove my innocence and to ensure the safety of Eldoria, I will offer you a guarantee. If, after a thorough investigation, my accusations against General Marcus prove false, if I have knowingly misled you, I will resign my dukedom and leave Eldoria forever.”

A gasp went through the crowd. Resign his dukedom? That was a monumental sacrifice, a testament to his conviction. It was a gamble, but it was the only card he had left to play.

Ethan/Lucian looked at Aurelia, his heart aching. He knew he was risking everything, not just his own life, but their future together.

Aurelia met his gaze, her eyes filled with a mixture of concern and admiration. She understood what he was doing, the desperate gamble he was taking to save them all.

Then, a voice, thin but laced with steel, cut through the tension. “And if the Duke is right? What will be the General's sacrifice, should he be the traitor that the Duke claims him to be?” Queen Isolde, who had been silent until now, directed her words to Marcus with a frigid stare.

Marcus blanched. He looked at the Queen, his face a complex study of fear and rage. This was an escalation that had not featured in his plans.

The pieces were in play. The sacrifice had been made. Now it all came down to how fast they could expose the truth, before the poison he'd sown began to fester into outright chaos.