Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 209: Accusation Again?!

Chapter 209: Accusation Again?!

The fighting inside the palace didn’t last forever.

It felt like it.

But eventually, the creatures within the walls were cut down one by one—bodies piled high in courtyards and corridors, the once-pristine tiles soaked in blood and ash.

It wasn’t a clean victory. It was desperate. Hard-earned. But a victory nonetheless.

With Damian and Caelen leading the frontline and Evelina, Jasper, and the Highland warriors coordinating the fallback chokeholds, they managed to contain the attackers. The masked warriors were relentless, but not invincible.

Without the advantage of numbers—and once the breach was secured—they began to fall.

It took them the rest of the night to drive the last of the invaders from the inner sanctum.

By dawn, the southern wall stood no more. But in its place, a barricade of overturned wagons, stone slabs, and layered steel sheets formed a makeshift blockade. Enough to stall another wave. Barely.

Smoke still curled into the lightning sky. Bodies were still being counted. But the worst, for now, was over.

—

The council chamber was tense.

Dimly lit by the overcast light filtering through the high stained windows, familiar and newly bloodied faces surrounded the war table. \

Evelina sat to Damian’s right, her arm bandaged, but otherwise she was fine. Caelen stood near the windows, arms crossed, his expression carved from stone.

King Lucien surveyed the room from the head of the table, flanked by surviving council members. Lord Alderic sat across from Caelen with a suspicious and disdainful look on his face.

"We know for sure that at least 67 Arcadians are dead," Zade said quietly as he unfolded a map. "Fifty more wounded. Some of the southern homes were damaged in the blast. The wall..." He didn’t finish. The scorch marks on his tunic already told the story.

"And no sign of the masked warriors’ allegiance?" asked General Thorne.

"They left nothing behind. Their armor, weapons—nothing we could trace," Zade replied.

"They moved like trained soldiers," Damian added. "Not like rogues. That was a coordinated assault."

"And what of the creatures?" said Lord Varrick, one of the elder nobles. "Those... things. They were not born wild. Someone bred them. Shaped them with dark magic or something."

"Controlled them," Evelina said quietly.

Caelen’s eyes turned sharply to her.

"That blast was not magic," she added. "It was something else. Something new."

A murmur rippled through the chamber. Someone whispered, "Sorcery."

"No," Evelina said quickly. "Not Arcadian. Not Highland, either."

Lord Alderic scoffed. "Convenient. And yet the Highlanders arrive the same day as an attack unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Forgive me if I find that too well timed."

Caelen’s jaw flexed. "Are you accusing my people of betrayal, Lord Alderic?"

"I’m asking the questions no one else is brave enough to. You arrived with weapons, an army, and now you sit in the heart of our kingdom while our walls lie in rubble."

"I brought warriors because I know how dangerous your borders have become," Caelen snapped. "You should be thanking me that any of your nobles survived at all."

"Enough," Lucien growled, rising from his chair. "This is not the time for blame. Not yet. We need to know who attacked us—and why. Until then, this chamber is united. No war. No threats. Not while our enemies gather at our gates."

The room fell into a deep silence.

One that didn’t last.

Selene stood from her place near the end of the table, adjusting the sleeve of her rose-colored robe.

"If we’re seeking answers," she said lightly, "perhaps we should consider all possibilities."

Evelina’s eyes narrowed. "What are you implying?"

Selene folded her hands neatly. "Only that it’s strange—how this breach occurred during a summit you personally coordinated. A wall exploded. Untraceable attackers. And yet, conveniently, you were unharmed. In the perfect position to ’lead’ our honored guests to safety."

"That’s because I was doing my job," Evelina bit out.

"Were you?" Selene tilted her head. "Because this... isn’t the first time your name has circled suspicion."

Damian’s voice darkened. "Selene—"

She lifted a single finger. "Let me finish, Your Highness. This won’t take long."

She turned back to the table, speaking in a calm and calculated voice. "Some months ago, during the investigation of the original accusations against Evelina... the poisoning incidents, Lady Evelina here, claimed to have seen an Arcadian guard speaking with an unknown figure at the edge of the woods.

"Not a rogue, exactly—but not one of ours. But she said she saw him pass over what looked like scrolls. Maps."

Evelina went still.

"That testimony was never brought forward," Selene continued. "The whole thing just died down until the King cleared her of all accusations. But... in light of recent events, perhaps we should revisit such statements."

Relia hissed in Evelina’s mind. "She just accused you of treason in front of a war council."

The chamber was deadly silent.

Then King Lucien leaned forward, speaking in a sharp voice. "Are you submitting a formal charge?"

Selene blinked slowly. "Of course not. I’m simply saying... sometimes, danger comes not from outside the walls—but from within."

Evelina rose from her chair.

Every eye turned to her.

"Then let’s talk about danger," she said quietly. "Because if you want to accuse me, Lady Selene, you better be prepared to back it with more than cowardly rumor. Otherwise..."

She stepped forward, gaze locked. "...you’re not helping Arcadia. You’re weakening it. And I won’t let that stand."

Selene didn’t flinch.

Evelina didn’t flinch either.

She let the silence stretch just long enough for the weight of her presence to settle.

Then, with a voice smooth as drawn steel, she said, "My whereabouts during the summit, the attack, and the evacuation can be fully accounted for. By Prince Damian. By Jasper. And by half of the Highland delegation."

She swept her eyes across the room, from Lucien’s frown to Caelen’s guarded stare, and finally back to Selene.

"So if you have an issue with me, Selene," she continued, "say it directly. Stop cutting corners. Stop hiding behind old rumors and half-baked suspicions."