Liam collapsed to the ground, weakened. Annabelle, shocked to see blood on King Philip's robe without a visible wound, sprang into action. A guard walked in, and upon witnessing the scene, immediately called for help. Both Liam and King Philip were rushed to the infirmary, leaving Annabelle speechless.
In her confusion, Annabelle decided to investigate Liam's chamber. She searched every nook and cranny but found nothing suspicious. Just as she was about to exit, she heard a creak in the floor. Curiosity got the better of her, and she opened the hidden space underneath to discover a spellbook written by Astra Ravenwood. "He's a warlock," Annabelle murmured to herself, finally understanding how Liam had survived.
Meanwhile, Liam awakened to find King Philip lying in the bed next to him, still asleep. The phoenix amulet he wore was still adapting to his body. As Liam reached out to touch the king, a guard burst into the room, demanding him to halt in the name of the Kingdom of Avaloria. Accusing Liam of practicing dark magic as a warlock, the guard arrested him despite Liam's protestations.
In that moment, Annabelle stood at the door holding the spellbook, wearing a cunning smile as Liam was taken away to the dungeon. She made her way to King Philip's bed and administered the "Vitalis Subducor" elixir, which made him incredibly weak and put him into a deep slumber.
The news of King Philip's attack and illness spread rapidly throughout the kingdom, causing chaos and uncertainty. Annabelle, now revealing her true intentions, declared herself as the rightful ruler of Avaloria. Exploiting the people's grief and vulnerability, she manipulated them by proclaiming she was pregnant and had the rightful claim to the throne until King Philip could regain stability. Promising to lead them towards a brighter future, Annabelle convinced the distraught council members to declare her the new queen of Avaloria.
With her new power, Queen Annabelle demanded that the council reveal the location of the Fiery Ember Ruby. She had plans to control the kingdom, using the ruby's power to solidify her reign. Unbeknownst to her, King Edward of Evergreena received the news of Annabelle's ascension to power. Realizing it was time to obtain the ruby once and for all, he began preparations to claim it for himself.
Meanwhile, lurking in the depths of Evergreena Wood, Orion Shadowthorn, a troubled soul seeking revenge for the death of his entire crew, plotted a cunning plan. He intended to assassinate Annabelle, Liam, and King Edward and claim the Fiery Ember Ruby as his own.