Chapter 388: The Punishment Day

Ethan Carter

The air in the grand hall was thick with tension. Nobles, ministers, and high-ranking officials had gathered, all dressed in their finest, their expressions carefully schooled. But beneath the facade of poise and grace, I saw what they were really feeling.

Fear.

They had heard the whispers. Lady Celeste Whitmore had betrayed the Blackwoods. And today, they would witness what happened to those who dared to challenge the throne.

I stood near the far end of the hall, my eyes scanning the room, watching the way conversations shifted in hushed tones. Some nobles avoided looking at the royal dais altogether, afraid that even a glance might make them complicit in whatever was about to unfold.

At the center of it all, Classic sat with an air of cold authority, his posture relaxed but commanding. He wasn't just a prince today—he was a ruler.

And beside him sat his wife, Amal.

She was the picture of quiet strength, her chin lifted, her hands resting lightly on the arms of her chair. She had already cemented her place in the palace, not as a fragile princess but as a queen in the making.

On Classic's other side, Skylar sat, her expression unreadable. And then there was Chris, the King, the mastermind. His presence alone was enough to suffocate the room.

When Chris finally stood, the hall fell into complete silence.

"Bring her in," he ordered.

Two guards entered through the massive double doors, and between them, Lady Celeste Whitmore.

Her once-pristine gown was replaced by a plain black dress, her golden hair neatly pinned but without the jewels that once adorned it. She looked smaller than before—not in stature, but in power.

The moment she stepped forward, the reality of the situation seemed to settle into her bones. She wasn't a noble anymore. She was a condemned woman.

She stopped at the base of the dais, her head lifting defiantly. If she was afraid, she hid it well.

Chris's voice was calm, but razor-sharp. "Lady Celeste Whitmore, do you understand why you stand before us today?"

Celeste's lips pressed into a thin line. "I do."

Classic leaned forward slightly, his voice colder than I had ever heard it. "Then tell us."

Her jaw clenched. "Because I sought the truth."

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

Chris let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. "The truth?" He descended the steps slowly, his every movement deliberate. "No, Lady Whitmore. You stand here today because you betrayed your kingdom. You placed hidden cameras in the Crown Prince's chambers. You sought to expose his marriage, to weaken the Blackwood name."

His eyes darkened. "You thought you were playing a game."

He stopped just inches from her. "You lost."

The room was so silent that even the crackling of the torches along the walls seemed deafening.

Celeste inhaled sharply, but she didn't look away. "And what will you do, Your Majesty? Kill me?"

Chris smirked. "That would be too merciful."

Classic stood, his presence commanding. "You will be stripped of your title. Your lands, your wealth—everything your family has built under the Blackwood name—will be seized by the crown."

A gasp went through the nobles.

Celeste's face paled, but Classic wasn't finished. "From this day forward, you are no longer Lady Celeste Whitmore. You are nothing."

Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to argue, but there was nothing left to say.

Chris gestured to the guards. "Take her away."

The guards moved immediately, gripping her arms. She didn't resist, but as they dragged her toward the doors, she turned back one last time, her gaze locking onto Classic's.

"This isn't over," she whispered.

Classic didn't blink. "Yes, it is."

And then she was gone.

For a long moment, no one spoke.

Then, slowly, Chris turned back to the crowd, his voice carrying through the hall.

"Let this be a lesson." His gaze swept across the nobles. "Loyalty is rewarded. Betrayal is erased."

The message was clear. Cross the Blackwoods, and you lose everything.

I watched as Classic sat back down, his expression unreadable. This had been his first true act of power, and he had executed it flawlessly.

But as I stood there, watching the fear settle into the faces of the nobles, I realized something.

Classic Blackwood wasn't just a prince anymore.

He was becoming a ruler.