Before the morning mist had fully lifted, Rahlian Palace's trial ceremony opened in grandeur on the square outside the Vermilion Gold Hall. Crowds of commoners and nobles gathered on the white stone steps encircling the square, their voices a mix of cheers for the Snowflame Queen's triumph and hidden suspicion and dread. Clad in a silver-white court robe with an obsidian sash symbolizing judicial fairness, Aveline ascended the dais, while Lucian stood at her side, sword at his waist, his expression solemn yet proud.
The ceremony unfolded before ancient holy lamp columns, where lamps hung like multicolored shooting stars. Their flickering flames added a solemn warmth to the cool dawn. City guards formed two silver walls of honor, with the Silver Oath Shield and Fire Cavalry standing in alternating ranks, all eyes fixed on Lord Elwin, bound below the dais.
As the ritual music faded, the trial began in earnest. Lord Baeloth, the chief justice, read the charges against Elwin—rebellion, high treason, and attempts to reclaim his fief—his voice clear and forceful, each word resounding. Elwin was brought to the center of the steps, hands manacled behind his back, his face still proud but eyes slightly weary.
"Lord Elwin, as a noble of the realm, you colluded with heretics, incited unrighteous conflict, and led a private army in treason, staining the balance between the royal house and divine authority with bloodshed. Your crimes are unpardonable," Baeloth's voice echoed across the square, drawing every breath to a halt.
Elwin raised his head, replying with unyielding candor: "If my crime is resisting tyranny and defending my clan and faith, then I embrace this label and seek no clemency."
A murmur rippled through the crowd, a blend of approval and doubt. Aveline stepped forward slowly, her gaze as gentle as dawn yet brooking no disrespect. She raised her right hand, a faint royal blood mark glowing on her palm: "Where royal blood leads, righteousness must follow. Both the church and nobles are subject to law. All who subvert national law in the name of private justice shall bear the consequences."
Turning to councilors and church delegates below, her voice wove through light and shadow: "The new law I promulgate today—The Throne and Holy Right Ordinance—aims to establish a balanced system where the state, church, and nobility stand as equals. Those who violate this balance will face severe legal punishment." Pausing, she added, "Henceforth, heresy trials will be proposed by the Holy See Council, noble disputes mediated by the Noble Assembly, and royal power will ensure national unity. Only through mutual checks among these three organs can the kingdom endure."
The square fell silent, then erupted in warm applause. Elwin watched her quietly, a flicker of approval in his eyes: "Your Highness's broad vision meets our expectations."
Aveline nodded slightly, ordering guards to unbind him and turn him over to the Holy See Council for a penance ritual. Elwin finally received holy water to cleanse his sins, his expression dazed yet truly relieved.
After the ceremony, Aveline and Lucian retired to the palace garden. The rising sun pierced the thin clouds, casting light on carved stone benches and rose bushes. Sitting side by side, the morning chill still lingered in the air, but so did the warmth of new beginnings.
Lucian murmured: "Your new law is momentous—it resolves church-noble conflicts and restores royal power to its rightful path." Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, he asked softly, "Highness, will you allow me to celebrate the law's enactment with you tonight?"
Aveline looked at him, her eyes a mix of tenderness and fatigue: "If this celebration means spending it in your arms, I accept." Though her lips smiled, the exhaustion of a day's governance showed.
Lucian stood, helping her up: "Come with me to our chambers. I've prepared the warmest bed for you." He bowed to kiss the dew from her forehead, his touch gentle yet deep with affection.
When night fell, they returned to the palace's inner chamber. Candles burned low, casting warm yellow light over their intertwined shadows. Aveline leaned wearily into Lucian's embrace, skin to skin, warmth spreading. Stroking his chest to feel his steady heartbeat, she whispered: "Today I forged new laws with ministers and church leaders—a victory. Now I only wish to shed my royal robes and seal in your arms, if only for a moment, to be myself again."
As candles flickered, their breaths mingled, passion burning as fiercely as their first meeting. They turned the day's weariness into silent caresses, worshiping and comforting each other amid soft brocade and satin.