In an inner chamber of the court… the door was closed once again.
This time, the silence was not anticipation—it was weight.
The king sat down slowly, as if his body had grown heavier than it was used to. It was not the movement of fatigue, but the burden of a decision.The judge stood near the table, his palm resting on its edge, his shoulder tense, his eyes steady.As for the First Royal Advisor, he opened only a single file. Thick. Untitled. As if the name itself no longer mattered.
The king spoke first, his voice low but decisive:"We will not leave this room without final decisions.Any further delay… will be interpreted as weakness."
The judge replied with calm severity:"And haste may be interpreted as recklessness.But in this case… some judgments cannot be postponed."
The advisor moved the first page. The sound of paper was the loudest thing in the room:"We begin with Prince Darius."
A brief silence followed.Very brief… yet suffocating.
The advisor spoke without ornament or mitigation:"All evidence indicates that he was the principal mind.Not the direct executor of everything,but every thread… leads back to him."
The king clenched his jaw. A small muscle twitched:"I know.But we are not judging an ordinary noble.He is of my blood."
The judge answered without hesitation, as though he had been waiting for those words:"And that is precisely why punishment is necessary.A law that does not reach royal blood…is not a law."
The king closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them:"Execution is impossible.Public imprisonment is impossible.But escape… is also impossible."
The advisor spoke immediately, as if the decision had long been prepared:"Then the solution is clear.Complete stripping."
He raised his head and listed without emotion:"Revocation of the title of prince.Erasure of any mention of him from royal records.Permanent disinheritance.Exile to a remote monastery outside all lines of influence.No letters.No visitors.No name."
The judge nodded:"He will be treated as a monk without lineage.Alive… but forgotten."
The king closed his eyes again—longer this time.Then he said, in a hollow voice:"So be it."
The advisor moved to the next file. He did not stop, did not hesitate:"The senior nobles who directly financed Darius…there is no room for interpretation here."
The judge said:"Documented treason.Disguised rebellion."
The king said with cold finality:"Execution.And full confiscation of assets."
The advisor recorded it, then added:"As for the subordinates—those who gave full confessionswill receive reduced sentences:ten years of political removal,permanent exclusion from any office,and placement under direct surveillance."
The judge asked:"And those who refuse to confess?"
The king's tone did not change:"They will be treated as rebels.And rebellion… has a known punishment."
The decision was recorded.
The advisor turned the pages with measured slowness:"The three duchies of the Sixteen Families."
A silent tension filled the room.Not fear… but calculation.
The judge said:"There is no evidence condemning them as entities.But suspicion… is heavy."
The king said, after a brief consideration:"I will not place the kingdom in confrontation with its roots.They will be granted innocence…but at a price."
The advisor looked up:"Reaffirmation of loyalty.Direct royal assignments.Under personal supervision by Your Majesty.Any failure… reopens the file."
The judge said:"Conditional innocence.No honor in it, and no condemnation."
The king said:"So be it."
Then the advisor said as he turned to the next page:"The fourth prince… Ken."
The judge shifted slightly—for the first time:"Breach of court protocol.Public accusations.Uncalculated pressure."
The king said calmly, his words heavier than reproach:"Yet he revealed what others failed to see."
The judge replied:"The law is not governed by intentions."
The king said:"Then—a formal reprimand.A recorded protocol violation.And a partial restriction of his judicial involvement… temporarily."
Then he added, after a brief pause:"And a reward."
The advisor looked at him:"Without titles?"
The king said:"Without noise.Consolidation of his position.Expansion of his practical influence.Trust… but under the gaze of the throne."
The judge asked:"Marvin and Gray?"
The advisor replied:"Two rewards.But with a choice."
The king raised an eyebrow:"Explain."
The advisor said:"Either a clear financial and honorary reward,or release from under Prince Ken's authorityand appointment to a modest professional position,but stable and protected,in recognition of their efforts."
The judge said:"They are to be given the choice."
The king said:"Yes.Those who served the kingdom…must not be confined to a single loyalty."
The advisor opened the final file:"Darius's institutions."
The king answered immediately:"Total confiscation.Lands.Licenses.Companies.Contracts."
The judge asked:"And the merchants?"
The advisor replied:"Those who dealt with him directly—the grounds of that dealing are confiscated:lands.Buildings.Privileges."
The judge added:"And the banks?"
The king said with unquestionable coldness:"Financial penalties.Comprehensive audits.Restructuring.Those who looked away… will pay."
The advisor closed the file at last.
Silence followed.
The judge said slowly:"These decisions… will change the shape of the kingdom."
The king rose.He stood straight, as though the weight had shifted from his shoulders to the ground itself.
And he said:"The kingdom would have collapsed…had we not taken them."