The initial court ceremony concluded, leaving Maya in a state of overwhelming emotional turmoil. The palace, usually a place of clarity and strategy, now felt like a suffocating cage of impossible choices.
General Jahi, the military leader of the delegation, sought her out later that evening, not for battle planning, but for historical context. He presented her with an ancient scroll, a fragile parchment detailing the dark history of the coup that had forced her into exile.
The scroll was not dry history; it was a brutal, detailed ledger of the murder of her parents, the scattering of her family, and the systematic destruction of the Lioness leadership. It meticulously laid out the calculated, ruthless cruelty of the usurpers—the very faction that Prime Minister Choi had covertly allied with.
Reading the scroll, Maya felt physically ill. She traced the characters with a trembling finger, each line a blow. The full, horrific scope of the betrayal—the blood spilled in her name—was laid bare.
Maya looked utterly overwhelmed.
She was not just reading history; she was receiving a mandate for vengeance and justice. The scroll was a heavy, cold reminder that her life was not her own. She was the vessel for her people's grief and their only hope for reclamation.
Jahi watched her, his expression a mix of sorrow and expectation. "The past demands restitution, Princess. The usurper's line must be extinguished. That is the true fight the Lionesses prepared you for."
The knowledge solidified the conflict within her. Joseon needed her wisdom and political strength to unify its people against internal corruption. West-Seu needed her lineage and military leadership to overthrow the tyrants and restore justice.
Her heart, however, remained tied to the man who had fought beside her. Dong-jin found her in the quiet solace of the moonlit garden, knowing she was grappling with an impossible decision.
"They offer you a throne, Maya," he said simply, his voice low. "A destiny you are owed."
"And you offer me a home I chose, Dong-jin," she replied, her voice thick. "I have just saved Joseon from a traitor who was the ally of the man who killed my father. How can I walk away from that fight?"
"You cannot," he conceded. "But you cannot ignore the call of your ancestors. Your people need their queen."
He took her hands, his eyes reflecting the depth of his love and his pain. "Whatever you choose, my Lioness, I will support it. But the world is forcing you to choose one crown. And that choice will be the hardest fight of your life."
Maya looked up at the moon, feeling the immense weight of the scroll in her lap. She was the bridge between two kingdoms, but she couldn't stand in two places at once. The final, devastating confrontation—not with a traitor, but with her own fate—was imminent.