Chapter 73 Political Pressure

Chapter 73 Political Pressure
The throne room was packed.

Five ambassadors stood in a line before the dais, each representing a kingdom that had never liked the Shadow Realm and liked it even less now. Behind them, their entourages. Guards. Advisors. Witnesses to whatever spectacle this was about to become.

Thessaly sat in a chair to the right of the throne. Not quite on Davorin's level. Not quite a guest. The position declared her important but not equal, and every ambassador's eyes had tracked to her the moment they entered.

She'd cleaned the blood off. Changed into something that didn't smell like battle. But underneath the fresh clothes, every muscle ached, and exhaustion made her head feel like it was stuffed with wool.

"Your Majesty." The ambassador from Valmere spoke first. A tall woman with silver threading through her hair and eyes like chips of ice. "We come on behalf of our kingdoms with grave concerns about the continued presence of the Lumenvale princess in your court."

Here we go, Thessaly thought.

Davorin's expression was perfectly neutral. "Your concerns are noted."

"With respect, they're more than concerns. They're demands." The Valmere ambassador gestured to her companions. "Five kingdoms stand united in this. The girl must be handed over."

"Princess Thessaly is under my protection."

"So you've said. Repeatedly. Which is why we're here in person." The ambassador from Rothmore stepped forward. An older man with a face like weathered stone. "Your Majesty, we understand your position is complicated. But her presence here destabilizes the entire region."

"How so?" Davorin's voice was mild. Too mild.

"She's the daughter of the enemy king. A living symbol of the war that devastated half the realm." Rothmore's tone was patient. Condescending. "Her brother just attacked your palace. Doesn't that tell you where her loyalties lie?"

"Her brother attacked. She fought beside me." Davorin's fingers drummed once on the throne arm. "Against her own blood. That tells me exactly where her loyalties lie."

"Or it tells us she's clever." The third ambassador spoke up. From Caldris, if Thessaly remembered correctly. Young for a diplomat, with calculating eyes. "What better way to gain your trust than to stage a theatrical defense against an attack she helped plan?"

Thessaly's nails dug into her palms. Don't react. Don't give them ammunition.

"You're suggesting she orchestrated her own brother's assault on my palace?" Davorin's voice had gone very quiet.

"We're suggesting the timing is convenient. As is her immunity to your curse. As is the bond you claim to share." The Caldris ambassador smiled without warmth. "Convenient things tend to be traps, Your Majesty."

"Noted."

"We're also concerned about reports of her influence over you." Valmere again. "Your own nobles have petitioned us. They say you've changed since she arrived. Become isolated. Made decisions that favor her over the realm's interests."

"Such as?"

"Refusing to execute her after her brother's attack. Keeping her close despite multiple assassination attempts. Defending her against your own court." Valmere's voice was sharp now. "You declared war on your nobles for her. That's not the action of a rational king. That's the action of a man compromised."

The word hung in the air. Compromised.

"You think I'm bewitched," Davorin said flatly.

"We think you're attached. And attachment makes people blind." Valmere stepped closer. "Your Majesty, we're not here to insult you. We're here because five kingdoms see the same problem and we're trying to prevent a larger conflict."

"By demanding I hand over someone under my protection."

"By asking you to prioritize the realm over one girl."

Thessaly wanted to scream. She wasn't just one girl. She was a person sitting right here listening to them debate her existence like she was a piece of furniture they were deciding whether to burn.

The fifth ambassador finally spoke. From Ironhold, the northern kingdom. A man built like a bear with a voice to match. "Let's stop dancing around this. The girl is a security risk. Her family wants you dead. Her presence here gives them access they shouldn't have. And frankly, keeping her alive makes you look weak."

"Weak." Davorin repeated the word like he was tasting something foul.

"Yes. Like you can't make the hard choices a king needs to make." Ironhold's expression was almost sympathetic. "We understand you've grown fond of her. But fondness isn't a reason to endanger diplomatic relations."

"What are you asking for?" Davorin's voice had gone cold. Actually cold. Thessaly could feel the temperature dropping through the bond.

"Hand her over to neutral custody," Valmere said. "Let her be tried by an impartial court. If she's innocent, she'll be freed. If she's guilty, she'll face appropriate consequences."

"And by appropriate consequences, you mean execution."

"If warranted."

"For the crime of existing while her brother commits treason."

"For the crime of being a clear and present danger to regional stability." Valmere's voice was steel. "Your Majesty, we're trying to prevent a war. If you continue to harbor her, you're forcing our hand."