CHAPTER 82

Alone....

I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat and forced myself to speak, though my voice trembled. "If you go through with this... if you allow them to take everything from me, then I will never forgive you. Any of you."

Elder Baron sighed, as though exhausted by my resistance. "We are not taking everything from you, Queen Veronica. You will still hold a place in the royal court, albeit one more suited to the circumstances."

"I won't be sidelined!" I spat, rising from my chair. "You think you can just push me aside, that I’ll quietly fade into the background? No. I’ve fought too hard to be where I am. If you believe I’ll accept this without a fight, then you’ve grossly underestimated me."

For a moment, a flicker of uncertainty passed through the room. Even the elders, so self-assured moments ago, hesitated. But it was Daniel, the elder who had confronted me earlier, who stepped forward.

"Queen Veronica," he said, his voice cold and calculating. "You speak of fighting, but