As Clara left my study, escorted by the guards, I felt an unexpected weight lift from my shoulders. For years, I had carried the burden of my stepsister's cruelty and Lady Beatrix's manipulation. Now, finally, the truth would be acknowledged not just privately but publicly.
Alaric entered the room moments later, his expression concerned. "I trust that meeting went as you expected?" he asked, coming to stand beside me.
I leaned against him, drawing comfort from his solid presence. "She agreed to confess everything in court tomorrow."
"And in exchange, we release Lady Beatrix?" His tone carried obvious disapproval.
"Not exactly," I replied, looking up at him. "I told Clara we would commute Lady Beatrix's sentence to exile rather than hanging."
His eyebrows shot up. "Isabella, that woman tried to have you killed. Multiple times."
