But it was not yet over.

The Count—no, the Duke—turned away from the King, his gaze sweeping over the assembled nobles. He looked down upon them, the weight of his presence undeniable, his voice steady as stone.

"To those who border our lands, the choice is yours. To those who wish to remain within, you need only leave behind all that once tied you here. For today, the Dukedom of the Raven stands now—unbound, sovereign, and free."

It was audacious, a declaration so brazen it stole the breath from the room. To proclaim the birth of a new nation—to tear it from the hands of its former ruler in his very presence—was nothing short of an act of legend.

And yet, the Count—no, the Duke—did so anyway.

Without hesitation. Without fear.

His words were not a request. They were an inevitability.

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving the King behind—without so much as a glance.

Ravina stirred, then followed, falling into step behind him.

The knights moved soon after, bringing the Saint with them.

For a moment, Ravina considered telling them to let her go, to part ways and leave it all behind. Its not like it was her fault. It was his, and he wouldn't have a good time after this.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

But the Duke walked with such long strides that she had to hurry just to keep up.

She never saw the knights turn away. Never heard what followed. But deep down, she understood. And her heart hardened at the weight of it.

If only…

If only what?

She was not responsible for this. She had no power to stop it. Magic was powerful—strong—but against the Duke, it was nothing more than a wish upon a star.

Still, the thought lingered.

The Duke finally stopped when they reached the courtyard. His carriage stood before them. He turned to his heir, offering his hand.

“One second.” she asked, His brow lifted, but before he could question her, she vanished.

She didn’t know where the dungeons were. She didn’t know much about this place at all. But she had seen where they had taken them. That was enough.

The sound of the Duke’s son still struggling echoed through the halls, his voice sharp with protest, defending himself, his actions. The guards looked exasperated—but suddenly a person appeared before the son of a duke, it was rapid, quick. And just as suddenly, she was gone again—before the first cry had even finished echoing into the air.

She reappeared before her father, took his still-raised hand, and stepped into the carriage.

“Thank you,” she murmured, offering a sinful smile as she settled inside.

The Duke followed soon after. The carriage shuddered as the wheels turned, the rhythmic clack of stone beneath them fading into the streets.

They rode in silence, but it wasn’t an uneasy one. Quite the opposite.

For the first time in what felt like ages, everything was peaceful.

Ravina’s eyes grew heavy, her body sinking into the rhythm of the carriage. She let them close, lulled by the gentle sway of the wheels, and before she could even think to fight it, sleep wrapped around her like a warm blanket.

She never even realized when she drifted off.