Eleanora panicked as no one ever entered this abandoned mansion except Maria and Rena.
'Why would something like that be in my room?'
'Who could have put it there? That means the knight is lying...'
"I, Marquise Brayden Hill, by the orders of His Majesty the Emperor; hereby place you... under arrest for the murder of the unborn heir of the throne."
"And for the harm you inflicted on our Queen. You will be detained immediately pending trial in a week."
'WHAT? She lost the baby?'
Eleanora asked horrified as she felt her body becoming paralyzed.
Of course, they all think she had something to do with it, which she also knew.
Why would anyone believe the empress, who publicly made a scene about the queen's pregnancy?
"Take her down to the cells,"
Brayden gestured a knight as his face finally showed disgust, Which Eleanora knew that he had been trying to hide this whole time.
They began to push her out of the door but Eleanora kicked and fought against them.
'I am a knight commander for god sake! How can these mere knights bring me down?'
"You're insane! You're all insane!"
"Where is His Majesty?! Let me see his majesty and clear this whole thing up!"
"I am the empress! I demand you take me to the emperor immediately!"
Eleanora screamed like a crazy person as she tried to free herself from the knight's grip.
"That won't be necessary,"
A deep chilly voice rang behind her in the hall and Eleanora instantly became quiet.
She tried to look behind as much as possible to see the familiar red eyes, which she dreaded so much.
The hatred filled in them was more than she had ever seen before.
Fear gripped her heart and her legs almost gave out from just the sight of him in such anger.
He looked pretty ready to snap her neck with his bare hands.
"Your Majesty..."
Despite her fear, Eleanora still tried her best to convince him.
Wanting to see a little bit of trust and sympathy in those red eyes.
"I didn't do this, I swear, I didn't kill your baby. I didn't even want to be here anymore. I was giving up, letting you have the queen just like you always wanted."
"...So you admit to trying to run away,"
The emperor groaned in a low voice.
"Your motive seems clear here. Indeed, like father like daughter. The father tried to kill the emperor and the daughter killed the future heir..."
"Don't worry though; you're getting your wish..."
Several of the imperial members made themselves present with the high priest and a chill ran down her spine as she watched the wicked smile on Duke Raven's face.
Eleanora had a feeling and she could guess what he was about to do.
Even the admittance of wanting to escape was punishable, putting aside the false charges against her for the queen's miscarriage.
"The Duke of Dalton has been found guilty of trying to murder the emperor; preparing for a rebellion with the help of his daughter, The Empress."
"Who has also been suspected to be the murderer of the future heir of the Empire."
"Therefore, I, Cathain De Valerian Valentino, Emperor of the Valentino Empire, along with the majority agreement of the nobles present; breaking off the holy bond of marriage with Eleanora Cathain Valentino and take away my name from hers, as my wife and empress of this empire, the daughter of Alexander De Xavier Dalton."
Eleanora looked at Cathain as a tear drop left her blue eyes and she fell on her knees because of his superior commanding aura which forced her into submission.
He stood completely emotionless as he spoke, as if nothing had happened.
'So it was true...'
'He had never loved me.'
'Not even a little bit... It was always and only me.'
The emperor just looked down at her with his bloody red eyes as if she was never anyone remotely special to him.
"I... Eleanora Cathain Valentino, The empress of the Valentino Empire and the Daughter of Alexander De Xavier Dalton; accepts his majesty, the only sun of our empire's command."
"I hereby give you back the name you granted me, step down from my position as the empress."
Eleanora mumbled with a heavy heart as she had no other choice.
She had her pride. She would never beg a man to keep her.
Then she glanced at the high priest, who sighed heavily as he announced with a sorrowful tone.
"Sign the papers and you will be officially divorced."
The emperor signed the papers without a second doubt and she signed it too, with her shaking hands.
'No need to stay with a man who doesn't believe and respects me... It's okay, it doesn't hurt at all,'
But it hurts.
He is the one she has loved for more than ten years, her world revolves around him and shines only for him.
She kept holding on, till he crushed her down completely.
And then the emperor turned his back to her and began to walk away after he gave his command.
"Take her down to the cells,"
The emperor ordered over his shoulder, not even bothering to look back to check if his command was carried out.
Sir Brayden immediately pulled up Eleanora and began to drag her to the stairs.
But unlike before, Eleanora didn't fight back anymore as she found no point anymore.
No hope.
Her heart knows.
She was such a fool.
Hold onto something that wasn't for her.
She just let them drag her towards the prison, where she would stay for the next days till her trial.
Eleanora looked at the cells with her empty blue eyes.
It was cold, damp, and dingy, with little amenities.
Only a bed, toilet, and basin were given to her, a single blanket being the only thing to try to warm her body.
'Should I thank him for not freezing me to death?'
There was little space, each cell having three stone walls and bars along the wall where the door was.
She curled up in a corner as she covered herself with the blanket.
Feeling like a complete loser.
Because she lost the game on her own, to make him win.
And now she has nothing but darkness surrounding her again.
.
.
.
It had been seven days and so today, finally, Eleanora was set to stand trial before the empire for her alleged murder.
Eleanora knew the evidence was stacked against her, it would be almost impossible to win this.
The only hope she had left was that Rena and Maria were still alive.
If they could testify saying they had witnessed firsthand that she had been inside her chambers all week.
Therefore making it impossible to have poisoned that girl, then they would be forced to open the floor to the possibility she was not the culprit.
"Time to go…"
A knight in a pastel green uniform spoke in a low voice and stood outside her cell.
Eleanora recognized him.
His name was Charles and she had visited his family on multiple occasions as we were very close.
He was a knight who fought alongside her in battles.
A bitter smile appeared on her face as she stood up shakily, having not eaten properly the whole week from stress, and made her way to the side.
Fortunately, the baby in her womb was still alive and strong.
She could still feel it because of the manpower coming from the baby.
She was given medicines to heal her bruises but she didn't want to heal them.
This pain reminded her of foolishness.
"Will Rena and Maria be at the trial?"
Eleanora asked immediately after she got out of the cell.
But Charles didn't reply, instead choosing to remain completely silent as he continued to walk her towards the door.
She couldn't tell if he had been instructed not to talk to her, or if he just genuinely hated her now too.
They were passing several cells and her blue eyes checked each one through the bars, desperately searching for Rena and Maria.
Especially Rena.
She needed her to be there.
She needed her to prove her innocence.
However, once they passed the tenth cell, her eyes glanced across a man with familiar silver hair.
Charles stopped on his track and finally looked at Eleanora with saddened eyes.
"Empr- Commander... This is the last and only favor I can do for you."
Eleanora looked at him with bewildered eyes as she couldn't believe him.
"Commander... We trust you. But we are helpless against the emperor and nobles."
"Please don't hate us for being incompetent. You are the only empress and commander for us."
Tears rolled down from her eyes as she opened her shivering lips to thank him.
But not a word came out from her throat.
Charles gave her a push towards her father's cell and tears rolled down from her eyes like heavy rain as she saw her father in his poor state.
"Fa..Father!!"