Awakening Love Reborn to Be His Duchess (Elowen Hale) novel Chapter 593

Chapter 593 Conscience and Leverage

For once, Colton found himself caught off guard, the words stalling just slightly in his throat.

He had seen every kind of political storm, dealt with men far more troublesome than most, yet facing Elowen now, he couldn’t immediately steer the conversation where he wanted it to go.

Elowen continued without hesitation. “At first, I couldn’t understand why Dominic would choose this moment to expose the assassination of the Nordian prince. What could he possibly gain from it?”

Her voice remained even, but there was something grounded beneath it.

“Then I thought of my father. He’s fought battles his entire life, some he won, some he lost. There was one defeat that stayed with him. After he returned, he shut himself away in his study for days and refused to see anyone. It wasn’t until he won another campaign later that he finally smiled again.”

She lifted her eyes, meeting Colton’s gaze directly, clear and steady.

“It took me time to understand why. He wasn’t simply brooding over defeat. He felt he had failed His Majesty. He couldn’t make peace with that.”

Her tone sharpened slightly.

“My father is a soldier. He was never much of a scholar, yet even he understands what loyalty means. Dominic is different. He studied for years, earned his place through the examinations, and entered court as a servant of the Crown. Every book he read taught him the same thing. Loyalty to the king. Responsibility to the realm. And above all, a conscience

She did not look away.

“He took part in the plot against Prince Roderic. He disrupted a peace negotiation that His Majesty had worked hard to secure. He placed the Crown in a difficult position and brought disgrace upon the court. Those are facts.

A brief pause followed.

“But after doing all that, do you really believe he could feel at ease?”

Cassian stood beside her, his expression relaxed, the faintest trace of amusement lingering – the corner of his hips as he watched the exchange unfold.

Elowen spoke again, slower this time, each word deliberate,

This time, he killed Rowan by mistake and was thrown to a prison cell under the Ministry of

Chapter 393 Conscience and Leverage

Crown Justice. At that point, he knew his life was over. He understood that he would not walk out alive.”

She held the silence for just a moment longer.

“So before the end came, he told the truth. Not because it would save him, and not because it would benefit him, but because he wanted peace of mind.”

Her voice carried clearly through the chamber.

“That way, he wouldn’t betray the trust His Majesty had placed in him, and he wouldn’t betray everything he had spent his life learning.”

Colton had no immediate reply.

Alaric was down on one knee, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Elowen, the intensity of his gaze almost burning.

There was resentment there, and something deeper, something sharper.

She really does hate me.

Enough to drag everything into the open in front of the entire court.

Is she determined to see me stripped of my position before she stops?

His thoughts pulled him backward.

Elowen, smiling at him.

Elowen, lowering her gaze shyly in his presence.

Elowen, looking at him as though he were the center of her world.

Now, when she looked at him, there was nothing left but distance. Cold and unyielding.

He wanted to demand an answer, to ask her why things had turned this way.

Before he could speak, Colton’s voice cut in.

“Your Grace speaks with remarkable clarity.”

Alaric turned sharply, disbelief flashing across his face as he looked at his grandfather.

“Your Highness, Colton continued, his voice aged bur steady as it carried across the hall, “the way you handled this matter was deeply improper”

Chapter 593 Conscience and Leverage

Alaric’s eyes widened.

Colton did not look at him as he went on.

“For years, the Duke of Duskmoor has distinguished himself on the battlefield, risking his life and securing victory after victory for the Crown. The soldiers follow him because they trust him, and his command is respected throughout the ranks. Everyone in this court knows it.

His tone remained measured.

“You are the heir to the throne, the foundation of the realm. Even if your reputation does not match his, that is no cause for concern. He is your uncle, your elder. These honors and reputations are not something he would ever try to take from you.”

A slight pause.

“If he had wanted that throne, he could have pursued it long ago. When the time came to choose sides, he could have stepped forward. But he didn’t. He stepped back instead. He chose to serve as your uncle and as His Majesty’s subject.”

Colton’s voice lowered, gaining weight.

“So why let suspicion take root? Why assume he posed a threat and move to suppress him? Why go so far as to orchestrate the assassination of a Nordian prince and place the blame on him?”

His words landed heavily.

“That single shot did not just kill a prince. It struck at the very peace His Majesty has worked so carefully to build.”

Elowen’s brow lifted slightly.

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