Chapter 61: The Foreign Courtroom

The high-altitude hum of the private jet finally began to drop as the massive aircraft tilted its nose downward. Leo pressed the side of his face against the thick glass window, his dark eyes widening in absolute shock.

Down below, spread across a vast, isolated island territory surrounded by the deep blue waters of the big ocean, was the grand kingdom of Zhelora. Massive white stone walls, towering palace spikes, and sprawling high-society estates stretched out for miles, glowing faintly under the early morning shadows. Leo felt a heavy, cold wave of anxious panic hit his chest.

Alistair Roslav stepped down the aisle of the luxury cabin, a cold, elegant smirk on his lips. He pulled out a sleek silver pocket knife, smoothly cutting the heavy ropes binding Eleanor's wrists, but he completely ignored Leo, leaving his hands tightly locked behind his back. "Move, commoner. Welcome to your judgment."

The jet rolled to a smooth stop on the private runway block, and the automatic stairs lowered. As Leo stepped down onto the asphalt, the first golden rays of the morning sun began to rise slowly over the eastern horizon, painting the grand palace gates in a warm amber light.

Leo froze for a split second, his breath catching in his throat. Standing in perfect, rigid formation on both sides of the marble walkway was a massive, heavily armored royal army. Thousands of soldiers stood shoulder-to-shoulder, their silver spears and shields gleaming under the rising sun as they glared coldly at the prisoner. Two massive guards aggressively shoved Leo’s broad shoulders from behind, forcing him to keep walking down the center line toward the grand double doors of the palace.

They marched through the towering entrance, stepping inside the breathtaking grandeur of the main hall. The ceilings were incredibly high, lined with gold banners and marble pillars.

At the far end of the hall, the heavy golden doors opened, and the King and Queen of Zhelora walked forward with absolute, elite majesty, taking their seats atop two massive, jewel-encrusted thrones.

Alistair and Eleanor immediately stepped forward, lowering their heads in a deep, formal bow. The King’s face was completely twisted into a look of absolute, furious frustration. He slammed his hand against the golden armrest, his voice booming across the silent hall. "Eleanor! You foolish, stubborn child! How dare you secretly pack your bags and flee our borders under the cover of night? You have completely dragged our royal family name through the dirt!"

Alistair stepped to the side, a cynical, mocking grin tracing his purple-haired profile. "Father, the true reason your daughter chose to elope and ruin our reputation isn't just because she hated the marriage papers. It is entirely because of this primitive commoner."

With a rough, violent shove, Alistair aggressively pushed Leo forward.

Leo lost his balance entirely, his tied hands preventing him from catching himself as he crashed down onto his knees against the hard marble floor right in front of the thrones.

The King surged out of his seat, his eyes flashing with absolute, unyielding fury as he stared down at Leo's broad shoulders. "An absolute nobody! A common street rat from the outer world! How dare you seduce my daughter and steal her away from her royal duties?! Guards! Take this insolent worm out to the courtyard and execute him immediately!"

"Stop! Please, do not touch him!"

Before the armor soldiers could lunge forward, Eleanor violently threw her own body directly in front of Leo, using her frame as a physical shield to protect him from the guards. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks, her high-and-mighty pride completely gone as she looked up at her parents with desperate eyes. "Let him leave! Please! I was lying, mother! I was lying, father! I don't love this man at all! He is completely innocent! I only used him as a fake boyfriend story so I wouldn't have to marry that disgusting nobleman you chose for me!"

Alistair let out a cold, sharp laugh from the side, stepping forward to shatter her defense. "You are simply spinning lies now to save his pathetic skin, dear sister. But your words are entirely transparent. You can never save him from his crimes."

Leo’s chest heaved rapidly as he stared at the marble floor, a sudden wave of intense, human anxiety running through his system. I am actually going to die here, he thought frantically, his mind scrambling for an exit vector.

"Hold your blades. Stand down."

A calm, deeply clear, and exceptionally unique voice suddenly cut through the heavy tension of the courtroom from the rear entrance.

The entire royal army instantly went dead silent. The King and Queen violently blinked in surprise, instantly stepping down from their throne steps as their expressions shifted into a look of deep respect. "Prince Felipe," the King announced, his furious tone instantly dropping. "Please, do not worry yourself over this rowdy commotion. Our family guards will handle this criminal immediately."

Leo slowly turned his chin, tracking the arrival of the new figure. Walking down the center aisle with absolute, striking elegance was a young man dressed in a flawless, white high-society military coat. He had sharp, unique platinum-silver hair and piercing blue eyes, moving with a calm confidence that radiated an elite elite background. This was Prince Felipe, Eleanor's official royal fiancé.

Felipe walked slowly until he stopped right next to the kneeling Leo, looking down at him tied before shifting his gaze back to the thrones. "No, Your Majesty. I cannot simply proceed with our marriage while this dark cloud hangs over our match. If Princess Eleanor truly loves this commoner, I refuse to marry a woman whose heart belongs to another."

The King tried to argue frantically, his face flushing red. "But Prince Felipe, she is simply lying to protect—"

"We will find the truth of the marriage match at a later date," Prince Felipe interrupted smoothly, his voice carrying an unyielding authority that made the King shut his mouth instantly. Felipe looked down at Leo, his expression calm and highly competitive. "For now... let this gentleman live inside the palace as a guest, not as a locked criminal. I refuse to have an execution ruin the honors of my house."

Felipe stepped closer to Leo, leaning down slightly as his eyes locked dead into Leo's dark gaze, a sharp, challenging grin tracing his lips. "Let us settle this fair and square, commoner. I will show Eleanor exactly who is more worthy of her devotion."

Leo stared back up into his eyes, his jaw tightening in absolute, unyielding annoyance. Before he could deliver a single line, two guards stepped forward, cleanly cutting his ropes and guiding him frame out of the hall. He was taken deep into the luxury wing of the palace, escorted inside a lavish guest bedroom. But the moment the door shut, a sharp click from the outside initialized. The balcony and windows were guarded, he was a guest, but he was completely forbidden from leaving the room.

.....

Meanwhile, Stella was pacing wildly across her apartment floor, her face completely pale as she got worried sick.

She held Princess Ophira's tracking device in her trembling hands, her green eyes wide with pure, frantic anxiety as she watched the bright neon-blue dot completely stop moving. The location was locked dead onto a massive kingdom right in the middle of the big ocean.

"Oh no... Leo..." Stella whispered breathlessly, her fingers clenching the metal casing until her knuckles turned white. Her mind was in a complete, chaotic storm. "I don't have a single transport or a spatial drive left to travel across the ocean to find him."

KNOCK! KNOCK!

A sudden, sharp, and remarkably heavy pounding against her front apartment door shattered the quiet room.

Stella flinched, her body locking rigid in absolute, heart-hammering surprise. She slowly walked over to the entryway, her breath catching in her throat as she reached out a trembling hand, twisting the deadbolt open.

The door swung inward. Stella froze completely dead, her emerald eyes stretching wide in absolute, jaw-dropping shock.