"I know you don’t trust royalty. I can see it in the way you look at me, in the way you barely even try to hide it anymore. And I know, for a fact, how badly you’ve all been hurt by the previous administration abusing their power and leaving damage behind that can’t just be fixed overnight. Lives were broken, families were torn apart, and nothing was ever done to make it right. I’m not pretending that didn’t happen."

I let the words settle for a second, making sure they actually reached them instead of just bouncing off.

"I know that because the system was so rotten, some of your family members grew up believing there was no such thing as a higher authority that would step in to help them. That kind of belief doesn’t come from nowhere. It comes from being ignored again and again until you stop expecting anything at all. I know the taxes you’ve been paying, the money you handed over thinking it would come back to your communities, never actually made it back to you. It got stuck somewhere up there, lining pockets that were already full. And when things got bad, when you needed help the most, the people sitting at the top, the former administrators, didn’t even bother looking your way. They just... let it happen."

I exhaled slowly, keeping my voice steady.

"I know all of that for a fact. I’m not guessing. And that’s exactly why I’m trying to stop the root of it instead of just putting a bandage over everything and calling it fixed."

"Is this just another one of your propaganda speeches, Princess?"

The response came almost immediately, sharp and unimpressed.

"We know what you’re doing. You’re trying to push your agenda using that new device of yours, and yeah, we’ve heard people are starting to lean your way. Word spreads fast. But I’ve got a feeling this is just going to end the same way it always does. Maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually. It won’t matter in the end. It never does. Things will circle right back to where they were."

He let out a quiet breath, something between a scoff and a tired sigh.

"We’re people who’ve already been dragged through the dirt by royalty. You don’t just forget that."

It sounded final. Not loud, not aggressive, just... worn down. Like he’d said those words too many times before.

No matter how much I tried to convince them, it felt like it wouldn’t change much. Their expressions barely shifted, their stares still heavy with doubt. That was how deep it went. That was how little trust they had left in people like me.

Honestly, I couldn’t even argue with that.

I could only blame myself.

I had known about this for a long time. Longer than I wanted to admit. The signs were there, the stories were there, the quiet resentment that kept building beneath everything was there. And yet, I didn’t do anything meaningful about it.

I knew, but I didn’t act.

I understood, but only on the surface.

And by the time everything had gotten so bad that it crossed the line into something truly irreversible, it was already too late for me to just step in and fix it like it was some simple mistake.

"What can you even possibly do?"

The question came out blunt, but not mocking. Just tired.

"I know this might sound rude, but how exactly are you planning to make this country better? You’ve seen the same things we have. Do you really think you can fix the cracks that have spread through this entire godforsaken kingdom? Do you actually believe you can make any real difference here?"

The way he said it made it clear he wasn’t expecting a satisfying answer.

I took a deep breath before speaking.

"I do. I believe I can."

Simple. Straight to the point. With no hesitation.

"What makes you so sure?"

"It’s not just belief," I said, keeping my voice steady, even if I could feel the weight of their stares pressing in. "I’m not standing here relying on empty confidence. Right now, there are people who are choosing to support me. People who are putting everything they have behind me, even knowing how broken things are. That kind of trust isn’t something I can just ignore."

I held his gaze.

"So isn’t it only natural that I try to become someone worthy of that? If people are willing to stand behind me, then the least I can do is make sure they’re not wasting that choice."

The man who had been speaking, pushed himself to his feet. Then he stepped closer.

The bars between us clinked softly as he approached.

They were the only thing keeping distance between us. Without them, he could’ve reached out, grabbed me by the collar, dragged me in, and ended everything right there if he felt like it. He looked more than capable of it too.

Still, he didn’t move to attack.

And I didn’t flinch.

"How are you going to turn this godforsaken kingdom into something we can actually respect again?" he asked, his voice lower now, more focused. "How are you going to make us feel any kind of loyalty toward our own motherland after everything that’s happened?"

"If you want to see it for yourselves, then I’ll let you," I answered.

I didn’t look away.

"This doesn’t have to end with your execution. It doesn’t have to end the way things usually do. I believe what you’re doing, everything you’ve risked, comes from wanting to protect this Kingdom in your own way. You wouldn’t be here otherwise. You’ve gone against the law, against the system itself, because you believe it needs to change."

I paused briefly, then continued.

"You’re trying to free your homeland. The place you were born in, the place that shaped you. That kind of conviction isn’t something I can just dismiss. Because of that, I think you all deserve the chance to see for yourselves whether my rule is actually worth anything."

I looked at each of them, one by one, making sure none of them felt ignored.

"I’m not asking you to give your loyalty to me," I said. "That’s not what I want. What I’m asking is for you to give your loyalty to the Kingdom itself. To the place where you grew up, where you became who you are now. I’m asking you to protect its honor, and help make it into something that’s actually worth believing in again."

The words hung in the air for a moment.

I took a breath, steadying myself before finishing.

"Watch me," I said. "That’s all I’m asking. Watch what I do, watch what changes. And if, after all of that, you decide that I’m not enough, that I’m not fit to lead..."

I held his gaze without wavering.

"Then I’ll offer my head to you."