The emperor's palace was a magnificent work of architecture as the exterior was decorated in intricate red and gold designs. If it were any other day, it would have been quiet but there was a whirlwind of anxiety and fear amongst the people.

"So, you're saying you had no involvement?"

Pranee was bowing before the king, her forehead and hands pressed against the cold ground and she could feel her anxiety grow by the minute. There was a large crowd gathered in the throne room to spectate and judge the women in front of them.

"I had none, your highness."

"Your brother's treason had nothing to do with you? How do I know you're not like your mother?"

The king's words sent the onlooking crowd into a burst of gossip. He spoke as if the prince wasn't also his brother which only made Pranee tremble more.

"The prince was involved in the treason?" One person whispered.

"The poor girl will have to suffer the burden of her brother's actions." Another whispered back.

"If the brother didn't want his sister to suffer bad karma, he shouldn't have tried to overthrow the king."

"The poor king, to be betrayed by his own siblings."

"The two were born from a concubine, that's why such bad karma has affected the two siblings but not the king."

Tears started to form in Pranee's eyes and her body trembled. "Brother please, believe me."

"Our father died not only a month ago and you know the heartbreak that all of us are facing."

"My heart is breaking as well, I'm sure you know that very well. I am too far in my grief to have been aware of my brother's plans."

"You two were born by the same mother, how should I believe that you favour me over him?"

Her mouth moved silently as she tried to come up with a reply.

"Your highness," another voice called from behind her to get the king's attention. She could tell it was the general's voice. "There is something you must know."

She could hear the man get onto his knees to address the king. He most likely had his hands held together and his head bowed towards the king to show respect.

"General, what did you find?"

"We searched her room and found a scroll about witchcraft. One of the passages marked was on how to put a curse on somebody. We think that she would have placed said cursed on the king, thus ending his reign."

Pranee's body went stiff and she could only turn her head slightly to see what the guard was showing. The scroll in his hand was unfamiliar to her. The paper of the scroll looked thin and had cracks along its sides.

"That isn't mine." Her breath caught in her throat as she realized that she had spoken without thinking.

"Dear sister," he said it with such venom that it made her flinch. "Didn't you always have an interest in witchcraft?"

"I have but would never use it against my king." She said it so quickly, even she couldn't even understand what she had said for a moment.

"But why would a princess ever need to use magic?"

Her body began to tremble. If she actually said, it might get her into even more trouble. Every word she said could trigger an even worse reaction. "I-I don't know."

The king turned his attention back to the general, clearly unhappy with the answer Pranee had given him. "General, was there any more evidence of her colluding with her brother?"

"The prince had sent a message to her to see if she was alright along with the scroll." Pranee could hear the crackle of paper as the guard held it up for the king to see.

"Pranee, do you know where he is?"

"No, your majesty."

"I'll be nice to you because you are my sister and you seem to know nothing about the prince's whereabouts and actions. If you truly are loyal to me, you'll tell me if he tries to contact you."

She took a moment to process the words, unsure about what the king was saying. "I can't possibly choose between my two brothers."

"It is a choice between protecting your king or siding with the enemy."

She stayed silent. She didn't know what to say. She cared greatly for the prince but the king wanted her to choose.

"You're insolent for staying silent."

She lifted her head and opened her mouth to say something but the king lifted a hand to stop her.

"I'll have mercy on you because you are my sister. Killing family will only accrue bad karma."

His face was still stone cold as he said the words and Pranee couldn't feel relief just yet. There was something about him that has always frightened her and the fact that he's still treating her so coldly only meant the worse has yet to come.

"I cannot let a witch stay in the palace. It is too dangerous for not only me but the people as well. You'll be sent to a tower on the outskirts of the country to live there for the next year. If you truly are loyal to the throne, you'll live a long life. If you are not, your stay in the tower will be a short one. I'll let the world decide its fate for you."

Pranee stared at the king in shock and the crowd burst into a new round of reactions and gossip. She didn't move until the guards picked her up and carried her to the dungeon where she will wait for her trip to the tower.

The single accusation of witchcraft had changed Pranee's life drastically and she didn't know what was in store for her.