Saxifrage Fire

004

The Courtroom was composed of pure granite and gold trimmings with rows of like benches that seemed to bow to the seat of the Empress which was framed by a vast curved data-screen. The seats were filled with spectators, and the Councilmen de Sera were lined in regal white robes behind their counters that spilled off the sides of the Empress's high throne.

Empress Dema sat with her legs crossed, swinging her foot the way a puma swings its tail from a high branch as it eyes a deer.

Alethea locked with her Glory's cold blue eyes as she and Alexius headed for the front row. She could feel the gaze of every Sera in the room, not on her sister, but on her- the golden heir- and she could practically hear their thoughts. How Sera Alethea Atlas was to tolerate the termination of her own flesh and blood without so much as a flash of her wrist. How Sera, how perfect; too bad she wasn't heir to the throne.

She eased into her seat, placed her hands in her lap, and faced only forward. She could sense Euthalia's gaze and spotted her in her peripheral but didn't pay her an acknowledgment. Yet, her imagination presented the image of Euthalia's face as she watched her welcome poison into her veins from behind the viewing glass. Despite Euthalia's faults, they'd done everything together since they could barely walk. Part of her was sure that when her heart stopped beating, Thalia's heart would stop too.

The Court was silent for a small eternity.

Finally, a Councilman stood and came down the steps to the forefront.

"Morning, people de Eirene. We gather here under the unfortunate circumstance of the trial of young Alexius Atlas whose data is under question."

He cleared his throat and locked his hands behind his back.

"Miss Atlas, would you please stand?"

She reached for her sister's hand and squeezed.

"Hold your head high, Alexius," she whispered.

Alexius stood and lifted her chin to the Court, biting her lip to keep it steady.

Whispers tore through the rows of onlookers like wind through fall trees. A few wrists flashed from untamed sadistic excitement.

Alethea narrowed her eyes searching for those whose primal faults led them to enjoy her sister's misery. She'd like to choke them by their gold-laced belts. She blinked and stared down at her hands, startled by her first violent wish.

"Alexius Atlas, you have one chance to speak for yourself. Do you have any defense to present before we reveal your data?"

Alexius froze for a moment.

"Do you?"

Alethea studied the councilman's fragile old frame, wishing to leap over her seat and take his last days of old age.

"No Sir," Alexius stated boldly.

"Well then..." He clapped and the screens lit up white and years of heart rates, serotonin, cortisol, dopamine, and hormone levels cascaded in an orderly fashion over the screen. Reported incidents followed- reports of verbal outbursts, crying, the time she smashed a vase against the wall followed- most witnessed and reported by Father.

All Alethea could do was force herself to take one deep breath at a time and stare ahead. She couldn't read the data. She couldn't consider the fact that her sister had been living alone for so long- the only one living, really, while she'd been asleep, while she'd been... Sera. She recalled that time she'd smashed a vase- she couldn't imagine then why Alexius would do such a thing to such a family heirloom at the time, but if that vase was in her hand now, it would take all her control not to smash it to the floor and watch the pieces scatter.