Tales of Fire and Ruin

Verdict

At the crack of dawn, I woke up to an empty bed, a glare in my eye, and loud banging on my door.

Groaning, I shielded my face from the sun and shifted myself upright. I looked at the nightstand and found the culprit of the glare: a fruit knife sitting innocently on the wooden surface. The rays of the sun reflecting on its blade cast light into my eyes. Half of a piece of green fruit laid next to the knife. A drop of transparent liquid clung to its edge. The memory of Oleander breaking the fruit open with an impish smirk playing on his lips brought heat to my cheeks.

I flinched as the banging on my door grew louder.

"What is it?" I called out.

"It's time to rise, lord Montbow," Endris' voice sounded on the other side of the door. "You mustn't be late for your hearing."

"Yes." I sighed. "Be right there."

I brushed a hand through my unruly hair and stared at the empty spot beside me on the bed. The sun shining into my room warmed my face but not my heart. It was cold without Oleander here. I knew he couldn't possibly have stayed the night, but I wished he had, anyway. I wished we would be here in each other's arms, rather than him in a servant's room and me facing a trial.

After stretching out, I made myself stand. The faster I would go to the courtroom, the faster this would be behind me. Then there was the queen's ball, and then I could hopefully leave Wildewall and the court behind me for the foreseeable future.

I donned myself in clothes which seemed to be made for gallivanting and showing off wealth. There was an unreasonable amount of gemstones embedded in the tunic's fabric, but at least I wasn't half-naked today. 

Unfortunately, I would have to be alone. Much as I would have liked Oleander in the room for moral strength while I stood trial, I decided it was too risky to expose him to a crowd. I left him at the inn, hoping he would understand, while Ariane, Endris, Nele, and a few more of Ariane's servants escorted me to the trial court.

Last night, I was the happiest man in this city. This morning, I was in a courtroom facing a trial, on behalf of my entire family, for a crime I didn't commit. One Ytel had brought on himself by coming to the Thundercoast intending to steal Montbow land.

Also, nobody had told me trials were public events in Wildewall. Well, at least not this public.

Seemingly, they were very popular events. The trial court was a tall building consisting of one fully open room with an audience of at least two-hundred people already present. I halted at the entrance, losing my bearings for a moment at suddenly being confronted with this many people.

I was also very aware that everyone would see my hesitation should they look over their shoulder at me now. Several people did, and murmurs started echoing through the room.

"Laurence, move!" Ariane hissed in my ear. Her palm pressed against my back and she pushed me.

With my heartbeat in my throat I walked, one foot in front of the other, past stone-faced guards stationed at the entrance. I tried my best to ignore the rows of people on my left and right, all staring at me. Looking ahead wasn't much better, unfortunately. There was a judge with eyes dark like onyxes staring at me from a table positioned on a stage that towered over the crowd. A council of eight people wearing all black surrounded her, four on the left and four on the right. Hoods decorated with god-touched symbols covered half the council members' expressionless faces.

As I walked further into the room, I realised there was also a balcony above me, filled with men and women donned in fancy clothes. These had to be the noble born attendants of the trial, seated up high and always making sure they were ascended above the common folk. Priest Landefort was among them, literally looking down on me just like the judge.