The Downfall Of Stolas Goetia

The Trial Of Stolas Goetia

Octavia's coronation came and went without a hitch, or so the rest of Hell believed. While the rest of Hell celebrated the coronation of their new princess, the marquises and marchionesses of the Goetia family only just managed to grit their teeth and get through the ceremony without telling the kings and queens about Stolas' crimes. They eyed Stolas with great disdain at the party after the ceremony; some of them glared, some of them made quips about his imp fetish, and others gossiped about what he'd done amongst themselves. Stolas hadn't been able to enjoy the party, even when he'd seen Octavia laughing and dancing and eating cake with her friends. Octavia was the happiest that she had been in years, but Stolas couldn't be happy for her when his downfall was imminent, and there was nothing he could do about it. It wasn't fair. He hadn't even done anything wrong.

He didn't know when the kings and queens had been informed of his supposed crimes, but just two weeks after the coronation, the entire Goetia family knew. Stolas was now standing trial in front of the entire Ars Goetia family, and everyone, from the kings and queens to the knights, was arranged in circles around him. Stolas, meanwhile, sat in the defendant's bay with no one at his side, not even a defense attorney. No defense attorney was brave enough to defend one Goetia against the other seventy one, and their partners and children. He wished that Blitzø would come and save him. All he wanted was Blitzø to come and save him from whatever the others were going to do to him. He was innocent of any wrongdoing, but there was nothing he could do to make the court believe that.

The judge, an imp from Greed, banged their gavel, silencing the chatter from the other members of the Goetia family. "Court is now in session for the trial of Prince Stolas Goetia."

Andrealphus took the prosecution's stand. "The prosecution is ready, your honour."

Stolas cowered pathetically in the defendant's bay, avoiding the gaze of his ex brother-in-law. "The defense is ready, your honour."

The judge pointed their gavel at Stolas. "Prince Stolas Goetia, you stand accused of lending out your grimoire, and in doing so, allowing illegal access to the mortal realm. In addition to these charges, you also stand accused of raping Blitzø Buckzo, and failing to prepare your heir, Princess Octavia, for her ascension to her throne," they said coldly, "How do you plead?"

"Not guilty! I would never dream of raping Blitzø, or neglecting Octavia!" he shot back, "I love Blitzø, and I love my daughter!"

Stolas was already whimpering, tears threatening to spill out, but the judge was unshaken by his pitiful display. "And how do you plead to the charge of lending out your grimoire, and allowing illegal access to the mortal realm?"

"Not guilty," he responded, looking down at the floor. It wasn't true, but unless someone in the courtroom had evidence that he had been lending his grimoire out to Blitzø, they couldn't prove that he was guilty. Where was Blitzø, anyway? He wanted Blitzø. He wanted Blitzø to whisk him away from here. He wanted Blitzø to do something to show him that he was sorry for not choosing him.

"Well, it won't be long before everyone here knows that you're guilty," Andrealphus said with a vindictive smirk, "Your honour, the prosecution would like to call two witnesses to the stand."

"You may only call one at a time, your highness," the judge responded.

"Then I'll start by calling Stolas' victim, Blitzø Buckzo to the stand," Andrealphus said acerbically, "Stolas forced the poor imp to have sex with him in exchange for the illegal use of his grimoire."

Stolas gasped, holding his hands over his chest like he'd been shot "But we had an"—

"Arrangement he couldn't say no to," Andrealphus cut in, "Face it Stolas, what you did to the poor thing was coercion! Quid pro quo! In other words, you raped Blitzø because you took away his ability to give consent to your affair."