Flight of Frost and Aurora

Chapter 53

Alastor was thrown into a prison cell, awaiting his trial, though the judge—Lucifer—was already convinced of his guilt and prepared to sentence him to hang. Yet, it wasn't the looming execution that filled him with dread; it was the fate of his beloved Charlotte that truly haunted him. He clung to the hope that the blood found at the scene couldn't possibly be hers, and as long as no body was discovered, there remained a glimmer of hope that she was still alive. But where could she be?

"Vagatha, Anthony, you know I would never hurt Charlotte," he said from behind bars. "Please tell me that at least you two believe I'm innocent."

"Of course we believe you," Vagatha replied. "But what exactly happened?"

"I don't know. We fell asleep, and when I woke up, she was gone."

"That may be true, but you were found with her clothes and covered in blood," Anthony said. "That's all the judge needs to know to condemn you."

"I will not die! Not until I find Charlotte! If I could just get out of here, I could search for her myself."

"What about the medallion Lord Zestial gave you?" Vagatha asked. "The one that would turn you back into a sprite and restore your powers? You could use it to escape."

"I thought of that, but I lost the medallion."

"Of course you did," Vagatha said, rolling her eyes. "Any idea where you might have lost it?"

"In the woods, I think."

"Well, then that thing is gone for good," Anthony said. "And maybe Charlotte is too. We've searched everywhere—the village and the woods. She's completely vanished."

"Is there any way we can convince the judge to give Alastor a chance to find Charlotte? Or at least delay the execution?" Vagatha asked Anthony.

"Nope. There are only two ways out for him: Charlotte must turn up alive before it's too late, or, according to our customs, a man sentenced to death can be pardoned if a young woman agrees to marry him."

"Marry another woman? Never! Not even to save my own life!" Alastor protested. "I promised my heart to Charlotte, and I intend to keep that promise."

"You may have to take that promise to your grave."

"I'm convinced the judge's wife and Lute are behind this!" Alastor exclaimed. "They did something to Charlotte and framed me!"

"Why am I not surprised?" Anthony replied, raising an eyebrow.

"But you have no proof they're guilty," Vagatha interjected. "Let's be honest, that judge will never see their true nature without solid evidence."

"I know that," Alastor said, frustration creeping into his voice. "When you were searching for Charlotte, did you find any clues? Anything that could point to them?"

"No, I didn't find anything," Vagatha admitted.

"I found a dead goat," Anthony chimed in.

"A dead goat?" Alastor echoed, his curiosity piqued. "Was it from Lucifer's flock?"

"Yeah, I think so. I found it buried near his barn."

"Did it die of natural causes?"

"Oh hell no! Someone took an axe to that thing and chopped it to pieces."

"That must be where all the blood came from. Maybe if we can convince Lucifer that the blood found on me wasn't Charlotte's, he'll consider the possibility that I was framed. It might buy me some time."

"But how do we prove that?" Vagatha asked.

"You need to present the goat's carcass and the axe used to kill it. Return to his property and bring those items to the courthouse."