Moon of Misfortunes

17

Rubio and I stayed up all night going over the details of the appeal and how it would play out. He insisted on making sure everything was perfect, his meticulous nature both frustrating and endearing. I was grateful for him—he was amazing as always. He walked me through the complex process of getting in contact with the Queen herself. The idea of him going through all this trouble for me warmed my heart.

As the morning began to creep up, Rubio helped me get cleaned up and presentable. He refused to leave my room for the rest of the night, worried about the "catatonic" state he found me in when he came back. No amount of reassuring eased his concern.

Rubio and I fell into a tranquil silence long ago. I lounged in bed, attempting to nap before we were summoned today. While the trial was slightly deferred, it would be progressing today at 14:00. Now all that was left to do was wait for the time to pass. I was more anxious than ever to go back into the courtroom. Maybe Rubio was right—they could be behind all of this. I couldn't fathom how Nikolai would have even stepped a foot into the Council's Palace without being allowed in. This place was heavily guarded, and no one came in or out without an Elder's approval.

Rubio was persistent that Nikolai getting into the palace and attacking me was somehow masterminded by the Council. He was convinced they were trying to kill me for disrespecting their sentencing and traditional law procedures, just as they did with Grace decades prior. I sighed deeply, realizing I wouldn't be able to nap at this rate. I looked over to Rubio, who seemed deeply preoccupied with the notes as he sat on the couch. I could swear that he could burn a hole through the paper if he tried hard enough. I cleared my throat to get his attention. His eyes shot over to me. I smiled softly, reaching a hand out towards him.

"Come lay down and relax. Nothing is going to change between now and then," I said, attempting to convince him.

"We have about twenty minutes before the guards come," Rubio spoke while impatiently looking down at his watch.

"Even more reason to come relax." He rolled his eyes at me, tossing the notebook onto the couch cushion next to him. 

He stood up, making his way over to the bed, taking my hand. I pulled my hand towards my chest, trying to lure him onto the bed. He crawled in on his knees first, refusing to lay down. I let go of his hand to prop myself up on my elbows.

"What are you going to say when we get there?" he asked.

"That they really don't have enough evidence to convict me of such high crimes. Without any more evidence than a video and picture, it would be unethical to condemn me to death," I paused to think about our outlined points. "They should at least have had an eyewitness to identify me, a weapon, and fingerprints. Not to mention, I have never acted out of turn in my life, and this would be a first-time offense. Not only a first offense, but an extreme one at that. I'm going to state why I requested the appeal, citing the bad video, lack of witnesses, and poor quality of evidence."

"Bravo, but what if someone does place you in the Royal Palace?"

"Then I argue that it was too dark for them to tell. In the video, I could hardly make out any features. Satisfied?"

"Well, let's hope the Goddess is on your side today because the Council will not take being undermined lightly."

I sighed, "You are right. This is a huge risk that I am going to take, but no reward comes from playing it safe."

I looked down at Rubio's features, stopping on his lips before meeting his gaze.

"I'm tired of playing it safe," I whispered. I pushed myself onto him, planting a kiss on his lips. I felt him smile against me as he wrapped an arm around my ribcage and pushed me back onto the bed. He positioned himself between my legs, pressing me onto the bed further. He deepened the kiss briefly, pulling away shortly after. I looked up at him, noting a few of his curls hanging over my face.