Harmonia Calendar 715, Thal 25 - Capital Lionsgate, Elandor
Afternoon - Tribunal Hall
The hall felt tighter with every passing word. I sat rigid on the benches, eyes locked on the High Magistrate, waiting for him to call for Adonis's defense. My fingers pressed against the railing, knuckles white.
'Now. Finally…let him speak. Let him defend himself.'
But the chance never came.
The High Magistrate's voice cut through the silence.
"Baron Hansen Loubane. Your statement."
My chest tightened, eyes wide in disbelief.
'Another witness? A Baron? They even prepared a noble?'
The Baron rose from the benches. He has a small frame, his beard streaked heavily with white. His hands trembled as he gripped the railing, but his words carried the weight of a father's fury.
"My daughter lies in bed. She doesn't eat. She won't speak. My house has received shame. This cannot be brushed aside."
My nails dug into the wood. My stomach twisted.
'Another lie…all of it staged since the party. They even used a noble daughter.'
He didn't stop. His hand lifted, pointing straight across the chamber, straight at Adonis. His voice rose.
"He...He drugged my daughter's drink at the party. He led her to a quiet room. And there, he tried to force her. By the gods' grace, my daughter had enough strength left to shout for the guards. If not...I can't even imagine what that monster would've done to my child."
Gasps rippled through the benches.
My instincts shouted. Something was wrong. The rage in his voice felt too honest.
The Baron's hand moved again. Something glinted in the light. A piece of cloth.
He held it up high for all to see. His voice was loud enough to fill the entire hall.
"My daughter swore she saw this crest upon her attacker's cloak."
Stitched across the fabric, shone the black and red of our house.
The hall erupted in whispers. Nobles leaned forward, their eyes flicking toward Anton. The magistrate's quill scratched, capturing every word.
'Something felt off.'
I watched the Baron more closely. His face, the tremor in his hands, the raw edge in his voice. His fury didn't feel staged. It felt real.
My gaze darted to Father. He was calm, expressionless. Even when our house crest was raised against us, he did not move.
Then, at the corner of my eye, I saw him. Favian. His lips curved, a smile he thought hidden.
My thoughts raced back.
The party. Favian slipping away too soon. The unconscious girl. The silence of the Loubane guards. The crest. The choice Father made.
My eyes widened.
It all clicked.
'Favian… that bastard. He did it.'
***
Afternoon - Tribunal Hall
The High Magistrate spoke, his voice cold.
"The accused may present his defense."
All eyes turned toward the podium. Adonis straightened, and lifted his chin, his chest rose with a deep breath. His fists tightened at his sides, then loosened again as he steadied himself. At last, his voice rang out.
"I didn't touch the maid. I have never harmed the Baron's daughter. Their statements are lies."
The Head Magistrate didn't look. He spoke lazily, eyes still fixed on the document in his hands.
"Your word against theirs."
Adonis's hands curled into fists, his voice rose.
"Bring a truth stone. I will swear, now, before this hall. On my honor, that I speak only the truth."
Another magistrate spoke, his voice firm.
"A truth stone? And why should we use a precious resource—"
He stopped at the wave of the Head Magistrate's hand. The Head Magistrate's tone stayed flat, dismissive.
"Declined. We have enough witnesses. More would speak if we waited."
He set the paper aside and finally looked at Adonis. The corners of his mouth curved in amusement.
"Swear on your honor... What honor?"
Laughter rippled through the benches.
The magistrates did not hide their disdain. One smirked openly. Another leaned to his colleague, whispering behind a sleeve, their eyes flicking toward Adonis.
Theodora shot up at once, her voice was loud enough to break through the laughter.
"At least hear—"
"Silence."
Thud.
The hammer cut her words short. Two guards moved toward her. She sat again, wiping tears away with the back of her hand.
I couldn't keep still. I leaned forward, voice cutting through the silence.
"If the court will admit a record of character statements—"
The magistrate's eyes flicked to me, but before he spoke, another voice cut me off.
"Enough."
Father, eyes cold, tone sharp.
My head snapped toward him. For a moment, I stared, as if seeing him for the first time.
'He sacrifices Adonis to keep Favian clean? And now he says 'enough'? No...it's you who did enough.'
Anger boiled in my chest. My hands gripped the railing harder as I rose.
"This is no trial! It's a farce! You call this justice? You silence us and let liars talk?"
The magistrates shifted, annoyed. A wave of murmurs swept the crowd, nobles frowning, some sneering outright.
Guards closed in. Hands gripped my shoulders, pulling me back. But I didn't stop. Even as the guards seized my arms, yanking me from the bench, I shouted over them.
"He is innocent! You know it! This is all staged! Witnesses coached like actors! And you—"
A guards' palm covered my mouth as they dragged me toward the doors, my heels scraping marble.
The benches stirred. Some nobles gasped, others sneered, and some openly spoke of their disapproval.
Theodora tried to rise again. More guards moved, pushing her down, grabbing her arms, and dragging her out.
Thud.
Thud.
The High Magistrate shouted, his hammer striking again and again.
"Order!"
The doors slammed behind me.
***
Late Afternoon - Tribunal Hall
The hall sat heavy in the silence until a clear voice cut through it.
"Father."
Selene sat, her hands neatly folded on her lap, her white dress catching streaks of light through the stained glass, painting it gold-crimson. Her posture was straight, her chin lifted. Her blue-green eyes fixed on Evan as she spoke, her voice soft.
"If the court finds the charges true. What punishment does the law hold?"
Evan did not look at her. His green eyes were on the magistrates instead, his reply came flat.
"For nobles, fines. House arrest. Removal of post. If the weight calls for it, the court may take name and title. In rare cases like this...Death."
The word hung in the air.
Selene's gaze drifted from her father to the boy standing alone on the podium. Adonis. Then her eyes slid toward Sarah. Selene remembered her at the banquet. Her torn dress, her tears. The memory made her chest ache.
She drew a breath, her shoulders rose and fell once. When she spoke again, her voice softened, but the hall heard.
"It is easy to die. It ends it for him. Let him live it instead. Without a name. Without privilege. As those he wronged."
The ripple was immediate. Nobles who had leaned back now leaned forward. A few men nodded as if the thought had been theirs a moment before.
On the podium, Adonis's breath quickened. He thought of the dance, of her hand correcting his, of her laugh when he had slipped. And now...her soft voice was the one chaining him.
Evan rose, and the murmurs stopped. His voice filled the silence, loud and clear.
"You heard her. Blood would please a crowd. Justice lasts longer. Let it be known that rank does not spare consequence."
The nobles seized the chance at once, eager to gain favor.
"Yes. Strip him."
"An example for the young."
"Mercy without softness."
Others showed their disdain.
"Disgrace!"
"Bastard son!"
Their voices filled the hall.
Anton said nothing. He only inched his head in a silent nod.
No blood spilled. A house that looked like it protected the weak. His plan stood without him lifting a finger.
***
Late Afternoon - Tribunal Hall
The High Magistrate rose from his seat, black robe sweeping the floor. He didn't need to raise his voice, silence had settled as he moved. His words carried through the hall.
"Adonis Ashspire. Bastard son of Anton Ashspire. You are stripped of title and right. Your name is erased from the Ashspire record. You will be sold into slavery at the court's discretion."
Thud.
The hammer struck wood, and with it, the ground seemed to fall away beneath me.
My knees wavered. My chest refused to breathe. The headache slammed back, sharp and merciless, and the faces before me blurred. Then came the tears, they flowed down my cheeks.
I lowered my head, ashamed of them, but they wouldn't stop.
Guards entered. Their heavy footsteps echoed in the hall. They shackled me again, the iron felt heavy, but the headache faded, leaving only hollow weakness behind.
Hands seized my arms, dragging me forward. My boots scraped across marble as the hall unfolded in a blur of faces.
Mother.
Her trembling hands pressed to her mouth. Her lips moved with words I couldn't hear. Her tears fell anyway.
Favian.
His mouth curved in satisfaction, a smirk he didn't bother to hide.
The Marquis.
He didn't even look at me. He sat still, as though I had never been there at all.
Selene.
Her gaze cut sharper than the magistrate's words. Her lips pressed into a line of judgment, and her blue-green eyes never left me.
Sarah.
Her body shook where she sat among the benches. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her hands clasped together, and her lips moved soundlessly.
I stumbled as the guards pulled me toward the door.
'Why? Why me? Why won't they believe me?'
The massive doors groaned as they opened.
A wagon waited ahead.
A hand forced my head down as the door opened. The stench of wood and rotten iron rushed out.
They shoved me inside. The door slammed shut.
Thud.
Darkness swallowed me.
The wheels groaned.
The wagon rolled.