The next time I woke, I found that my fever was gone.
I rolled over to find a familiar green face staring back at me, and I quickly sat up. "Strubin! What are you doing here?"
Strubin smiled, walking over to me from the doorway. "I was sent to bring you to the trial," He replied, reaching out his hand for me to grab it.
"Who sent you? Illesior?" I asked him.
He shook his head. "One of my fellow guards told me. Come on, now. You don't want to be late."
He helped me to my feet and stood to the side as I quickly combed my mane into shape, then nodded approvingly when I put on my cloak. "Looking sharp," He murmured.
I nodded briskly. "Thanks."
"And looking lovely as per usual," He added, leaning in to nuzzle my ear affectionately. I blushed and flicked my ears back, but my body involuntarily leaned into his touch.
I reached up to stroke his cheek. "You sly dog. Don't get me all worked up before the trial, would you? I need to be looking my best."
Strubin pretended to act surprised. "But Aven, you always look perfect."
"Shut up." I flicked his nose teasingly and stepped away from him, motioning to the door. "After you."
I followed him down the hall for what seemed like ages, the palace becoming akin to that of a bright labyrinth. Eventually I sensed that we were descending lower, and after a few more turns we came to a large set of doors. About four other aetyrim were guarding the entrance. The doors were shut.
One of the aetyrim whistled lazily. "Hey, Strubin. You're back already?"
He nodded, and the aetyr stepped back, pulling the large door open with him. Before I knew it Strubin guided me inside and the light vanished.
The doors slammed shut behind me with a condescending boom and I blinked once, then twice. The room was vast, high ceilings reaching up like the inside of a cavern.
"You should go up there," Strubin murmured, motioning me to the end of the room where a long table sat high above the others. Lines of curved tables covered the court, and all manner of Black Manes sat among them, some waiting patiently while others tapped their fingers with boredom.
After a moment longer I saw a familiar dark form sitting at the high table. It was Vrotaz, Illesior's advisor and once my old enemy.
"Go on," Strubin murmured again, and I nodded before turning from him.
I tried my best to ignore the fiery gazes fixed on me, burning my fur with self-awareness and a sense of embarrassment.
Before I knew it I was face-to-face with the elder Black Mane, and he fixed me with an unreadable gaze.
I dipped my head. "Greetings." I whispered politely.
He nodded. "To you as well. Sit down; my lord will be here shortly."
I nodded again in acknowledgement and took my place beside him, sliding down into a chair and resting my hands under my head. My heart was racing, and it overwhelmed me to the point where it felt like the whole court could hear the steady pounding.
But it was merely my imagination. Vrotaz took no notice of it; rather, he leaned in after a moment and muttered something I never expected to hear said to me. "I hope you receive the justice you deserve, Albino."
I caught my breath. "...T-thank you."
"For mine and Illesior's sake," He added slowly. "If your brother wasn't given at least some form of punishment I would never hear the end of it. 'That pathetic White Mane should've bitten the ax-blade of the butcher!', he'd say. It drives one mad after a while, you know."
I smiled sheepishly. Vrotaz usually wasn't this friendly with me. Did I grow on him, or did he feel obligated to be cordial for his master's sake? "Do you know the Queen's thoughts on this?" I asked him after a moment's pause. "Arius' crime, anyway."
Vrotaz's eyes grew dark. "She is unreadable, Albino."
I took a new interest in the ground at my feet and said nothing.
For a while, nothing seemed to happen aside from the occasional cough or the dropping of a feather pen. But then the doors slid open- not the ones I came through, but a pair at the back- and I could hear shuffling and muffled growls.
"Take your seat, peasant!" I heard a familiar growl as one of the dark figures kicked the side of another, shoving them into a seat in the middle of the room, right where the high seat could see.
A bag was draped over the recipient's head, and the tall figure standing beside them flung it off to reveal Arius sitting there, bound and chained. I caught my breath, not knowing what to think.
My brother was trying to mutter something around the gag in his mouth but couldn't get any words out, as a glare from the figure beside him gave him a deadly look that shut him up.
The figure then turned to Vrotaz and I and began to head up the stairs, wiping his brow. "Where is my Mother?" Illesior asked. "She should have been present by now."
"My lord, things like these take time," Vrotaz replied coolly, not flinching from his master's gaze.
Illesior growled deep in his throat but said nothing else to him; instead his face lit up when he saw me next to his advisor, and he took his place on my other side.
"Are you feeling any better at all, my dear?" The dark prince purred, ruffling my mane playfully.
I blushed fiercely, inching away from him. "Y-yeah…" What do you THINK? I wanted to shout at him, but fear and respect kept me quiet.
"Oh, of course you must be better. Why else would you have joined me up here?" Illesior purred again. When I didn't reply he joined my position, resting his head on his elegant hands and gazing at me with an almost contented look. "Like the clouds above…" He murmured to himself. That only elicited another blush from me, and I quickly turned away so he couldn't see. I could hear Vrotaz sigh with irritation but he didn't do anything to dissuade his master.
Suddenly I heard the doors open again, and Illesior looked up, straining to see the entrance. After a moment he growled. "Finally." He muttered under his breath, leaning back.
A dark figure strode up the stairs, followed closely by Unydae and another Black Mane I didn't recognize. I caught my breath. The Queen had finally arrived.
Omani shot me a dark look as she took her seat beside her son. Illesior noticed and shifted slightly, as if to shield me from his mother's gaze. He narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
Omani's eyes gleamed. "Taken your pet to the court hearing, Illesior?"
Illesior only glared at her. He opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it and instead was silent.
Unydae took her seat beside Vrotaz, reaching out to fumble through a stack of paperwork. After a moment she drew out a few pages and handed them to the Queen, and Omani took them from her.
The Queen cleared her throat. "We are here today to discuss and address the allegations pressed against Arius Elsgard, a White Mane who has transgressed against my son, the Crown Prince Illesior Darkdawn. Unydae, what does it state are his crimes?"
Unydae shuffled through her paperwork and laid them out neatly on the table in front of her. "It says that Arius has attempted 2nd degree murder against Aven Elsgard, the recently appointed Bookkeeper and the confidant of the Crown Prince."
Omani's eyes widened and she whipped around to glare at her son. "I thought you said it was against you, my son," She spat. "If this is about the White Mane then I-"
"Mother." Illesior growled, clutching the table. "Aven Elsgard has been situated as my personal property in accordance with our royal law. If anything were to hurt her then it would count as a crime against me."
"Oh, really?" Omani raised an eyebrow. "You never told me this. Where is the paperwork?"
In response Illesior whipped out a hefty stack of paper and passed it to her, looking smug.
As Omani read through his paperwork, I stared at Illesior, eyes wide. He noticed and smirked. "I had to do what was best, my dear," He purred quietly.
"You never told me that you made me your 'personal property'," I whispered, feeling my face flush red. "Is that even legal? I thought slavery was done with fifty years ago."
"It isn't slavery," He whispered back, glancing at the queen. "It's a pact. For now it's temporary. It's to protect you, my dear."
Before I could reply, Omani passed the paperwork back to him, looking cross but defeated. "You may have outsmarted me this time, my son," She muttered, shooting him a glare. "All these technicalities give me a headache. But I suppose I should be glad you've inherited your cleverness from your dear Mother, after all."
"Of course," Illesior purred, smirking condescendingly as he leaned back in his chair. "Everyone knows that nobody is as clever as my dear Mother."
"You do know what this means, however," Omani added. Illesior pricked his ears. "What is it? I've read the fine print."
The Queen stifled a laugh. "It also means that, not only is the White Mane your confidant, she is also your advisor… and your concubine."
"BUH!" I whipped around to face Illesior. "WHAT! You never said-"
"I know what I did." Illesior smirked, looking proud of himself as he flashed me a pearly grin.
Omani shook her head. "Illesior, I do have a lot to say to you about your… preferences," She muttered, "But now is not the time. I do hope later on you're considering a Black Mane as your future queen."
"In due time, Mother, in due time," Illesior purred, patting my head.
"My Queen, we are getting off track," Vrotaz said suddenly. "Illesior has proven that it is valid to press charges against a White Mane who has transgressed against another who is in the care of a Black Mane."
"Right, then," Omani waved her hand dismissively. "Carry on."
Illesior motioned for the other Black Mane who was with his mother to remove the gag from Arius' mouth. "Let the prisoner speak."
Arius spat on the floor as soon as his mouth was freed. "Cowards!" He snarled. "Petty cowards!"
"Who are you speaking to, peasant?" Illesior hissed, rising from his seat and pointing a slender finger at him. "Come up here and see if your dirty words still hold strong."
"Illesior, now is not the time," Vrotaz whispered urgently, holding him down. "Calm down. He is only a White Mane."
"One who has harmed my private property!" Illesior snarled, thrashing his tail. "Enough with the technicalities! I want to see if he is so cunning as he makes himself out to be. Within battle, that is."
"Don't waste your breath, my son." Omani chided. She stood from her seat, staring down at the silver aetyr bound to his chair. "Arius Elsgard, son of Abarin Elsgard and brother of Aven Elsgard. The Crown Prince says that six days ago, on the eve of the Summer Solstice, his party was attacked by Shefaris, who had become a Consumed named Maelstrom. Within the battle he claimed that you had attempted to murder his confidant and pin the blame on the Consumed. Is this true?"
"You have no way to prove it," Arius hissed after a moment. "You have only the word of his pet."
"Illesior, he states that you received this information from your newly acquired confidant. Is this true?"
Illesior nodded. "It is true. But I hold her words as fact and truth. She has never lied before."
Omani glared at him. "Illesior, do you not remember who the White Mane you have taken into your care is related to? Abarin Elsgard, the exile who fled to the East Horizon after spreading rumors amongst our people? The criminal who tried to cause the downfall of the Darkdawn family? Are you sure you want to trust her word over others?"
Illesior growled, placing his hand on my shoulder and gripping hard enough to bruise, making me flinch. Yet he kept his claws retracted as he spoke. "Her father committed a crime that she has nothing to do with. She is not responsible for his actions, and neither is her brother. What matters now is what has happened recently, which I would like to address directly."
"Aven Elsgard, the Crown Prince has relayed what you have supposedly told him. Is this true?" Omani asked.
I nodded, turning to face her. "I speak from my own experience, my Queen. I pray that you take my testimony as factual truth, as your son has done."
Omani's eyes flashed. "My son was not present when you said this happened. Therefore there is not enough evidence to decide a fate for your brother."
She turned to face the court. "Are there any other witnesses who can stand in for Aven Elsgard?"
The room was deathly quiet, and for a moment I felt like my heart stopped. Was there nobody who could prove what had happened to me?
"I can."
Illesior pricked his ears. "Zerhea Mordalian?"
I leaned over to stare at the vast court and saw the golden aetyr's stone-like face, her expression set with determination. She stood to speak. "I was not present when Aven claims this had happened," She said, "But I know someone who was."
The Prince grinned. "Bring them in immediately."
Zerhea nodded and her lips moved softly, no noise coming from them. I knew what she was doing: She was summoning her Hycross.
I heard a loud thump echo from outside the doors and suddenly they opened once more, revealing the ugly head of her companion.
Zerhea stood and strode to the monster, leaning in to whisper a few words to it. I heard it growl and rumble softly. They spoke together for a moment longer, then Zerhea nodded and waved her hand. Immediately the Hycross stood and turned, leaving her behind. The doors shut again.
Zerhea turned to face the Prince. "My familiar, Oilug, says that he was there for the murder attempt. He saw everything."
"What did the Hycross say?" Illesior asked.
"He says that when Aven fell after unsuccessfully fighting the Consumed, Oilug caught her on his back. I was not present as I was fighting on the ground. I had entrusted Arius with the Hycross in hopes that he could protect Aven." To my surprise, her eyes glimmered briefly. "I was wrong."
"What happened then?" Omani demanded, leaning in closer to hear the aetyr better.
Zerhea met her gaze unapologetically. "After he caught her, Arius tried to throw her off his back. He told her about his jealousy and the grudge he had held against her ever since their father had left. Aven warned him of the consequences but he refused to listen to reason, instead gloating over the fact that nobody would ever know who had killed her. Then he threw her off and that was the last the Hycross saw of her."
"SEE? I was right!" Illesior jumped onto the table and pointed at Arius. "He should die! He shall die! Traitor! Disgusting vermin! Demon-spawn! Curse of the gods! I'll have him drawn and quartered! Burnt at the stake! Torn apart! Fed to a Zenatile! Anything that'll cause him the agony that my dearest has faced, thanks to HIM!!!"
"Illesior, if you don't sit down this instant, I'll have you thrown to the dogs instead of the prisoner," Omani said coldly, prompting him to sit down reluctantly.
"You can't do that," The Prince muttered under his breath. "I'm your only heir. And last I checked, Mother, you weren't immortal."
"And last I checked, I have the power to shave your mane," Omani retorted. "Which will you choose?"
Illesior grumbled something in reply, scooting away from her.
Meanwhile Unydae and Vrotaz were talking together, their voices low under the onslaught. Finally Vrotaz spoke up. "I would like to believe that they have provided enough evidence now, my Queen." He shot a worried look at Illesior.
"Arius Elsgard, do you accept these accusations?" Omani asked.
Arius growled. "So what if I did it? All you have is the word of the Prince's pet and the word of a monster. You can't prove me guilty on just those accusations."
"She's asking if you did it, peasant," Illesior growled. "You're lucky I can't kill you right here, right now. Answer her."
Arius narrowed his eyes, gleaming violet. "...I plead not guilty."
"WHAT!" Illesior jumped to his feet again, and braced himself to pounce when Omani dragged him back. "You little rat! I'll rip your heart out for that, you lying sneak!"
"He claims he is not guilty." Omani said coolly. "Frankly, I don't even know why you bothered gathering the royal court together for the acquisition of a puny White Mane. Since we do not have enough evidence from reliable sources, I will let him off with a warning."
Illesior's jaw dropped. "WHAT?!"
"My Queen, you should at least punish him," Vrotaz said worriedly, trying to hold his lord back. "Take away his position. Whip him. Exile him, even. Just do SOMETHING to satisfy the Crown Prince-"
"It does not warrant an exile, Vrotaz," Omani spat. "Only those against the royal family get exiled. No, I'll only lower his position. He can be a house servant instead."
Illesior trembled with rage. "...If you're only going to take away his position, my Mother," He growled, "Then I request you shave his mane as well. Give him the shame he deserves."
"Fine. Let his mane be shaved-"
"-And have him stay in the dungeons for a week," Illesior added.
Omani sighed. "...And have him be placed in the dungeons for another week. It is settled."
She lifted her mallet and brought it down with a bang. "Arius Elsgard, I find you not guilty. But at the desires of my son, the Crown Prince, I hereby sentence you to a quarter moon of prison time, the revoking of your position as Palace Guard, and two years of community service." She banged her mallet again. "The court is dismissed."