Chapter 88: Chapter 88

Chidi whimpered as her moving leg rocked pain through her. She was a skinny girl, skinnier than the three of them and always felt the impact of pain harder. Camper didn't seem to be in his right senses as he sped them both out of the orchard. She was dangling over his right shoulder, while he grasped Nana with his left hand and moved them both with extraordinary strength. Who knew the Camper who was always laughing and wavering like a dry leaf on a branch could carry two women and run.

They soon reached the exit and a truck was standing there. One of the truck that transported apples to the markets for sale. The truck driver was seated in front with a frown on his face, and the entire vicinity was empty.

Camper let down Nana and they walked to the truck. It was then Nana saw why the man was frowning. Verona had a nice, grey-black revolver pinned to the back of his head. She was seated beside him in front, and she was not smiling. Not like she was one to smile, but Verona's face was terrifying this time. No wonder the truck driver did not move an inch.

Camper led them to the back of the truck, not allowing Chidi to step down and walk. He opened the doors with one hand and the smell of freshly picked apples wafted through the air.

“Stay between the racks, and don't make a sound even if we're stopped,” he ordered and helped Chidi inside. Nana climbed in skillfully and they both went to the front of the container to hide between the racks.

“You girls' good?” they heard Xiao Wei's whisper. Nana gasped and hugged the girl.

“Yes. Chidi got injured though. What about you?”

They helped Chidi sit and she hugged the Chinese girl to herself.

“I'm fine. Chidi, what happened?”

Camper closed the doors of the truck, bathing the girls with darkness. The container was lined high with racks of fresh apples, and light hardly found a space to penetrate into the enclosure.

“A guard threw a knife at me,” Chidi answered in a pant. She groaned as she tried to move her legs to a more comfortable position.

“That's not good. None of this is good,” Xiao Wei winced and held Chidi's hand.

“We'll be fine. We always are,” Nana muttered and placed her head on Chidi's shoulder. The three girls sat that way in silence even as the truck started and began to move.

The darkness, the movement, the fear and injury was suddenly similar to the terrifying feeling of being locked in Freddie's cell—before Avril came. And the feeling of despair and terror was similar to the times they just arrived Tijuana, unprotected and lonely—before Avril came. They each realized Avril was the water that made their flower flourish.

**

Avril groaned as she felt her hands being yanked up from the cold concrete platform she had dozed off over. The terribly bright lights forced her eyelids closed even as she tried to open them.

“Move!” she was ordered harshly as she was pulled away.

“Leave me alone,” she groaned and tried to jerk her hands away from whomever was pulling her. She however felt weak, drained and thirsty.

A hard smack on her back told her whoever it was wasn't one who cared about hitting women. The pain speared through her senses and made her walk straight ahead, following the tug of the person. She felt her eyelids opening and closing, either from sleep or exhaustion. Finally, they got away from that bright light and she peered her eyes open. She was being tossed through a narrow passage, two guards were walking ahead of them. The one pulling her had receded to her back and was now kicking her to move like she was a damned old sack on a dusty road.

“Ah,” she winced as the guard kicked her too hard and she almost stumbled to the ground.

“Stop being overly-cooked spaghetti in front of me and move!”

Avril contemplated whether to whirl around and whack him in the groin or just move ahead. She swallowed and decided not to cause any thing that would make her get strangled even before she was sentenced...or found innocent.

Finally, her eyes adjusted to the physical and she could see a bit clearer now. Her vision was still slightly blurry, and that was a combination of exhaustion, hunger and sleep.

They arrived at an arched doorway and stood still. Her heart began to thump crazily as she heard deep voices inside. They seemed to be discussing something important. And judging from the issue on ground, they were definitely discussing what to do with her. Maybe how to execute properly.

“You may bring in the Accused,” a voice spoke from inside. Avril was held by her arm and gently led inside by another guard who was standing inside. He led her to what she now realized was a courtroom. A large courtroom with dark hardwood flooring, having a mixture of red bricks and paneled wood for the walls.

A judge sat by the bench, in a grey dress shirt and brown tie. He looked old, and Avril did not want to try and guess his age if he was already looking like that. There were long, fine dark mahogany seats in neat rows in front of the judge's raised platform, and were filled by men and women who all were looking at her direction.

Avril gulped and followed the guard to the dock where she was to stand.

“Now that we have the accused in our midst, can the prosecuting attorney give us an overview of why we are here?” the judge drawled in a voice that reminded Avril of a plastic barrel filled with water being rolled on the bare floor.

A beautiful woman with light brown hair got on her feet with a smile that showed her teeth all the way to her molars. She stole a quick glance at the last occupied seat before moving forward. Avril looked at the direction she had glanced to and saw Nobleman Adolphus sitting with two others. Her heart gave a lurch. This was bad if what she was thinking was right.

“Greetings, honourable courtroom and everyone that is seated. My name is Valerie and I would standing in for the prince and good people of Remus as is our tradition here. Without wasting any of your time, I'd like to give you a brief overview of why you are all seated here today.” Her voice was like silk, but something sinister laid within it.

“A few days ago a protest rocked our beloved Kingdom all of a sudden over the human girl who had worked her way up to being the special concubine of our Crowned Prince,” she began and even paced about a bit like she was in a high school debate.

“The people insisted that this human,” she turned a downgrading finger towards Avril, “is suspicious and has all the qualities of being a Virgo Vampire assassin. Of course we all know about the bitter history we have about those leeches. The girl was said to have been sent here by them solely to destroy our prince. Though the protest to simply banish or execute the girl had been easily dissolved, the suspicions were all made real after this same girl put a silver dagger down the heart of our Crowned Prince.”

A few people took sharp intakes of breath. It was the women, because the men looked as stoic as ever.

Avril's eyes furrowed in confusion then bulged in shock as realization hit her. That day they had returned from Milan. So it was because of a protest? A protest against her?

“Heaven knows she would have escaped if our amiable Nobleman Adolphus had not showed up with palace guards after seeing her steal an exclusive dagger from his collection which he brought for sharpening.”

The lady looked back at Avril with a glare.

“Thank you, Valerie. Now may the defending attorney give his or her own overview or lay out the defenses?” the judge questioned.

Silence filled the courtroom as no one stood up to be my lawyer.

“I suppose the accused doesn't have a lawyer,” the judge concluded and began to write down something in front of him. Avril's eyes widened again. She was permitted to have a lawyer. The court was supposed to provide one for her.

“I'm supposed to have a lawyer. By law I'm supposed to be given one,” her voice rang out and all heads turned to her.

“In the Human world, yes you're supposed to have one. But not here,” Valerie replied coldly.

“And you're not permitted to speak except your lawyer says you should,” the judge drawled boringly.

Weird rules, weird people, weird everything. Avril thought they all were weird...and wicked.

“What do you have to say about this, Fiorella?” the judge questioned as Valerie took her seat a little too slowly, as if she was sitting down with a balloon bottom.

“I didn't attempt to kill the prince. I would never...never hurt Prince Dakar,” she spat out without taking her eyes off the judge.

“Mind explaining how you were caught driving a silver dagger through his chest?”

“I never drove a silver dagger through his chest.”

“Then who did?” Valerie questioned from her seat.

“He did. Prince Dakar stabbed himself.”

Murmurs filled the room and some people even glared at her treacherously.

“So now you're lying against the prince? Imposing a suicide attempt on him when it is your crime?” Valerie shot at her again. Avril inhaled deeply. This was futile and she knew it.

“As much as you all would want to pin this on me, you're all very wrong. I am not responsible for any ill occurrence directed at the prince or the kingdom. Something else—someone else— is behind this. And only Prince Dakar and I are aware who. I didn't attempt to hurt him, and if you really want to know anything...get me a lawyer. Until then, I'm not saying a word.”

The judge was suddenly looking surprised at her boldness including everyone else in the room. Valerie was frowning at her and was going to retort something when the judge spoke.

“This arraignment has come to an end. We would continue the trial when the accused has gotten a befitting lawyer to defend her.”

Avril's shoulders sagged with a tiny bit of relief as he stood to his feet and left the courtroom first before the rest of the people stood to their feet. Two guards immediately rushed to her side and began to lead her out before someone decided to gift her a few words or even slaps.

Avril couldn't help but grimace at how awkward and disarranged the court was. Could it be that only human courtrooms were very solemn?

They led her back to the psychotic white room and dumped her on the hard concrete bench before leaving. She blinked her eyes repeatedly and sighed. Something in her raised her hopes of Dakar being alive. No one had directly stated that he was dead. Or at least, they only kept saying ‘murder attempt’ and not murder. It could only mean the prince did not die from the attempt.

But what if that was another Remusian way of speaking? She shook her head as she made up her mind. If Prince Dakar had truly died, then she wouldn't fight them if they wanted to execute her.