Chapter 89: Chapter 89

The next time the door opened and guards walked into the white room, Avril could hardly even lift her head from the cold concrete platform. She did not know how long it had been since she left the courtroom, but she knew she had not had anything to eat or drink. She was weak, dying even. And she didn't need a mirror to notice bones were jutting out of her body.

Above everything that was happening, she hated the bright light of the room more. She would have loved to stay in the darkness compared to that light. How ironic was the life she was living.

“Get up and have something to eat,” she heard a voice that seemed familiar. Her eyes dimmed as she looked ahead of her.

“It's Colonel Hansel,” Hansel stated with a frown on his face. Avril didn't seem to hear him, so he exhaled and stood by her side to arrange the plastic containers he brought. He opened all of them and sat beside her on the concrete bench.

“Up. Eat or you wouldn't be around tomorrow to stand trial,” he teased and scooped a fork of pasta to her face. Avril didn't know who was speaking as hunger laid claim on all her senses. She opened her mouth and let him feed her until her eyes cleared up and she could see.

“Why are you feeding me?” she managed to ask.

“Would you have been able to feed yourself instead? Considering how you were at the verge of forgetting your existence.”

He lifted the half drained glass of water to Avril's lips but she collected it this time.

“Thank you. But I meant why you are bringing me food and not letting me rot.”

Hansel stared at her with emotionless eyes.

“Because you were hungry.”

Avril saw something like a bitter memory flicker behind his eyes.

“Thanks,” she whispered and he nodded. He got on his feet and walked to the front of the platform as Avril began to feed herself. The food was vast, and she could hardly taste them well as a result of dead taste buds. But she devoured them anyway.

Hansel stood there until she had eaten her full.

“Now that you can listen, hear this well,” he said and Avril looked up at him.

“Your lawyer arrives this evening and you have to explain everything that happened to her if you believe you're innocent. But if you say any tiny thing that dooms you, you're on your own.”

“You speak like you think I'm already doomed.”

“You are. But to fulfill all righteousness, they're going to give you a listening ear. Say anything, and I mean anything that would bail you out. Or you won't be needing food after tomorrow morning.”

The air lingered so long with Colonel Hansel's words that Avril found it a little too heavy to breathe in. The way the soldier pierced her with his eyes, she could not tell if he wanted her dead or out alive.

“Thank you,” she managed to say even with the lump in her throat. Hansel nodded curtly before arranging the plastic cans and leaving without a word.

Avril waited for hours in vain, with no sign of the door opening in the white wall. She was strengthened physically with the food Hansel mercifully brought for her, but emotionally and psychologically she was strained. Finally, the door creaked and opened to reveal a short man wearing a green three piece suit. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes had a certain glint to them.

“Well, hello to you,” he greeted with a smile. Avril shifted uncomfortably in her seat as he approached her with a suitcase that seemed larger than his form. He placed it on the concrete table opposite her and sat down. Now Avril had to look even lower in order to see his face. He noticed that he looked smaller so he instantly stood up with an embarrassed expression. He cleared his throat.

“I'm Attorney Simone, your lawyer,” he introduced and swallowed. Avril's eyes narrowed at him.

“I thought my lawyer was supposed to be a lady,” she stated. He pocketed his hands and peered at her.

“No,” he simply said. Avril bit her lower lip and sat upright.

“We are going to start tonight by you telling me why the prince has a special interest in you. Is it because of anything you did? When did he suddenly favour you above others?”

“That's going to help me win the case tomorrow?”

The man frowned deeply at her.

“Yes. Now speak.”

“I don't know why he took an interest in me. I was just a concubine. ”

“Why does the prince always take you outside Remus despite it being forbidden?”

“I don't know. Maybe because he's the prince and above that law?”

“Have you ever cooked for the prince or served him anything?”

“Even a rat would prefer to eat obviously poisoned food compared to what I cooked.”

The man paused with a stare at Avril. She shrugged casually and crossed her arms.

The man huffed then crossed his arms against his chest too.

“Now you can tell me what happened that night.”

Avril exhaled and explained to him everything, leaving nothing out of what happened that night. She remembered Hansel's words of saying anything that could bail her out. If she spoke about being with him on the island, and how they both loved each other, and how she was prophesied to break his curse...then maybe they would reconsider the prospect of her being his killer.

“Thank you for the information. Good night and see you at trial,” Attorney Simone stated and dragged his suitcase away with him through the door.

The next morning, the door opened and she braced herself for the day ahead. What will be will be.

The guards led her out through the narrow passage until they reached the courtroom. Seeing how filled up it was made her want to pee on herself. That was when she remembered that she had not even relieved herself for days. That was how her system worked. She never got pressed under duress.

As she stood in her dock, she saw that Camper was sitting two rows from the front, behind where the Alpha himself sat. He met her gaze, then looked away immediately with a frown. Her heart fell. She would have really used a friendly warmth right now, no matter how little.

The case began with her lawyer giving his own overview of the issue. He explained everything she explained to him.

“Is the blacksmith available as a witness?” the judge questioned. The opening of the door answered his question as the blacksmith was led in. He looked shaken and terrified, like he had never entered a courtroom in his life. The guards led him to the dock opposite her and stood close by.

“Mr Tull, do you recognize this lady?” her lawyer asked. The man gave a worried glance at Avril before nodding.

“How long had she been working with you and why?”

“A few...days. Because the...the prince wanted her to,” he answered.

“On what day did Nobleman Adolphus bring his weapons for refurbishing?”

“Five days ago.”

“Did Fiorella show up that day?”

“No. She was not... she didn't come that entire day.”

Avril's eyes bulged. She had spent hours with this same man that day, helping him make new swords then sharpening all the ones that needed it. He had been so impressed with her enthusiasm that he gifted her the dagger.

“But, my client claims you gifted her a silver dagger that day.”

“No. I didn't gift her anything. However, I realized the only silver dagger I was sharpening that day had gone missing.”

The audience began to whisper to themselves and Avril glanced at Camper who was staring at the witness with no emotions in his face.

“Are you saying my client is a thief?” the lawyer barked at the man who flinched.

“Yes. Fiorella stole the dagger from me. How else would she get a purely silver weapon to use against the prince. She must have overhead that I was getting another job that day and she totally skipped it so I wouldn't suspect her.”

The witness took a glance at the gallery and tore his face away again. His legs shook that he wanted to sit and breathe.

“Well, thank you, Mr Tull. You may leave,” the judge said. The witness was led away and he seemed even more shaken and reddened than when he entered the room.

Avril almost had a panic attack as she suddenly understood was what was going on. These people were not going to let her go.

“Your honour, my client is not responsible for what she is being accused of,” Attorney Simone spoke up.

“Do you have any other proof or witness?” the judge asked and he kept silent. Valerie smiled and stood on her feet.

“I have a witness,” she declared.

The judge dismissed Simone and agreed for Valerie's witness to be brought in. The shock she received when the timid, young lady was brought in almost paralyzed her to the bone.

“Aria,” she called her maiden's name as she was being led to the dock. Aria's hooded eyelids looked up at her and immediately went to the ground.

“I am here to testify against my mistress,” she said shakily.

“Kindly tell this righteous court if your mistress is guilty as charged or not,” Valerie demanded with a sideways smile.

“She is guilty,” Aria replied.

“Can you briefly explain why you say so?”

Aria gulped.

“I accompanied her to the blacksmith that day, and helped her hide the dagger in a satchel bag. She didn't tell me why she was taking it. But she lied that it was a present for the prince. I had left her in the kitchen when the prince arrived, and heard him scream as she stabbed him while still on my way. If I had known...” Aria choked on her words as her tears fell out.

“If I had known what she would do, I would have reported her immediately,” she cried.

“So you are saying you're an accomplice in her crime,” the judge stated.

“No, my lord. I didn't know—”

“According to our statutes, you'll be sentenced to three days in the upper dungeon for testifying yourself. Otherwise if you had been found out, it's one month imprisonment.” The judge banged his gavel on his desk and Aria shivered. Her swollen eyes met Avril's as she was being led away.

“That should be all, your honour,” Valerie said with a slight curtsey.

“In the absence of anything from both parties, I know give out my judgement.”

Everyone sat upright as the judge began to speak.

“According to our Statutes, under Acts of Loyalty, Section 5, Treason—any action or attempt taken against the royal family that involves physically or emotionally hurting them in a brutal manner is punishable by death except pardoned by the victim of the crime. By this law, I hereby sentence Fiorella to Burning at the Stakes, public execution.”

The judge rose immediately and everyone else did. Avril's heart fell to her feet and she could not stand anymore. She felt her breathing decrease, and her eyes close. But before she fell to the ground, her blurry vision met Camper and for once he looked like he could cry.