Chapter 39: Arcturus

Arcturus stared at the back of Prince Damian’s head as he spoke with Eclipse, her laughter drifting back as the pair led them through the palace’s grand halls. Her dress hugged her in a way he didn’t know was possible, and Arcturus had to constantly force his eyes away.

What...did I miss?

It had been like this all day—when they had first held an audience with him and all throughout dinner. What Arcturus couldn’t understand was why. The prince was infuriating and arrogant, yet she just giggled and let him take her hand.

Arcturus walked with Orion, following Astrid, Cass, and Andromeda as they spoke softly with one another. They moved through the different hallways, passing by countless doors and windows revealing the dark sky. The floor sloped slightly down before leveling out, leading them onto even ground.

“I cannot believe he is the Prince of Ophelia,” Orion muttered, his eyes narrowed.

“Understandable,” Arcturus replied, careful to keep his voice low.

“Did you see how easily he brushed off everything we said? He doesn’t understand the severity of the situation.”

“How do you think we’re going to convince him to help us?”

Orion shook his head. “I don’t know. I think we just have to play along with him for now.”

A cool breeze greeted Arcturus, and he looked to see the large glass, white-lined doors pushed open into the garden. They stepped onto the wide, cobblestone path, and were immediately transported to an entirely different atmosphere.

The garden expanded in front of them in an explosion of color and size, the path stretching out in countless directions. Large trees hung down to brush the tops of their heads, and bushes bursting with summer flowers dotted the ground in natural bouquets. There were whites and reds and bright pinks and even sunny yellows, all in a strangely organized chaos of life. Small torches sat in short sticks pounded into the ground, illuminating their paths in the dusk. Arcturus caught Royal guards lined up along the wide path periodically, their eyes straight ahead.

“This is beautiful,” Andromeda breathed in front of him, marveling everything around her as they continued forward.

“Why, thank you, dear Andromeda, though not as beautiful as you.” He winked, and Arcturus cringed internally. “It is one of our many prides of the palace.”

“How big is it?” Cass inquired, lifting her dress as they continued deeper into the colorful garden.

“It covers the entire south end of the palace, and is maintained by our many garden keepers. We hold exotic plants and flowers from all over Ophelia, each of them specially brought in for our stunning collection.”

“It truly is stunning, Damian,” replied Eclipse, her voice holding a tone of wonder. “It puts my garden back home to shame.”

The prince gave her a suggestive look, Arcturus’ fists curling.

Arrogant ba—

“Out of curiosity, You Highness,” Astrid started as they reached a large, carved marble fountain. Water sat, clear and reflective, under the elaborate stone. “How is your father, His Majesty, doing?”

The prince stopped and turned in his spot, Eclipse swiftly following him at his arm. He had an eyebrow raised, his crown gleaming in the torchlight around them.

“What do you wish to know about my father, Lady Astrid?”

A pause. “I mean no malice, Your Highness. I’m only showing concern for His Majesty and his mysterious illness.”

Damian stayed quiet for a few moments before giving her a nod. “The concern is appreciated. He is being watched over by our most skillful medics and Healers.”

He spun around again, and Arcturus attempted to catch Eclipse’s eyes, but she turned too quickly for her to notice.

“Now, please feel free to explore the garden,” the prince called over his shoulder. “It is open for you all. Enjoy my expansive wonderland!”

“He cannot be serious,” Orion said under his breath.

Eclipse and Damian continued forward as the other girls slowed, everyone huddling around each other. Astrid’s face was firm, her lips pressed tightly together.

“It looks like we’re not getting through to him tonight,” she whispered with a click of her tongue. Eclipse and the prince disappeared around the bend, and Arcturus had to resist the urge to follow them.

“What are we supposed to do then? I thought this whole thing was to get him to support us,” said Cass. She rubbed Saros’ necklace between her fingers as she spoke, looking between the others. However, Arcturus noticed her eyes clearly trying to avoid him.

“I’m sure Eclipse can get him to listen. He seems to have taken…quite a liking,” said Andromeda.

“It’s like walking on glass,” Orion said with a hint of annoyance. “One wrong move and we’d taste the gravel outside this palace, if we’re lucky.”

“Quiet,” hissed Astrid, glancing around them. “Who knows who could be listening.”

“Let’s take a breather then,” Andromeda suggested.

“I suppose that’s all we can do at the moment. Everyone, go walk around, do what you’d like. We can only wait for our moment,” Astrid sighed, waving her hand. The others began to walk together again, in the same general direction.

“I’d like to be alone,” Arcturus blurted, everyone turning to him.

“Are you sure?” said Andromeda.

He nodded and heatedly spun on his heel without another word. Going back the way they had come, he reached the crossroads, multiple paths stretching out in smooth curves in front of him. He randomly chose one on his left and walked deeper in the garden, his shoes lightly clicking against the smooth stone. Andromeda was right; he did need a breather. The deep green expanded around him as he kept heading down the path, all other sounds of people or the castle vanishing in the leafy rustle. Arcturus ignored the occasional guards, their presence almost nonexistent in the nighttime shadows.

As much as he tried, he couldn’t enjoy the gorgeous scenery around him. His mind kept turning to Eclipse and Damian, now lost somewhere in this garden as well.

What can she possibly see in him?

Truth be told, the prince was arrogant, haughty, and all around insufferable, his behavior with Eclipse set aside. Orion was right—Prince Damian took no value in what they had told him. How were they expecting to get help from him? The Legion was growing stronger every day, and here he was, roaming the garden and flirting with Eclipse.

Arcturus gritted his teeth, another flash of anger coming through.

He thinks he can get anything he wants just because he is the damned prince.

Shoving his hands in the silk-lined pockets of his perfectly tailored suit, he took a sharp right on this path, keeping his eyes down.

Another fountain similar to the one he had seen earlier emerged in front of him, the path expanding to fit it within its stone. He mindlessly approached it, staring into the still water.

You need to stop overthinking it. Eclipse can make her own decisions.

“Where are these from, Damian?”

Eclipse’s voice resounded nearby, and Arcturus looked up sharply, the sound coming from his left. On a whim, he hurried down a path slightly behind him in the direction of the voices.

What are they doing?

Arcturus stepped off the path and slid around the climbing vines and bushes of flowers, his ears straining to listen for anything. He felt no remorse for stepping on the prince’s plants.

“From Kragas, in the southeast,” his haughty voice responded, growing louder.

“They’re similar to ones I’ve seen planted back home.”

“Ah yes, they are very popular in gardens, especially in one such as yours—I must imagine it to be quite big. Though I must ask, what prompted you to run away? I take it you lived a very luxurious life in your mansion.”

“Are you saying you would have preferred I not come to see you, Damian?”

A chuckle. “No, no, not at all. I am very glad you’ve decided to come.”

Arcturus slowed to an imperceptible shuffle, trying to get a glimpse of the pair. Eclipse’s purple dress caught his eye, and he froze, staring through the foliage.

They stood facing each other now, Arcturus unable to see Eclipse’s expression. This part of the garden held many of the vibrant flowers, blooming above and all around. Damian still had on his infuriating smile, his eyes roaming over Eclipse in a way that made Arcturus burn inside.

“I’m very glad you’ve decided to help us,” she said smoothly, a smile on her lips.

“Ah, I still haven’t decided yet, my dear,” the prince mused, giving her a wink. “But you make a very convincing case.”

And then when he leaned in towards Eclipse, Arcturus prepared to jump out from his hidden spot.

Wait.

WAIT—

Damian plucked out a rose, red as a ruby, from above Eclipse’s head and straightened, handing it to her.

“For you, Eclipse.”

Something dropped in Arcturus, leaving him empty.

She stared at the rose. “Oh…thank you,” she murmured, taking the flower from his fingers.

“Come, let me show you more of my collection.”

“Of course. However, I do think we should be departing soon. We still do not have a place to stay for the night, Your Highness.”

“Damian, my dear,” he clucked. “And whatever do you mean? You all shall be staying here for as long as you need.”

Arcturus frowned. Despite it being the actual Royal Palace, he wasn’t sure how much he liked that idea.

“Thank you, Damian. Truly. That solves a large problem.”

“Anything for you.” Damian turned around and began to stroll farther down the path, waving a hand over his shoulder.

Anything for you.

Yet Eclipse didn’t follow him right away. She let Damian continue a few steps, before dropping the flower to ground, her foot flattening it before she followed.

Her gown brushed over the crushed rose in the middle of the path, leaving it alone with Arcturus and his confusion.

✦✦✦

A few days had passed since they had arrived at the palace, and although they were easily settling in as the prince’s guests, Arcturus still felt oddly uneasy about it. Despite staying there for a couple of days already, it felt as though they had gotten nowhere with their plans.

And they still had no idea of Oberon’s next move.

The prince didn’t seem much help either. All he cared about was showcasing his wealth, shamelessly flirting with every female around, wooing Eclipse with every inch of his vile being…

Stop thinking about her, dammit!

The seven of them sat together in the royal library, excluding Antares—or Anastasia as he was called. Arcturus felt a pang of sympathy for him having to take such an effort to avoid being recognized. Breakfast had been sent to their rooms that morning with a note to meet in the library afterwards.

They sat at a long table of dark wood, the ceilings above them reaching higher than Arcturus had ever seen. Carefully carved designs decorated the wall, paired with twisted metal chandeliers holding burning candles and collected wax. Thousands of books were stacked away on the shelves, stretching out in endless directions above and around them—he could even see the dust clouding on a lot of them. Arcturus wondered how long it had been seen many of them had been read.

“Would now be a good time to thoroughly discuss our Ash Court problem?” Astrid said irritably.

It’s about time…

“That is why I’ve brought you here, isn’t it?” the prince responded. “The Royal Library is the perfect site to discuss our plans. You know, this room was actually built by the Ipra Khan, the same man who designed the famous Golden Hall in Pathe. And many of these books are worth almost a thousand credits each, some of them even more. Oh! Did you know—”

Arcturus quickly lost interest and tuned out of the prince’s talk. His eyes floated over to Eclipse, no matter how hard he tried to stop them. He noticed her trying to keep an interested smile, but her eyes held a blank stare, as though she were bored of the prince as well.

That was probably just wishful thinking.

“Your Highness,” Astrid interrupted, and Arcturus could swear he heard the others give her a collective grateful sigh. “I’m sure this place is very…interesting, but we have much more pressing matters at hand.”

“Of course, of course…” the prince assured. “So what is it that you would like to discuss?”

Astrid blinked in disbelief. “The Ash Court? Our plans for stopping Oberon?”

“But what shall we stop him from?” asked the prince. “Do you know anything of his plans? Of where he will allegedly strike next?”

“Well…no. But using your—”

“Then I don’t see what else we have to discuss now. If something happens to arise, then come talk to me. I’m not sure what you expect me to do for you.”

Is he serious?

The door creaked open from the side, and a purple-dressed guard strode in.

“Excuse me, Your Highness,” he interrupted, stepping to the prince’s side. “But I have an urgent message from the warden. The Terris guard suspect’s trial has been scheduled for today.”

“What Terris guard?” said the prince.

“The one that murdered the Ash councilman.”

Arcturus exchanged a worried look with the others. Hadn’t they already decided Oberon was behind it?

“Well, what does he want me to do with that information?”

“Um…you are expected to conduct his trial, Your Highness?”

“Guilty,” he said as he waved him off.

“Wait,” Eclipse cut in. “You get to conduct his trial?”

The prince smirked. “Well, technically the king does. Since it is a matter dealing between different Courts, the problem is usually brought to royal authority.”

“Is it possible that we could…spectate this event?” she asked sweetly.

“Why…” he said as he thought. “Why, yes, of course! You are my honored guests, after all, and you shall see me deliver justice to this criminal! We shall now leave immediately for the prison.”

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He promptly stood up from his seat, preparing to march out the room. The guard didn’t miss a beat at the prince’s sudden mood change, and immediately began to lead him away. After how long they had stayed with him, Arcturus surprisingly didn’t find it odd either. He followed the others as they got out of their seats, everyone walking behind the prince and the guard.

“Prepare my carriages!” the prince ordered.

Arcturus sighed, already accepting that they wouldn’t get far with this dolt. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Cass approaching his side, an equally annoyed expression on her face. She seemed to be walking slower than the others, Arcturus subconsciously falling behind with her.

“Alright this has just gotten ridiculous,” she whispered, leaning closer to his ear. “We’d honestly have better luck waltzing up to Oberon on our own.”

“You know that isn’t true,” Arcturus said. A hard truth for even him to swallow.

“Honestly, why can’t this idiot see we’re trying to protect his kingdom? That should be his job!”

There were many, many things Arcturus wanted to say about the prince, but a patrolling guard caught his eye, and he silenced himself with difficulty.

They continued down the wide corridors, Arcturus faintly remembering the expansive hall they had first entered a few days ago. Emerging into the spacious front, he didn’t see the group inside anymore, and assumed they were waiting for them outside. The doors were pulled open, and the pair stepped out into the warm day.

As they crossed the wide courtyard and reached the front gates, they peered through, a single carriage stood at the front of the sleek marble stairs. It was a small one, but still grand, better quality than any of the ones Arcturus had seen rolling through the marketplace.

The two of them carefully stepped into the carriage, Andie and Orion already seated inside. Astrid and Eclipse must have already left with the prince, which didn’t surprise him at all. There was a hasty snap of the reins, and the carriage was off.

“I don’t like this,” Orion muttered, taking a suspicious glance behind him. “I really don’t think this Terris guard is to blame, and you saw how easily the prince blew off the issue.”

“I agree, there’s no way he can be trusted with that trial,” added Arcturus.

“Well, let’s get there first. Observe what we can,” said Andromeda. “Who knows? Maybe this guard knows more than we think. We could be wrong about Oberon’s involvement in this.”

“I doubt it,” replied Cass. “But we’ll just have to see when we get there.”

Arcturus turned his head to the window, eyes staring out at the moving path. The carriage bumped his head as he leaned on the sill, the light of the grey sky pouring through. It was one of the more dreary, humid summer days, and the carriage provided a cool counter. The moving outside however became a dull blur to Arcturus as his thoughts ultimately turned to Eclipse and the prince. The same irritation that had been plaguing him since the man had first spoken arouse and he felt himself stiffen.

He was so quick to jump to the death of a man, such a—

“Arcturus…?” Andromeda said softly, “Are you all right?”

He looked up, a concerned expression on her face as she stared at him. Orion was gazing at him too along with Cass as he took a glance at his side.

“Um…yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Andromeda and Cass exchanged a worried look. “You were just…scowling,” Cass mumbled. “Is there something bothering you?”

“Well, don’t all of us feel a little bothered right now?” he said, his anger slipping out despite his restraints. He looked between his companions as the air grew uncomfortable, yet none of them seemed to be as angry as he expected.

Andromeda paused for a moment. “Is it the prince?” she asked, but with a rather odd tone. Like she knew something he didn’t.

“Of course it’s the prince,” he answered, thinking it was quite obvious. “He hasn’t been of any use to us this entire time and doesn’t listen to anything we say. All he wants to do is wander off with Eclipse and—”

“Eclipse?” interrupted Cass, before smirking. “Oh, Arcturus. Is that what this is about?”

He bit his lip. Stupid. He hadn’t meant to say that much!

“Have you fallen smitten with her?” Cass laughed. Andromeda perked up but said nothing, Orion disregarding the conversation altogether.

Arcturus didn’t know how to respond to that. “What? No…”

“Oh, come now. You aren’t fooling anyone, right Andie?”

Andromeda stifled a laugh, her eyes both teasing and sympathetic.

“I am not smitten with her,” he insisted. “I’m only…concerned for her. Spending that much time with Damian can’t possibly be good for anyone. And I don’t trust him one bit.”

“If you say so, Arc,” Cass teased, though she still dropped the subject, to his relief. He stole another glimpse at Orion, who seemed unbothered by the entire exchange.

After that, the ride to the prison was shorter than expected. Then again, Arcturus didn’t really have any idea where it was located. He had only heard tales of the great Prison of Aldebaran, the most heavily guarded and infamous jail complex in all of Ophelia. Only those who have committed the gravest of crimes were sent there, and he supposed murdering a Councilman probably qualified as one of those crimes.

That is, if he’s actually responsible.

Even when they were still miles away, Arcturus could see the walls of the prison in the distance, built along steep hills and just as fortified as the rumors foretold. As they drew closer, he spotted guards scattered along every corner, their uniforms a darker shade of grey, which made sense considering none of the individual Courts had any jurisdiction there.

The prison reminded him somewhat of the Ash Guard base with its gigantic stone walls and iron gates, although this complex was far less decorated. This one gave an aura of gloominess, of hopelessness. Each of its inmates left to rot for their heinous crimes, if they were spared from execution.

The carriage stopped just in front of the gates, Eclipse, Astrid, and the prince already standing outside. Arcturus and the others quickly stepped out of the car, the carriage pulling away just as Orion exited.

The four of them approached the girls and Prince Damian, who was in the midst of one of his obnoxious royal introductions.

“It is I, Prince Damian of Ophelia! I have arrived, as requested, with my honored guests for the trial of our obviously guilty Terris Court guard. The warden is expecting me.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” said one of the guards at the gate. They promptly allowed them in, the prince’s escort guards following behind.

A tall man stood just behind the doors, authority written all over him. His uniform was the same color as the others, yet looked a bit different in design. He wore a badge of bright silver, a large sword at his side.

“Welcome, Your Highness,” the man said. “I see you’ve gotten my message. It is imperative that we get this trial done immediately. The Courts are arguing bitterly about the nature of this matter, and it is crucial that you give them your verdict.”

“Before we begin, I would like to see this murderer of yours, warden,” ordered Prince Damian.

“I suppose you are allowed to, Your Highness, though your company will have to remain behind.”

“What? Whatever do you mean? My company is very interested in seeing this prisoner.”

“I’m afraid that is not possible. There are rules in place which do not allow—”

“Oh, please Damian!” Eclipse begged in the most cheeky voice. It made Arcturus want to crawl into a deep hole. “We simply must see you bring him to justice!”

“They may witness the trial, but I’m afraid—”

“Silence!” Prince Damian barked, before turning back to Eclipse. “Eclipse, my dear, is this what you truly want? To see the prisoner before he meets his demise?”

She nodded, her eyes sparkling with a loving plea Arcturus desperately hoped was an act. She couldn’t possibly be serious about this.

“Then who am I to deny your wishes, my dove?” He turned back to the man before them. “Warden! These are my guests, and I order you to allow them with me. I am the Crown Prince of Ophelia, and you are under my authority.”

The warden shook his head again. “Your Highness, I simply cannot allow—”

“No,” the prince said with a clear change in tone. “You will take me and my guests to the prisoner, Warden.”

Arcturus felt himself tighten. Persuasion. In all his seventeen years, he realized he had never known of the Crown Prince’s Gift.

The warden's expression turned to a blank stare.“Very well then, sir,” he breathed. “Follow me to the prisoner.”

They headed inside, the interior even more of an intimidating collection of stone and chains than the outside. The floor was a hard path of concrete, the grey undertones melting into the similar walls, nothing to decorate them but lit torches. Arcturus felt a shiver go down his spine. He couldn’t imagine life in such a cold, lifeless place, with no one to see but the guards who matched their decor.

But as they passed through, Arcturus’ mind worked.

Persuasion…What if Damian is Persuading Eclipse? Yes, that makes perfect sense!

He stole a glance at Eclipse, who's eyes were alert and attentive. Not blank and lifeless as victims of the Gift were. His heart sunk. No, she was doing this of her volition.

The warden led them to a downward staircase, and they silently followed him down the darkened steps, no torches to light their way. The air grew noticeably colder and held a musty, dirty smell, Arcturus’ nose slightly wrinkling in disgust.

When he finally reached the bottom, Arcturus was greeted with rays of light from the torches that had resumed lined up on the walls. Jail cells guarded by iron bars were lined up at the sides, guards stationed along both walls. Some cells were a bit different though, sealed off with the thickest of stone walls. They were probably meant to contain Persuaders, Phasers, and Levitators—tricky Gifts that could be used to escape. There were blurred noises—talking. Some prisoners pleading with the guards, and others simply shouting incoherent words. Most of the cells were vacant, which made sense if this were the place they detained prisoners before their trials.

When they reached the middle of the hall, the warden stopped the group in their tracks. He turned for one of the gates at his right, and the others quickly spread out around the cell to get a look.

This must be it.

Arcturus struggled to see over Astrid’s head and ducked over to the side to get a better view. Just as soon as he peered at him, Arcturus quickly recognized the man’s chestnut hair, paired with a beard that hadn’t been trimmed in days. His already narrow face was gaunt and pale from the few days without sunlight. He sat in dirty, baggy clothes, similar to the rags thrown on the rest of the prisoners. He was definitely there the night of their infiltration.

“You have visitors,” the warden said to him and promptly stepped off to the side.

Prince Damian silently approached the front of the cell, studying the man curiously. At the sight of the prince, the prisoner suddenly sat up.

“Your Highness! You must listen to me!” he begged. “I am an innocent man! They’ve locked me in here for no reason at all! Please, be merciful! You must believe me!”

The prince said nothing and only gave him a skeptical look.

“Please, Your Highness! You’ve got the wrong man!”

“Sir!” a guard called to the warden, striding in from where the group had entered. “You are needed in sector seven. Immediately.”

“What’s happening up there?” asked the warden, the prince’s hold on him visibly slipping away.

“A brawl broke out. Someone needs to restore order.”

The warden sighed. “It’s nothing we haven’t handled before. If you’ll excuse me, Your Highness. I shall be back momentarily.”

“Oh, go right ahead,” said Prince Damian, his eyes still on the convicted guard.

The warden nodded. “Do what you will with our prisoner. His trial is set to commence in only a few short hours.”

“Yes, yes, thank you. You may go.”

Without another word, the warden left. Arcturus turned his attention back to the prisoner. The man gripped the bars of his cell as he pulled himself forward, his face flooded with fear. Damian shuffled back, careful to keep a good distance away.

“I beg of you, Your Highness,” the man started again, but slower. “Tell them to release me. I am an innocent man!”

“What is your name?” Eclipse asked softly.

“Irwin,” he croaked.

“You are a Terris Court guard?”

He nodded, and suddenly Arcturus was reminded of Antares. Maybe he would recognize this Irwin from his Guard. It was a shame he couldn’t have come with them, but then again, the Prison of Ophelia definitely wasn’t the smartest place to bring a fugitive accused of holding Silmorite.

“Why do you think they’ve blamed you, Irwin?” Eclipse questioned.

“I don’t know. But I’ve got nothing to do with the murder. I’ve never even gotten close to that councilman! How could they have assumed it was me?”

Irwin spoke with tears filling his eyes, his face broken and desperate. Arcturus truly believed he was innocent, that Oberon was the one causing such misery in them all.

The prince, however, was harder to convince.

“That is exactly what a guilty person would say!” Prince Damian exclaimed.

What do you want him to say? “Yes”?

“No, Your Highness! I swear to you, I’m not guilty! You must believe me!”

“I think we’ve seen enough of this scoundrel. Wouldn’t you agree, my dear Eclipse?” he said as he tugged her away, but Eclipse wasn’t ready to leave just yet. She stepped closer to the bars holding Irwin captive, ignoring the prince.

“I believe you,” Arcturus whispered into the cell. He couldn’t stand any more of his desperate cries.

“So do I,” said Andromeda.

“Please,” Irwin gasped. “You have to tell the prince! Tell him I’m innocent!”

“We’ll do our best,” Astrid stated simply. She turned away from Irwin, and Arcturus and the others gathered separately from the prince.

“I really think he’s telling the truth,” Arcturus started. “Oberon is definitely behind this.”

“But our prince doesn’t seem to believe that,” Astrid said with a roll of her eyes, and Arcturus quickly stole a glimpse of Prince Damian behind them, leaning against the wall, gazing off at desperate prisoners with an uninterested expression.

“I’ll try to talk to him. See what I can do…” Eclipse breathed. From how she had said it, Arcturus thought she was almost annoyed with the task. Like talking to the prince was something tedious to her.

Again, it was probably just wishful thinking.

Astrid smirked. “Careful, Eclipse. Take this too far, and you might end up as a real princess.”

Arcturus internally gagged at the thought.

Eclipse glared at her. “Don't worry, I know what I'm doing.”

The others nodded, and they quickly broke away. As expected, Eclipse went straight for the prince, while the others simply wandered around, hanging somewhat near Irwin’s cell. Arcturus crept towards Eclipse and Prince Damian, not knowing why exactly. Maybe it was the fact he didn’t trust him, or that he was curious, or that he wanted to get closer to make sure—

No! Stop it! You just have to trust her. She has our interests in mind.

“Can I talk to you, Damian?” she asked.

“Of course. How about we step out privately for the moment?”

“Oh, that won’t really be necessary—”

“Nonsense! Come with me now.”

Without much of a choice, Eclipse followed him down the hallway, his hand wrapped around hers. Arcturus felt himself boiling on the inside, but he breathed it away. He had to focus.

But even as he tried, he couldn’t bring himself to stay in place. Once he had seen them turn down the hall, he quietly followed after them, the others resuming their talks with Irwin.

He ignored the few calls and cries of the prisoners around him, knowing they were vile criminals among them who needed to be brought to justice. Yet…there was also the chance that some of them were like Irwin, unfairly accused and being prepped for a punishment they didn't deserve. It made his heart hurt, but he couldn’t think about it now.

He glanced over the corner he had seen the pair turn at, and caught sight of them standing together in the distance. Eclipse was talking to him, her voice inaudible, back turned to Arcturus. He couldn’t tell anything about her expression, but Prince Damian definitely seemed off. Almost…smug.

He had a devilish smile on his face, one that made Arcturus want to lash at him. He never thought he would do that to someone, but Prince Damian? He was the exception.

The prince said something to Eclipse, and Arcturus couldn’t see her reaction. Yet she froze, Damian still holding that pretentious smirk.

Then Eclipse did something Arcturus wished he had never seen.

No…

She lifted on her toes and kissed the prince’s cheek, and Arcturus ducked away. His stomach twisted, and he wanted to vomit. How could she have done that? How could she have kissed him?

Arcturus dashed back to the others before the two could see him, everything inside him burning with emotion. Anger, sadness, confusion, denial. All of it. There was no way that had happened. No way Eclipse had degraded herself so low.

She was worth better than that conceited slug, and Arcturus knew that. What destroyed him was that she had chosen that beast over himself.

And what he had seen confirmed it.

He must have come back with an odd look on his face, because both Cass and Andromeda cast him yet another set of worried expressions. He ignored them, but he couldn’t ignore his thoughts. Couldn’t ignore what he had seen.

Maybe she had done it to get him to listen. Maybe he would only agree to it if she had kissed him. Or maybe he had forced her. Listen to your brain, Arcturus!

His brain wasn’t very convincing, however.

Soon enough, the trial approached. The group was ushered with the prince to a higher, slightly nicer part of the prison, reserved for the royal cases. Surprisingly enough, there was a small audience along with the jury, held in the back by a raised horizontal bar. Arcturus’ group sat on the other side, in the back and near the shadows, but still near enough to have a view of everything.

Arcturus looked down on a broken Irwin standing before the crowd. Prince Damian presided over it all at the pedestal, justices and advisors gathered around. The trial hadn’t even begun yet, and people were already hurling insults at the poor Terris guard. They drowned out the cries of his family—a devastated wife and a lonely infant—who looked equally as distressed as him.

Arcturus didn’t pay much attention to what was around him. Instead, he glanced at Eclipse, whose face was expressionless. Yet he noticed her eyeing the prince, and Arcturus felt his stomach constrict again. Her gaze was quiet and calculating, as though she were waiting for her moment to strike.

Suddenly, those excuses didn’t seem so desperate anymore. Maybe…maybe she truly was forced into kissing him.

Only when the trial commenced did Arcturus finally breathe easy.

“Your Highness,” began one of the speakers. “We come to you with irrefutable evidence and four witnesses to testify that—”

“Silence, Advisor,” Damian announced. “I have already come to my decision.”

“But, sir…” the man stuttered. “It is only fair that we—”

“I have spoken!” he interrupted again. “I, Prince Damian of Ophelia, find that this Terris Court guard is hereby declared innocent of the murder of Ash Court Councilman Nash.”

A frantic buzz erupted through the crowd.

“Innocent? Where’s the trial?”

“They haven’t even presented any evidence yet!”

“What about the witnesses? If he didn’t kill Nash than who—”

“—and shall be immediately released from custody!” he announced through the chatter.

Oberon is not going to like that.

Arcturus never thought he would ever see joy in Irwin’s eyes, but here it was. The warden, the prison guards, the entire crowd was in confusion, but it didn’t matter, so long as the prince had declared it. Irwin was pardoned, whether they liked it or not.

One of the advisors began to frantically whisper to the prince, who looked to him with increasingly worried guises.

Eclipse had done it. She had convinced him to listen to them.

However, triumph didn’t fill him like it should have, and instead he was left hollow.