Tejara sat slumped against the wall in her cell; dead except that her heart was still beating. The hangman’s noose awaited her and she was ready for it, ready to die and either join Mei’nin’sa or enter oblivion.

“Tejara!” Val’lin’r called out from the other side of the bars. “Don’t worry! I have a meeting with Swordmaster Eun. He owes Keh’dor’rin a favor and he has the ear of both princes so we might be able to lessen your sentence!”

Tejara slowly moved her eyes to look at Val’lin’r’s pale, desperate face through the bars. His handsome face was marred by dark circles under his eyes, his long black hair was down and messy, his clothes were rumpled and looked as if he’d worn them everyday since she had been arrested. Even his cheeks were starting to get sunken in.

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She swallowed the small amount of spit in her mouth and said in a hoarse voice, “don’t bother. I’m a murderer and should be punished as such...”

Val’lin’r gripped the bars so tightly that his pale fingers went white, “but you were avenging Mei’nin’sa, defending yourself. We can-”

“I was trying to save Mei’nin’sa and I failed.”

Silence fell.

Until Tejara croaked out a question, “how is Keh’dor’rin holding up?”

Val’lin’r looked away, “worse than he’ll admit... He decided to keep the baby though... Which is another reason you should try to live! That baby is gonna need an auntie like you.”

Tejara closed her eyes and turned her head away, “I’m sorry Val.”