"Aiko!" Lord Blackswan said to the woman who shared Lyra's almond eyes though they were much more wrinkled. "Why? Don't you want to see this scoundrel locked away and executed?"

"I cannot remain silent any longer," Aiko Blackswan rasped as she straightened her robe of blackened silk. "I cannot let this man go back to jail and die, because...Lyra wouldn't want me."

"Mrs. Blackswan," Captain Archibell cried and stifled a grasp towards Lyra's mother. "You don't have to do this!"

The old woman defiantly ignored Archibell's misgivings. "Lyra told me that she and Jonas were venturing out and they didn't want anyone to know about it. But when I begged her to let me know, she said, 'We're doing this for Rosemary!'"

"Rosemary!" the admiral cried. "What in name of the sea devil!"

"Rosemary was always a very sickly child," Aiko said with her hand to her heart. "She had survived a previous incursion with Ghost Blight as a child and it made her pale and frayed."

Almost like twins, Elise saw remorse in both the captain and the admiral's eyes. Aiko's voice wobbled with age and sorrow. "She managed to live until 19 when she was spirited away into the locker of the sea reaper."

"Mrs. Blackswan," Captain Archibell said softly, but Aiko contined.

"Lyra could never get over her sister's passing," the elderly mother said. "And I began to notice her fascinating with the Everworld. She took out books from the library and read stories of attempted voyages into the depths of hell. I didn't think much of it at the time, but it was only when the brother of Admiral Archibell showed up on this island, did I realize her true goal."

Both Aiko Blackswan and Captain Jonas Archibell spoke at the same time, "to retrieve Rosemary's soul."

"When Lyra gave me the note, she begged me not to tell her father. She knew he'd never approve of her daring venture with this mysterious relative of the Archibells, but there was a determination in her eyes I could not refuse."

"Now you know," the old woman said, her hand clutchinf miserably at her chest. "Now you know the truth of what Jonas and I have kept hidden were so long."

Both the minister and Lord Blackswan were completely silent, but Blackswan walked off, leaving her standing alone.

"Darling?" Aiko stifled a cry, but Lord Blackswan had headed back to his manor.

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She looked desperately at Captain Archibell, and closed her eyes, but when she opened them again, they were bright and clear, if filled with tears. "I have no regrets," she said. "That secret would have died with me otherwise."

"I thank you for that wholeheartedly, Mrs. Blackswan" Captain Jonas Archibell said with a humble bow.

"Well then," the minister said, "Before we were rudely interupted by that awful deluge of nonsense, the jury was going to deliberate on the innocence of Captain Jonas Archibell, the annoying squawk of the seas!"

"Hey," Archibell cawed happily, "I kinda like that name. I might use it later. Bring it, sinister minister!"

All the jury, ranging from upperclass nobles to common working people, sat at their desks and began to deliberate amongst themselves.

The crowd remained quiet as the jury deliberated. but Legalbeard the Pirattorney returned from the local bar with a mug of ail. "Hoorah matey!" he cheered. "Now that you've come clean, we might actually have a chance!"

Everyone glared at him, and Legalbeard grinned a gold toothed grin. "All rounds on me if this works out?"

"Welcome back, mate!" Tony barked as Archibell patted him on the back.

"Why didn't you admit that to start with?" Elise asked Archibell.

The captain gave a soft chuckle. "I didn't want to throw Mrs. Blackswan beneath the boat to her husband. She had given nothing but her blessings on our voyage to find Rosemary."

"I just hope this didn't cost her her husband!" Elise said nervously.

"No need to worry about that," Sincirce said, "I've been through 24 husbands and I'm 268! She can always get a new one even at her age."

"Says da seemingly immortal witch!" Tony shouted.

A loud ding sounded and the minister cried, "the jury have finished deliberating."

"Already?!" Archibell squawked. "Squadily Squids! They're fast!"

"Now then," the minister ordered. "Each person in the jury will personally state if they are in favor of Archibell's execution or if they believe the scoundrel should go free. Let us start with you, Miss Swanson and go down the line!"

A young female noble in a poodle-like powder wig said, "Not guilty. But only because I'm a sucker for stories of sisterly love."

Elise smiled. That was true. They risked everything to save Rosemary.

The minister looked like he wanted to throw up, but he said, "Next, Mr. Woodbridge."

"Guilty," a burly handyman said. "He still abandoned that poor lass in her moment of need."

Elise's heart sank when she heard that.

Down the line, every member of the eight person jury also alternated between guilty and not guilty. The minister's eyes bulged everytime there was a 'not guilty' and he snickered when there was a 'guilty'. He did not laugh at all when he realized there was a draw.

"Q-Queen Annabell?" he stammered. "You are the tie breaker here. Your decision and blessing is of the most importance. What say you?

Chloe was silent. She rose to her feet, standing before her people, the naval officers and the people on trial. Elise's heart pounded. Why wasn't her friend talking. Slowly, Chloe lifted her eye-patch, revealing a demonic yellow eye with purple sclera.

"Guilty…" she hissed with a fanged smile.