Chapter 15: Consequence Coverup (4)

1.

Tap tap tap.

This prison has nice acoustics, got a steady beat.

“IM BORRRED!!”

I've gotten to the point where I'm just punching the wall and watching my bloodied hand heal. None of this is fun.

At least it's something to do.

I can’t sleep. So I just wait, juuust gotta wait.

My arms rest on the bars, they’re rusty, I could probably break out of here if I just kept slamming my body into them. Surely hitting something with a bone could break metal right?

What would that even accomplish? My life is totally in Lily’s hands right now, and I'm not too happy about that, she is downright scary. Not because she is a woman and I lack the capability to communicate to someone of that calibre but because she is just an unnerving individual. Complete psycho, like Diana.

Although I understand Diana, she is just a kid with issues, I do not understand Lily, and people usually fear what they don't understand, and I am in the category of ‘people’ I like to think.

I kick the bars, ouch.

I can’t even tell the time, there are no windows here, there's NOTHING.

The only light-source is a glowing crystal attached to a pole on the ceiling.

It has to be tomorrow by now, right?

Surely I won’t have to wait any longer.

If I were to guess, it’s around 9 am the next day.

So today should be my court hearing, where I can potentially clear my name.

Although Lily seems certain she can win, perhaps she pulled some strings?

Okay I'm playing with the glowing crystal on the ceiling, there's nothing else to do.

I move the bed and stand on top of it, the crystal is just screwed onto the pole like a light bulb, history does repeat itself apparently. They quite literally reinvented the light bulb.

Almost there, it's hot.

Methodical steps echo in the tunnel.

“What are you doing?”

I stumble off the bed, the crystal falls and cracks all over the ground, causing the floor to become a light source.

“Heyyy Lily, was just... researching the crystal... Can I leave yet? I'm getting a little bit stir crazy you know?”

She is wearing her purple robe again, but looks tired, like she stayed up all night.

“Here is some paper.”

She drops it through the bars.

“Thanks?”

Is it just paper or is there like anything written on it, or?

I grab it, it seems to be a list of instructions.

“Follow these, the court hearing is in 4 hours, after this expect to be considered a blessed human, you’ll get all the benefitsfrom that too.”

The benefits? Like not being able to get arrested?

“Thanks Lily, I appreciate it.”

“No need to thank me, I did it out of the goodness of my heart.”

“Yep, I understand. Also, what is the whole deal between you and Immy?”

“Our families don’t mix well, it’s a political thing, none of your concern.”

If it’s political I don’t want to get involved.

Immy doesn’t seem like someone who would care about status, or about her image, as well as Diana’s image. I don't think she cares about anything.

“Okay, I won’t pry, I appreciate all the help Lily, but I need to know, what are you actually getting out of this?”

“Oh? Is it not enough that I find you nteresting?”

“Not really? Although I’m not exactly sure how much effort you needed to put in to design this plan of yours.”

This whole thing could’ve been incredibly hard to pull off for her or super easy.

Maybe she was just doing it out of the kindness of her own heart, although I doubt that.

She begins to sweat, it’s the first time I’ve seen her lose her composure.

“My plan?? What plan?”

“The plan to make me not in prison? And get ripped apart limb by limb like Kal mentioned?”

She tugs at her purple robe nervously.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

“Right. Yes. It was easy, don’t worry.”

Okay, I guess she just wanted to be nice?

“Okay, sorry about my question, I’m just naturally wary of people.”

“Understandable, that’s a smart way to be. Although you need to trust some people, just remember that.”

Right, I do. The only person I trust… it wouldn’t be Diana or Immy. I trust Emily a little bit and surprisingly Sophie came off as a very trustworthy person, even though her silver eyes give me the creeps.

I don’t trust Lily though. Not at all.

“Okay, thanks for the advice.”

“No problem. See you later Z”

“Bye.”

She walks away, humming to herself.

The piece of paper has three instructions.

ONE, don’t talk unless asked a question.

TWO, say you are human when they ask you, and say you are from the outer circle, you were always blessed but didn’t want to tell anyone due to you being an orphan and scared, you escaped into the wild and then got caught, brought to Immy, then had this whole disaster happen.

THREE, smile!!!

This seems easy enough.

2.

“I don’t want to do this Emily!!”

Diana is cutting up onions on a wooden board clumsily, hair dark and cold.

“Too bad, you said you wanted to learn useful skills, right?”

Emily is just watching her, not helping her when she obviously needs it.

“Yeah... but this isn’t useful.”

“This is the most useful thing you can do as a woman, besides bearing a child of course.”

Emily says this proudly, it’s what her mother taught her, if Emily were to find a husband one day, she was sure she could make him happy.

“Isn’t that kind of thinking outdated Emily?”

“Diana, you said you wouldn’t argue with me.”

“Okay.”

Emily is now the substitute teacher while Z is away, it’s not going very smoothly.

“Alright, now we are going to simmer the onion in cream, prepare those cherry tomatoes.”

“Eeemmmilllyyyy, I don’t wannnnaaa.”

“Now.”

Diana is being very submissive, actually following and taking orders from Emily.

It’s mainly because she wants forgiveness, but she also has the urge to actually improve, something she isn’t used to feeling.

She wants to be able to protect people and reward people, but she still considered herself to be useless and weak, which she was usually fine with.

But now, after the horrific incident they went through, she decided that she needed to be useful, to be as cool as Z was.

But this isn’t what she meant by becoming stronger.

“If I do this Emily, can you teach me more about the bow this afternoon?”

Emily had shown she was decent as an archer, not the best not the worst. When she was younger, she wanted to become an adventurer, but her mother decided against it, making her a maid at the age of 12.

“Yes. Sure.”

“Okay!”

Emily is taking her job seriously, she still hates Diana but has been great at hiding it thus far.

She didn’t want to disappoint Z as well, especially since he gave her this job.

Suddenly Immy walks into the kitchen.

“You having fun Diana? If you aren’t having fun you can quit.”

Immy had always been a bad influence on Diana, she didn’t want Diana to live a hard life, so she never forced her to try or succeed in anything.

“I know, but I want to learn things.”

“Very well, thank you Emily for teaching my daughter how to cook whatever the hell you two are making, it smells nice.”

Suddenly one of the men in suits walks up to Immy and whispers in her ear.

“Today? That was quicker than expected, who is representing him?”

Immy was planning tobecome a member of the royal circle quickly and represent him, due to her high status she was a good choice.

To get into the royal circle you'd need a lot of influence and submit an application to the useless king.

Court hearings were less about the law here and more of a popularity contest.

Immy suddenly became furious when she heard who was his representative and storms out.

Diana turns to the man in the suit.

“You. Tell me at once, what was this about?”

The man shakes.

“It is about Master Z, he is going to a court hearing in 1 hour, represented by LiliaCullington.”

Diana knows who Lily is, they’ve had multiple arguments and fights.

“Okay! Leave, get out, shoo”

The man in the suit walks off.

Diana turns to Emily.

“Do you want to break into the royal circle and watch?”

Emily surprisingly nods.

Emily was just as interested in the situation with Z, she knew he would be in prison but the decision on whether or not he will be put to death hadn’t been decided.

She holds out hope for a good ending.

3.

“Yeah yeah I get it you can’t climb.”

Diana is carrying Emily up the royal circle wall with her hair. The hearing is being held in a small church like building, inside of the royal circle.

“Why’d I even take you? You are making things difficult.”

Emily can’t even talk, she is wrapped in strands of hair completely.

Eventually she fully scales the wall, guards are up there.

“Hello! I didn’t want to go through all the traffic at the front gate, is it alright if I enter this way?”

The guards, having no way to actually stop her just nod.

Blessed beings are basically allowed to do anything they want. Although if their public image gets worse enough, they’d be assassinated by another blessed being.

It was all very chaotic.

She unwraps Emily by the roof of the building where the hearing is being held, they are just watching through an open window which gives them a top-down view.

Emily struggles to breathe. The hair making it incredibly hard to get air.

Huff

“I couldn’t breathe in there Diana.”

“Oh? Sorry.”

“It’s fine” huff “just make sure to use less hair next time, now let us watch.”

Currently Lily is talking on the stand. Diana’s hair instantly goes black upon seeing her.

Diana then sees Z and takes in his appearance, he is dressed in a nice suit, most likely supplied by Lily, she is mad how they are coddling him. But his hair was also back and a different colour.

“Woahhh look Teacher's hair is back!”

“Yeah, I noticed, weird, and it’s blonde now.”

They decide to stop talking to each other and listen to what Lily is saying.

Lily is speaking formally and succinct.

“-clearly gone through enough; you wish to make this poor boy suffer more than he already has? has he not paid the price in pain for destroying that crystal?

He clearly did not mean harm, he knew of the dangers these parasites posed and made a selfless decision. A strategy that may of been reckless but saved tens of thousands of lives.

Is that the work of an unholy creature? This boy is no monster, he has a human heart with a human body, if that isn't enough for you I don't know what would convince you.

You know what he told me when we first met? He said to make sure he takes all the blame;how could this kind-hearted boy be considered a monster in the eyes of the public? He should be considered a hero.

I do not think he deserves a punishment; I believe he deserves a reward for his sacrifice.

That is why I am asking you, judge, to give him a lawful residence in the royal circle as a blessed individual, in my family’s name.

My parents has already agreed to let me marry him.”

Diana whispers in an annoyed tone.

“What? What is she planning? That witch, she is taking Teach away!”

Emily holds her hand over her mouth.

“Z looks just as shocked by the news.”

“Well of course he is, this is a typical thing she would pull without asking. She is trying to mess with me. She has been against me for years. God I just want to rip her apart.”

Emilies hair begins to turn red and shake with anger, Emily quickly holds her to calm her down. She asks a question to keep Dianas mind preoccupied, she has gotten very good at making Emily not fall into anger, it's the only reason she is alive.

“Can he say no to this?”

“I doubt it, saying no to a royal's marriage proposal would ruin his chances at freedom and put him in an even worse position than before. What’s her plan here? Why does she want to destroy everything I have?”

“You didn’t ’have’ Z, this will probably be good for him.”

“It won’t.”

“Why not? He has succeeded in making a beautiful woman his wife, along with marrying into a wealthy family”

“There is no way Lily actually likes Teach, she is doing this to either toy with me and my mom, or she sees something in Teach we didn’t see, probably his healing could be used in a way that benefits them. She always just RUINS EVERYTHING.”

Emily stays quiet, Diana is surprisingly good at politics, if she wasn't a hothead she would be genuinely cunning.

They watch as the judge agrees to the conditions. Z was officially married into the Cullington family, they didn’t even hold a wedding nor did the formalities, they just signed the paperwork.

Emily just stares at the confused Z, he looks like he thinks he is in a living nightmare.

4.

I get down from the stand, my job is done.

I had to go as far as to marry this rat to make him love me, annoying.

My mother was not pleased with the news, but Dad assured me Z could be used as an incredible weapon, and this was the best way to keep him close.

I explained the situation to dad about how Z most likelyconsidered love to be marriage and eternally bonding with a partner.

Making him a tricky target with my blessing, I didn’t realise Z was this important to sell out your own daughter to marriage, but I trust my dad, he knows best.

I am simply a tool to be used.

I run up to Z, haha he is looking so confused.

“Why’d you do that Lily?”

Ill speak in a soft tone, I need to keep my perfect tone.

“Do what? Oh right. I just wanted to marry you.”

I’ve got him in my grasp, now that we are married, he should soon fall in love with me.

“Come on husband, let us get out of here, this court room is awfully crowded.”

I wrap my arm around his, guiding him out of the courtroom.

I hate how I have to touch him, what a disgusting creature.

Well, for a man he isn’t that bad looking, he is rather cute, and those eyes, those redeyes are intriguing.

I just hate how I needed to marry a homeless person of lower status.

I look at his face, haha he seems so dazed and lost in thought, maybe he has already fallen in love with me?

Just having a beautiful girl like me wrap her arms around yours is enough to make you lose all that ‘let’s just be friends’ talk huh?

“Lily, can I go back to Immy’s place after this?”

Why? Why? Why would you want that?

“Why dear? Do you have personal belongings you need? I can get some servants to grab them don’t worry.”

“No. I just don’t want to be married to you Lily.”

Rude. Mean, it’s fine, it’s not like he can refuse.

But I can’t say he can’t refuse my marriage, otherwise he might realise I’m threatening him.

Urgh this is tricky. He is so stubborn. I never expected him to actually try to stop marrying me, does he really not want me?

“It’s fine Z, this is just a sham marriage, it’s so you can be considered human.

If you want to go back to Imogen’s, you can, I did this all for you Z.”

Urgh, it’s fine it’s fine, even if he thinks it’s a sham marriage this still gives me an in.

I can make him love me; it may take some time.

Its not like Imogen is going to let him stay at her place anyways, not after having my last name, Z is going to be so saddened by the news that I'll need to embrace him with a hug.

Z looks grateful now; I made the right choice.

“Okay great, you really didn’t need to go this far… I am forever in your debt.”

It’s fine I intend to collect that debt. This is perfect, he thinks I’m some saint.

“I need to get you cleaned up, let us go into the inner circle.”

“Yes okay, that sounds good.”

Great! Ill take him to that tailor shop owned by that blessed young man, need to get Z all formal looking.

He doesn't look too amused by my stunt, I bet he thinks I have an ulterior motive.

Which I do.

Guess he is smarter than I thought.

A carriage stops on the road, right in front of us.

“It's mine.” Time to go on a little adventure into the inner circle.

End of chapter 15.