Fae Fae’s Brother.
The man was dragged into the courtroom, wearing nothing but his prisoner garbs and chains on his hands and feet. The guards kept pushing a dragging him into the courtroom and brought him to his knees.
To settle right next to Noonien Turquoise.
“...Eeeeeeeyy!” The Brother waved with a broken smile, chains rattling, “Long time no see!”
“Your honour, I demand you remove this beggar from the court!” Noonien Turquoise snapped as he covered his noise, “He smells horrendous!”
“Ayo, not cool! What happened to the good old fashion bro code!? Don’t you be looking away from me like you don’t know who I am! We buddies man!”
“Who the hell would be friends with a dog like you?”
“Alright that’s it. Time to teach you some Sugondese—SUGON DEEEEZ NUUUUUUTS!”
It was a badger fight. Couldn’t call it a cat fight, there was zero grace. And dogfight didn’t match the situation inside of a closed room. But that’s what the two grown ass men did, just punching and wrestling each other the second they were in the same room. Like raccoons fighting over scraps.
It took a considerable amount of men and women to break them up. Even then they were kicking and screaming, exchanging profanities and curses non stop.
“ORDER IN THE COURT!” The Judge rose from his seat to slap his lion dog gavel into the table to shut them up. “Lock it down, both of you! Or I WILL charge you with contempt in the court!”
“Sorry old man—I mean Judge sir,” Fae Fae’s Brother bowed with a touch of sarcasm, “This idiot of a schoolboy don’t know what you just said! But don’t worry, I know some sign language to get the message across.” And he did something similar to flipping the bird at Noonien.
Noonien tossed the guards off him to compose himself, yanking the wrinkles off his robes and sleeves. He barked back a “Despicable vermin! You should rot in jail!”
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“I SAID ORDER, DAMN IT!” The Judge bellowed. After Inspector Lee gave a leering warning to both prosecuted and witness, the Judge pointed at the Brother, “You! Tell us what happened that night when Mr. Noonien arrived in Green Lion Valley?”
“Oh I’ll tell you alright,” The Brother laughed. “This asshole. rolled up on his horse wagon carrying over 100 gold sticks and gifts – to bribe my sister’s silence about their relationship! Yes sir he did!”
“He’s lying!” Noonien tried to stay away from the Brother, covering his nose with a sleeve from the smell. “How can you take the words of a crazed bum like this man? He’s just spitting nonsense! I would rather throw all my wealth into the salted ocean than leave a copper penny in his palm!”
“You practically tossed gold at my sister’s feet, begging her to break up with you! And you call yourself a learned man! Screw that noise!”
“Shut up!” Inspector Lee interjected before he turned back to Noonien, “Of course you didn’t give this yahoo of a brother any money.” He shoved the Brother off his feet to make him kneel back down to emphasize his words. “You gave it all to Fae Fae. You knew her and you went through all the trouble with the hairpin and the money just to make sure she is silent about your true connection to each other!”
“Lies! All of it!” Noonien denied the allegations with hackles on his nape, “Do not frame an innocent man!”
“Innocent!?” The Judge laughed at the remark. “Are you sure should be confident about this all? We know everything! And I mean EVERYTHING!”
“I-I have no idea what you’re all blabbering about!” Noonien tried to walk away.
But Inspector Lee grabbed the scholar by the collar. “You’re not Noonien Turquoise. In fact, your name doesn’t exist in ANY registry for the Imperial Examination! It was like you were born only yesterday, married to a family of riches!”
“S-stop it! Let me go!” yelled Noonien. “H-help! Someone help me! This man is insane!”
“After going through hell and high water to find out who killed Fae Fae, yeah – You bet your scrawny ass I’m a little cooky in the head!” Inspector Lee shoved the man into a wall of guards as he cornered him, “You’re the real liar here. Everything about you is a lie. No, a sham! A total sham! Now, confess!”
“I AM Noonien! Of the illustrious Turquoise Family! A prestigious scholar serving the Imperial Order! I am no liar neither am I a thief!”
“Silence!” The Judge slapped his gavel with a fuming look and glared at the Brother, “Tell him the real story! Every detail!”
Noonien Turquoise turned paled...and with every word spoken by Fae Fae’s Brother, he felt his own existence fading.
“You...you damn idiot!” The scholar howled at the brother’s tale, “Y-you swore you wouldn’t tell anyone! YOU SWORE!”
What...what a nightmare...