Carl felt out of place in the giant courthouse. The beams of marble polished enough to reflect. The ceiling high enough to make Carl dizzy. The golden chandeliers were large, spanning third the width of the room with everfire in place of candles.

The spacious room was still filled to the brim with people. The very lowest level empty, prepared for the trial. Right above were the seven seats of the noble jury. For the representatives of the sacred families and the royal family. Above was a sturdy railing of stone and iron, where the wealthier populace judged for themselves.

Of the seven important seats, only four were filled today. The royal highness herself sat at the royal seat in the very middle. Her dress green and long, flowing down on the lowest platform itself. On her right, there was Leon 'the white mane' La Bor, the head of La Bor family. Carl's Stonefist family was a long lasting vassal of theirs, so he heard of them plenty. His fate was to be intertwined with them too, but since his injuries, Carl's future role as a personal vassal was a lifted duty. Still, his fate might have been as intertwined as it was before. Cormac was of La Bor blood too, even if disowned and replaced.

Carl did not know the other two, except that they were of the sacred families and were not heads of theirs at all.

Cormac. Whenever Carl thought of his past interactions with him, he really tried to hate him. He had heard that the mutilation of his throat was his work. But he could not, for some unknown reason. He had no memories of the incident, none that he could make anything out of, but something inside him told him, that he was in the wrong in that moment.

Still, from what Carl knew, this trial was for the other person invested in the incident. Aviana.

Trials on blue bloods were rare and especially when they were of the utmost royal descend.

Carl felt bad for leaving the concert out of the blue, but he was sure that his father would understand. He was the forgiving and loving sort.

Silence took dominion of the room, as the judge entered and slowly made his way to the raised platform. He put a stack of papers on the bench and then addressed the courthouse. His bald head reflected the light of the fire.

"Good afternoon, to our honored jury and to the rest of you. I welcome you to this court, in the case of Aviana Veron and the incident at the Academy grounds. We are gathered here today, to learn of her involvement in the murder of Norman Kedik and the mutilation and harm done onto Carl Stonefist. I call the accused Aviana Veron to the stand."

Aviana's eyes had to adjust to the light. The rays of light from the fire shone almost painfully bright and the dark passage where she waited did not help. Still, she managed to get to the seat assigned to her and sit down. Her body still ached, but not as much, since she was given some healing creams at home. They did still leave her bruises though, probably for the effect of it.

The judge waited for her all the while, addressing her the moment she sat down.

"Can you tell the jury, what happened the day of the incident."

"Yes, your honor." she said, than she turned to the jury. "That day, I went to bed late at night. Because one of my lounge-mates came in in a bad shape. I learned that some other students roughed him up. On the training grounds I got angry and lost control, snapping one of my opponent's hands in half. I had been called to the principal's office. After I left I saw Master Norman sniffing around and I do not mean figuratively, he was actually sniffing like a dog, looking for a lead. Supposedly, he found one, after which he started sprinting. The situation was so confusing and unnatural that I had to follow."

"The incident is blurry after that. I saw Master Norman try to kill Cormac, then I…"

"Please refrain from sharing your opinion on the matter, we require the facts first." said the judge.

"But I saw it. I know that Norman…"

"You have said it yourself had you not? The situation was a blur. Of course you do not remember what truly happened. Continue with only the facts." ordered her mother.

"Yes, your highness. Norman and Cormac were fighting…" Aviana waited if she would be interrupted again. She continued after a while. "I tried to break off the fight, but I only made things worse. Norman tried to choke me and Cormac had to stab him with a dagger to save me."

"After that, I wanted to alert the school staff about what happened and I left Cormac behind me. I encountered a different student on the way and he wanted to help us, but then he suddenly attacked Cormac with the same ferocity that…"

"Facts." her mother exclaimed loudly. "Thank you."

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"Well he…they started fighting and things escalated. After the boy was lying on the ground, Cormac and I found a passage out of the Academy and we took it, fearing that we might not be understood. We traveled fairly far, in hopes of uncovering who might have been behind it. We reached Ingluvies and I…he entered the abondenned mansion there. Then watchmen found me. They…they tore the mansion to the ground with him still inside. He…he is dead."

Leon La Bor visibly shook. His eyes frantically searching Aviana's eyes for hints of deception.

"Thank you for your recollection of the events miss Veron." said the judge, then he looked on forward. "May I inquire about the first thoughts of the jury?"

Leon was about to say something, but Aviana's mother interjected quickly.

"We think that the jury should refrain from deduction until we question the witness. Speaking of, I call the sole witness Gavin to the stand." the queen exclaimed.

Aviana's heart froze, she looked at the passage and…there he was. Gavin was widely smiling, looking at Aviana as he walked over to the witness stand. He was clothed in lavish yellow-to-orange clothes and adorned with half-a-dozen golden bracelets. Her mind could not keep up with what was happening and her head started swaying. The anger and wrath she felt for him twisted into fear and uncertainty. As Gavin began to speak about the incident.

"Gavin, please tell the court what you saw during the incident."

Gavin quickly went a little limp, swaying in the stand, acting like he has to wipe the sweat on his forehead. Even though it was as dry as could be.

"I used to talk with one of the accused. Cormac La Bor was his name. He…he did it. I saw everything."

Aviana looked on with her mouth agape, her words lost.

"I was looking for him that day. He had a habit of wondering out late." Gavin started again, acting like he was scared. "I found them. He was standing above two bloodied bodies a dagger in hand. Aviana was standing next to him, but her eyes…she was not fully there…as if…as if she was enchanted."

"Not enchanted." replied the queen. "Ordered."

Leon stood up abruptly, his brows twisted in anger.

"No son of mine would do such a heinous act!" He shouted at the queen, throwing his hands about in bewilderment.

"Leon, honey. Calm down. " her words were suggestive and pandering, rather than absolute. "You are my right hand, of course I would not expect your sons to be dishonest and cruel. But we both know what kind of background Cormac comes from." the queen replied. Her voice nothing but calm and collected.

Aviana watched Leon sit down at his seat and look away from the scene, ashamed.

"…what?" asked Aviana quietly. The image of the giant house caving on her companion fresh on her mind. He died because of a misunderstanding and they would continue bad-mouthing him this way? Sullying his memory?

"What the fuck are you all talking about!" Aviana yelled through the room. The other people towered over her accused seat, but she still eyed the jury angrily, especially her mother. "He did nothing like that! He would not be capable of that! He would never…"

"Silence!" the queen's powerful voice thundered throughout the room.

Aviana was so angry at her mother, more than she was ever before. She tried to struggle against the seal on her voice, but it was heavy.

"See? I told you she has been hexed by him!" Gavin shouted into the crowd. "It is obvious that such a regal and well-meaning individual such as the princess here…" Gavin turned to her for but a second, but she could see the disgusting smile he offered her. "…would never do such a thing by herself! She must have been controlled. I can attest to it."

Utter silence took hold of the room, after the witness's testimony. Not even murmurs of agreement or the opposite could be heard. Everything was quiet. Except the anger in Aviana.

They planned this. Her mother must have. She would not even care if Aviana herself was a murderer, or if she was not. All she cared about was the image her and her family might have. She did not want a tainted daughter, so she drowned whatever she could to keep her above suspicion. She might have even known Gavin beat her and put him there out of spite. And that she was ordered? It was laughable. Everyone who knew about rulers, would know that a sixteen year old boy would not be capable of ruling an ant, much less a human.

Even Cormac's father stood down. The Coward.

The hatred and anger in her brew and brew, until it was too much to keep inside…and Aviana broke the seal.

"Bullshit!" she yelled into the silence.

Her mother's brow quirked at her. Interest sparkling in her eyes.

"That is bullshit and you all know it! He had nothing to do with this! And you Leon…" Aviana looked at Cormac's father with contempt and he barely met her eyes. "They sing stories about your bravery, about your morals. Where did that go now? When your dead son's memory is being tarnished? What fate do…" she was forcibly stopped as someone pulled a gag over her head.

She began thrashing and twisting. Trying to resists in whatever way she could. So her disagreement was obvious.

"The court has come to a verdict." announced the queen. "This jury unanimously finds the accused innocent of the crime of murder and mutilation. It does however find her incapable and dangerous, for the weakness of swaying to the commands of another ruler. She is thereby sentenced to solitary confinement in the castle grounds, for minimum of a year and possible stay up to four. Depending on the progress she would make. We pronounce Cormac the sole and ultimate aggressor in the incident. For the fact of his death a penalty would be issued to the family La Bor, and their activities will be under strict surveillance here after."