Indenuel honestly couldn’t tell when Tolomon slipped back in to stand guard. He was just there, like he always had, this time leaning against a crutch. Indenuel wanted to talk to him, wanted to make sure he was alright, but he couldn’t, and that almost made it worse. He didn’t sleep well, his stomach full of nerves. He could have sworn he heard demons, whether in dreams he promptly forgot or whispers in real life. He was not prepared for the trial when the guards walked in, nodding to Tolomon as he handed them the key. They unchained him from the table, and Tolomon got ready to leave when he froze, looking at Indenuel’s face.

“Is one of you a speaker of the dead?” Tolomon asked.

“I am, sir,” one of the guards said.

Tolomon walked over to the water basin. “Take off his mask for a moment.”

The guard didn’t question. He just did. Tolomon returned with a damp rag, washing Indenuel’s face. “Can’t go to a trial with my blood on your face. That won’t make a good impression,” Tolomon said, looking at his face and not his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Indenuel said.

“I know you are, you stubborn ass. I’ve already forgiven you,” Tolomon said as he finished cleaning his face.

Indenuel started to cry. “Stop. Stop doing that.”

“Forgiving? Or cleaning your face?” Tolomon asked.

“You have every right to hate me. I’ve broken so many of my promises to you. I almost killed you.”

Tolomon smiled, taking the mask from the guard, placing the plate back as carefully as he could before locking it, looking Indenuel squarely in the eye. “I know you saved my life, too. It was an accident. One I hope will help you realize how dangerous you’ve become. So, take that immense shame you feel and channel it into getting the mark off your chest. You’re a good man, Indenuel. I know you can be better.” Tolomon patted him on the back before stepping aside and letting him pass. The guards were on either side of him, making sure he didn’t do anything as Tolomon followed behind, using his crutch to walk up the stairs.

They lifted him into the carriage, making sure he couldn’t connect to the trees as they stuffed him into the carriage. He blinked in the blinding morning sunlight before closing his eyes tight.

Tolomon sat across from Indenuel. He must have had his own nerves, because he didn’t say much, simply watched out the windows, checking for danger. Indenuel was blinking, trying to get used to the morning sun, but it was so bright and hot. Was it summer already? He honestly couldn’t tell. Weeks had passed for the rest of the world while it only felt like days for him.

Indenuel was carried into the Cathedral around the back. He didn’t know what kind of gossip there was going on about him, but it couldn’t be good if they elected to have the Warrior come around the back. He was carried through the Cathedral until he got into the meeting room and placed on the marble square, blocking him from connecting with the trees. The guards forced him on his knees, making it so the High Elders loomed over him. Indenuel continued to blink in the bright light. He thought he would have gotten used to it now that they were in a room, but it still reflected off the marble in the worst way.

The doors opened again, and Inessa was brought in. She kept her eyes down, the only sound from her was the clinking of the chains as she was forced to kneel a distance from Indenuel. She said nothing, she didn’t even look at Indenuel. There was a distinct worry on her face she tried to hide, and Indenuel knew he wasn’t a sight to give her comfort.

Nathaniel walked in, folding his arms, the worry clear on his face. He gave a bow to the High Elders. “Good morning, High Elders.”

“Captain Nathaniel, always a pleasure to see you,” Navir said.

“I feel the same, sir,” Nathaniel said.

Indenuel almost believed he meant it.

“Dalius shall begin with a prayer for grace and mercy,” Navir said.

Indenuel did everything in his power not to scoff. Too many people’s lives were at stake for him to get on the High Elders’ bad side.

“May God look down on Indenuel and Inessa in love. May their tongues be loosed to give confession that is pleasing to Thee. May God grant us High Elders the spirit of mercy and forgiveness as we work closer to bring their souls back to Thee.”

Indenuel closed his eyes, feeling the first bubbles of anger at the hypocrisy. He doubted any of these High Elders knew what mercy and forgiveness was.

“Remove Indenuel’s mask,” Navir said.

Tolomon did so, keeping the mask as he slowly walked back to his position at the wall, bowing his head and pretending he wasn’t there. Indenuel looked up at Navir.

“Captain Nathaniel, son of Martin the Healer and Sara has accused you of committing adultery. Not only did you sleep with a woman out of wedlock, but you slept with High Elder Martin’s concubine. The punishment for such is fifteen lashes each on the public square, castration, as well as the stripping of Inessa’s titles and sending her back to her family in disgrace.” Indenuel did not lower his gaze. He stared at Navir, trying hard not to react. He hadn’t realized how bad of the consequences they were until Navir was calmly explaining exactly what was going to happen to him. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I deny the allegations,” Indenuel said.

Navir smiled. Indenuel tried not to be terrified by it, but the man’s smile was so cold, so calculating, it was almost like Indenuel asked him to play one of his favorite games. A game he always won. Dalius finished writing, glancing up between Indenuel and Navir. Fadrique drank his wine, already looking bored.

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“You deny it?” Navir asked.

Indenuel stared at Navir, starting to panic, triple checking that Navir’s question was just a simple one and not one with a hidden meaning. “Yes. It never happened.”

“Captain Nathaniel, do you have anything to say on the matter?” Navir asked.

“No sir, nothing,” Nathaniel said.

“This man has called you a liar. Do you not care about your honor?” Navir asked.

“He is in a higher social class than I am, sir,” Nathaniel said.

Navir smiled again. “That he is. However,” he leaned forward, intertwining his fingers and placing them on the table, “I believe you, Nathaniel.”

Martin winced and looked down. Nathaniel frowned, confused. “Thank you, sir.”

Navir picked up a piece of paper, standing up. “I have here the report of what you saw. Every detail.” Navir walked around his small table, handing the paper to Nathaniel. He took it, his eyes still on the High Elder. “That is your signature, is it not?”

Nathaniel barely glanced down before looking back up. “It is.”

“Perfect. Now, as is customary, I’d like to ask you a few questions,” Navir said, staring right at Nathaniel.

“Of course, sir.”

“You never actually saw them be intimate, did you?” Navir asked.

“That would have been inappropriate.”

“I see. A man of honor.” Navir held up the paper. “So, they were kissing each other passionately before you decided they were going to be intimate. You have no actual proof they were, in fact, intimate.”

Nathaniel did nothing. “I guess that’s why he denied it.”

“Still, kissing another man’s concubine is a punishable offense, wouldn’t you say?” Navir asked.

Nathaniel hesitated, trying to see what was going on in Navir’s mind. “I suppose so, sir.”

“You suppose,” Navir said with a smile. “I am most curious to know if Indenuel’s shirt was off.”

Nathaniel again studied Navir closely. “I did not know at the time he was marked, if that is your true question.”

“It is my true question, yes. But I’d still like you to answer my other question,” Navir said.

“Indenuel had his shirt on,” Nathaniel said.

“Was she wearing any clothes while they were kissing passionately?” Navir asked.

“Sir, I don’t feel comfortable with these qu-”

“You’ve come to us, accusing them of adultery. You’re going to have to answer uncomfortable questions,” Navir said.

Indenuel looked at Nathaniel, watched him squirming. “She was clothed.” Even as he was lying, Nathaniel did everything in his power to paint Inessa in the best light he could.

“So, you have two fully clothed individuals kissing passionately, and you left, assuming they would go ahead and unclothe themselves and commit adultery?” Navir asked.

“They are both young and in love. I assumed as much, yes,” Nathaniel said.

“Enough to get fifty lashes?” Navir asked.

Indenuel glanced up, his eyes widening as Nathaniel’s face dropped. “Forgive me, what was that?”

“See, I believe you, Nathaniel. You are right. Inessa and Indenuel committed adultery, so if we discover you’re lying, it is not just Indenuel’s honor you are besmirching, it is also mine. A High Elder, and the Warrior. Two men of the highest noble class. Ten for each, which is twenty. But I do not like being made a fool. If you besmirch my character, I make sure it doesn’t happen again. Fifty lashes, if my knowledge of anatomy is correct, should kill you,” Navir said.

“I…” Nathaniel started to say.

Indenuel panicked. He about said something when Nathaniel looked right at him, giving an obvious shake of his head. Fifty lashes. No one could survive fifty lashes. Not even Tolomon. Nathaniel was going to die. He couldn’t just sit there and let him die. Indenuel turned to Martin, trying to get some help. Martin was looking at the ground while fiddling with the wine cup, looking nervous, but not terrified. He was staying frightfully quiet this entire time. What was Martin doing? His own son’s life was at stake, and he was saying nothing.

“But here’s the question that always bothered me, ever since your accusation of adultery landed on my desk,” Navir said, walking past Nathaniel, past Inessa and Indenuel, straight for Tolomon who had his head bowed, leaning against his crutch. “Where was the bodyguard in all this?” Nathaniel glanced between Navir and Tolomon. Tolomon kept his head bowed, not looking at anyone. “Well? I asked you a question, commoner, so you may speak. Where were you?”

Tolomon hesitated, then looked up at Navir, his face impossible to read. “Indenuel drugged me, sir. With corrupted tree bark.”

“Drugged you?” Navir asked, smiling.

“Yes, sir.”

“I am to believe a Graduate got drugged?” Navir asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“After everything you survived. A battle with fifty Kiamese soldiers, gray death, even this accident with a devilish amount of corrupted pain that should have killed weaker men than yourself. You are the best in your field, and you got drugged by, from what I’ve been told, the very first thing Graduates learn to build their immunity to?” Navir asked.

“Indenuel is a very powerful individual,” Tolomon said.

Navir smiled again. “He is, isn’t he. I trust your good friend Nathaniel there. I doubt he’s ever lied a day in his life. A man like that, it’s blatantly obvious when he lies.” Navir glanced at Nathaniel. Indenuel felt sick to his stomach. Nathaniel was going to die unless Indenuel admitted the truth. And if he admitted the truth, Inessa would go home to her family, disgraced. Shunned from society. Whipped, humiliated in front of a crowd, one of her breasts chopped off. Indenuel looked at her, tears filling his eyes. Inessa was staring forward, her face paler than before, but she said nothing. She looked at him, saw the terror in his face which brought tears to her own eyes.

“He is a good man,” Tolomon said, his face emotionless.

“So, you believe him too? You of course wouldn’t add any lashings should he be discovered a liar. Even as a Graduate, you are still of the common class,” Navir said.

Once again Tolomon’s face was impossible to read. “It doesn’t matter who I believe, then. Does it.”

“On the contrary. I need to know where your allegiance is. If you believe your friend, it will give him comfort in his final act of his life to know you at least believed him. But if you side with Indenuel, if you say Indenuel never committed adultery, I need to know why, exactly, you just lied to me and told me you were drugged. I am most curious to know if you broke a solemn oath to me, because I fully intend to lay down the consequences of such actions.”

His sister. His last remaining family. The only family he has left. Tolomon closed his eyes, struggling with all his mental capacity to keep emotion out of his face before he opened his eyes again. “I believe Nathaniel,” he barely managed to get out, his hand tightening on his crutch.

“I am so glad,” Navir said.

“Leave Tolomon alone,” Indenuel snapped. “It’s not him on trial.”

“You’re right. So, let’s go back and review yours,” Navir said, approaching Indenuel. “Captain Nathaniel, son of Martin the Healer and Sara has accused you of adultery. I believe him. Should you continue to deny it, Nathaniel will get fifty lashings in the public town square once this trial is over. Should you admit it, you and Inessa will each get fifteen lashes. While you are getting over the pain of such a flogging, we will remove your testicles, and cut off one of Inessa’s breasts. We will then strip every title Inessa has gained from being a concubine, and send her home in disgrace, where she will suffer the consequences of her actions as her entire community shuns her for being nothing more than a common whore.”

Nathaniel had to physically move Indenuel back to the marble square as he tried to kick Navir. The anger was building to a danger point and Dalius had to stop writing to hold out his hand, keeping the demons at bay. Fadrique, too, was holding out his hands. A dangerous amount of corruption was building in his wrists that would hit his arms if he wasn’t careful. He had to think carefully, and he couldn’t if he was this angry. He closed his eyes, then latched onto the only idea that could save them all. “I didn’t sleep with her. I raped her.”