“Is everyone here, then?” Navir asked.

“No,” Martin said. He, unlike Navir, was not going through notes. In fact, Inessa had never seen him more relaxed. “I have my own guests coming.”

Navir stopped riffling through his pages before he glanced at Martin, which is when he seemed to notice Adosina had remained behind.

The door opened again, and King Ramiro and Queen Lisabeth walked through. Navir narrowed his eyes, then set his papers down. “Welcome, your majesties. I was not made aware of your coming.”

“Martin invited us. We had of course expressed interest in attending any trial that deals with these people you so fear, and you mentioned yourself you would give us such invitation should ever a trial arise, but you seemed to have forgotten that,” King Ramiro said.

Navir smiled, one Inessa was familiar with, and she edged closer to Adosina. “Of course. Would you like us to get you chairs.”

“That would be wonderful, thank you,” Queen Lisabeth said.

Inessa placed a hand against Adosina’s arm, and she squeezed it back, still smiling. It helped Inessa not feel nearly as scared, even though she was certain no one else could guess what she was thinking.

Navir began the meeting with a prayer, then organized his papers once again. “Carmen, concubine of Fadrique the Weather Controller, confessed to a number of sins you committed against her. Have you read the confession?”

“I had it read to me, sirs,” Inessa said, her voice in control.

“This is of course an alarming development. It proves you are, in fact, a flooder and are a danger to our community,” Navir said.

Inessa kept her face perfectly still, even as she wanted to start fiddling with the hem of her dress. Unlike men, she was not allowed to say whether or not the statements were true. It was up to the High Elders to decide whether they were, and of course they would believe anything Carmen said. Carmen herself had very little rights, which was probably why she wasn’t even in attendance at this trial, even though she was the only witness.

Inessa’s chest ached at the thought of her friend. She did not know what bribery Fadrique gave her to say all that, but she found no anger directed at her.

“A point of clarity, if I may,” Adosina said. “Carmen is High Elder Fadrique’s concubine, as introduced.”

“The guest usually doesn’t speak,” Navir said.

“So, I’m still allowed to speak, then,” Adosina said.

Navir narrowed his eyes. “Only staying on the topic of the trial, of course.”

Adosina smiled sweetly. “Of course. I would just like to understand, to further my education, isn’t it normal to have more than one witness to these acts, as they are so incredibly serious in nature? Isn’t it supposed to be brought to trial if two different witnesses were given? And due to the seriousness of the matter, three from different families of nobles.”

Navir picked up his pages, switching into his intimidation mode. “For crimes of the noble family, yes. The crimes of those already as flooders are quite different, and we must get rid of them immediately.”

“Seems shaky, at best, to give lax laws on a group of people we know very little about. This trial shouldn’t have even started in the first place,” Adosina said. “It really, really shouldn’t. You may still call it off, should you so wish.”

“Adosina has a point,” Queen Lisabeth said. “All of this seems more like the High Elders trying once again to tear apart Inessa’s character.”

“I’d like to make a point, for the record, that though the King and Queen are welcome to the trial, they have no vote in what goes on here, as this is strictly a religious meeting dealing with someone’s soul,” Navir said.

Martin shook his head. “They have no sway yet, Dalius. Add that part.”

Navir turned to glare at Martin. “And what exactly do you mean by that?”

“They have, of course, become aware of two incidents where the High Elders have gone against my back to make a decision. Whatever excuse, it will not happen a third time or I will enact the law that requires the King and Queen the right to give a vote in matters of religion if one of the High Elders suspects the others are going behind his back.” Martin picked up his wine glass, glaring at Navir. “So, I have hope it will not happen a third time.”

Navir’s smile was back. “Of course not. We shall make sure the memo is read to you next time, as I have long suspected your mind isn’t nearly as sharp.”

Martin said nothing, taking a sip of his wine, focusing ahead. The High Elders, it seemed, were already planning to undermine Martin’s abilities.

“Do you have anything to say, Inessa?” Navir asked.

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She had loads, but none of the courage to actually say it. She gave a small curtsey. “None, sirs.” She glanced at Adosina, worried this somehow would ruin whatever she wanted to say. Adosina simply smiled and patted her arm.

“With the accusations of being a flooder, we must of course check to see if she is marked,” Navir said.

“Queen Lisabeth will check to see if she’s marked,” Adosina said. “Being the wife of Indenuel the Warrior, it would be improper for men of a lower class to check her.”

Navir glared. “Inessa is a woman, no matter who her husband is, and therefore we are always above her in class as her religious leaders. We will check her.”

Adosina dropped Inessa’s arm, stepping forward. “Certainly, a woman will always be lower than a man as you like to remind us all, but it has been emphasized over and over, Indenuel is in a class all his own, the one nearest to God. You could check her if you’d like, but before you do, let me first explain how Indenuel would be protected by law to give each and every one of you twenty lashes for disrobing his wife.”

Martin smiled, settling back in his chair and folding his arms. Inessa didn’t allow herself to breathe, for fear of mishearing a word.

“It’s…” Navir said, mulling something over in his mind. Fadrique glared at him. “Queen Lisabeth can check her.”

Inessa studied her shoes, the only indication that she let herself relax. Queen Lisabeth frowned, glancing at the men. “She’s clearly not.”

Inessa, wearing her best dress, also meant much of her sternum was on display and definitely clear of any mark. Navir drained the rest of his wine. “There is still the matter of the danger of these flooders. You have had an accusation brought against you, Inessa, one you confirmed.”

“Make a note she neither denied nor confirmed it,” Adosina said.

“And therefore, we must reason that your soul is under a great amount of darkness.” Navir pressed on, at this point ignoring Adosina. “It is vital you must confess.”

“I’d like to bring to point Carmen’s confession, how it is her, and only her, to have written Inessa had sex with her the eight months she was there. With how many concubines Fadrique has, no one else had stumbled upon them in the act.”

Fadrique shrugged. “I could ask around. I’m sure someone else saw.”

“It still wouldn’t fit with the need for other confessions outside the family of your nobility,” Adosina said.

Navir smiled at Adosina. “If it is more evidence you’d like, we could of course ask around to all our concubines. See if any of them have stories.”

Adosina shook her head. “All concubines. All under your powers under the law. I would rather like to know their confession when they weren’t under such power.”

Navir raised his eyebrows, as though amused. “You can’t just take away the sacred concubine law, girl.”

Adosina simply smiled, before she turned toward the King and Queen. “Your majesties, do you not have the option to take your names off a law you and the High Elders created if you feel you have been lied to in any way?”

Fadrique scrambled to his feet. “No. No they do not.” Navir grabbed Fadrique’s arm, forcing him to sit back down.

“Yes, we do,” King Ramiro said. “But the Warrior Project despite sharing similarities with the concubine law, are not the same. The High Elders were quite open and honest with us in the creation of the concubine law.”

“We’ve heard enough,” Navir said.

“No, we haven’t,” Adosina said.

“The monarchy told you, girl. We were open and honest. We have nothing to hide,” Navir said.

“On the contrary, High Elder Navir. You had nothing to hide because you didn’t realize this yourself. Father?”

“Yes, Addy?” Martin said, calmly as ever.

“The Warrior Project book. Where is it?” Adosina asked.

“I, unfortunately, destroyed it. In a fit of grief, I wanted to wipe away my sins, and I chose to do so in secret instead of revealing them out in the open so my soul could heal. I understand fully that my words alone are no longer trusted, so I will allow the King and Queen to strip me of my privacy if they see fit to watch from my memories as I burned it,” Martin said.

Inessa frowned, watching the exchange carefully. Both were calm, even as King Ramiro looked at Martin in shock at this revelation. Navir tightened his fists.

“And why, may I ask, did you destroy it?” Adosina asked.

“Because Inessa told me a terrifying truth. It seems it is a common practice in brothels to give a fake name to the men they are sleeping with. Looking back, it makes sense for these women to use such a precaution, but it’s a reason none of us men, with our luxury and titles, even suspected.”

Inessa held her hands together, starting to put the puzzle together. Navir, it seemed, already figured it out. “This trial is over. Dalius, stop writing. We’re done.”

“Tell the monarchy why you burned it, Api,” Adosina said.

Martin looked over at King Ramiro and Queen Lisabeth. “Inessa, it turns out, is my daughter. And I have no doubt there are many other such situations within the concubines that the High Elders are unaware of.” Queen Lisabeth covered her mouth, her eyes wide.

King Ramiro leaned over, his face turning a shade of green. “Oh, God.”

“This trial is done!” Navir shouted.

“Martin, you will shut Adosina up!” Fadrique said.

“Then there is nothing left but to suggest the concubine law be reevaluated with this new information given. Might I be so bold as to suggest Inessa’s trial be put on hold until after all those women are taken out of a situation where they could be swayed by suggestions from the High Elders,” Adosina said.

“It is too much of an economic boost to-”

“We do not allow incest in Santollia!” King Ramiro boomed, cutting Dalius off. It was enough that Tolomon cracked the door open enough to make sure King Ramiro wasn’t going to strangle a High Elder. No doubt half of Santollia heard him scream that. King Ramiro strode forward, pointing toward Dalius. “Send Adosina and Inessa out now. We sort through this before another word is spoken! I will not let you go back to your concubines after what we just heard. Clear your schedules, gentlemen. None of us leave until this law is reformed.”

Inessa covered her mouth, genuinely shocked. Adosina beamed at Martin. “Thank you, Api.”

He toasted her with an empty wine glass. “No, Addy. Thank you. It is time for me to right some serious wrongs.”

She patted his hand, smiling. “I know you will.”

Martin squeezed hers before letting her go. Adosina walked back to Inessa, giving her a hug. “That was incredible,” Inessa said.

“That was all Api’s idea,” she said as they left the courtroom.

“All of it?” Inessa asked.

Adosina shrugged. “Alright, he had an idea of where to go. I just helped him get there.”

Tolomon opened the door wider as the two of them walked through. Indenuel was already there, hugging Inessa, checking her for any bruise or injury, but Inessa held his face, smiling. “I’m fine. Truly, I’m fine. Addy was brilliant.”

Nathaniel was leaning against a pillar, a proud, brotherly smile on his face. “Ah, little sisters. What kind of hell did you give those men.”

Adosina, though a proud look in her eye, gave a humble shrug. “I simply pulled back the curtains to release the demons they created themselves.”