"Are you okay my dear?" Mrs. Semira asked. She dropped a cup of tea on the table.

"Yes mother", Ravea replied. A thick fur coat hung around her body as she sat on a chair beside the table. Her family sat around her.

"I can't believe that he'd do such a thing", her father muttered. "He's nothing like his father."

"Mhmm", the mother concurred. "But what do you think they'll do to him?"

"Who cares? They can do whatever they like, scum like him shouldn't be allowed to live in the first place", Rima replied.

"Don't you think that's too harsh?" Her mother opposed.

"It's not." Rima scuffed. "Hey don't tell me you're pitying him."

"I'm not, it's just that your father is planning to purchase a land from his father, don't you think this might affect the purchase somehow?" She asked.

Everyone was silent. "No no no, you don't need to worry, Mr. Dernewt isn't that sort of man", her father said, reassuring both his family and himself. "I've been paying him in monthly installments, I gave him the last one today, that's why we were celebrating. Don't worry, the purchase is a done deal."

Meanwhile, Ravea sat motionless in her chair. The air felt thick and heavy when she tried to breathe. It stuck to the back of her throat like a stubborn sore. Her hands couldn't stop shaking and the only person that seemed to notice was her mother.

The next day, everyone was awake before the cock crowed. They gathered in the village square, patiently awaiting the arrival of the Elders so that they may cast their judgement.

Jerome and the Elders arrived soon after. They took their seats behind a table that was set under a tree in the middle of the village while Jerome knelt in front of them.

"Good morning all, we have gathered here today to judge the crimes levied against this young man, Jerome Dernewt", Elder Giovanna, the oldest of all the Elders started. "As you all know, this isn't a delicate matter. It's unlike other cases similar to it, because not only is there an absence of valid proof of the crime levied against him, the person in question is the heir of one of my fellow Elders."

The people began murmuring.

"But fear not, his judgement shall be fair", Elder Giovanna cleared the tension in the air.

"Once again, we would like the victim to state her experience in the hands of this young man", another Elder said.

Ravea stepped forward and looked at Jerome. He didn't look at her. She searched around with the side of her eyes, looking to see if she would see Hopas, but he was nowhere to be found. She turned around and looked at her mother, then her father and then her sister.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"L-Last night after sunset, I-I was at my parents inn working", she started but she couldn't stop stammering. "A-After a while, I decided to take a break. I-I went outside to receive a little fresh air when I noticed a shady figure in the alleyway close to me. When I asked who was there, Jerome came up to me and started boasting about his father's wealth. He promised to make my family wealthy as well if I let him sleep with me-"

"She's lying!" Jerome screamed.

"Quiet!! You'll get your turn to speak", Elder Giovanna silenced him. "Continue."

"Thank you", Ravea replied. "W-When I-I refused", She struggled to speak, her hands were shaking nonstop. They must've seen through her lie by now, she thought. What was she going to do? If they found out that she framed him, the son of an Elder, and was also an accomplice to the robbery of the Elder as well, her and her family would pay for it severely. They could be banished, or worse, killed. She was losing her will fast. Just then, she felt a warm hand hold unto hers. She turned immediately, "Rima", she muttered.

"I'm here for you sis", she replied.

Dark hair, full lips, beautiful eyes. "Rima", Jerome thought. "That's Rima. She's the sister of-", he looked at Ravea. "No that can't be right. How? Why? Why?!" He screamed in his head.

By the time he'd gotten a hold of himself, "Thank you for that Ms. Ravea", the Chief Elder said. "You may now state your claim, Jerome."

He didn't say anything.

"I said, you may now state your claim, Jerome", The Chief Elder repeated himself. But Jerome still didn't say anything.

"Je-", his mother was about saying.

"I did it!" He shouted.

Everyone gasped in shock. Ravea the most, she felt like she'd been struck by lightning, except it didn't end up hurting her, it hurt someone else.

"I tried to rape the girl", he continued.

His father stood up immediately, "Jerome! This isn't what you told me!"

"I lied, I'm sorry father!" Jerome replied, his voice breaking.

"With that, your fate has been decided", said the Elder Giovanna. "For the next two weeks, Jerome Dernewt, Son of Elder Harvey Dernewt, and perpetrator of the crimes levied against him, shall be tied naked to the tree in the village square with only his undergarments to cover his shame. No one is to feed, harm or tend to him during the days within. As Elders of this village, that is our judgement."

"Jerome!" His mother cried.

"Let's go", his father consoled her, "He has made his decision." He looked at Jerome, his eyes filled with lots of things, disappointment the most.

The people were pleased with the judgement made by the Elders, it was a relief to know that their rulers weren't corrupt and impartial.

A lot of people gathered at the Semira Inn to celebrate the minor event, including Hopas. He arrived already drunk, he was most probably at another bar when the matter was being judged.

Rima didn't feel like celebrating considering that she was the only one attending to the customers. "Maybe next time I'll ask to be assaulted", she sulked.

Ravea was given the day off by her parents but she didn't know what to do with it. She didn't want it because she didn't feel like she deserved it. "Take a bath when you want to clear your head", Her mother had once told her, so she did just that.

She sat naked in a wooden tub filled with warm water and soapy bubbles. She had scrubbed herself with a sponge before entering the bathtub but she still felt dirty. She grabbed the sponge again and started scrubbing her body but she still didn't feel any cleaner.

"You can't just scrub guilt away my child", someone whispered calmly from the door.

She became startled and turned immediately causing her to throw the sponge. "Mother! What're you doing? How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to see that my daughter is greatly troubled", her mother replied.

Ravea turned and faced her knee which were folded in front of her chest, "I'm not!" She said.

Her mother walked up to her and sat on a stool behind the bath. She gently grabbed unto Ravea's hair and started brushing it. "Your hair is a mess", she said calmly.

"It's not my fault, they get tangled easily", she sulked.

"When they get tangled what do you do?" Her mother asked.

"I untangle them", she replied.

"Exactly", her mother said, then kissed the back of her head.