POV: Ravenna
The great hall is PACKED.
Every noble in Cindravale. Every courtier. Every gossip who wants a front-row seat to watch either justice or execution depending on which side they're on.
The hall itself is massive—high vaulted ceilings, stone walls hung with banners representing the four kingdoms, windows that let in cold morning light that makes everything look harsh and unforgiving.
Father sits at the head on a raised platform. The king presiding as judge. His face is carved from stone. Unreadable. Absolute.
I sit to his right. The crown princess. Wearing white and silver—Mother's colors. A deliberate choice. A statement. My hair is pulled back severely. My mother's sapphire necklace at my throat. I look every inch the royal heir.
Theron sits beside me. Silent. Still. Wearing simple dark clothes and his black warrior stripe showing on his throat. His face is blank but I feel him trembling slightly. Not from fear. From tension. From knowing what's coming.
Across the hall, House Ashford sits in judgment. Cassian in formal mourning black. Face cold and calculating. Seraphine beside him, pale and devastated, eyes red from crying.
And behind them—Lady Seris. Watching everything with those pale calculating eyes. Taking notes. Observing. Like this is all just FASCINATING political theater.
I want to set her on fire.
"Let the hearing begin," Father announces. His voice carries through the hall. Absolute authority. "House Ashford has brought charges against Theron, The Warrior of Cindravale. Cassian Lucien, present your case."
Cassian stands. Bows respectfully. When he straightens, his face is the picture of grieving nobility seeking justice.
"Your Majesty," he begins. Voice steady. Measured. "I come before you seeking justice for my brother's death. Lucien was killed in what should have been honorable combat. But his death was not honorable. It was BRUTAL. EXCESSIVE. UNCONTROLLED."
Murmurs through the hall. Nobles whispering.
"Lucien broke the rules," Cassian continues. "He attacked Princess Ravenna's dragon. I do not deny this. It was wrong. It was dishonorable. He should have faced consequences."
He pauses. Lets that sink in. Establishing that he's being REASONABLE.
"But the response," he says, voice dropping, "was not proportional. Theron's dragon entered berserker rage. We understand that bonded mates are protective. We understand that instinct can override reason." Another pause. "But instinct is not an excuse for murder."
"Murder?" I can't help it. The word escapes before I can stop it.
Father shoots me a warning look. I close my mouth. Clench my fists under the table.
"Yes, Princess. Murder." Cassian looks at me. "Your warrior's dragon did not simply defend. Did not simply incapacitate. Did not simply STOP my brother." His voice hardens. "Havoc TORE Lucien apart. Ripped him to pieces while CONSCIOUS. While aware. My brother died screaming, begging for mercy, and your warrior did not stop."
Oh gods. The image he's painting. The way he's framing it.
"A berserker dragon should have been restrained," Cassian continues, turning back to Father. "Guards should have intervened. Master Veyron should have stepped in. But no one did. They LET this happen. They let a common warrior murder a noble in front of the entire court."
"It wasn't murder," I say through gritted teeth. Father glares at me but I can't STOP. "Lucien attacked my dragon. Havoc defended his mate. That's INSTINCT. That's BONDED MATE BEHAVIOR. Any dragon would have—"
"Any STABLE dragon would have stopped," Cassian cuts me off. "Any dragon in CONTROL would have incapacitated and then waited for judgment. But Theron's dragon didn't stop. Couldn't stop. Because Theron himself is UNSTABLE. dangerOUS. UNCONTROLLED."
He's good. Damn him, he's good at this. Twisting truth into lies. Making defense look like brutality.
"I have testimony," Cassian says. "From nobles who have witnessed Theron's violence over the years. Who can speak to his reputation as 'the merciless.' Who can explain why bonding such a man to our crown princess is a threat to the kingdom itself."
Father nods. "Present your witnesses."
The first witness is Lord Martel. Old nobility. Traditional. He stands and speaks about seeing Theron in battle years ago. How Theron showed no mercy to defeated enemies. How he was "efficient but cold." How there's something "wrong" about a man who can kill without hesitation.
The second witness is Lady Thorne. She talks about how Theron has always been an outsider. How he never integrated with noble society. How his refusal to speak or smile or PARTICIPATE marked him as dangerous. How "normal people don't isolate like that."
The third witness is Captain Reis. Military. He describes a battle where Theron killed six men in under a minute. How it was "terrifying to watch." How Theron moved "like death itself."
Each testimony is carefully crafted. Each one paints Theron as violent, unstable, dangerous. As someone who shouldn't be bonded to the crown princess. As someone who might hurt me. Control me. Use his position to gain power.
It's character assassination dressed up as concern.
And the court is EATING IT UP. I can see it. The way nobles nod. The way they whisper. The way they look at Theron with suspicion and fear.
Then Seraphine stands.
Oh no.
"May I speak?" she asks. Voice small. Broken. The grieving sister.
Father nods. "Proceed."
She walks to the center of the hall. Every eye on her. She's wearing deep mourning blue—Lucien colors. Her face is pale. Tear-stained. Devastated.
"My brother was wrong to attack Princess Ravenna's dragon," she begins. Voice shaking. "I know that. I'm not here to defend his actions. He broke the rules. He deserves—deserved—to face consequences."
She swallows hard. Tears streaming down her face now.
"But he didn't deserve to DIE like that," she continues. "He didn't deserve to be torn apart. To suffer. To BEG for mercy that never came." A sob escapes. "I watched him die. Watched Havoc rip him to pieces. Watched my brother's body destroyed while he was still alive and aware and SCREAMING."
The hall is dead silent. Everyone transfixed by her grief.
"He was my only sibling," she whispers. "My only family. And now he's gone. Brutally. Horribly. And I—" Her voice breaks completely. "I just want justice. I want someone to acknowledge that what happened to him was wrong. That he didn't deserve that kind of death even if he made a mistake."
She collapses into sobs. Cassian moves to support her. Leads her back to her seat. She's crying so hard she can barely walk.
And the court's sympathy is PALPABLE. I can feel it. The way people are looking at Seraphine with pity. At Theron with disgust. At ME with judgment.
We're losing. Badly.
Cassian returns to the center. "Your Majesty, the evidence is clear. Theron, The Warrior of Cindravale is dangerous. His dragon is uncontrolled. His bond to Princess Ravenna puts the entire kingdom at risk." He pauses. "I formally request that Theron be stripped of his bond to the princess and exiled from Cindravale. For the safety of the princess. For the safety of the kingdom. For justice."
Murmurs of agreement through the hall. Nobles nodding. Courtiers whispering approval.
Father looks at me. Then at Theron. His expression is carefully neutral.
"This hearing is adjourned for the day," he announces. "We will reconvene tomorrow morning to hear the defense. All parties are dismissed."
The hall erupts into conversation. Nobles gossiping. Courtiers speculating. Everyone eager to discuss the testimony.
I sit frozen. Hands clenched so hard my nails dig into my palms.
Theron hasn't moved. Hasn't spoken. Just sits there taking the character assassination with blank stoic acceptance.
"We're losing," I whisper.
"I know," he says quietly.
"They're painting you as a monster."
"I know."
"Tomorrow we fight back," I say fiercely. "Tomorrow we show them who you really are."
He looks at me. Those amber eyes tired but still determined.
"Tomorrow," he agrees.
But as we leave the hall through whispers and stares and judgment—I'm not sure tomorrow will be enough.