Day 1
Violet
True’s eyes darted from side to side, looking anywhere but Jack. Her chest rose and fell as she started moving forward, her teeth almost chattering.
Anyone could see she didn’t want to be here. So why was she here?
Her steps were slow.
“I have spared the rest of your family,” he said calmly. “They have been placed under house arrest until further notice.”
Jack’s body stiffened, his eyes fixed only on True as she passed. “True…” he said softly. “What are you doing?”
He tried to move toward her, but the guards held him back instantly, their grip tightening as he fought against it. True didn’t stop, didn’t turn, but kept walking.
Cecilia tried to calm him, attempting to place her hand on his shoulder, but before she could reach him, Jack had already shrugged her off.
“True!”
The worst part of it all was the satisfaction on the king’s face. No one knew exactly what he was doing, but that didn’t stop him. True reached the stand and sat down, her hands resting in her lap.
“Welcome,” he greeted her, guiding her with his hands. “Thank you for doing this. I know it is not easy.”
“She must’ve been forced into this,” Kylan whispered. “She can be too much sometimes, but she wouldn’t just do this to Jack. She would never…”
My heart started beating faster. I didn’t know True as well as Kylan did, but I believed him. There was something about the way she looked, the way she avoided everyone, that just didn’t feel right.
“Speak to the council,” the king instructed. “Tell them what you told me.”
My eyes drifted to Jack again. He shook his head slowly, staring at her. When I looked at True again, I saw her staring at him as well, her hands trembling for a moment until she steadied them.
Then she took a deep breath. “Four winters ago…” she began, her voice quieter than expected. “My daughter was looking for Beta Jack and found him at our lodge…deep in the woods.”
Chrystal?
“What did she see?”
True opened her mouth, but couldn’t speak. She didn’t want to say it. That much was clear.
“Go on.”
“She…” she tried again, then took another breath. “She saw them,” she said. “In bed…in each other’s arms.”
By the way the room reacted, one could’ve never guessed that this was the same Lyperia where mistresses were allowed or where the man in power had even more than the accused. All of this was going too far.
But Jack and Cecilia…
It had to be a lie.
Even members of the council leaned forward, their mouths open. I looked at Kylan, but his face was as hard as stone. “It’s not true,” he said. “She would’ve told me.”
The king continued. “And what did she do after that?”
True’s gaze dropped, but only for a split second. “Go on,” the king encouraged, his tone firmer now. “Tell us.”
She drew in a breath. “She ran back to the palace,” she said. “She was crying…and she confided in you,” she said, earning more reactions. “She told you…everything. It’s in her diary.”
She whispered the last part, like she didn’t want anyone to hear.
“And unfortunately your daughter…we haven’t seen her in a while, and we will get to that eventually. But it’s good to have you here in her place, True.”
True’s throat bobbed, and that’s when I knew she was well aware Chrystal wasn’t here anymore. I had no idea what the king promised her, but she really was dragged into all of this.
“Do you remember what else was written in the diary?”
True closed her eyes, shaking her head. “I don’t—”
“Think!”
Her eyes opened again. “She…overheard her,” she said, her voice shaking. “The queen.”
“And?”
“She said that even though the Moon Goddess tied her to His Majesty…” True continued, “she believed she could’ve lived a happier life with Jack. That she loves him.”
The crowd was at it again, but not as loud this time.
“That is not true!” Jack called out. He stepped forward as much as the guards allowed. “I know there have been rumors, but this is false!”
The king tilted his head. “So you are telling me,” he said, “that your mate is a liar? That your daughter is a liar?”
Jack froze, his eyes moving to True again. The king had put him into a very difficult position. The best thing for him was not to say anything, so he didn’t.
Cecilia took one step further than Jack, taking the word. “What he is trying to say,” she spoke calmly, “is that, yes, we are close friends, but it has been blown out of proportion.”
The king didn’t even look at Jack anymore. His eyes pierced through Cecilia’s. “So are you saying that the Beta’s mate and her daughter are liars even though there is a diary?”
“Yes, that is what I am saying,” she said, giving a single nod. “The truth is that, yes, I do love Jack Wyrnsbane, and if the Moon Goddess would’ve paired us instead, I would have lived a happier life, but I have never committed adultery,” she spat the last word. “In fact, you have, a total of fourteen times.”
The king widened his eyes, but Cecilia lifted her hand, showing him she wasn’t finished yet. “And you know what?” she continued. “If this is your way of getting rid of us, then by all means, keep going. It’s the closest you’ll ever get to being honest about the fact that you were never worthy of us or this throne to begin with—”
“Enough!”
The king’s voice was so loud it actually made me flinch. If there was one mistake he had made, it was sending Cecilia to trial. It seemed like she had reached her limit and was not afraid to go against him.
“I have heard enough,” he said, his tone dropping again. “Day one is finished. I know enough, and the prisoners may return to their chambers…or the dungeons, in Jack’s case.”
His fist slammed against the table, and the guards moved. They didn’t dare touch Cecilia, but led her out as she walked with the same grace she had entered with. Her expression was as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and a small smile rested on her lips.
Jack’s eyes were confused. He looked at Cecilia, then back at True one last time as they started pulling him back.
“True—” he started again, his voice fading as they dragged him away. True still had her head lowered, refusing to look at anyone. I didn’t know what the king had promised her or threatened her with, but it was enough for her to tarnish her mate’s and the queen’s reputation with a lie. It was enough for her to use…Chrystal’s name.
The room slowly began to move, and people started to leave.
As I turned to Kylan, he was still clenching his jaw. There was something in his eyes, and it was worse than hatred. I just couldn’t tell if it was for Kayden, the king, or maybe even True.
“It’s time for you to head back to your room, Royal Mate—”
One of the guards approached me, but Kylan stuck out his arm. “If you touch her,” Kylan said without even looking at him, “I’ll kill you.”
The guard froze instantly, both hands lifting slightly in surrender. “Y-Yes, Your Highness!”
His hand reached for mine. “That’s enough for today,” he said. “Let’s get out of here.”