Eirian's magic had been bubbling under the surface for days now. The cumulation of everything was roiling under her skin like a pot threatening to blow its lid off.
The haze of rage that had lingered around her for days, and while normally she found anger invigorating, after nonstop days of it, she was starting to feel drained. She'd always used her anger as fuel, but it seemed she'd finally hit her limit.
She felt a bit like the fire was gone, and she had nothing left but smoke. Empty but somehow lingering.
The exhaustion had settled into her bones at this point, and now just being alive made her tired.
But looking at the Yangs was enough to spark some flame back to life.
Lady Yang stood, defiant in the midst of her children.
Two of the spouses looked terrified as the minutes passed.
Eirian's eyes caught Chenzhou when he finally looked away. He'd seen it as well. Perhaps there were weak links in the family.
Eirian pressed her shoulder to Chenzhou's as he turned back to the Yangs. "Lady Yang, I cannot begin to express… how disappointing this is."
For the first time since she had been placed in chains, Lady Yang showed emotion. Her lips pulled back in a sneer, and Eirian was expecting her to deny everything, but apparently, the chains had been what had finally convinced her it was over.
"Did you ever stop to consider how your actions would affect the people of the Camelia?" Chenzhou asked.
Lady Yang moved to step forward, only to blink when the chains and the guards pulled her back before she could go anywhere. It seemed to scatter her thoughts because she paused to take several breaths before finally speaking. "Everything I have done, I have done for this estate and the people in it. My entire life is dedicated to serving the Camelia."
"Yet you spent all of it trying to destroy it." Chenzhou snapped, his own anger finally sparking to life.
"Defending it!" Lady Yang argued. "You are a child." She hissed. "You have no idea what you are doing, and look how many it has killed."
Chenzhou sputtered in disbelief, and even Eirian was so stunned that her jaw dropped.
"Their deaths were unnecessary. And yet your actions, your decisions killed them all." Lady Yang spoke so violently spittle filled the air.
"My decisions?" Eirian was pleased, relieved that Chenzhou, despite the natural guilt he seemed to carry and the lifelong respect he had for Lady Yang, wasn't falling for her poisoned words. "Lady Yang, your decisions led to this last war. A pointless war that did nothing but cost lives on both sides! We could have had peace instead of tens of thousands dead!" Chenzhou's voice rose to a roar. Something Eirian, and everyone judging by their expressions, had never heard before. "Was your family involved in the last war, too? Was that another machination in your attempt to take control?"
Lady Yang seethed. Eyes crazed and wide. "My family has served this estate and the throne of Sorrow since the day they arrived here. Longer than anyone else."
"Not longer than mine." Chenzhou pointed out. "And the Zhaos and Yins have been here just as long. What makes you better than any of us?"
"My family led-"
"A kingdom that fell." Chenzhou snapped. "You fled a failed empire and came here. You keep claiming your family was a pillar holding it up, but it fell while you claim you were the most influential force there?" He shook his head. "You may be so blinded by your pride in your family, Lady Yang, but I cannot help but wonder if that pride may have been what led to the fall."
"How dare you!" Lady Yang's voice bounced off the walls. "You insolent child. You know nothing! You spent most of your life sickly and in bed. You shouldn't even be alive now. You're not fit to lead."
Chenzhou seemed taken aback by the strength of her conviction, but Eirian mused that it was probably just seeing it in a different light. All that passion she had for defending the Camelia and its people turned into something violent and hateful.
Chenzhou had spent his entire life until now admiring her and everything she represented, but now it turned out that all of that was a lie. "Everything out of your mouth is a lie."
Lady Yang jerked back like she'd been struck. "Everything I have said is the truth."
"Your truth, perhaps, but not the truth." Chenzhou shook his head. "Does everyone in your family agree? Because they're going to follow you all the way to the gallows."
Two of the spouses looked absolutely terrified.
"Unless you want to show mercy now and spare those who weren't part of your efforts?" Chenzhou offered. Until the High Court began the trial, Chenzhou had some leeway if he could convince any of them to speak against the others.
"The Yang family stands together." Lady Yang sounded completely sure.
It was, surprisingly, Hikari who didn't look the same. Lady Yang's oldest son had been lost in his head since they put the chains on, but he finally stirred now. Raising empty eyes to look at Chenzhou. "All Yangs know the family truth." He toned, reciting from a lesson ingrained in him since he was a child.
But finally, one of the spouses spoke up. The young man whose family wasn't noble, but wealthy enough to sit at the same tables. "Not all of us are Yangs."
His husband, Lady Yang's youngest son, turned on him with his mother's sneer. "You married me. You are a Yang."
"I wouldn't have married you if I knew what you were doing!" His husband hissed. "I married you because I loved you, not because I believe this nonsense."
The youngest Yang son raised his hand, but Lady Yang snapped before he could strike. "We do not hit our spouses."
Chenzhou scoffed at the irony, as did the youngest's husband. "You're a Malin, aren't you? Your family runs one of the main trade routes into the borderlands."
The young husband nodded. "My name is Bo Malin. My mother and father head the family. I did not know anything about this when I married." He glared at his husband, who looked as stricken as he looked angry. "Neither did Meimei."
~ tbc