"Indeed, that's true" I heard Arsino say aloud, as if throwing open a door that no one wanted to open. "If she didn't report it, she consented. The Violet house has several strong warriors in the city"
I smiled inside. Even Theodore, my sworn enemy, agreed. Those nobles were clearly disconcerted.
"Exactly, you can accuse him" he continued. "But they must be aware that this makes sense. At no time did she show dissatisfaction"
The room became tense, the eyes of the accusers and the judge wavered, a clear sign that I had managed to get inside their heads. That was my game.
When Grenvene, with that calculated tone, asked:
"We understand if you accuse him, but the process must make sense. Zaatar, how long did this relationship last?"
I took a deep breath, keeping my cool, staring blankly at this trio of local rulers. I wanted you to feel the weight of my words.
"It lasted three months in all" he said, without hesitation. "I dragged her at least three times a day. We could only cruise for an hour at a time, due to school restrictions"
I looked at Victoria. His face was already red, anger and confusion stamped on every tense muscle. That memory of those weeks, of what we shared, left her bewildered. Assuming that so directly, with that touch of provocation, seemed to have completely dismantled his posture.
Inside, I felt the victory grow.
She had been resentful of my rejection, but now I was there, steadfast, playing the game on my terms.
It was the first time I heard such a firm and definitive 'no'. That made me completely irrational at the time, a confusing mix of shock and anger that seemed to burn inside.
The courtroom began to stir, voices mingling in murmurs and low discussions. There was no immediate counter response, because the Violet family simply could not refuse. They knew very well the exact date on which the complaint was made.
Why precisely on that day?
The reason was hidden, of course. If it were revealed, the entire web of corruption and interests behind the Primavera house and its buyers would be exposed—and no one wanted that.
"Well, the defendant assumed the crime. Do you want to take it on or..." The judge began to ask.
"Wait, wait a moment" Grenvene interrupted, his voice charged with suspicion. "Zaatar, explain to me, if she was as good as you say, why did you abandon her?"
The entire court was in absolute silence. All eyes turned to me.
I shrugged, trying to look indifferent, but inside a whirlwind was forming.
"When we were in school, I was enchanted by this girl. Every day with her was incredible. I even asked my father to investigate her past because I wanted to kidnap her and keep her as a sex slave in my quarters" I said in a cold tone, trying to shock and buy time. "But when I discovered its true origins, I had to abandon that thought"
The court was in shock.
"House Violet is a big family outside of the Empire of Dawn, they..." I began to explain.
"Shut up!" the representative bellowed, as if his throat was about to rip with fury. His eyes seemed to want to pop out of his face. It was almost comical. Almost.
I lightly touched the support of my chair, without getting up. I kept calm. I knew I had hit an exposed nerve.
"Please continue the report" Arsino spoke coldly, as if he were just asking for more tea to be served. But his gesture to the guards was clear: 1/3 of the men in the courtroom pulled their guns from Aste. The metallic sound of steel being raised echoed in the quiet environment like funeral bells.
I smiled inside.
"I ended up discovering that, although they are just baronets here... in the neighboring empire, they are counts" I spoke slowly, as if I were explaining a banal fact to a slow student. "I think this point is kind of delicate, since if I made her my wife, her family could end up being interested in the properties... And well, I know my limits. I know what kind of force I can handle"
The silence was absolute. Only the heavy breathing of the nobles and the rustling of cloaks could be heard.
Their expressions changed completely. The blood drained from their faces, their eyes tightening, their hands clenching in the arms of their chairs. The seven representatives were paralyzed. The words were spoken, the veil pulled.
(What is this court for?) I thought, watching their faces. It was not to defend honor. It never was. It was to protect interests — territorial, economic, and political interests.
And what threat could be greater than a countess of a foreign empire setting foot here? If I married a peasant woman... OK. No one but my family would care. But a countess? From a duchy based in another country?
They didn't think about it. They were blinded by greed. For the opportunity to tear down my house. But now... Now the fear had changed sides.
"They're trying to invade our city!" one of the nobles shouted. "You filthy thieves!"
"A honey trap! I'm sure she seduced him with a honey trap!" another bellowed, spitting out the words as if they were poison.
I remained motionless, my face expressionless, as I watched the reactions of the delegation and the judge. They were not my priority. They were too predictable, predictably sold. Nothing I said would change anything before them—not when their pockets were so evidently stuffed. No, my words were not for them. The real game was in front of the seven representatives.
My eyes ran over each one of them. Sitting on their temporary thrones, they tried to maintain their dignity, but their gazes betrayed the internal conflict. They were undecided. They hesitated. Would they support external intervention? An outside force entering the kingdom through a forced marriage alliance?
Morality weighed heavily on his speeches, of course... But I knew well the taste of convenience. It rotted any conviction. When tangible benefits emerge, morale disappears like a haze under the sun. After all, who, in their right mind, would make room in their lands for another political competitor, another possible wolf in sheep's clothing?
I sighed slowly, each word I uttered carefully modulated to sound fragile, real, strategic.
"I formally admit" I began, looking at the center of the chamber, but aware that all eyes were on me. "That I was scared by all this. Ever since my family crushed the Rolsvinces, these accusations came up suddenly. A coincidence... too convenient"
My voice sounded firm, but each syllable carried a rehearsed vulnerability, carefully stitched between pauses. And then I threw the bait:
"If I got married now... I fear that their next demand would be for my land. Perhaps they demanded control of the northern border. Maybe even... my loyalty"
The room crackled.
"ABSURD!!" The scream cut through the air like a blade. The representative of the Violet House rose violently from his seat. Tall, thin, with an expression that seemed about to tear his own skin, he completely lost his composure. His face, once controlled and haughty, was now a mask of fury and despair. He leaned forward, pointing a trembling finger in my direction.