The first witness was called.
A stable boy, no older than fourteen, shuffled nervously onto the stand. His hands twisted the hem of his tunic.
The prosecution smirked.
"This boy clearly saw the accused leading the enchanted stallion. Tell the court what you witnessed."
The boy swallowed hard. "I—I saw Farmer Elric with the horse. He had a rope in his hand. The sun was setting… it was him, I swear."
The crowd buzzed, nodding. It sounded convincing.
The Magistrate turned to Aisha.
"Defense, your cross-examination."
Aisha stepped forward, heels clicking against marble. Her sharp gaze fixed on the boy.
"Stable boy," she began softly, almost kindly. "You said you saw Elric leading the horse at dusk. How far away were you?"
"Uh… m-maybe fifty paces, near the orchard."
Aisha tilted her head. "Fifty paces. In the forest. At sunset."
Her voice grew firmer.
"Tell me, did you notice the color of his cloak? His face? Or… did you only see a shadow with a rope?"
The boy hesitated. His lips trembled.
The audience leaned forward.
"Well?" Aisha pressed.
"I… I couldn't see clearly," the boy admitted. "It was… getting dark."
Aisha smiled faintly. "So you cannot confirm it was Elric."
The gallery erupted in whispers.
The Magistrate raised a hand for silence, but his eyes glimmered with interest.
The prosecution stiffened. "Objection! The boy was close enough—"
"Close enough to see a shadow, not a face," Aisha cut in sharply. "Which means his testimony is unreliable."
The Magistrate nodded slowly. "Sustained. Witness's statement will be noted as uncertain."
One down. Two to go.
The second witness, a burly guard, strode confidently to the stand. His armor clinked as he declared, "I saw the peasant! He was tugging at the stallion's reins, dragging it away. It *was* him. I'd bet my life on it."
Aisha narrowed her eyes.
This one wouldn't be so easy.
She paced slowly before him. "You say you saw Elric stealing the horse. Where were you standing?"
"On the watchtower."
"Ah," Aisha said smoothly. "And how high is that?"
"Thirty feet up."
Aisha raised a brow. "And the distance to the stables?"
The guard frowned. "About… a hundred paces."
Aisha's lips curled. "So you expect this court to believe that at twilight, from thirty feet up and a hundred paces away, you recognized a farmer's face in detail?"
The guard's confidence faltered.
"I—I know what I saw."
"But was it what you saw… or what you were told to see?"
The crowd gasped.
The Magistrate's eyes sharpened. "Defense, are you suggesting witness tampering?"
Aisha met his gaze without flinching.
"Yes, Your Honor. And I intend to prove it."
The coliseum court went silent.
The prosecution's smirk had vanished. The noble who owned the stallion shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
And Elric, the trembling farmer on trial, looked at Aisha with new hope.
>This is more than just a case now, Aisha thought. Someone is pulling strings—and I'm going to cut them.
The Magistrate's staff struck the marble with a resonant crack.
"Court will adjourn for recess. Defense, prosecution—prepare for the next witness."
As Aisha stepped back, the gallery exploded in murmurs. She could feel eyes burning into her—some in admiration, some in hatred.
But above the noise, one thought rang in her mind:
Someone powerful doesn't want me to win this trial. Which means I have to.