Part XLIV.

"You do not decide that Adrian." Sean responds coldly.

"We are the leaders of this kingdom," Adrian responds equally cold, "not just you nor me but all of us put together on this table."

"I am king. I have the final say."

"You're not crowned yet!"

"Adrian!" Joe half yells

"Should I count that as treason?" Sean responds ignoring Joe and Adrian stays quiet, glaring spikes at him.

"Fine." Miranda says, looking at me but speaking to Sean. "I'll take whatever punishment you give me if that's what'll make you happy."

"I will not allow you touch my sister just because of a mere human." Adrian protests. Sister? Now that I look at it, there's a streak of resemblance between them. How could I not have noticed. Joe's the father of Adrian and Miranda. Wow. A whole family as part of the council isn't such a great idea.

"Sean," Joe speaks up, "I'm not speaking to you now as a leader nor subordinate but as a friend in need and a father."

"Joe, do not play that-"

"No Sean," Joe cuts in, "let me please. I served beside your father, your mother and now you and if there's one thing that makes you all stand out, it's your great sense of judgement. In her defence, she's loved you almost all her life-"

"Dad." Miranda says uncomfortably but a look from Joe shuts her up immediately.

"Even if you never reciprocated those feelings for once, she never stopped loving you." Joe continues, "she probably expected that you'd love someone else eventually but never in anyone's wildest imaginations did we think it'd be a human, considering our history with them. She did it out of care for the kingdom, her feelings for you being her drive. Ofcourse, she deserves punishment but please, consider me and be fair. Whatever you do, I'll take it to be the best judgement and decision for the kingdom."

He ends his speech and Miranda is obviously at the brink of tears, Adrian's glaring at his father in anger and Sean just sits in silence, probably pondering on what to do. I know I didn't start off on the right foot with Miranda but I completely understand Joe's point. Love would make you do things you never thought you'd do and I'd say she never truly loved Sean if she sat back in silence and let him go without a fight. No one could understand her better than me, a woman like her who's had our feelings trampled upon.

Dylan was the first and only person I loved after an unfortunate event with my high school crush. I know how it feels to beg for love, to love someone and not get that energy back, to put up with everything they do to you because you don't want to lose them but still end up losing them to someone else, someone whom you know would never love them like you do.

I overheard Sean saying to someone outside my room that her offence is punishable by death. She went against his orders, the law and almost killed me, death seems like the appropriate penalty but I killed my own husband and here I am, alive.

"I have something to say." I say suddenly, breaking the silence without thinking and they all look at me with shocked and confused eyes, Sean's even more shocked but nods for me to go on anyways.

"I'm the victim here, the one who almost died and I don't think anyone would want her to suffer for it more than I do," taking a small pause, I glance at Miranda and smile slightly, "but then, before decisions are made, our first consideration should be the kingdom and sometimes the motive behind the crime. Obviously, humans do not have a good record with you guys although that's something I have absolutely nothing to do with but she felt the kingdom was endangered with me around and that goes for everyone here. If she didn't make a move, someone else would and even if she dies now, there's no guarantee that someone else wouldn't try harder. I don't suppose you'd want to kill all your subjects because of me and even if you'd want to, I'd take my own life to prevent that." I stop and Sean smirks slightly, it's so faint I might be only one who noticed.

"A good leader wouldn't solely let his decisions be determined by his people's wants but he doesn't turn a completely deaf ear towards them either."

Finishing up my own speech, I feel my guilt lessen and my conscience quieten down a little. Whatever he does now is his business, her life means nothing to me but then, if she dies, I doubt Adrian would relax. He's someone I definitely do not want to make my enemy, even if that seems unavoidable.

"Well," Sean clears his throat as the tension in the air thickens with everyone waiting eagerly for him to pass on his judgement. "Miranda Barnes, you have been charged with attempted murder of the king's betrothed and your queen to be. Aside that, you disobeyed my command, went against the rules and interrupted a test that determined the future of this kingdom therefore you are hereby stripped of your position in the council and will be kept in the dungeon with the power buckle for five days with scarce food and limited water. This is my decision." Hm, fair enough but power buckle? What's that? I make a mental note to ask Sean later.

"What?!" Adrian booms and stands up, facing Sean with angry red eyes. "Stripped of her position?! That's absurd Sean. And five days?! I will not have my sister treated like a commoner. She's high ranked!"

"No one is above the law," Sean says in a frigid tone. "And I mean no one." He emphasizes the 'no one' passing on a silent threat and Adrian chuckles loudly.

"What," he asks Sean looking angry and amused all at once, "you want to get me locked up too, huh?"

"Adrian!" Joe yells angrily. "You will do well to sit back down in silence, now!"

"Why are you so scared huh?!" Adrian responds angrily to his father while Miranda just sits with a single tear rolling down her cheek. "He's just like us yonno! He's no different than us but you cower away in fear and you're always at his beck and call like a dog is with it's owner!"

Suddenly, a loud sound is heard and before I know it, Adrian's on the ground few meters away from the table holding his bleeding nose and looking up at Joe who's now standing beside Adrian's chair, looking at his son with disdain clear in his face.

Miranda's sobs increases but she does nothing and Joe turns back to look at Sean who's watching the whole scenario in silence.

"I'm sorry for the nuisance my family has caused," Joe apologies and bows slightly, "I'll see to it that your judgement is passed immediately." With that, he touches Miranda and they both disappear, leaving an injured Adrian on the ground with me and Sean in the room. Not sparing Adrian a second glance, Sean gets up and takes my hand.

"Let's go." He says quietly and I nod, standing up and looking at Adrian who's standing up as well.

He gives me a look that I can't quite decipher it's meaning but it sends chills to my spine nonetheless and in that moment we appear in the room.

The warmness of the room greets me and I feel safe again but I can't shake off the feeling that I just stepped on the lion's tail.