.

Sebastian, when he returned, was not met with a grand welcome party, a fanfare of trumpets, or a red carpet to walk on. Instead, a tired-looking, hunchbacked, bony stablehand covered Sebastian's shiny blond hair in a dark, silken hood and handed him a rusted lantern. 

The stablehand held a finger over his lips, his eyes full of fear, and turned around to limp slowly down the trail. Sebastian, turning around, cast a confused glance at the driver, who shrugged, flicked the reins of his horse, and drove off. 

Sebastian took a deep breath and followed the stablehand. 

He was led to the ever-familiar imperial courtroom, where the large oak pillars seemed to smirk at him, and the dark maple desks where the judges sat seemed to glare at him. Sebastian, still wearing the dark cloak and holding the lantern, was standing yet again in the middle of the room, and staring around. 

Something was wrong - Sebastian felt more powerless than when he had been tied up. 

The judges were all silently looking at him. Coldly leering. Sebastian brushed back his hood, and said, trying to keep his voice from failing him, "Why am I here?" 

The judges chuckled, and Sebastian clenched his fist, nails digging into the palm of his hand. Then, one of the judges spoke up, and said, "Prince, have you heard of Duke Jylan?" Well, of course, he had just been with that said duke, about an hour or two ago. Sebastian frowned. "What about Duke Jylan?" Why was Jylan being brought into this?

"Well, it has been … annoying. The servant has been getting too powerful. All in agreement?" The judge said, and all of them murmured in agreement. "Becoming a duke in one year is too much. It would have taken anyone else multiple - at least 8, since he was a commoner." one said, and all of Sebastian's words failed him. 

"W-what do you want me to do?" Sebastian asked, and one of the judges snickered.

"Well, my darling idiot prince, of course, we want you to kill him."