The chamber doors opened without warning.
Everyone turned to look.
Celestine Aurin entered with the kind of presence that made people straighten unconsciously. The scion of House Aurin was the embodiment of prim and proper. She never gave off the feeling that she had weak standards—not in appearance, not in bearing, not in the careful way she carried herself.
Her family's motto was "Grace Through Merit," and she embodied it.
She wore House Aurin colors—deep blue with silver threading. Her expression was composed but carried an edge that suggested displeasure.
"Lady Celestine," Caldwell said, surprised. "This is a closed tribunal. Unless you're here to provide testimony—"
"I am." Celestine moved to the fifth seat without waiting for permission and sat with the kind of confidence that came from knowing exactly what her family name meant. "I'm here to provide testimony regarding Duncan varn's character and whereabouts during the alleged theft."
