Jax Thorne didn't soften his tone.
"Thane. Next witness."
Corvin Thane rose, steady as ever.
"The Crown calls Colonel Brutus Sterling, Commander of the Northern Legion."
Colonel Sterling stepped forward with a soldier's bearing, saluted Jax with a curt nod.
"I officiated the sparring matches that day. I confirmed the scoring, issued the calls, and monitored each reset."
"Helga was aggressive from the start. Her language crossed lines no warrior should cross."
Corvin kept the pressure focused.
"State the words you heard."
Sterling braced.
"She started with the hair remark, then turned vulgar—comments about beds with the Gamma or Alpha. She mocked Nova's mother. Called her a whore. Called Nova a bastard slave."
The chamber erupted.
Jax's jaw ticked once before cracking the gavel down.
"Order."
Sterling continued, voice steady. "I've never heard a warrior speak like that during a scrimmage, especially to someone she'd never met. I issued resets as needed. The verbal abuse wasn't prohibited under code."
Corvin advanced.
"Did you learn why she behaved that way?"
Sterling nodded.
"After her arrest—yes. A man Helga had feelings for showed interest in Nova. Jealousy. Resentment. Nova was unaware."
"Did you speak with Helga after the match?"
"I did. She was enraged. I suspected she was using enhancers. I asked Elias to run bloodwork."
"Results?"
"Positive for enhancers."
"Anything else wrong with her?"
"No."
Corvin gave Jax a nod.
"Entered into record, Gamma Thorne."
Jax's eyes went to Eldric.
"Vaelor. Cross."
Eldric Vaelor cut across the floor, stopping just far enough from Sterling to make the colonel straighten a little.
"Colonel Sterling, let's keep this simple. Helga Emberhide ran her mouth that day — bloodlines, dead mothers, sexual filth. That her usual style?"
"No. She's competitive, loud… but that wasn't her."
Eldric tilted his head, razor-sharp.
"Not her. Good. So where'd she get the material?"
Sterling hesitated — not out of fear, but because soldiers don't like gossip.
"She said more than once it came from the princess. 'We heard about you from the princess.' 'Princess Meredith told us.' That kind of thing."
Eldric marked the moment.
"So the insults weren't improvised. They were… supplied."
"That's what it sounded like."
Eldric stepped once toward the jury, not taking his eyes off Sterling.
"For the record: Helga Emberhide's cruelty didn't come from instinct. It came from instruction."
Corvin shifted, ready to object— but Eldric lifted a hand first, without looking his way.
"Relax, Thane. I'm quoting the witness."
He turned back to Jax.
"No further questions."
He walked away like the point had never been in doubt. Because now — it wasn't.