"Thane. Next witness."
"The Crown calls Darius Holt, Warrior of the Shadowclaw Armed Forces."
A tall, broad-shouldered warrior stepped forward, posture stiff with unease. He bowed to Jax and faced the jury.
"State your name and position."
"Darius Holt. Warrior of the Shadowclaw Pack, Vanguard Division."
"Your relationship to Helga Emberhide?"
Darius drew a slow breath. "We trained together. It was turning into something, but I ended it. She didn't take it well."
"Were you present at the sparring match between Helga Emberhide and Nova Moonveil?"
"Yes. In the stands with the other warriors."
"Tell the Tribunal what you saw leading up to that day."
Darius straightened, the words heavy.
"After I ended things, Helga started bringing up Nova. Jealous at first. Then… obsessed. She told me and other warriors Nova thought she was above us. That she used her looks on the Alpha and the Gamma. That she was dangerous. She even claimed Nova attacked the princess."
A murmur swept the chamber.
"People believed her. I did too. So when she mocked Nova in the ring, we laughed."
He swallowed hard.
He paused for a moment, jaw clenching slightly.
"She kneed Nova early. Cheap shot. Then she went after her mother — called her a whore and half a dozen worse things. That's when every warrior in that cohort knew we'd backed the wrong person. Nova stayed silent. Fought clean. Helga spat on our cohort's honor."
Corvin nodded once. "Entered for record. No further questions."
Jax's gaze cut to Eldric.
"Vaelor. Cross."
The room tightened. Even the air waited.
Eldric Vaelor rose like the command had been meant for him — not a summons, but an invitation to win. His smile was sharp enough to gleam.
He didn't walk to the stand—he claimed the space between himself and Darius, stopping exactly where dominance and charm meet in one lethal line.
"Warrior Holt, let's talk about Princess Meredith Ashbane."
Darius straightened, instinctual response to a predator in fine clothing. "Yes, sir."
"You spoke to her directly?"
"A few times. Mostly when Helga was serving in the royal wing."
Eldric's voice dropped — cool, controlled, dangerous.
"And after you ended things with Helga… suddenly the princess had a lot to say about Nova Moonveil. Didn't she?"
Darius swallowed.
"Yes. It became constant. She said Nova was manipulative. Dangerous. Called her a half-blood… parasite… said she had her mother's filth in her veins."
A ripple moved through the gallery.
Jax didn't bang the gavel. He just lifted his chin a fraction — and silence fell like a dropped stone.
Eldric watched the effect with a flicker of interest, then turned back to Darius.
"How often did she feed you this nonsense?"
"Enough that everyone started believing it. I did too."
Eldric arched a brow in disbelief. "Amazing how repetition turns lies into gospel, isn't it?"
Before Corvin could object, Eldric lifted a hand.
"Withdrawn. Let's move on."
He closed the distance by half a step, adding pressure. "Did the princess ever cross the line from gossip to threat?"
Darius hesitated — then squared his stance like the soldier he was.
"Once or twice. She said people like Nova 'meet their end eventually.' And that Shadowclaw needed cleansing before it rotted."
Eldric didn't blink. Just absorbed, processed, weaponized.
"Last question. Did Helga Emberhide ever swear loyalty to the princess?"
The room held its breath.
"Yes. I heard it. She swore to serve Princess Meredith. Said the Ashbane line was her true command— not Shadowclaw."
Chaos erupted — rising voices, hisses, shock.
Jax's gavel struck like judgment from the gods.
"Order."
The hall snapped back into silence.
Darius stood frozen, hands locked behind his back.
Eldric gave a slow, razor-precise nod — the look a man gets when the board finally shifts in his favor.
"Thank you, Warrior Holt. No further questions."
He returned to his seat like a king dropping into a throne — knowing he had just threaded the needle perfectly.
"Record the witness's testimony. Holt is dismissed."