The doors at the rear of the courtroom creaked open again.
Orion Emberhide entered in chains. His uniform had been stripped of every insignia, his once-proud bearing reduced to something feral and restless. The silver cuffs glowed faintly against his wrists, the enchantments thrumming like heat. Even bound, he carried himself like a man who believed the world owed him deference.
The guards guided him to the stand. He didn't bow. Didn't look at Nova. Didn't look at anyone except Jax — whose expression was stone.
The air was tight as a drawn bowstring. Jax's aura leaked — not in anger, but in that cold, iron weight of control that could make even seasoned warriors sweat. Finric felt it. So did everyone else.
When Orion sat, Corvin Thane's voice broke the silence.
"High Warden Orion Emberhide, you stand accused of treason, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and collusion with known enemies of the Realm. Do you understand the charges?"
"I understand," Orion said, his voice deep, rough with old arrogance. "But I don't recognize them."
Corvin's tone stayed even. "You assaulted Queen Nova Shadowclaw while she was under royal protection."
"Queen," Orion scoffed. "That girl was not titled then. She is no queen of mine. A curse with a crown. You want the truth? She ruined my family. My daughter rotted in a cell because of her."
A low growl rolled through the benches. Finric's jaw flexed hard, his restraint visibly thinning.
Jax didn't move. But the air around him got heavier — like a storm gathering above still water. Orion shifted in his seat, eyes flicking toward him once, confusion flashing in his expression before he squared his shoulders again.
Corvin's voice cut through. "You struck her twice while she was fulfilling a disciplinary order—an order you were meant to oversee. Do you deny that?"
Orion's lip curled. "No point denying what everyone saw. She was scrubbing my floors like the filthy little snake she is. Talking back, pretending she didn't know who I was. I reminded her."
"You reminded her?" Corvin asked. "By calling her names? Or by hitting her hard enough to draw blood?"
"She deserved worse."
The words landed like stones.
Even the defense didn't interrupt.
Orion sneered, "You all worship her now. But you forget what she is. The bastard spawn of Ashbane. A manipulator. You think the Moon Goddess would bless something born from that kind of sin?"
Finric leaned forward slightly. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried.
"Your daughter attacked her from behind. You think she deserved that too?"
Orion's head snapped toward him. "She humiliated my daughter. You put her in a cell like some rabid animal."
"She earned that cell," Finric said, each word slow, precise. "And you earned the one you're sitting in."
Orion opened his mouth to retort—but then his throat seized mid-word. His breathing hitched, just slightly. The pressure in the room shifted, almost imperceptible, but undeniable.
Jax wasn't speaking, wasn't even moving—but his aura was everywhere. Heavy. Commanding. Forcing truth out like a blade twisting between ribs.
Corvin watched the change happen—the flicker of defiance dimming, replaced by something almost confused.
"High Warden," he said carefully, "you were aware of correspondence between your daughter and Princess Meredith Ashbane. Letters."
"Yes," Orion said before he could stop himself. His brow furrowed slightly, like he hadn't meant to.
"And you hid those letters."
"Yes." His voice grew rough. "Edited them too. She'd written things—dangerous things. About Ashbane's plans. About mages. About… rebellion."
Gasps rippled through the room.
"And you destroyed evidence?" Corvin pressed.
"I altered the prison logs. Covered her tracks. Covered mine. It doesn't matter now."
The admission came out raw, jagged. He looked dazed for half a heartbeat, like the words had been pulled from his throat.
Corvin's tone sharpened. "You retrieved a box of Lycura's Kiss—the poison that nearly killed two members of the royal family—and gave it to Lisa Rellane. Did you know what was in it?"
"Yes."
The word slipped out before Orion could blink. He froze, his hands flexing against the silver cuffs.
"You knowingly supplied the means to commit murder."
"I was following orders," Orion snapped, the lie feeble against the pulse of aura pressing against him. His breath hitched again, voice dropping lower. "Meredith asked for it. She said it was a gift from her brother. She told me it was justice. I believed her."
"And now?"
He hesitated. Then, slowly, the defiance cracked. "Now I know I was a fool."
The tension in the room was electric—every heartbeat counted.
Corvin didn't look away. "Did you know your daughter met with Umbrael mages in the forest?"
Orion's shoulders sagged slightly, like something inside him had finally given way. "Yes. I guarded the perimeter while they made their portals. I didn't ask questions. I didn't want to know."
Corvin nodded once, voice low. "You do now. And the cost."
He looked up then, eyes hollow. For the first time, the arrogance was gone. Just a man stripped bare.
"I thought I was saving my family," he said quietly. "But I helped damn them instead."
Silence fell.
Even Eldric Vaelor, his defense, said nothing.
Jax's voice broke it—quiet but absolute. "You damned more than your family. You damned your honor. Your oath. Your pack."
The aura faded, leaving the air sharp and cold in its wake.
Orion's head dropped. "Then I accept whatever sentence you give."
Finric leaned back slowly, eyes dark. "You already have it."
The guards came forward, unhooking the restraints from the chair. Orion didn't resist. He stood, tall and weary, and for a brief moment, the arrogance flickered again—then died.
As they led him away, the courtroom was silent. Not because anyone pitied him. But because the truth had come out in full—and it was worse than anyone had imagined.