chapter ten

The courtroom smelled like cedar and iron, like a cold box that was sealed from the outside. Thea and her sisters took up an entire row of seating, each one in painful silence as they waited for their father's trial to begin.

This was the first time they had seen him since he was arrested yesterday. The cottage felt so empty without Father lounging back in his rocking chair, snoring the night away. He looked tired. His eyes were dark with bags, and Thea could see the red abrasions under his chains. She considered telling Thalia and Belinda not to look, but when Father spotted them, he gave each of his daughters a brave smile that was more crushing than healing.

I'll save you, Father. I promise you, I will.

Lord Malik came in only a few minutes later, taking his place at the front of the courtroom with a bored look that said he would rather be anywhere else but here. It was even more infuriating seeing that her father's trial was an inconvenience to him, while it meant everything to Thea and her family.

Ceyden trailed in behind him, sticking close to his father so he could give his testimony when the time came. The only question was, what testimony would he give...

His gaze latched onto Thea, and she could see the tiniest glimpse of his magic flickering in his gaze as he used it to pinpoint her location. She didn't wait for him to come pester her; instead, she nodded to her sisters and then calmly rose from her seat. She made her way to the corner of the courthouse, already sensing Ceyden's shadow looming over her as he followed her to the discreet corner. Once she had distanced herself enough from the crowd, she turned around to face the horrid beast who had shredded her life with his haggard claws.

"I was wondering when you'd come find me," Ceyden said, his eyes still buzzing with the lingering effects of his gift. "Have you made a decision? There's still time for me to change my story."

Thea's shoulders tensed as his smile picked at her like an old wound. He made it sound so casual... As if her father's life was nothing more than a business arrangement or a matter of paperwork. That she was nothing more than a deal that needed to be sealed away with a simple testimony .

He wants me to trade my life for my father's, and he knows me well enough to know that I'd do it, too.

"Yes, I've made a decision," she said numbly, her palms clammy as she avoided meeting his eyes for a moment. She could hear his heart pumping, beating with the anticipation of her answer and his opportunity to finally claim her.

An opportunity he will never get.

"I will never marry." Thea lifted her chin, taking in his shock like a blissful drink of the finest wine. "I shall remain a maid my entire life, and no matter what you do or who you threaten, I will forever remain out of your reach."

Watching him deflate felt so good. Her chest swarmed with heat, flooding with pride as she watched his jaw drop and the first touch of anger tinge his ears red. She loved her father and her sisters more than anything in Fairmyth, but they loved her, too... They would understand why she chose this for herself.

"You..." Ceyden seemed at a loss for words, as if he had an entire soliloquy worth of anger to spout but couldn't funnel the sheer amount through his pressed lips. "Your family is going to suffer for this, Thea... You know that, don't you?"

He's right...

"I know," Thea said with a small fracture running through her heart. "But the man who causes that suffering isn't going to be permitted anything else from me or my family. Goodbye, Ceyden."

Thea started back for her seat, her feet feeling light as she stepped away from her last opportunity to save the life she had cherished, despite its downfalls. Ceyden snatched for her wrist, but she wasn't going to play into his hand any longer. She'd made her decision, and it didn't include him. She yanked her arm free, not even bothering to look at him as she made her way back to her seat with her siblings.

"Thea?" Clara leaned over to look at Thea's steadfast expression. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," Thea said, sounding calmer than she felt. "I am content with my decision. I hope you all can forgive me for what happens next."

"Of course, we forgive you," Dora sniffled. "No one should have to marry a man they despise. I only wish..."

She didn't finish. Her voice was clogged by her tears as she looked back at Father. Thea looked over, his warm eyes fixated on Thea's cold expression. He knew. He had to have. He could always read Thea with a single glance. Thea prepared for the pain, for the heartbroken look that would forever torment her for choosing to be selfish.

Except, he looked so proud...

He wasn't smiling, but the watering in his eyes and the firm hold he had on Thea's eyes was filled with nothing but love and pride for his daughter's choice. He knew what his freedom would have cost Thea, so he'd given up on his freedom altogether.

Don't give up yet, Father...

The trial began with Father giving his testimony before the judge. Most of the divine ones in the crowd chattered or whispered through his telling of the tale, making snarky remarks or ogling his rough-looking daughters. Thea sat tall through all of it, and her sisters followed suit, showing only support for their father as he proclaimed his innocence as truly as he was able.

Next was Ceyden...

If fire could be perceived through words, the entire building would have been up in flames. He spoke only ill of their father, claiming he had seen him pour the poison with his very own eyes. He told the story of how his daughter had been fired from his service, and how his debts to Lord Malik would have been a contributing factor to his attempted murder. He had it all mapped out... the perfect story to sentence Father to the worst possible crime. The only thing that even the judge seemed to struggle to believe was how the kind, soft-spoken man in chains... could be the villain. But how could he deny it with such a story ?

If there was someone else to take the blame.

"Before we move on," the judge said to the crowd as Lord Malik finished his own statement after Ceyden. "Are there any other witnesses whom—"

"Me, Your Honor." Thea stood from her seat, her voice loud and clear as she gathered the attention of the entire courtroom. "I wish to speak on my father's behalf."

"You?" Lord Malik scoffed from his seat. "Your Honor, this is a waste of time. The girl is the criminal's daughter. She'll have nothing of use to add."

"Thea..." Clara tugged at her arm. "What are you doing?"

"I have plenty to add, Your Honor," Thea continued, undeterred by her sister's questioning. "Because my father is innocent."

The crowd erupted into laughter, and even Ceyden seemed amused by her attempts to be bold. She didn't flinch, and instead kept her expression hard as she met the judge's eyes with the resilience of a caged animal.

"I will let the girl speak." The judge nodded. "What proof do you have that your father is innocent?"

Thea stepped forward, claiming the front of the room with stiff legs and a loose tongue as she projected her confession to every ear in Fairmyth. "No proof, Your Honor. Only a confession." I'll never marry, but I won't let Father die for it, either. "It was I who forced my father to use the poison. I did it to retaliate for being released from Lord Malik's service. The guilt should be placed solely on me. I will accept any punishment in my father's place."