"Lieutenant, what have you to say?" the King turned to her. It was obvious from his expression that the King believed Leo, and why not? Leo might be a lesser royal, but he was still related to the King, while she...she was a mixed-blood.

If she was going to have any chance at all in making the King believe her, she couldn't let him see her fear. Fear could easily be interpreted as guilt. Leyla straightened her back and looked squarely into his eyes. "Your Highness, I don't know how such a misunderstanding has come about, but that is what it is. Perhaps Captain Leo has forgotten that he ordered me to deliver an urgent letter to Outpost 5 this morning. That was the reason why I left the castle."

The King's thick brows drew together as his gaze switched to Leo. The Captain was quick to shake his head in denial.

"I don't know what has gotten into the Lieutenant, your Highness. Perhaps it's her mixed parentage that makes her a good liar, but I never gave such an order." Leo cocked his head as he looked down at her over his large nose, "If I did indeed I had, then tell me, why are you back? It would have taken you longer than this to reach the outpost and return, would it not?"

"I did not complete my mission because it was a fools errand, the letter was blank!" Leyla protested, anger making her reckless.

"Lieutenant, another outburst and I will have you thrown in the dungeons while your trial goes on without you!" The King roared.

So that was it. This was her trial. Her nails biting into her palms, Leyla focused on staying calm. This was a battle and she had to fight smart. She had to be smart. "I apologies your Highness, I was being emotional. It is not the matter of the letter that upset me, but the Captain's suggestion that I left the castle alone, when I didn't."

"You weren't alone?" The King looked surprised, but not as surprised as Leo.

"Yes, indeed. Colonel Alec of the House of Steel was with me. Since we managed to take several No-Landers captive after an ambush, it was his instruction that I abandon the delivery of Captain Leo's message and return to the keep. I did so, your Highness, together with two of his men."

Leo's expression faltered as the murmurs amongst the gathering rose in pitch.

"She wasn't alone?"

"Colonel Alec was there and they captured No-Landers!"

"Silence!" The King commanded before levelling a less than pleased look at Leo. "This is not looking good for you, Captain."

"My King!" Leo protested, his hands a flutter. "That can't be. I didn't write a letter, I swear it. I don't know why the Colonel was with Leyla, but he must have been used by her as well!"

Leyla watched the King's expression carefully and saw that he was not convinced by the bald lie. If she pressed her advantage now, all of this could be over. All she had to do was give Leo an out.

"My King, perhaps -"

"Father!" The shrill voice of Princess Mira cut Leyla short as the royal strode onto the podium in a cloud of pink. "Father, don't believe her!"

Leyla stared with disbelief as the Princess stood beside her father and pointed a jewelled finger in her direction. "I've had first had experience of the Lieutenant's manipulations. She is a consummate liar! And I for one am not at all surprised that she tried to flee. I heard her making plans to do precisely that many times, but never reported it since I thought it was in jest!"

Why? The Princess was selfish and spoilt and had always been disgusted by Leyla's appearance, but if the King believed the lies, the punishment was death. Did the Princess really hate her that much? Why?

Alec of the House of Steel. He was the only possible reason. The Princess could not abide anyone drawing Alec's attention, not even for a moment. Had Leyla's words about being with the Colonel in the No-Lands set this off?

"Is the Princess really willing to sentence someone to death because of petty jealousy?"

"Jealousy?" Mira narrowed her eyes, a venomous look on her face. "Why would I be jealous of a scarred bitch like you?"

Several gasps ensued for the Princes's foul language, but Leyla was not in the least bit surprised. Most people in the Kingdom did not know the royal's true colours. Well, she would show them today. She had to. She would not die at the hands of a spoiled brat.

"I don't understand it either, Princess," Leyla replied calmly. "Why does Colonel Alec pay more attention to this scarred bitch than he does you?"

"You slut!" The Princess's eyes looked wild with rage. "Alec is mine, only mine!" She raised her hands up like claws and ran towards her, apparently having forgotten that they had an audience. If Leo didn't pull her back in the last moment, there was no doubt in Leyla's mind that the girl would have jumped off the dias.

"Mira, stop it right now!" The King barked. Then he touched a hand to the braids that looped around his sword-pattered crown of Tevvuk as if gathering patience. His daughter had demonstrated for all to see that she was not exactly an impartial witness, but Leyla did not know if it was enough to release her of suspicion.

"Don't blame her, your Highness. The Lieutenant is at it again, manipulating the Princess into embarrassing herself!" Leo beseeched, still holding the girl by the shoulders. Several people in the audience coughed, and Leyla wondered if the Captain was truly stupid enough not to realise that he had just embarrassed the Princess.

"Enough," the King pounded his fist on the arm of his thrown. "Call Colonel Alec and let's sort this mess out, once and for all."

One of the Kings aids, a young man wearing a blue and gold embroidered tunic, rushed to his side and whispered. The King sighed, then waved him away. "I am told the Colonel has yet to return from an outing. It will be best to leave this decision until the morning."

The crowd stirred again at the piece of information which supported Leyla's story. She held her breath, hoping against hope that this was truly the end. Although she couldn't claim to know Alec well, she knew he was an honourable man. When he returned, he would prove that she was not a traitor nor a liar.

"Your Highness, if you delay your decision, she might try to escape again!" Leo whined.

"Don't fret, Leo. My Shadows will not let that happen" the King dismissed his concern, looking decidedly displeased with his relative.

"Father, you are wise." The Princess smiled, having found her voice after her embarrassing stunt. "But I hope you are not forgetting that this Lieutenant called your daughter a liar. Even if everything else is proven false, that alone deserves a few lashes, does it not?"

The King looked at his daughter for a long moment, seeming to weigh her words. When he turned back to the room, his face looked resigned. "The Lieutenant will receive twenty lashes for insulting the Princess!"

The murmurs started up again, but Leyla couldn't make out any of the words. All her energy went into stopping herself from shouting out against the ridiculous sentencing. Having an officer whipped rather than allow his blood and heir to be slighted was the obvious choice for the King. And yet. And yet, somewhere deep down she had believed he would uphold justice above all.

Twenty lashes. No Warrior had ever died from twenty lashes. As for the pain...she wouldn't think about it.

The sudden tension in the air let her know the Punisher had been ushered in. The King's aid signalled two guards to pick her up from her kneeling position, but Leyla held them off with a raised hand. Her emotions firmly under control, she stood and turned slowly, letting all who watched see that she was not afraid. Several onlookers could not hold her gaze. Perhaps they were ashamed of their excitement at watching her punishment. Or perhaps they felt guilty for taking part in an injustice. One sad pair of eyes caught her attention. Isabelle. The Lady's hands were clasped in front of her as silent tears spilled from her eyes. Leyla clenched her jaw. There was no use crying, this was how the world worked. There were those who had power and those who did not; if you forgot that, you got whipped.

Facing the Punisher now, she looked the wide blond man with the misshapen nose in the eyes: "Where would you like me to stand?"