Noxaura walked back to her chambers with the shaking feeling of what her comrade had just said. Her comrade was the authority, and she would be entirely done for if she even made one step out of line.

She stepped in to see Cyprian waiting expectantly for her to walk in.

“What has been going on today?” he asked and placed a gentle arm on Noxaura’s shoulder.

“You would have heard by now,” Noxaura said, hating every moment of the touch. He was a person she was stuck with, not by her own choice.

“Who was it?” Cyprian asked and made Noxaura meet his gaze.

“I don’t prefer to talk about it,” Noxaura said and let her cloak fall.

“I need to know, Nox,” Cyprian said as she avoided him further.

“You can come to see them tomorrow,” Noxaura tried, and Cyprian gave her a wary smile.

“What were they convicted of?” Cyprian asked.

“Magic use,” Noxaura said carelessly and tried to slowly pressure her magic into Cyprian. Her comrade had given her the dark magic for her personal uses. She used this one, especially as a gift for her survival.

“Who were they?” Cyprian asked her with his tone more worried.

“You’ve had a long day, you probably just need a break,” Noxaura said and gently kissed him.

“I need the information Nox,” Cyprian said more roughly.

“Fine, I’ll lead you into the dungeons,” Noxaura said and walked over to the door.

“I warn you though, whatever you see, isn’t what I wanted, but I had to do it,” Noxaura said and led Cyprian out of the room.

Noxaura only maintained silence all the way down the staircase to the dungeons. Cyprian also didn’t bother her with any questions or information about today’s court sessions.

They strolled to the last cell in the row of cells. Cyprian only gasped when Noxaura came to a stop at the door.

“How dare you Nox?” Cyprian shouted out after he recognized his son in the cell.

“He used magic, he lied to both of us and eloped with some farmer’s daughter. What else do you need to arrest him?” Noxaura yelled out to the king.

“I know that you never wanted to have him. I know you wanted a strong heir, but he isn’t the one you wanted,” Cyprian said, “but he’s our only heir and the only flesh and blood chance we have for this kingdom.”

“He deserved everything he got,” Noxaura said and placed her hand on Cyprian’s shoulder, pressing her magic deeper into him.

“You are destroying him. Nox, let him be happy. Ah--” Cyprian said as he was consumed by Noxaura’s power outburst.

“You know what this could have led to. You need to listen to me,” Noxaura said and made sure Cyprian was no longer in his senses.

She was careful as she glanced for guards before climbing back up the staircase to her chambers as she dragged the doll-like Cyprian.

Micah stood in one corner of Elizah’s room and searched for anything that he could use to prove Elizah innocent. Things were looking pretty grim.

He dug under Elizah’s straw mattress, where she hid her books on magic and other items which she never showed Micah or Roxanne.

There were poultices of all sorts and a guidebook to the magical elements and how to charm objects using healer abilities. And then there was a small notebook.

Micah picked up the notebook and sat on the floor when he heard Roxanne call out, “Micah, have you eaten?”

“Mama, I’ll come in a bit,” Micah answered, deciding that the answer to the question would upset her.

Micah flipped through the pages until he found the middle of the book, where there was the curve of Elizah’s handwriting on the pages. It went on for the rest of the notebook in dark raven ink.

I hear the sounds of screaming again. Every day, every night. I can’t sleep at all, so I dared to walk up to the living room to find mama crumbled there on the floor, and stepfather had slapped her. He was towering over her, so she was hidden. Their conversation was still in such high tones that rang in my ears as I walked inside my room. I can’t see mama like this. She’s broken, and I can fix her if I get my way out. And then I can see it. Stepfather leaves the room, and it’s my chance. I ran up to mama and tried to wake her, but she seemed so lost and already gone. I pressed my hands to her face and was gentle as I let the heat from inside me enter her, and she was alright. But that wasn’t the end. There were so many other injuries, and I could only cry. I heard footsteps appearing behind me and ran back in. I’m scared, and I don’t know what else I can do. No one will believe anything I say, but I’ll need help.

Micah put the notebook down at that line and just took in everything his sister had written down for a while. She was worried and scared, and no one knew or tried to help her. He was struck by the fact that there was no one for his sister when he swore to be there.

“Micah,” Roxanne was heard at the door, and she walked up to her son.

“Elizah has been so strong. I never helped her when she needed it,” Micah said, and Roxanne sat down by her son’s side and read through the page of the notebook that Micah handed to her, and she couldn’t hide her sadness.

“This happened years ago,” Roxanne said in the sadness that brought her back sad memories.

“What did he do to you?” Micah asked as she placed an arm on Micah’s shoulder.

“He hurt me Micah, whenever I didn’t have enough money in the house for his liquor, or asked him for the money that I was collecting to get you out of the king’s services,” Roxanne said softly.

“Elizah knew about it,” Micah answered softly as Roxanne began to cry again.

“She’s been so strong,” Roxanne said, and Micah held her close, “I will never see her again.”

“No, mama, we must still have hope,” Micah said and knew that only the tiniest shard of hope was left. There was barely any possibility for Elizah to make her way out alive.

Micah led Roxanne to her chambers and fed her something slowly, knowing that he could find something to prove Elizah innocent if he could just find it.