Dean shook his head. "Be that as it may, we do not know the whole of it yet. A trial is the way. Our father's way. Our way."
The other brothers nodded in agreement. The anger was leaving them. They didn't want Fen dead. Not just yet. Not like this.
"And what of the princess?" Zeb asked, his voice laced with some compassion.
"She shall be tried as well," Dean said, looking over to me with an unreadable expression in his eyes.
Ace stayed quiet, his sword limp at his side, as if he didn't know what he felt anymore.
Levi didn't look happy, but everyone else agreed this was the way of it. Niam took my sword, while Dean and Zeb kept Fen under control. He struggled, but weakly, drained by the fighting. Together, we marched deeper into the castle. Levi fell to my side and squeezed my arm until it bruised, his face close to mine. "Enjoy your time in the dungeons, Princess. It's the last view of this world you'll get before you're hanged."
***
His words proved prophetic. For here I sit, awaiting a hanging at sunrise. Even as I think these thoughts, it feels surreal, like I am living someone else's life. This is just a movie, or book—a story made up to scare naughty children. 'Don't make deals with devils or you'll end up dead!' sounds like an excellent morality tale.
Too bad I didn't listen.
I made the deal with the devil. I thought I could outthink them. I thought I could come out of this unscathed, saving my mom and myself and all of the Fae and living a happily ever after with the man I love. I was such a fool. I still am a fool, if I'm being honest, because even now I don't entirely believe this is the end.
I can't allow myself to believe that, at sunrise, Fen and I will both be hanged. Not because of something we did. But because of what we are.
The trial, if it can even be called that, was such a farce. If I thought there was corruption in my world's justice system, it's downright perfection compared to what they do here. There was no 'jury of my peers', no evidence, no real testimony, just Levi expounding his own hateful rhetoric and convincing the princes they didn't have to worry about the contract, because with me dead, there was no contract. They'd be free to rule their own realms. As long as none of them made a claim for High Castle, no one would suffer.
No one but me and Fen, of course. We were kept separated the whole time, and Fen was given no voice as part of the council. They treated me more as animal than human. I cannot even imagine how they treated Fen.
Then they voted behind closed doors. I never found out who voted which way, but I can only assume Asher was on our side. I pray Ace was as well, but perhaps the lies he endured sealed our fate. In the end, both Fen and I were sentenced to death.
Asher brought me the news.
"I’m sorry," he said, standing outside my cell. "I brought this upon you."
I clasped the bars, still possessing some energy. "Asher, no. You fought for me in the trial—"
"No. Before that. I am the reason your Fae blood was revealed." He paused. "I dropped the contract."
The contract. That one that prevented me from revealing my true heritage. The one only Asher and his father could cancel. When my Fae powers emerged during the battle, I thought perhaps my magic had broken the oath. In truth, I was fighting for my life, I was fighting for Fen, and I barely gave it much thought.
"When the fighting started," Asher continued, "I wanted you to be able to defend yourself. So I dropped the contract, hoping your magic would aid you. I… I couldn’t forgive myself if you had died because of some oath I made you swear to uphold."
"It was my choice to sign."
"But I arranged it. It is my foolish mistakes that brought you here." He started to turn away, but I grabbed his hand through the bars and pulled him back.
"My magic saved me," I said. "If you hadn’t stopped the oath, I’d be dead. At least now there’s a chance."
He smiled. "As hopeful as ever, Princess." His smile dropped as he held my gaze. "But this time, I am not so sure you’re right."
I let go of his hand and clutched the bars tight. "There must be something more we can do. Can’t you break us out? You have soldiers you could send. They can—"
"Shh," he whispered, raising a finger to his lips. He glanced at the two guards behind him, then kept his voice low. "I am doing all in my power, princess, but my brothers are watching me closely. They know I am on your side. It took calling in favors just to allow this meeting."
My shoulders slumped. "There must be something."
"Perhaps another contract," he said. I could see him thinking, thoughts and emotions spiraling over his face. "Maybe if you and Fen swore to obey the other princes."
"Then we would have to fight the Fae," I said.
"Perhaps." He smirked. "But all contracts have loopholes. You taught me that."
I stepped back, sighing. "I can’t fight the Fae. And you wouldn’t want me to."
His eyes fell. "No. I wouldn’t."
We were silent for a moment, searching for ideas and finding none. "Did Fen know?" I asked.
Asher looked to the distance, to the light from the window. "No. He never knew he was Fae. No one ever told him."
For a moment, the cell became less cold, less dark. Knowing Fen had been honest with me made all the difference. "But… he would never have known the land you came from. The land before here. Didn’t he ever wonder why he couldn’t remember?"