“Michael Alan Harley,” the judge announced sternly, “by the evidence presented in this courtroom, you are hereby found guilty of the murder of Sir Hylas Greene. In Northaven, under the reign of Daethos, anyone found guilty of murder shall be sentenced to death.”
Ace’s body fell limp within his chains as all breath left his lungs. It felt as if his life had already been taken as he struggled to hold himself on his feet.
Behind him, at the edge of her seat, Athena gnashed her teeth and turned her face away in anguish. Beside her, Dorian had grown tense. The scattered crowd began to utter various quips in agreement, and many were already turning to leave now that the verdict was announced. There was no need to watch the murderer get dragged off.
“You will be executed by way of poison, as is customary in Northaven.”
Ace lurched forward as his arms were roughly grabbed by the patrolman stationed on either side of him. His green eyes shot toward the emotionless judge, as if hoping to find one last ounce of compassion for one destined to die.
“Move, Gallagher!” Yelled the patrolman on his right. There would be no such comfort offered.
The patrolman on his left–the one with the goatee–said nothing.
Ace exhaled through clenched teeth as he was wrenched from the center of the room. His mind fought desperately against processing what was happening, but reality set in with each trembling footstep toward the door.
The judge lifted his gavel. “This court is–”
“Wait!”
The room fell silent, and the patrolmen stopped moving.
Ace opened his eyes and turned to the crowd.
Dorian was standing, pressed against the wooden bannister that separated the judge and the accused from the rest of the courtroom. Determination narrowed his visible eye.
“Um, yes?” The judge adjusted his glasses to better focus on the Kalgaran.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t have someone else die on my behalf.” Dorian glanced at Ace.
Still seated behind him, Athena’s eyes grew wide, mirroring Ace’s dumbfounded expression.
“Your... behalf?” The judge was clearly taken off guard.
“Your Honor, Michael was not the murderer,” the Kalgaran spoke calmly, “I had hoped the lack of any real evidence would have proven him innocent, but it clearly has not,” he admitted as he bowed his head. “I was the one who killed Hylas.”
Gasps swept through the few that remained in the room, and many on their way out stopped to witness the new turn of events.
“Yes, the Aureus Sword had been bequest to Michael, and yes, it was in his possession prior to this event, but he was not the one who used it to deliver the final blow–as he, himself, has attempted to explain multiple times.”
“Sir,” the judge’s expression skewed, “do you mean to tell this courtroom that... you are the one who should be sentenced?”
“Yes.”
“Dorian!” Ace blurted, tugging against the goateed patrolman.
The Kalgaran, however, waved a hand at him. “It’s all right, Michael. I know you and Athena were trying to protect me.”
His face contorted in horror as Dorian turned back to the judge.
“So, all this talk of… cursed swords and dragons was… a fabrication?”
“It’s hard to admit guilt if you’re lying to do so,” Dorian said, "but the accused is a skilled gambler; he knows how to bluff.”
The patrolmen glanced between Michael, still hanging in their arms, to the judge, still fingering his glasses with a befuddled scowl on his lips.
“Your honor?” One spoke after a moment.
“Ms. Evans,” the judge looked to Athena, “as the only witness present, can you confirm what this man has spoken?”
Athena did not immediately respond. Her elbows remained tight against her sides while both hands were clamped across her mouth. Her eyes were focused upon Dorian in apprehension.
“Ms. Evans?”
She winced and stood, dropping her hands to her waist. She gave Dorian a cautionary glance.
His blue eye locked onto one of hers. It was both disarming and encouraging.
She dropped her chin and admitted gently, “Yes.”
“No!” Ace blurted.
“Well,” the judge sat back in his chair, eyeing the confused group of citizens still lingering in various places in the room, “I suppose not just anyone would admit to a deed that deserves the penalty of death.” He gave his glasses an adjustment. “I hereby absolve the count of murder against Michael Alan Gallagher, though the various counts of thievery remain. For these, Mr. Gallagher is ordered to repay all damages in full or to serve time in the patrol office if he is unable.”
The crowd began muttering amongst themselves as Athena slumped back into her chair and Ace straightened up on his feet.
“What’s your full name, sir?” The judge motioned to the Kalgaran.
“Dorian Andrew Swift, Your Honor.”
“Dorian Andrew Swift, by the evidence presented in this courtroom, you are hereby found guilty of the murder of Hylas Greene. In Northaven, under the reign of Daethos, anyone found guilty of murder shall be sentenced to death.”
Ace felt his legs give out again, but for a completely different reason.
“You will be executed by way of poison, as is customary in Northaven,” the judge continued the announcement. “Do you have any family we need to contact?”
Dorian’s hand fell away from his mouth. “No, your honor.”
He nodded, then gestured to one of two patrolmen.
Ace had one arm released and promptly slumped in its direction. He watched, unable to find words or movement, as one patroman exited the room and reentered through the door on the public side of the bannister. The goateed patrolman remained at Ace’s side, frowning.
“Mr. Gallagher, a patrolman will be assigned to work with you on repaying your debts. Sir Edwards, you may loose him from his bonds. This court is adjourned.” The judge gave a quick pop of his gavel on the wooden stand, stood from his chair, and exited the room through his own private doorway.
The thief turned as the patrolman took Dorian by the arm and began to lead him to the door. At last, he found his strength. He tore out of the patrolman’s grasp and dove across the bannister at Dorian, catching him by his only free arm.
“Hey!” The patrolman holding Dorian barked at him.
“Dorian–what are you doing??”
“Trust me.” Dorian offered a weak smile.
Tears were welling in the corners of Ace’s eyes. “What?” The word was scarcely more than a breath.
“Trust me–and don’t worry.” He met Ace with the same steady gaze as he had given Athena.
The patrolman pulled Dorian away while Sir Edwards managed to pluck Ace from the bannister and set him back on his feet on the other side.
“Go take care of that one,” the first ordered the second. “This guy won’t put up a fight. I’ll meet you when we’re done.”
“Sure.”
Ace watched, trembling, as Dorian was led out of the door and down the hallway. He listened to his feet blend into the creaking of a door, and then silence. He gnashed his teeth and dropped to the floor.
“Hey,” Sir Edwards struggled to maintain his grasp on the limp young man. “What are you upset about? You’re free.”
“At what cost?” Ace squinted up at the knight through tear-stained eyes.
The patrolman’s eyes were not visible, but his lips remained parted as he released Ace’s arm and stepped backward.
By this time, Athena had darted through the open doors on either side of the bannister and fell into Ace’s lap on the floor. Wrapping her arms around him, she began sobbing into his shoulder.
The patrolman looked to the gallery. No one was left.
“So… um,” he glanced at the two on the floor. “You probably should go talk to the office to get your repayments set up. But, if you… need a moment…”
He received no response.
Awkwardly, he crossed his arms across his black chestplate and took a few steps away.
Executions were always done in one of the back rooms of the courthouse immediately following the pronouncement of judgment. Poison was a swift and effective form of justice; hence why it had largely replaced other means of execution in Daethen territory. He, himself, had overseen a handful of executions since becoming a knight and joining the ranks of the patrol.
But something about this one didn’t seem right. Was the man on the floor the murderer, or was the man being executed truly guilty? No matter which, the question remained–how could one of them want to give their life for the other? It was no wonder the two left behind were so distraught; the strength of their friendship was unlike anything else he had witnessed.
Minutes later, the first patrolman returned to the doorway. “It’s done.” He said simply before his lips skewed. “Why are they still in here? Send the thief to the office and go clean up the back.”
With that, the three were again left alone.
Sir Edwards bit his lip. “If you want,” he offered gently, “you can go see your friend.”
Ace and Athena looked up, their faces flushed with sorrow.
“Please,” Athena spoke for them both.
The patrolman nodded and gestured to the door.
---
After their ordeal in the mountain, Ace and Dorian basically walk back into town to face an arrest warrant for Mr. Gallagher on the grounds of murder. I haven't fully deciphered all the pieces since this was kinda unclear in the original draft, but the basics are Tier bequests his fairly renowned Aureus Sword to Ace once he's old enough, so when they reunite with Bengal in the story before, he is given his father's sword. It is knocked from his hands in the battle against Hylas (who just wanted the Sword of Ignarathos this whole time) and then Patrolman find it near where Hylas is buried. Putting these meager "clues" together, they decide Ace killed him. Unfortunately for Ace, Hylas dies as a result from the curse, which Ace attempts to break, so he does have this guilt that he may have actually contributed to his death.
Ace and Dorian just had their super bonding experience, but Dorian isn't able to divulge his plan, leaving Ace bitter with Dorian's apparent indifference -- and then getting blindsided with Dorian taking the blame and letting him go free with nothing but a "trust me"...
This is also when Ed enters the picture, and I realized he's been questioning what side he should be on since the beginning 😅
I debating continuing this short past where I had left it originally to include them visiting Dorian's 'body' but I may just make that its own short. Or maybe I can just start writing the whole thing. What a concept!
