Cole stayed close to Ning and Garrison, much like how he would have done with Jason once upon a time. He liked these people because they were receptive towards him even though they never really talked. It seemed to him that they liked and trusted him because he was Xiao's friend. That was a concept he couldn't understand, but considering the friends Jason and Noah had, he wasn't so surprised as to why. Speaking of Jason, he longed to know whether he was still in Roche, hanging about with the bandits and Ravens. He wanted to see him and talk to him so he could be good again. He knew Xiao wouldn't like that, but Jason was his older brother.

Drums sounded, signalling that the court hearing was beginning. Cole stood by the left side of the court, dressed in a uniform too big for him. Up on the judge's bench sat four judges, three in minister's clothing and one in a general's armour on the far left. Cole guessed he was Peter Lee. Next to General Lee was George and then there was an older official followed by a middle aged one. 

"The older one is Minister Guo," Ning whispered to Cole. "Then beside him is the scumbag, Marot Pearson."

Cole nodded. "I figured." Then he wondered if that was rude to say.

Sitting off to the side of the Judges' bench were four scribes, Antoine was among them.

Minister Guo started the meeting as he has the most experience. "Bring up Henry Maguire," he ordered. Two officers went to bring him up. Seeing the grandmaster of Sunfall Temple locked up with handcuffs and in tattered clothing, Cole fumed at the injustice. When the grandmaster got to the middle of the court, he was told to kneel. He did obediently.

Even though he already knew of the criminal and the crime, Huiyong went through with the formalities. "What is your name?"

"Henry Maguire, judge."

"What is your crime?"

"I have done no wrong, judge," the grandmaster responded calmly. 

Instantly, Marot Pearson slammed his hand onto the table. "Nonsense! You were found in Lady Davidson's room. Give him a beating of forty!"

Two officers came up to push the grandmaster onto the ground and Cole tensed. Ning gave him a look, which was necessary as Cole wouldn't do anything that would betray who he was. Besides, he was confident that the grandmaster would not be hurt from mere clubs anyway. He just hated the injustice and the harsh punishments that usually coerced innocent victims into culprits.

However, General Lee intercepted. "Hey! Stop!" he called down in a booming voice typical of a general. "Maguire, explain why you think you're wronged."

Cole let out a breath of relief. He had thought the general would be brutal and encourage beatings and had been nervous about him. 

"Judges, I was drugged and put in Lady Davidson's room," the grandmaster said. "After my talk with the King, I was sent down to eat. There were sedatives in my food. Then I woke up in chains. I have no idea how I got into the lady's room but I know that someone set me up."

"Are you saying the lady framed you, Maguire?" Pearson demanded.

"Someone framed me," Grandmaster Maguire said, still in his calm voice.

George cleared his throat. "I believe we have a witness here," he reminded his final judges. Pearson didn't seem too happy about it but the other two nodded. 

"Bring up the maid," General Lee ordered. Cole held his breath as he saw Weiyu got led into the court. He had come here in part to make sure Weiyu would be safe. Seeing how much Xiao cared for her, he would feel terrible if she died because of something he had suggested. "Name?" he asked.

"Weiyu Toble," Weiyu answered, with a faint tremble in her voice. Cole knew that her last name was not Toble, but she had taken her master's last name when she became a maid.

"What do you have to say?" Pearson demanded in as an intimidating way as possible. Everyone knew that he was trying to frighten Weiyu into silence. Cole curled his lips slightly, revolted, knowing that he had received some general payments from the Raven officials.

"I have many things to say. First, I heard orders of the grandmaster being drugged - "

"Orders from who?" Guo asked. 

"The - the lady," Weiyu replied. "I am one of her personal servants. She ordered the grandmaster's foods to be spiked with sedatives. The servant delivering the food was another one of her personal servants called Jerry Cord. Then two maidens, Fiona and Hailey, were charged with bringing his body into the lady's room - "

"Where are they now?" Guo asked. Cole supposed he was trying to catch Weiyu off guard. Looking around at a place filled with clubs and knives, Cole quite respected Weiyu for speaking up.

"Fiona and Hailey went missing. We all assume that they are dead. But Cord is still with the Lady."

Guo frowned, pensive, but Pearson slammed his hand on a desk. "Maiden! Do you know what you are saying? Officers, give her a beating of forty!"

"Stop!" George intercepted this time, despite having the least power here. "Say all you have to say, Weiyu Toble. But first, answer this. How could you prove what you have just heard? It's your words against her highness's."

Weiyu nodded. "Yes judge. I was just going to say ... " she trailed off as she collected her thoughts. "I also have a confession to make about Minister Tatum, something I can prove with evidence. He is associated with the Ravens."

She was cut off again by Pearson. "Nonsense! What does Minister Tatum have to do with anything? And the Ravens! You're not right in the head. Bring her down!"

The officers obeyed and half dragged her down the courtroom. Cole looked at George and he looked back, eyebrows knit together. The other two judges were frowning too. But respecting their colleagues' words, they did not bring her back, not even the quick tempered general.

Huiyong Guo broke the silence. "Bring Maguire down too. We will resume again tomorrow night after bringing Cord up."

"Minister Guo," George spoke up. "Shouldn't we involve Minister Tatum? He is an accused now."

Pearson wanted to say something but General Lee beat him to it. "Yes, lock both of them up. And the maiden too."

George nodded. "I'll see to it." 

Guo nodded once curtly and waved a hand, signalling the end of the court hearing. The officers all dispersed and Cole waited antsily with Ning and the rest at the bottom of the steps for George.

No one could visit the imprisoned so there was no way for Cole and Xiao to visit the grandmaster or Weiyu. Cole detected an aloofness in Xiao, however, that made him think that he wasn't so anxious about them anyway. When he returned last night, Xiao was in bed, but Cole could tell from his racing heartbeat and breathing that he wasn't asleep. Then in the morning, after listening to all that happened, he sat there with a far off expression. At night, when Cole left for the court again, he sent them off with jumbled up good wishes that clearly showed his mind was elsewhere and positively slammed the door behind them. Cole didn't want to dwell on that - even if Xiao's mind was somewhere else, his couldn't be, as the case was still not resolved.

The four judges again, sat at the top of the court. They conferenced for a while in low voices before bringing in Jerry Cord.

"Jerry Cord, did you spike Maguire's food with drugs?" General Lee bellowed down.

Cord was kneeling in front of the judges and he coiled together when he heard this. He was a skinny man, and crumpled in a heap at the feet of the judges made him look very ridiculous and pitiful. "No, judges," he said shakily.

"Beating of forty!" General Lee yelled down. No one stopped him - or didn't dare to in Pearson's case - and the servant was beaten. He howled each time the club fell on him and begged for the executors to stop. 

When it was at twenty, Huiyong Guo stopped the beating. "Cord! Were you involved in the framing of Maguire?"

Cord was spluttering. "Yes, yes, I did. But I was ordered to!"

Everyone in the court froze at this. "Ordered by who?" General Lee asked.

"The-the lady, general," Cord said in a small voice.

"Who?" General Lee bellowed down.

"Lady Davidson, sir," he said, louder this time. It seemed that he didn't care so much for the clandestine order, only his life. 

"You are sprouting nonsense!" Pearson decided. "You did this and you are scapegoating her highness."

"I am not, sir," Cord said. "Ask Weiyu!"

"Execute him right now!" Pearson ordered. It all happened so fast for anyone to stop them. Two officers rushed out of nowhere and hit Cord's head with their spherical hammers that had metal spikes on them. After Cord's body fell, everyone knew it was all planned. Ning's hands clenched into fists and Cole nudged him gently with his elbow, telling him not to do anything.

The three fair judges looked at each other, furious. But they knew it was too late now for Cord. "Bring up Weiyu and Tatum," Guo said. 

Pearson held up a hand. "No, stop!" With a feigned smile, he looked to his three co-judges. "There isn't any point in bringing them up now, is there? Maguire is now free of charge so we can let the three go now."

General Lee turned pointedly away. "You heard Minister Guo," he bellowed down.

Pearson grimaced. Cole tightened his hold on the club he was holding as an officer. If Pearson played his trick again, he will run up, kill the officers, and get Weiyu out of here.

George, being the genius that he was, spoke up. "And the next time an order is issued down, it can only be executed if two of the judges agree on it." At this, all of George's officers hid their smile behind a fist.

Tatum and Weiyu were brought onto the court, both in chains, though Tatum was handled with much more care than Weiyu was. Cole fumed at this too. All these officers were scared of their superiors but would terrorize all those below them with all the cruelty.

"Weiyu Toble," Guo said, "tell us about Tatum."

"He is in contact with the Ravens, judge," Weiyu said. She was significantly more confident her second night on court. "I have the letters hidden in my room."

"How did you get the letters?" General Lee asked.

"He brought them to Lady Davidson's room and he dropped them, general."

Cole's mouth formed a minute smile. Weiyu was good.

"Go and get them," Guo ordered. 

Tatum wasn't going to just let it happen. He yelled out "No! I don't understand! Who are you?" he asked Weiyu. "Why do you accuse me of treason?"

Weiyu looked at him with steely eyes. "I heard you talking to Lady Davidson about the letter you received from the Raven Chancellor, Ras Green. You also said you wrote half a reply. Then, when you were leaving, you dropped the letters and I picked it up." She then turned towards the judges. "Judges, how do you think I, a lowly servant, could know about the Raven Chancellor? It's all in the letters."

Cole wondered if Weiyu's composed air was causing suspicions but right then, George spoke up. "Cole, go and get the letters."

"It's in the third compartment of my desk," Weiyu told him.

Cole nodded. It was a short trip and soon he returned with the letter. Before he reached the courtroom, he opened them to make sure they were real. Then he walked in and handed the letters to Minister Guo.

Guo opened them up and read. By the end of it, his face was pale with anger and shock. His short beard even trembled. General Lee took it over as soon as he was done and read over it. His change of expression was much more detectable. His face grew beet red and he slammed his hand on the table. "Tatum! Do you admit your crimes!"

Tatum was shaking from fear - and has been ever since Weiyu spoke about the Raven Chancellor. Nevertheless, he didn't back down. "No! This is all fake! Someone is framing me!"

"You framed Maguire!" Weiyu yelled at him.

General Lee slapped the table again. "Be quiet, maid! You are to talk only when we ask you to!"

Weiyu kowtowed and stayed silent, but her words had an effect. The judges looked at each other.

"Tatum, do you admit your crimes?" Guo asked.

Tatum kowtowed continuously. "I am innocent," he chanted.

"Beating of forty!" Lee barked. Two executioners pushed Tatum flat on the ground and raised their clubs. Just after five clubs, Pearson halted it.

He turned to his fellow judges, "I think we should bring the King up to date to this. It does concern a minister after all."

Lee glared at him but nodded grudgingly. "Minister Guo? Prefect Michaels? What do you think?"

The two both nodded. "Cole, Ning, grab Tatum, Garrison, help the maid up. You two, go and get Maguire," George ordered.

Then, the party, guarded by soldiers and officers, headed for the Administration Hall, where the King conferred with his officials. Huiyong Guo beat the drum that was the signal for a requested audience with the King. After a short while, a page led them in.

Cole and Ning pushed Tatum in after the judges and halted at the steps outside the hall. As decreed by law, no one could even look up at the King unless given permission, so he kept his head down low. The only thing he could see was therefore the thick red carpet.

"What is the verdict?" King Joseph asked.

"We found Maguire innocent, your majesty," Guo replied. "He was drugged by ... " he trailed off, unsure how to convey that the concubine ordered it. General Lee didn't care half as much.

"He was drugged by Lady Davidson, your majesty," he continued. "We have her servants' confessions. Also, we have evidence of Tatum's treason."

The King sat in silence for a while. "Lady Davidson, you say? But Maguire was trying to molest her. He was found in her bed."

"We have the confessions, your majesty," George spoke up. He handed the papers to a page who in turn handed it to the King. The sound of paper ruffling was heard.

"But Jerry Cord did not sign his confession," the king said finally.

"He was wrongfully killed by Pearson's orders," Lee said quickly. Cole raised his eyebrows in amusement and respect for the general. "So there was no time for him to sign anything. But I would assume that what he said can be taken as evidence enough."

The King was silent for a while before speaking. "I think I get it now. Tatum is the ultimate culprit. He is charged with treason and is trying to kill my officials and innocent people. He influenced the servants and this maid right here to speak against the Lady. Execute Tatum!"

"Your majesty," George intercepted, but the King stopped him. 

"Prefect Michaels, you have done well. I have high expectations for you," he said. "I will take it from here and I see it clearly. Tatum is at fault here and only him. Execute him."

The executioners obeyed and took Tatum from Cole and Ning. Cole heard the sound of knife meeting flesh and body hitting the ground. He glanced at Ning and both sighed. The King would do anything to protect his concubine.

"The monk can be released," the King continued. "And the maid - "

"I was forcefully brought into service by the Lady's side," Weiyu said, even though she did not have to right to speak in front of the king. "Please let me go home."

The King looked taken aback and then angry. "You do not speak nonsense in front of me, girl," he growled. "Executioner!"

"Your majesty," George intercepted again. "She isn't educated and doesn't know the etiquettes. I would even venture to say that she probably isn't too good of a servant either. I propose letting her go."

Cole smiled at the skillful plea for Weiyu's life.

The King made an assenting grunt. "Alright, maid, you are released of service."

Weiyu kowtowed in thanks.

"Anything else?" the king asked.

No one brought up the concubine as they all knew it was useless. "No, your majesty," Guo said.

"We can all disperse then," the King said and left through the back. 

George and the rest all left the hall as well. Cole went to the grandmaster and helped him up. He was already relieved of all the chains and handcuffs. Weiyu was standing up too. 

"Let's go back," George ordered.