Chapter 36
The crowds had already gathered by103Please respect copyright.PENANASFyLrhyP2o
the time Vander had left the basement and been brought outside. He could feel103Please respect copyright.PENANAYRgxnMC4ME
that everything was placed on a knife’s edge just waiting for someone to do103Please respect copyright.PENANAcsTh3tNzjj
something to light a match under the powder keg. There were five soldiers in103Please respect copyright.PENANA9cKIyIrPVv
front of him, two of them were holding the chains to his hands, while the five103Please respect copyright.PENANA68W3ebbbTo
behind him were holding his leg iron chains. There were guards surrounding him103Please respect copyright.PENANA8KiTk4CqHV
as well to keep anyone from trying anything, or to keep him from escaping.
“How do you like the crowd?”103Please respect copyright.PENANAVaRWCg65be
Vander turned his head to see Leon smirking next to him. Leon had always felt103Please respect copyright.PENANAYRdw218VC6
inferior to Vander, he wasn’t sure why, but it was always a one-sided contest103Please respect copyright.PENANAxIEoplYkJq
between the two of them.
“I’m glad to see you haven’t103Please respect copyright.PENANA3rfTx3h6NV
changed at all.” Vander snorted. “I assume that this was your doing?”
“Of course.” Leon laughed. “I103Please respect copyright.PENANAUI5u4lkDe0
wanted everyone to see you fall. It would make quite the story don’t you103Please respect copyright.PENANAaeu0MS0Q2M
think?”
“If you think this will change103Please respect copyright.PENANA3wPyAB2c5D
anyone’s mind about you, you’re sadly mistaken.” Vander shook his head. “You’re103Please respect copyright.PENANAocHLqkRp6x
still just a baby hiding behind his father’s power. No one will respect you. No103Please respect copyright.PENANA6AS0fXbplx
one will like you. The sooner you face facts, the happier you will be.”
“I don’t have to take that from a103Please respect copyright.PENANAcnrAsLa9jl
king slayer.” Leon hissed. “I’ll be there in the front row when they hang you.”103Please respect copyright.PENANA6puw3GGPyz
With that Leon walked off to the front of the procession.
As they made their way into the103Please respect copyright.PENANAJlbw0ru3nU
east district, Vander saw some familiar faces amongst the crowd. Many of them103Please respect copyright.PENANAPG3pcn0p2v
he had helped in the past and while he was glad to see them, he was embarrassed103Please respect copyright.PENANA6WxGMKZPRo
to have them see him like this. He wasn’t Malcolm’s killer, but did the others103Please respect copyright.PENANAaP4jzmtNLH
believe him? It was hard to be sure. His eyes met Julianna’s. She didn’t look103Please respect copyright.PENANAzLkaXUTOHP
away, but her face was grim. He turned away from her.
“Vander!” He heard her shout.103Please respect copyright.PENANAV8blZYy6X5
“Don’t give up, we’re with you!” He looked over to see that Julianna had held103Please respect copyright.PENANAFZYr4MoP9A
her fist up in the air. Slowly and surely the others did the same. They didn’t103Please respect copyright.PENANA6ucM1MvJtE
scream, they didn’t shout, they didn’t rush the soldiers to free him. They103Please respect copyright.PENANABEA59FokG7
showed solidarity with him, as if they didn’t believe what was being said about103Please respect copyright.PENANADuVFZHKO8L
him. He would have to prove their trust in him was correctly placed.
“Keep it moving!” one of the103Please respect copyright.PENANA5NzNQuZrH5
guards shoved Vander in the back causing him to stumble. He caught himself and103Please respect copyright.PENANAheHhmaCDI8
kept walking.
The road through the middle103Please respect copyright.PENANA5ykG8XIly9
district was cleared for everyone. The nobles didn’t care about this, it was103Please respect copyright.PENANAliX5DekuNl
below their station. They were likely asleep or cheating on their spouses. It103Please respect copyright.PENANAapAGKawHhL
was those in the third ring that would give him the most difficult time: the103Please respect copyright.PENANATd1HiKEYE9
comrades he served with for most of his life. It was their judgement that would103Please respect copyright.PENANA2OtLCazKTF
hurt the most. Nothing could prepare him for what he expected to face from103Please respect copyright.PENANAW1pZmJx4Qh
them.
The Blades were standing on both103Please respect copyright.PENANAaGBq8Kjot5
sides of the road with the rest of the army behind them. He knew Alex wasn’t103Please respect copyright.PENANAEYKLzjXwwA
there, but he saw Chicken, Rooster, Forest, Briar, and Eve standing amongst103Please respect copyright.PENANAMXnO7C625T
them. In the few months he had been gone, it looked as though they had aged103Please respect copyright.PENANAUPip3Zcub3
considerably. He could tell Chicken was close to tears, but she held them back.103Please respect copyright.PENANAgIHZzpB7OJ
Rooster looked straight ahead with a bewildered expression on his face. Forest103Please respect copyright.PENANAa7H4QSJTq9
and Briar held each other’s hands, but Eve looked annoyed for some reason. He103Please respect copyright.PENANA4QzBRILsX3
felt a little bad that his grandfather wasn’t around. He had taken the brunt of103Please respect copyright.PENANACiJ7IN5kj5
the punishment and now it would be his turn if he couldn’t convince the council103Please respect copyright.PENANAkAvKvM09Gl
he was innocent.
He was brought up the castle steps103Please respect copyright.PENANAM7ZLlOeqIo
then towards the council chamber. Most of his guard detail was left behind with103Please respect copyright.PENANAMpZrrcLJUK
only the four guards holding his chains, Eric Jilena, and Leon escorting him to103Please respect copyright.PENANAhJuNJtK7uH
the council chamber for judgement to be passed upon him. However, they took him103Please respect copyright.PENANAWfGL9dVDxV
to the throne room instead. Two Blades opened the door revealing the large103Please respect copyright.PENANAIsLHOmPV02
empty space, the only thing there was the throne where Cuvera was sitting.103Please respect copyright.PENANAhEwArTOOMp
Behind him was Kiara and Eliza. Spaced evenly around them were the remaining103Please respect copyright.PENANAf9k4UP7DZR
council members and they did not look happy in the least.
Peyton Cranton sat next to Cuvera103Please respect copyright.PENANApEVkEaW6Al
with a small smile on his face. He had likely been waiting for this for a very103Please respect copyright.PENANA3Y1jlHLWS8
long time.
“We brought him.” Eric pulled the103Please respect copyright.PENANAt0ZwuUZI6m
chains causing Vander to stumble, falling to his knees.
“Remove the chains.” Cuvera103Please respect copyright.PENANAQU8g4kfVbG
instructed.
“My King?” Eric asked. “Is that103Please respect copyright.PENANAOxGoEC2vsO
wise? He already killed your father and my son. He’s dangerous. He should be…”
“I gave you an order General.”103Please respect copyright.PENANAh48dXCdjpf
Cuvera snapped. “Do not make me repeat myself.” Eric debated whether to103Please respect copyright.PENANAnVlJvRQ6zV
disobey, but eventually he relented. Vander felt the chains leave his hands103Please respect copyright.PENANAKHkJAxRt6D
then clatter on the ground. He rubbed his wrists tenderly hoping to get the103Please respect copyright.PENANAtUJixxfOXf
feeling back into them. “Step forward.”
Vander walked until he was ten103Please respect copyright.PENANAlmM1TL6dJd
feet away from the throne, before dropping to one knee, bowing in front of his103Please respect copyright.PENANAgLJ9qhxTDY
friend. He looked up to see that Cuvera had aged considerably these past few103Please respect copyright.PENANA7wGuKIKvph
months. He was now sporting a thick brown beard. His eyes were dark, likely not103Please respect copyright.PENANA7RFfOA9ksE
getting enough sleep, and it appeared as though Kiara was pregnant with their103Please respect copyright.PENANAlqbaRy3WIZ
first child. She was looking at Vander with a worried expression on her face.103Please respect copyright.PENANAcRlWJMd6xf
Eliza’s face was unreadable, but he detected some concern in her eyes. He103Please respect copyright.PENANATgjDFR0VxL
didn’t want to give anything away, so he just kept his eyes focused straight103Please respect copyright.PENANAGoDPtJ1bkd
ahead.
He noticed that the four Warden’s103Please respect copyright.PENANAp6YzheuW92
from the other regions were also in attendance. Jewelthorne looked bored, as if103Please respect copyright.PENANAdFXn6AyqM8
he had been forced to be there. Valyrian looked at him with disgust while103Please respect copyright.PENANAY7gC5A67XO
Whitesun, the one he knew the least, looked at him with interest. Mari looked103Please respect copyright.PENANAZzHpaGOTQ3
at him with a small smile, as if she was telling him that everything was going103Please respect copyright.PENANAvvvoPMyWMN
to be alright. Despite her demeanor, he felt that it was going to be everything103Please respect copyright.PENANALn5nfzlarC
but.
“You know why you are here,103Please respect copyright.PENANAsjUGytdA78
Vander, Blade Captain?” Cuvera’s voice echoed through the room.
“Yes.” Vander admitted. “I am103Please respect copyright.PENANA56UznkNZrP
accused of killing Malcolm and Jeffery Jilena.”
“Last night you were also seen103Please respect copyright.PENANAoq93a5l9cD
fleeing from the northern district right before Humi, Humjir’s head priest, was103Please respect copyright.PENANAP2jeXF8UTI
found dead.” Cuvera explained.
“Humi died?” Vander was103Please respect copyright.PENANAA77NPPm08f
disappointed. He had hoped that the guards would have gotten there in time, but103Please respect copyright.PENANABDKjP9IOi1
he guessed wrong.
“What do you have to say for103Please respect copyright.PENANAzi8boO9Q9G
yourself?”
“Innocent on all accounts.” A103Please respect copyright.PENANAlw7052jTE9
collective gasp went up from the council members. Anna Jilena looked like her103Please respect copyright.PENANAv9BzAfg1d7
head was about to explode.
“I’ll give you a chance to tell103Please respect copyright.PENANAR741TZUR8M
your side of the story.” Cuvera said. “Explain to me how Lord Cranton saw you103Please respect copyright.PENANAH4reqUGIcO
kill my father, us all watching you flee the room in a hurry, then finding103Please respect copyright.PENANA52fs0UEoW5
Jeffery Jilena dead on the ground with his throat cut.”
“I see.” Vander sighed. “Must we103Please respect copyright.PENANA1xJhELkIgO
do this in front of them?” He motioned towards the council. “I’d rather just103Please respect copyright.PENANAVFKmurAzOY
talk to you alone.”
“So, you could kill him?” Peyton103Please respect copyright.PENANAKQrxuaMFrA
laughed. “I think not. You’re the criminal here, you don’t get special103Please respect copyright.PENANAzOVHUeVBdQ
treatment.” As much as he hated to admit it, Peyton was right. So, he told them103Please respect copyright.PENANA0GBSdFjsqw
what had happened.
He started by talking about what103Please respect copyright.PENANAehnLXqxyMm
had happened in the catacombs when Cuvera went to visit his mother. Boar had103Please respect copyright.PENANA43cptszOeC
come to him in a vision, telling him to grab the book on the gods that Malcolm103Please respect copyright.PENANAWwbOZEVD0h
had shown him in his office. Not bothering to question his ancestor, Vander103Please respect copyright.PENANANRxILH6WtQ
waited until everyone was distracted before sneaking into the library and103Please respect copyright.PENANAKBBq6w8Spm
grabbing the book. Malcolm had seen him, but before either of them could say a103Please respect copyright.PENANA7XFldtGPo9
word to each other Peyton had run him through with a sword.
Peyton didn’t even flinch when103Please respect copyright.PENANA7SMGXOImVB
Vander pointed at him, and while some of the council members looked at him103Please respect copyright.PENANAVcfNAF9pOG
sideways, Vander could tell very few believed him.
After that, he ran away because he103Please respect copyright.PENANArZrZc6M1OG
knew Peyton would blame Vander for the deaths even though he had nothing to do103Please respect copyright.PENANAAVa2WXv6Aq
with it. Jeffery had found him on the lawn but had asked Vander to knock him103Please respect copyright.PENANAtLt7qBTgv8
out then escape. Vander punched him in the stomach before jumping against the103Please respect copyright.PENANA6HU0B6EErL
wall.
Topal whispered to the council103Please respect copyright.PENANAArVOi1zk1B
member next to him, but it was so quiet that Vander could hear what was being103Please respect copyright.PENANATaV8OnB3pv
said.
Vander continued. He fled to the103Please respect copyright.PENANA4houvHAkeN
Orange Fox because he knew the stigma surrounding the place would keep him safe103Please respect copyright.PENANAPCwlLaDXYN
while he could figure out what to do next. For three months he used the103Please respect copyright.PENANAsMn2EUykmm
resources available to him to track down and find the Serpents, however he103Please respect copyright.PENANAvAUDMKbMmC
didn’t go into too much detail. He killed seven of them, then discovered a note103Please respect copyright.PENANAPFOmpqrYb5
sending an assassin known as Fang after him. Afterwards he went to talk to Humi103Please respect copyright.PENANAvh1nip4XFN
when they were attacked by an assassin. He told Vander to flee while holding103Please respect copyright.PENANAi8bqVMVAsu
them off, but he guessed he didn’t last much longer after that.
“Then you found me two days103Please respect copyright.PENANAvnWXRgL9JK
later.” Vander finished. “That’s all that happened.”
“Seems whoever you talk to just103Please respect copyright.PENANAogjcAHMJhs
seems to be killed.” Peyton said. “There is a pattern here, Vander, I’m not103Please respect copyright.PENANAD9DCOnoUwP
sure if anyone else can see it, but I can.”
“I also agree with Peyton.” Anna103Please respect copyright.PENANATaO43cWYaf
Jilena seethed. “My son is dead because of you. Your story of what happened is103Please respect copyright.PENANABkbKKE5NcA
nonsense. My son’s throat was cut, there no question there.”
“If I may.” Topal raised his hand.103Please respect copyright.PENANAw1zli8cONS
“When I did the autopsy of Jeffery, I noticed some discoloration around his103Please respect copyright.PENANA5lvRQAlSWK
diaphragm along with some bruising within his lungs. To me, it seemed as though103Please respect copyright.PENANAlLUrt7C5JQ
he had been struck five minutes before his throat was cut. There also wasn’t a103Please respect copyright.PENANAZTa2SCWLX0
blood trail leading from the body to the wall.”
“He killed him!” Anna screeched.103Please respect copyright.PENANArF28ytFBt8
Bickering broke out amongst the council members causing Cuvera to stand up from103Please respect copyright.PENANAa2gMG2RiOu
the throne.
“Take him to the dungeons until we103Please respect copyright.PENANAIlYHZIJGjW
get this settled.” Cuvera instructed. Bowing his head, Eric placed his hand on103Please respect copyright.PENANA6wDaoMBIkY
Vander’s shoulders. Sighing, Vander stood up allowing himself to be led towards103Please respect copyright.PENANAX9JCG2ijvd
the dungeons.
Before Eric handed him over to the103Please respect copyright.PENANAPl81pKNZO8
jailers, he made Vander face him.
“My son, Jeffery, he respected you103Please respect copyright.PENANAfPO0l65qv3
a lot.” He spoke. “For his sake, I hope your innocent.”
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“I am.” Vander nodded. Perhaps103Please respect copyright.PENANAFinZ5OJ71Z
taking some solace at that fact, Eric gave him a small smile. He snapped his103Please respect copyright.PENANAqfJxLJlVzA
fingers. The two jailers walked up, grabbed Vander’s arms, and brought him to103Please respect copyright.PENANAnkj5x7KYPm
his cell. They pushed him into the dank, musty flat that had rags for a blanket103Please respect copyright.PENANA2MdRPykmQn
and very little warmth. The slammed the door shut, covering him in darkness.