Victoria nodded. "Me too."
They soon crossed over the Speranta Ward and into the territory that Lord and Lady Grigore looked after. It was one of the smaller territories on the eastern coast of Sangera. It didn't take them long to pass through their wooded areas and into the Inlustrus Ocean. The train descended into the sea, as the tracks were built underneath the water with a glass tunnel surrounding them.
"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting this," Alex said with an air of awe in his voice.
In total, the trip between Batara and Teren City was about five hours. Teren City was a relatively large area surrounded by the kingdoms of Frumos, Adraxia, Templaria, and Zana, but there were all kinds of magical creatures that lived there. Why was a question that Victoria was asking herself when she had first witnessed it, and continued to ask herself now as the city had only seemed to worsen over the years. Teren City was a desert landscape, yet still bustling. It was so crowded that they had erected pods instead of apartments. These pods were small, single rooms collected within giant walls of metal. In the center of the city was Regula Palace which held the ten seats of the monarchs of Terrarum. Down the street from Regula Palace was the Arena, and on the opposite side was Judiciary Tower, where the trials took place. It was that giant metal tower that they would be going to.
Despite its ugly outside, the interior of Judiciary Tower was quite breathtaking. It seemed it had been built for the creature that resided there. In all of Terrarum, there was but one judge: Themis. She was a dragon born in Templaria hundreds of years ago. Apparently, all of her ancestors had been born with the same gift, similar to Queen Ceto of Mancator. Every female dragon was born with the ability to see the past and every one of them was named Themis. When they were fully trained and became of a certain age, they moved to Teren City to judge criminals and decide whether or not they should be sent to the hellish prison off of the coast of the kingdom of Parvolus where the kingdom's dwarven occupants were in charge.
The party from Sangera took their seats near the exits with guards flanking them all around the room. Alex sat next to her while his eyes kept darting around, watching for any suspicious movement. The giant clock tower behind the judge's podium chimed midnight and everyone held their breaths as a giant shadow approached.
It was time for the trial to begin.
Ω
An enormous dragon with shining midnight blue scales flew in landing with a thud that shook the entire tower. With serpentine speed, the dragon made its way down the landing pad and across the bridge. Victoria thought for a moment that something might be wrong with her eyes as light began to shimmer around it. But then that dragon began to shrink and change and she understood what that light was. It was starlight, and this dragon used her power to change back and forth between her forms, just like the dragon king, as well as see into the past. By the time she had reached the judge's podium, she had fully transformed into a human, save for those two crystalline horns that glittered on her head.
She was a goddess.
That was the first thought that came to Victoria's mind when she stood in the presence of Themis. She was certain that was what most people thought when they saw her. Victoria had never before stood in the presence of one of the great powers of Terrarum, besides her father, of course, but he had only been that, just her father. While he was still a force to behold, she didn't think she could ever see him the same way as others saw him.
Even so, Themis was different. Her long, slender fingers lay flat on the desk in front of her where deadly-looking nails protruded from the ends of her fingertips. Each one was well-manicured and adorned with golden rings. Her skin was a shimmering dark blue made even more stunning by her dress made of pure gold. The features of her face were breathtaking. The sharp lines of her face showed that the beautiful creature she was held something more within. Atop her head were two shimmering crystal horns that curved around the front of her face. A golden metal blindfold covered her eyes for Themis was blind. She was a seer in the oddest of senses. A dragon who could neither see the present nor the future. Only the past. When making decisions on law, she would consult those memories that she held from every life in Terrarum.
"There have been a lot of things that have led up to this moment," she said. Her voice was deep and clear. She commanded the attention of others in only the most respectful of ways. "I hereby call to order the trial of Tate Anson Davis, Amethyst Devereux, and Rolo Drake."
Themis continued speaking, and Victoria craned her head to get a better look at the witch and wizards on trial. The three wizards sat before the seer with looks of fear. All of them were still healing from the wounds that the explosion had caused them. How they hadn't all died, Victoria did not know. When that bomb went off, it had seemed as if the whole world were on fire. She wasn't even sure how she had made it out of their alive.
Victoria became aware of how much of a nervous wreck she was when she felt someone gently squeeze her hand. She looked over to see Alex with a worried expression on his face. He raised his eyebrows as if asking, 'Are you alright?'
She nodded and squeezed his hand back before the two turned their attention back to the trial. That was how she got out. Alex, one of her best friends, had been there that night. If he hadn't… well, she wasn't sure if she wanted to think about what might have happened if he hadn't been there.
When Victoria turned her attention to the wizards on trial, she found one of them turned around, staring at her. She heard a growl rumbling in Alex's throat as he no doubt noticed, too.
"Are we boring you, Mr. Drake?" Themis bellowed from her podium.
The man whipped back around. "No, ma'am," he replied.
In some distant part of her memory, she remembered seeing that man, Rolo Drake. In between the haziness, she remembered him lying on the ground, half-dead but still conscious. She remembered how delicious he had smelled, how she had almost—
She glanced back at Alex who gave no inclination that he remembered the wizard or what Victoria had almost done to him. However, now she knew that Rolo Drake remembered that she had almost eaten him.
Ω
"I remember the girl." It was the first thing that Rolo Drake said. He had been asked to the witness stand. Apparently, what he was able to remember was brief and shoddy at best since he had been 'hypnotized' by someone to carry out the crimes he and his associates were now on trial for. The one thing he did remember, conveniently, was her.
"Are you referring to Princess Speranta?" the lawyer asked. Rolo nodded his head. "If you can even call her that. Monster would be a better term for her, I think."
Alex again growled, but Victoria was drawn in by the man, waiting for what he had to say. Looking around the room, it was clear everyone else was just as riveted.
"What makes you say this?"
"It was only after the bomb went off that I had control over myself again. That was when I started to remember. There was a lot of screaming and crying and I didn't know where I was. Obviously, I'd never stepped foot in Sangera before. But then I heard footsteps, kinda like running. I was relieved thinking that someone had come to save me. When I saw her, though, when I looked into those black eyes, I knew she wasn't there to save me. If it hadn't been for that gargoyle that came along, I know I would have been eaten alive."
"Interesting," the lawyer said. "No more further questions."
As Rolo Drake was escorted back to his seat, Victoria knew she was in big trouble. Vampires hadn't eaten anything but animals in centuries. She knew that Sangera suddenly wasn't looking so good.
"The court calls Princess Victoria Mihaela Speranta to the stand."
Victoria gulped. Her hands were shaking. All she wanted to do was run out of there. Instead, she followed the guard who escorted her to the witness stand. Taking a quick survey of the room, she saw a lot of horrified faces. She kept her mouth closed in order to conceal her long fangs. In the back of the room, she saw a man who seemed to be wildly out of place. He was well-polished in a snow
-white suit that matched his white skin and hair. Two crystalline horns sat atop his head similar to Themis's. Under that mop of white hair, she saw two violet eyes piercing out at her. Despite his icy appearance, he gave her a warm grin. For some reason, the grin comforted her. Suddenly, she didn't feel so alone.
They say that those who share the same breath call to each other. Whenever creatures of the same nature see each other, it's like an invisible cord binds them as equals. She didn't know why that was what her gut was telling her about this stranger in the crowd. The only way that could happen would be if he were also a cripple, which was equal to about a one in a million chance.
Victoria was sworn in and then taking a rather shaky seat in the chair.
"Please state your name for the record."
"Princess Victoria Mihaela Speranta of Sangera."
"What do you remember of that night?"
Victoria looked out at Alex, who gave her a brief smile, then to her mother beside him who's eyes were filled with worry. At last, for some reason, she looked back at that man in the white suit. He again smiled at her and she felt a confidence flow through her that hadn't been there before.
"My friends and I were studying in the library," she began. That word: 'friends.' She resisted the urge to smile despite her grim circumstances.
"And who are these friends of yours?" the lawyer asked.
"Alexander Lupe, Raduta Anghelescue, Adrian Tradat, and Albert Vasile. We were looking through the books when everything just happened. The ground started shaking and the stacks started toppling over, isolating me from the others. Everything is kind of a blur after that. I remember running around in a dazed panic trying to find help before Alex rescued me."
"And do you remember anyone else there?"
She knew what he was asking. She also knew that she had no choice but to be honest. She looked back at the man in the white suit, who almost seemed to be lightly shaking his head at her.
"Yes," she replied. "That man, Rolo Drake, was there." She looked out at him, and his mortal eyes looked too much like those of a monster. "Right before the bomb went off, I heard a voice, a male voice."
"And what did this voice say?" the lawyer asked her.
"There's no help for you where you're going," she quoted.
There was a flood of murmuring throughout the crowd. Themis raised her head, as if she were irritated by the noise, and everyone quickly quieted down.
"Thank you," the lawyer said. "No more further questions."
When she returned to her seat, Victoria huffed a sigh of relief and again grabbed Alex's hand for comfort. Victoria snuck one last look at the man, curious about who he might be. He glanced at her, as well, and gave her a slight nod, a small sign of a victory.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
A Grim Picture of Subservience
The wizards had been found guilty. For Victoria, that seemed like the obvious result, but the looks the criminals wore when they heard their sentence seemed as if they expected anything but. As their memories had been pretty uneven with each other, as well as the fact that the kind of power they spoke of had last been snuffed out with the Tenebris purge ten years ago, they were found to be lying by the court. Thus, they were sentenced to one hundred years in the Terrarum Prison. The look of disbelief at their whitened, horrified faces had given Victoria some satisfaction, but only a little bit. Before being escorted out of Judiciary Tower, the three looked around the room, as if someone were about to come crashing in and save them. Victoria held her breath, waiting for the worst to happen, but no one came, and all ended as well as it could have. Maybe even a little too well, if her paranoia was to be listened to.
After everything that had happened these past months, Victoria was ready for life to slow down. While Nicolae Blake hadn't been found and neither had Queen Ceto Sirena, Victoria realized that she may now be out of having a first-hand account in many of these events.
When Alex and Victoria returned to Viata Academy, Albert, Adrian, and Raduta had been waiting in the Grand Foyer of the school. The trial had taken longer than predicted, as had the train ride. Therefore, the sun was already up by the time they returned. The three of them looked like they were about to pass out from exhaustion when Victoria and Alex got into the cover of indoors, but they jumped up excitedly when they saw them.
"How did it go?" Raduta asked.
"That Rolo Drake is rotten," Alex said. "I'm glad he'll be rotting away in the prison for the next one hundred years."
"So, they were found guilty?"
Victoria nodded. "I'm glad that it's over with. Now, I just want to collapse into bed."
"Me, too," Raduta said hooking her arm around Victoria's.
"Glad to see you back, Lupe," Albert said from behind them. "Adrian and I were taking bets on whether or not they'd find you to be optimal slave material."
"I took part in no such thing!" Adrian cried. Victoria rolled her eyes and Raduta let out a chuckle. It seemed that life might already be getting back to normal.
Soon, the month of December was upon Sangera and within days the entirety of Batara was glittering in frost and starlight as the Lacrima season, the celebration of the winter solstice, approached. It was the longest night of the year, and it was a night that belonged to the vampires. Everyone in Sangera was excited to celebrate. Well, almost everyone.
"I don't have to dress in a stupid costume again, do I?" Alex asked Victoria.
"You barely even dressed up during Stransura," she countered.
"That didn't answer my question."
"No. Here in Sangera, Lacrima is all about celebrating the stars and the night. While it is customary for people to dress formally during parties, I will not be forcing you."
"That's a relief."
"Even though I still think you should."
"Victoria, there is no way I would ever willingly dress up for one of your grand and over the top vampire holidays."
"Hmm…" Victoria gave him a mischievous look. "We'll see about that."
Ω
It was an especially cold evening in Batara when Victoria, Adrian, and Raduta were studying in the Great Hall with Alex and Albert lurking nearby. The library was still under construction; therefore, the students had been forced to move their studying elsewhere. The icy wind could be heard blustering outside as Adrian was testing Victoria and Raduta on Terrarum History.
"When was the king of Templaria officially crowned?" he asked them.
"December 31, 1947 at the age of 100."
Adrian put down the cards he was reading for them. "I can't believe that the greatest dragon king to ever be born in centuries is only 172 years old."
Victoria nodded. "For a dragon, he's incredibly young. I've heard that's why the Council doesn't take him seriously and go over his head in a lot of decisions."
"That, and they're nothing more than a bunch of power-hungry fiends," Albert added.
"What exactly is the Council?" Raduta asked.
Adrian started shuffling through his note cards until he at last landed on the one he was looking for. "A council of seers in Templaria who balance the rulings of the reigning dragon monarchs. Currently, there are four members who are centuries old and rule should any king or queen be killed."
"They're the ones who decided to purge the Tenebris ten years ago along with a lot of other clans and societies over the centuries. While they say it was because they had become a corrupt people, there are many who protected Tenebris refugees because they saw it as just another power move from the Council. If you ask me, they're much worse than any other group, even the Tenebris," Albert said a bit bitterly. "There are a lot of people who had moved into hiding or were put on a short leash over the years in fear that the council would decide them unworthy of life."
"I heard even the Nokken were targeted a few decades ago," Alex added from where he sat in front of the roaring fireplace. He had lived in a tropical environment his entire life. Clearly, he had not been prepared for the snow. Alex had on several
layers of clothing, as well as blankets, and his teeth were still chattering.
"Are you alright over there, Lupe?" Albert asked him. All he got was a growl in response.
They all just shook their heads and Adrian continued testing Victoria and Raduta for the upcoming finals.
Ω
As the first semester came to an end, everyone in Batara had shifted into the Lacrima spirit. Finals were over and Adrian, Raduta, and Victoria had all passed their classes. The nights became colder and Alex finally caved swapping out his Piatra clothing for Sangeran winter gear. This seemed to make his fellow gargoyles hate him even more than they had before.
"Oh no," Albert said at dinner one evening. Victoria had been watching Alex flare out his wings to test the comfort of his new clothes while Albert was reading a letter he had received from his sister. "This isn't good."
"What?" Raduta asked peaking over his shoulder to read the letter.
"My family is coming to visit." He tossed the letter down and sighed. "There goes everyone's holiday."
"Is your family really that bad?" Raduta asked him.
Albert laughed. "To call them 'bad' would be the understatement of the century. My sister is fine, it's my parents that are the worst." He looked at Raduta, Adrian, and Alex with a sorry expression. "Maybe it would be best if you guys pretended you didn't know us. In fact, it would be best if you guys were in the opposite room of whatever room they're in."
"Why?"
"No offense, but, to my parents, you guys are the rabble. When they get here, you have to be prepared for a lot of arrogance and undermining."
"That says a lot coming from you," Alex teased.
"Right," Albert agreed. Victoria and Raduta glanced at each other with the same expressions. His parents had to be a special kind of terrible for Albert and Alex to agree on anything, let alone a snark judgment of Albert's character. "Even Victoria's only met them a few times and that was when we were little. I've at least managed to shield her from that."
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