TW: Coarse language, weapons

"Bring in the accused!"

The doors to the council room swung open with a boom. Six guards frog-marched the traitorous man in. He was a shadow of his former brilliance. His blue cloak was now threadbare after so many nights in the dungeon. His pale skin was so light that it was nearly translucent. There were heavy, bruise-like shadows under his cerulean eyes. His trousers and shirt were torn, frayed thread swinging wildly as he was forced to his knees.

Tigris felt no shred of sympathy for him, even as his manacled hands cradled his head. The king glared down at him coldly.

"Lord Luctus. You stand accused of conspiring with inkbloods to poison Prince Finn. How do you plead?" the king announced, a hush falling over the packed council room. Tigris was certain she could cut the tension in the air with her sword. Lord Luctus lifted his waxen face. The dark circles under his eyes seemed so much worse as the light hit them.

"Not. Guilty. This is absurd!" Lord Luctus insisted, tugging at the chains around his wrists, "Unhand me this instant!"

"My own daughter found the enchanted flower in your chambers." the king cut in smoothly. Tigris watched the traitor's face blanch with the realisation. He turned to Tigris slowly, the terror in his eyes giving way to rage.

Behind him, Roche discreetly met Tigris' eyes. They hadn't spoken since Finn's recovery a week ago, but she'd received a note from the librarian's apprentice requesting to not be questioned for her part in Lord Luctus' trial. Tigris understood. Even though the deadline for war with Irulia had been pushed, tensions still ran high in the castle. The least Tigris could do for the girl was give her some time away from the limelight.

"You," Lord Luctus hissed, straining at his restraints. The guards stepped forward, yanking him back. He was practically foaming at the mouth, his face drawn with fury. "You sly, traitorous bitch! I should have known that the second you asked about my sister-"

"Silence!" the king bellowed, his voice so thunderous that Lord Luctus actually flinched. The king stood, towering over everyone from his dais. At his feet, Finn sat stiffly on his respective throne. Finn had always been soft hearted, but even he gave Luctus an accusatory glare.

"The evidence is irrefutable. The knights have conducted a thorough search of your chambers and though we recovered no more enchanted objects, the Irulian ambassador was more than willing to provide the notes you'd threatened him with."

A servant raced forward, hands outstretched. Luctus went very, very still as the King plucked the notes out of the servant's hands. At the same time, the wiry ambassador stepped out of the gathered crowd. His eyes were firm and resolute as he stood beside Luctus. The king glanced at Verita.

"Were you able to trace the handwriting?"

"Indeed, sire." Verita bobbed her head, "It matches that of the accused."

The king nodded smoothly, lowering himself back to his throne. He fingered the notes carefully, peering at them. Lord Luctus hadn't moved a muscle, his expression frozen. His cerulean eyes seemed to shift in the light, like a stormy sea.

The king shifted his gaze towards the ambassador.

"It seems that there has been... a misunderstanding." the king said after several moments. The ambassador's jaw clenched, and Tigris expected a scathing response. But instead, the man tilted his head in acknowledgement, with the cool patience he'd demonstrated during his stay.

"My elders and I understand that the plague was created by Faultless citizens without your knowledge, King Romulus." the ambassador replied smoothly. He side eyed Luctus with distaste. The king leaned forward on his throne.

"I'm surprised Irulia isn't pushing for war." he mused. Tigris saw Aodh and Finn tense. Had all that they'd done been for nought?

The Irulian ambassador nodded. "It was considered." he acknowledged, and a leaden silence descended over the room. "However," the ambassador added, "There is the matter of the prince to consider."

The king's eyes turned murderous. A lesser man would have looked away. But the ambassador lowered his eyes to Finn.

"I cannot express how sorry my elders and I are for the poisoning. We should have known better than to consort with inkbloods."

Finn straightened on his throne. The air was thick with tension. After a moment, Finn's soft voice cut through the silence firmly.

"I do not blame you or your elders, ambassador. You were threatened. By citizens of the Faultless Kingdom, no less."

"It seems that both of our kingdoms were... hasty." the king admitted into the resulting silence. The ambassador and king locked eyes. "We both seem to have forgotten our agreement to pursue peace. And Prince Finn reminded me of your role in their procurement of the antidote. That shall not go unrewarded."

"I see," the ambassador murmured, bowing slightly.

King Romulus nodded firmly, his eyes glowing. He stood from his throne. He beckoned the ambassador to approach the dais.

"The Faultless Kingdom is willing to provide the aid necessary for Irulia to reach the quota. As it happens, we have had a fruitful harvest season and have enough workers to spare." the king announced, setting off a flurry of murmurs. The ambassador bowed again, his wise grey eyes twinkling.

"Thank you, King Romulus."

"Of course, this is provided that Irulia is willing to work with our best physicians to end the plague. And... that both kingdoms move past the events of the past few days." the king added quickly. The ambassador smiled wryly, extending his arm.

"Irulia is grateful for these terms. We accept." he agreed.

A small round of cheers erupted from the gathered nobles as the king and ambassador clasped arms. Tigris winked at the ambassador when he glanced at her tentatively. She'd spent the last few days explaining Lord Luctus' deceit to her father. It had become clear that the Faultless Kingdom was more at fault for the events than they would have liked. It had taken very little convincing for the king to accept the terms that she, Aodh, and Finn had drafted as Finn had recovered his strength.

The Irulian ambassador bowed again before he was escorted out, with only one guard at his side. The room sombered as the king sat back down, zeroing in on Lord Luctus, who seemed to be cowering in fearful silence.

"Through the evidence presented from the ambassador and the princess, it is clear that you are guilty, Luctus." the king said, with a resounding note of finality. The words hit Luctus like a blow, but the king wasn't finished. "Though I would like to have you burned at the pyre for your errors, I've received a plea for mercy on your behalf."

At the foot of the dais, Finn's lips curled with a small smile. Lord Luctus blinked with bewilderment.

"Reveal the names of those who aided you in your crimes, and swear to turn your back on inkblood for the rest of your life, and you will be spared from burning." the king decreed, his lips twisting like the words were bitter in his mouth. Tigris knew he wanted nothing more than to burn the traitor, but Finn had pleaded for mercy. After the poisoning, the king couldn't find it in his heart to refuse him.

Lord Luctus gaped for several moments. When he got to his feet dazedly, the guards didn't stop them.

"You call this a mercy?" he asked, so quietly that Tigris thought she'd imagined the words. But she looked at the criminal, and his lips were twisted into a sneer. His eyes glowed with hate, barely concealed by his stringy hair.

"You would have me turn my back on my allies? Those who protected my sister from the likes of you?" Luctus shouted vehemently. The guards lunged for him then, but they were no match for the spiteful man.

"Consider wisely, Luctus. Or those words will be your last!" Aodh shouted, his hands already darting for his weapon defensively. Somehow, Luctus' face managed to become more bitter. His gaze whipped to the dais. Tigris was stunned by how much loathing burned in his eyes.

"You Silvias have slaughtered so many. You sit upon a throne of blood and bones!" Luctus spat, throwing his head back. The king was on his feet now.

"Seize him!"

Luctus struggled, impressively knocking down three guards. Tigris grabbed her sword while Aodh levelled his gun.

"You have killed so many of my kind, Romulus Silvia!" Luctus howled gutturally, his rage-filled baritone echoing off the walls, "You will feel the pain of a love lost, just as you have wrought for many!"

Tigris unsheathed her sword as Luctus tensed, but the man didn't lunge for the throne. He extended his arm, his ratty sleeve falling to his elbow. Tigris froze in horror.

Inky obsidian veins of inkblood pulsed gruesomely up his forearm. He extended his arm, and it began to glow ghoulishly.

Aodh roared, firing a shot from his gun.

"Stamatdur!"

The bullet froze in midair. Tigris lunged for her dagger at the same moment the guards lunged for the man. Luctus' lips twisted triumphantly, a sheen of sweat forming on the man's forehead.

"Sefeoht!"

Tigris felt it. A ripple of power crashed through the room, directed straight at the dais. Her limbs slowed midair, like she was trying to move through jelly. At her feet, Aodh and Finn were moving as slow as turtles. The guards behind Luctus had been similarly frozen or slowed. Luctus didn't seem affected. He met Tigris' eyes, and to her horror, held his hand directly up to her face with a triumphant sneer.

"Ocwelan!"

And Tigris could only watch as the inkblood coagulated into an arrow and hurtled straight for her.

A/N: Tigris watching the inkblood arrow coming right at her: 🧍‍♀️