Chapter 111

Violet

I glanced at Theodore, nothing that one of the lawyers had left. Theodore was looking at me with concern in his eyes.

I shook my head, looking away. I was worried for nothing. Anxious, but I knew this feeling. It was the same feeling that told me to duck when a rogue was about to leap out of the bushes and maul me, but why? Why now.

Realistically, Lucas was probably just expecting Owen to rule in his favor using whatever nonsense he could manage just short of royal decree. Owen couldn't be seen to be snatching a noble's territory less the entire country rise up against him. He wouldn't be that stupid, that much was certain. But the thought did nothing to ease this creeping suspicion that there was something lurking beneath the surface, something I might have missed. My fingers tapped nervously on the armrest, my gaze drifting over the decorations in the room up to the tapestry hanging from the wall, bearing the country's emblem.

“What if I overlooked something?” I asked aloud, not fully expecting anyone to answer. "Some… Some clause that I didn't read properly? Something in our marriage agreement?"

Theodore, sitting across from me, met my eyes, his expression unreadable. “You didn’t miss anything. You're too meticulous--"

"I'm not perfect."

"You are," Theodore said with a wink. I scoffed but I smiled helplessly. He tipped his head to the legal team. "And they've gone over every element of your marriage.”

I knew he was trying to reassure me, but it wasn’t working. I had trusted Lucas before. I had been too blind to see how far his treachery ran. What if I had missed something critical? Something I couldn't even point out to them.

“We’re not letting him win,” Theodore added, his voice steady. “Whatever he tries, it won’t work. He’s relying on Owen, but that’s not enough to sway the law, and Owen, while restless, hasn't completely lost his mind. We have backup plans on backup plans… It's ending today.”

I wanted to believe him. I really did. But a small voice in the back of my mind kept whispering doubts.

I hadn't seen Lucas for he was, and the more I thought about it the more I realized that…

I should have and I don't know why I didn't. Grief? Anxiety? Had I really been so desperate to get married? To put my father to rest at peace? Was he really at peace?

A pinch of pain prodded at the back of my mind.

If your mother were here… I went still, hearing my father's voice as if he were standing right beside me. I looked up and for just a moment, I saw him, younger than he had been when he'd died, his gaze troubled.

And just like that he was gone.

My stomach churned. Hallucinations?

"Violet." I looked up at Theodore's voice. He frowned, looking more concerned. "Did you hear me?"

I shook my head. "No. Sorry… I just…"

"It's okay," he said, smiling at me. "I just said that it's time to get going. You ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be."

I stood. He took my hand. His touch was grounding, but I still couldn’t shake the unease. What had that been? I'd have to contact my family across the border about it later.

We walked into the courtroom, settling in on our side of the court. As before the judges were there, but they were part of the court's gallery. They wouldn't be able to do anything but ensure that the law was being followed.

Owen would still have to make the final call.

Just then, an announcement echoed through the room.

“The arrival of His Majesty, King Owen, to begin the proceedings! All rise.”

The room stood as Owen entered, his arrogance filling the space. He took his seat, dressed more expensive than I'd ever seen him, his crown on his head and everything. It was almost theatrical. He looked down at me, smug and challenging. I stared back, forcing myself to remain calm.

This was it. The moment we had been working toward and I needed to remain calm if I was going to get through this.

"You may be seated."

The room took our seats. The silence of courtroom felt suffocating, the weight of the moment pressing down on me as Owen, ever predictable in his pettiness, gestured to Lucas's side.

"Present your case, defense."

I sat still, my back straight, my hands resting in my lap, but inside, my irritation roiled like a storm. The petty bastard looked almost gleeful to be slighting me, and I made a note to hike the prices of anything going in to the capital city, specifically the palace, as soon as this was all over.

Lucas’s lead attorney stepped forward, wearing the smug expression of a man who knew the game was rigged in his favor.

“Your Majesty, we would like to present new evidence.”

My legal team immediately stood to object, their voices a chorus of outrage. “The defense never submitted this new evidence to discovery—”

"It's a common document," the lawyer said innocently. "And since the video came from the Darkmoon servers, we didn't think it necessary."

There was a lie in his words.

“Seems as though you should have gotten it from your client,” Owen interrupted, his voice calm but utterly dismissive. He didn’t even glance at my team. Just waved them off like they were beneath his notice. Like due process didn’t matter. Like the law didn’t matter.

My stomach twisted, and my nails dug into my palm. It was clear that Owen had already made his decision. It didn’t matter what was fair, what was true, or what was legal. The only thing that mattered was making me suffer if he could cast even the thinnest veneer of legality over it.

Lucas’s attorney continued, stepping forward to place a document on the large screen for everyone to see. A gasp rippled through the room. My name was there, my signature and seal neatly at the bottom.

It was forgery, a crude forgery, too, but I could see that Owen was ecstatic. I was going to enjoy making him look as stupid as he was.

Lucas’s attorney began speaking again.

“This document, signed by Luna Violet Donovan, proves that she agreed to the conditions we are disputing today. We also have video evidence to solidify our claim.”

My legal team stiffened. I felt their irritation. Theodore was on his phone again, texting someone.

The leader of my legal team stood with an objection.

"This--"

Owen was already shaking his head.

"Overruled. The video evidence will be presented,” he said simply, shutting down all opposition.

My lead lawyer grit his teeth so hard his jaw popped. I took in a deep breath, curious as to what they were going to pull. I never signed any such document.

The screen changed, now playing grainy surveillance footage. A woman—me—sat at a desk, signing a document. That much was clear. But there was no way to tell what I was signing. No date, no context, nothing linking it directly to this so-called agreement.

Still, Lucas’s attorney spoke like it was absolute fact.

“And here we have testimony from former members of Darkmoon who personally witnessed the signing,” he continued, waving toward a group of wolves sitting on Lucas’s side. I recognized none of them. They were different than the ones I'd kicked out. People who had moved from Twining River to Darkmoon soon after Lucas and I had married. I wasn't surprised that he’d found new liars willing to sell their souls for whatever promise he’d dangled in front of them.

I took note of their names to kick them and their families out of Darkmoon as soon as possible. I had half a mind to send every former member of Twining River packing, but there were children and innocent people involved, and that wasn't my way.

Besides, none of them were in the video. Lucas wasn't even in the video, so how could they testify that they'd seen me signing it?I considered it. Owen needed at least something plausible, so the witnesses were likely just to back up Lucas's story in some way.

It wasn't the hardest piece of evidence they could have come up with. Nor the strongest, but for Owen, presented on record in the right light, it would be enough.

Owen leaned back in his chair, already wearing that insufferable, self-satisfied smirk.

“The evidence is clear,” he said, his tone dripping with mock impartiality. “Lucas’s claim is supported by both testimony and video. I see no reason to delay this further—”

My legal team was already on their feet before he could finish.

“We demand truth stone testimony,” my lead attorney cut in, his voice firm. “Given the severity of this case and the contradictions in the presented evidence, a truth stone testimony would resolve all uncertainty.”

Owen barely suppressed a scoff. “Denied.”