Chapter 97

The courtroom had always felt too cold.

It didn’t matter that it was early summer outside, that my blazer clung to the back of my neck with sweat, or that the sunlight streaming through the high windows made everything gleam like it had been lacquered. The inside of that room was sharp-edged and sterile.

I didn't think I'd be on the stand today, but I was. My palms were slick against the surface of the witness stand, and I had to consciously remember how to breathe as the clerk swore me in and placed the truth spell on me. I felt it settle. I looked over at where Neil was sitting, then Arielle who nodded at me.

Her words from earlier echoed in my mind.

You're not alone, and you won't be ever again.

Then it began.

The lawyer representing Tyler’s family was every inch the viper Arielle had said. Gold cufflinks, sharp eyes, and a voice that sounded polite but hollow in the way expensive glass is before it shatters. The problem was that he was also out for blood.

"Lady Frostborn," he said, hands clasped as he stepped forward. I frowned at that titled. "Would you please recount, in your own words, what transpired at your Confirmation Ceremony?”

I blinked and glanced at Arielle, seeing her take notes. I looked back at him and nodded. Tyler was there, as was Vivian. I focused on the neat knot at his neck instead and began.

I told him about going to talk to my father about stopping the ceremony.

"It sounds like you weren't intending to go through with it."

I blinked. "No."

"And how long had you decided not to marry Mr. Blake?"

I frowned. "Perhaps… an hour or so before I came down for the ceremony."

"Is that so?" He turned. "You're top of your class, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Would you say you're observant?"

I swallowed. "I would."

"And what did you observe about your relationship with Tyler."

I swallowed, the truth spell nudging me.

"In the moment or in retrospect."

His eyes glinted. "We can start with in the moment."

I swallowed. "I thought… I thought he loved me. I thought he wanted to be with me."

"And yet, you said something to the tune of it being your father's idea to marry him?"

I blinked. "That's not exactly what I said."

"Do enlighten the court."

I sighed. "I don't remember it verbatim, but that would have been after I'd pulled Vivian's underwear out of his---"

"I'd like that stricken from the record. She has no way of knowing that."

"Recorder--"

"Objection," Arielle said. "Ms. Mountainhowl has the right to explain how she knows that, specifically how she knew whose underwear they were at the time. And if defense won't ask, I will in cross."

The lawyer worked his jaw. "Fine…. How could you be certain, at the time, that they were Lady Brightclaw's?"

I set my jaw. "I'd been with her when she bought the limited edition, specialty color set." I narrowed my eyes. "I'd helped pick them out and they smelled like her perfume."

"Do you know how many--"

"One set," I said. "They were custom-dyed, she paid for it to be an exclusive, once-made color."

His jaw twitched. "Very well. Go on."

"After I confronted Tyler about her underwear, Philip tried to compel me to go through with the ceremony. Vivian and Tyler started to questioning whether or not I had cheated on Tyler. Philip forced me to the platform and Alpha Brightclaw cut in."

"You did tell your father that you didn't want to go through with this marriage. Did you ever intend to ---"

"Once," I said. "Once I had every intention of marrying him, but--" I swallowed. My stomach roiling. "I was told about the underwear. I was told about their affair before the ceremony. Every doubt I may have had about the relationship, about the ceremony came up and I couldn't."

"And how did you know the underwear were there?"

"A maid--"

"A maid of Brightclaw? Someone who had direct ties to Lady Brightclaw?"

I blinked. "I suppose."

"And you believe that she had no ulterior motive."

"She said it went against her conscience to let me marry him without knowing."

He huffed. "It seemed more likely either to be a lie or a setup to help get you out of marrying Tyler."

I blinked at him. "I'm under truth spell, and wouldn't it have to be either Vivian or someone else in Brightclaw to want to set up the public break up."

Arielle smiled at me, clearly proud. He sneered.

"Or someone you bribed."

"I didn't have access to enough money to bribe at the time." I blinked. "And I had no reason to bribe anyone in Brightclaw."

He worked his jaw. "You mentioned you had doubts."

"Of course. Our… relationship moved fast, some of it spurred on by Philip's insistence." I looked away. "Looking back I know that I wasn't even in a place to date properly. I didn't even know what to look for as red flags. I was just happy someone was paying attention to me and that felt like love." I glanced over at Neil. "I know better now."

His gaze softened.

"You're implying that Mr. Blake didn't treat you with proper respect?"

"Before or after her slandered and defamed me telling everyone that we'd slept together when we hadn't done more than kiss?"

He flushed.

"Or are you talking about the infrequent dates? The fact that I never met his friends or the way he didn't even seem to want to spend time with me?"

"And are all of those observations in the moment?"

"Of course not. I lived in Frostborn barely being seen or seeing anyone, school was my only outlet. Philip couldn’t stand the sight of me unless he needed me to show up and make him look good." He stepped back. "I didn't even think Mountainhowl knew who I was or cared until all of this started. At the time I didn't know anything about love and I fell for what appeared to be kindness. Vivian knew that because… because I thought she and I were friends at one point too." I gestured to the courtroom. "And here we are."

“By your own admission, it seems like you'd have had a lot to gain from this union."

I scoffed. "Like what?"

"Access to your inheritance, for one. Being brought into the Brightclaw fold."

I blinked. "I didn't even know about it when I was dating Tyler… I don't even think I knew about it until after Philip was in jail."

“And yet, you stood to gain from it anyway, being married to a gamma of Brightclaw."

"Tyler was newly hired soon after we started dating. And if I wanted money or whatever from Brightclaw, I could have asked. Alpha Brightclaw owes me a favor for saving Vivian's life."

He worked his jaw. And I smiled coldly.

“And on the subject of the ceremony since they were Vivian’s used underwear, wouldn’t that mean she was the one who left them there?”

A flicker of confusion crossed the lawyer’s face. I saw Arielle’s smirk at the corner of my vision.

“If anything,” I continued, “wouldn’t she have been the one trying to sabotage it? Maybe you should be focusing that line of questioning on what she stood to gain from ruining the relationship that she put into motion?"

The lawyer blinked, the words catching in his throat. He fumbled with his tablet for a moment before clearing his throat and saying stiffly, “Withdrawn.”

Arielle’s smile widened.

I sat up straighter, feeling the tremble in my spine slowly ease.

The judge glanced toward the Panel. “Redirect?”

"Just one question," Arielle said rising. "Based on your observations of Vivian, Tyler, and the evidence you now are aware of, in retrospect do you have any thoughts about Vivian's motivations for… any of this, Ms. Mountainhowl?"

"Objection. Calls for speculation. And relevance!"

Arielle chuckled. "She's under truth spell and Vivian has in part made it clear."

I blinked. "She… has had a crush on Neil for a long time, but he never had any interest in her… And I guess… she was probably worried that she wouldn't be in my will."

Arielle blinked. "Please explain."

"It was… a long time ago. Around the time I realized that I was Philip's only daughter and would probably get Frostborne in some way. I talked about willing her one of the shops Frostborne operate, a perfumery that my mother set-up ages ago… She was really excited about it."

She nodded. "Good to note. That's the end of my questions."

"Cross?"

“No."

I stepped down, legs shaky but head high. Arielle met me at the edge of the stand and gave my wrist a small squeeze.

“You did great,” she murmured. "Love the push back, princess."

I swallowed hard. My hands were still trembling, but the way she looked at me made something warm and proud bloom in my chest.

Then she turned toward to the court. “At this time, I’d like to call TM to the stand.”