The Head Judge looked at the Emperor, who gave a slow, expectant nod. The Judge raised his heavy wooden mallet high into the air.
"Since the Grand Duke Alaric Lucien Blackspire cannot provide evidence of the victim's safety, nor a credible witness to his condition," the Judge announced, his voice booming with finality, "this court finds the charges of kidnapping and high—"
The Marquis leaned forward, a look of pure, intoxicating triumph on his face. He was seconds away from seeing the North's greatest lion put in chains.
The mallet began its descent, but then…
CRASH.
The massive doors at the end of the hall opened with a heavy force, hitting the stone walls with a force that sounded like a cannon blast.
The sound echoed through the rafters, cutting the Judge's sentence short.
"Wait!"
The voice wasn't a scream. It was a clear, steady command that cut through the stifling heat of the courtroom like a blade of ice.
