Contract With The Alpha King by Brey Mitchylle

Chapter 54 "Step forward," the older man commanded after a few minutes of introducing himself as Councilman Lacson. His voice cut through the silence like a blade.

Fiona swallowed hard, her legs feeling heavy as she forced herself to move. The guards flanked her, guiding her toward the center of the room. She felt the pressure of a hundred eyes on her, each one measuring her, judging her before she had even spoken a word. "You are accused of poisoning a prince, harming him while he was wounded on the training grounds. This led to him being comatose, unable to join the rest of the Rites," the man continued, his voice cold and precise. "What do you have to say in your defense?" Fiona's throat tightened as she looked at Councilman Lacson. She could feel the fog of the drug they had given her lingering in the back of her mind, threatening to pull her thoughts into confusion. But she couldn't let it. She had to stay sharp. She took a deep breath, lifting her head as she steadied herself.

"I didn't harm anyone," Fiona said, her voice firm despite the tremor in her heart. "I was only there to heal the injured. I had no part in what happened." The room remained deathly quiet. The councilman's eyes narrowed, his expression unreadable. He exchanged a glance with someone seated beside him, a woman dressed in deep royal blue with a severe look on her face. Earlier, Councilman Lacson introduced her as Councilwoman Mariya Weeson.

"The Queen has stated that you were near the site where the sabotage occurred," the councilman pressed. "You were seen treating soldiers who had fallen. How can you explain your presence if not to conceal your involvement?" Fiona's heart pounded against her ribs. Of course, the Queen would try to turn this on her. She fought the urge to clench her fists. "I'm a healer. It's my duty to help the wounded, no matter the situation. That's why I was there- nothing more." A murmur rippled through the crowd.

"Hmmm... It seems that His and Her Majesty are about to arrive Councilman Lacson said, and everyone else immediately stood.

Fiona stood in the center of the room, her heart hammering in her chest. The murmurs had started to die down as everyone awaited the arrival of the King and Queen. She, too, could smell them outside the room. So she waited.

As if on cue, double doors at the far end of the room opened with a loud creak, and everyone turned their attention as Queen Lyanna and King Nicholas made their entrance. The room seemed to still in their presence, the murmurs fading into complete silence. The Queen walked with regal grace, her expression cold and unreadable. King Nicholas followed behind, his face set in a serious, unyielding look. Fiona's stomach churned as the two took their seats, both turning their sharp gazes toward her. What about Elijah? Where is Elijah? As the King and Queen settled, Fiona caught sight of familiar faces entering behind them. Kafiana, Cillian, Rio, and Carissa all moved into the room, their expressions varied-Kariana's face was tense with worry, while Cillian looked almost disinterested. was fidgeting, clearly uncomfortable with the situation, and Carissa... her face was carefully blank, a mask of neutrality, though Fiona could see a flicker of something in her eyes.

"Bring forward the witnesses," the Queen said, gesturing for everyone to take their seats, Her eyes remained fixed on Fiona, though the tension in the room shifted as the witnesses took their places to the side of the courtroom.

The man cleared his throat, adjusting his robe as he stood. "We hall hear from those who were present during the incident He turned his attention toward the witnesses, his gaze landing first on Kariana. "Miss Kariana, step forward 1/4 16:57 Sun, Dec 1 VOG Chapter 54 55% +5 Kariana hesitated for a moment, glancing briefly at Fiona before stepping toward the center of the room. The weight of the situation seemed to settle on her shoulders as she stood before the court, her hands fidgeting slightly at her sides. "You were present at the scene when the incident happened?" the man asked, his voice calm but probing.

Kariana nodded, her voice steady despite the tension. "No, Your Excellency, Councilman. Fiona and I were in the infirmary, tending to the wounded. We were informed of the incident and immediately went to the training grounds, but I was busy tending to the injured soldiers. I didn't see anything suspicious." The man raised an eyebrow. "You didn't notice anything out of the ordinary? Any behavior from Fiona that might suggest she was involved?" Kariana's eyes flicked to Fiona again before she shook her head. No. Miss Fiona was helpingwith the injured. We were both focused on treating them. I didn't see her doing anything that would suggest sabotage." A murmur ran through the room, but the older man held up his hand, silencing it immediately. "Very well," he said, though there was a hint of skepticism in his tone. "You may step back." Kariana exhaled softly, relief visible on her face as she moved away from the center of the room, her gaze lingering on Fiona with a mixture of sympathy and fear.

"Sir Cillian," the man called next, his tone sharp.

Cillian strode forward, his usual confident swagger apparent even in this tense atmosphere. He stood tall, hands behind his back, looking entirely unbothered by the seriousness of the situation.

"You claim to have had an interaction with Fiona prior to the incident," the man said, glancing down at a sheet of parchment in front of him. "Explain what happened." Cillian gave a casual shrug, his gaze drifting toward Fiona before returning to the man. "We had a little bet a few days ago. This happened during another accident. The bet was nothing serious. Miss Fiona's healing abilities are... impressive, and I was curious about her methods. I thought it'd be a challenge." The man's eyes narrowed. "A challenge? While soldiers lay wounded around you?" Cillian's expression turned serious for a moment, but there was still a hint of amusement in his tone. "We weren't neglecting them. Fiona was healing the injured while we talked. No harm was done. The soldiers were being treated." Fiona's heart tightened. It seemed like that simple interaction with Cillian and the rest could be twisted against her. What a treacherous place, she thought inwardly. If her brain was clouded, she wouldn't be able to analyze what was happening.

The councilman eyed Cillian for a long moment before asking, And during this 'bet,' did you see any indication that Fiona had the ability to poison someone by touching them? Did she seem distracted or act suspiciously?" Cillian shook his head with certainty. "No. Fiona was completely focused on healing. She was professional and efficient. There was nothing that suggested she was incapable or distracted. In fact, I lost the bet that day because of my own misjudgment, not hers. She is not to blame." Fiona blinked in surprise. Of all the moments Cillian could have used to turn things against her, this was it. Yet, instead of condemning her, he actually defended her-praising her abilities when he could have easily sealed her fate. Another murmur ran through the room, this tlouder than before. The older man glanced around, clearly irritated by the crowd's growing restlessness. "Enough," he barked, silencing the whispers again. You may step back Cillian gave a slight nod, stepping away with the sconfident stride as before. Fiona's pulse quickened. So far the questioning hadn't turned entirely against her, but she knew that things were far from over The man's gaze flicked toward Carissa, his eyes narrowing light Lady Carissa, he called, his tone sharp. 274 16:57 Sun, Dec 1 B Chapter 54 55% Carissa stepped forward, her movements slow and deliberate. She kept her head slightly bowed, her expression still carefully neutral, though Fiona could see the slight tremble in her hands.

Carissa stood in the center of the room, her hands trembling as she kept her gaze lowered. Fiona watched closely, confused by Carissa's demeanor. The older man overseeing the questioning adjusted his robe again, his eyes narrowing slightly as he addressed her. "Lady Carissa," he began, his voice measured but sharp. "Were you present during the incident in the infirmary? Did you witness any of what transpired?" Carissa nodded slowly, her voice shaky as she spoke. "Yes, I was there. I saw what happened." She paused, her gaze flickering toward Fiona before dropping again. "It was my fault... I should have done more. If I hadn't been so distracted... maybe none of this would have happened." Her voice cracked, and to Fiona's surprise, Carissa's eyes welled with tears.

A few gasps echoed through the room as Carissa's shoulders began to shake. She brought her hands to her face, wiping away the tears that had begun to fall. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I never meant for it to cto this." Fiona blinked, stunned by the performance. Fiona couldn't seem to understand why Carissa was crying. Why was she making this about her? Was this woman insane for attention? Why the hell was she acting as though this entire situation was her burden to bear? It felt off, but there was no denying that her tears were garnering sympathy from the crowd.

The older man didn't seem as moved. He watched Carissa carefully, his expression unreadable. After a few moments, he nodded. "You may step back, Lady Carissa. Someone bring water to the Lady." Carissa sniffled and bowed her head, stepping away from the center of the room. She returned to her place among the witnesses, her face still marked with traces of tears. Fiona caught her eye for a brief second, but Carissa quickly looked away, her expression unreadable once more.

The older man turned his attention back to Fiona, his sharp gaze cutting through the tension in the room. "You are aware, Miss Rosenthal," he began, his tone cold and precise, "that harming a prince is an act of treason. An act against the crown itself." A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd. Fiona's heart raced, but she stood her ground, lifting her chin slightly as she met his gaze.

"So," the man continued, his voice growing more intense, "I ask you again-what happened? Did you harm the prince who was currently participating in the Rite of Kings?"

Fiona took a deep breath, steadying herself. She couldn't afford to let fear cloud her thoughts. She had to remain clear, even if the drug was still working its way through her system. She spoke with measured confidence. "No, I did not harm the prince." The directness of her answer seemed to catch the older man off guard. He raised an eyebrow, clearly expecting more hesitation or evasion. "You deny the charge, then?" he asked, leaning forward slightly.

"I do," Fiona replied, her voice firm. "I am a healer. I have been trained to heal since I was young, hof to harm. I only treated the prince after he was injured-I would never intentionally hurt anyone." The man stared at her, his eyes narrowing slightly as he considered her words. "You claim to be trained as a healer," he said slowly. "Who trained you?" Fiona straightened her back, feeling the weight of her family name. "I am a member of the Rosenthal family of healers."

A murmur swept through the room at the mention of her family. The Rosenthal ncarried a certain m weight as one of the Five Great Families in the Werewolf world. Almost immediately Fiona could feel the shift in the crowd as they processed this information. The older man's gaze didn't waver. "The Rosenthal family," he echoed, his tone contemplative. "A well known lineage of healers. And yet, here you are, standing accused of treason." He paused, his eyes narrowing further. "Did you leave your pack 3/4 Chapter 54 on your own?" B 3 55% 0 Fiona's heart skipped a beat at the question. She hadn't expected him to ask about her departure from her pack, but she knew she couldn't hesitate. She nodded her head, but the man didn't seem satisfied.

"There are only two answers," he said sternly. "Yes or no." Fiona swallowed hard and forced the word out. "Yes." The man leaned back slightly, his gaze never leaving her. "Then answerthis, Miss Rosenthal-why did you leave? What brought you here, to this place, at this time?"