New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

Coral cried her heart out for fifteen minutes uninterrupted, to the point of crying herself dry. All the pent-up emotions inside her were released in this flow of tears, snot, and unintelligible babbling that the people around could only listen to and empathize with.

Her betrothed, Castien, felt guilty that he couldn't do anything to help. Glancing at King Astaroth, he knew the man wouldn't allow him to join in on the hug.

And even if he did, he would only hug Queen Phoenix and his mother, not even reaching his fiancé.

But his guilt ran deeper.

The guilt of being unable to protect her, to be there for her, when she was in danger. Rage filled him as he thought of the atrocities committed against the woman he loved.

His fists clenched so hard, his nails dug into his palms, as blood started trickling down his fingers and onto the ground.

Astaroth could smell the crimson liquid and looked at Castien.

His eyes mellowed out as he felt remorseful for his actions only minutes ago.

'Maybe I went a bit overboard? He is, after all, grieving. Just like her…' Astaroth thought as he glanced in Coral's direction.

'No. I had to stay strong. If he can't respect us even in this very room, then he never will. I'll talk to him later. Set things straight,' he mused.

When the tears finally stopped and the sobbing receded, Alena pulled back, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. She looked at the queen, who embraced the girl tightly, and a faint smile reached her lips.

Glancing at the king, Alena knew he only acted the way he did toward Castien to reign in the impulses of her son. This was a throne room, a place supposed to be the summum of dignity.

Astaroth felt her gaze on him and turned his eyes to look at her.

Alena nodded at him, and he nodded back.

'They aren't trying to be tyrannical. They care. But order must be maintained,' Alena thought, walking to her son's side.

"Behave yourself for the rest of this meeting. We can talk to him later if we have any grievances. He'll listen. For now, respect your fiancé's pain, and keep your mouth shut until told to. Understood?"

Castien looked at his mother, another pang of guilt crashing into him. He nodded his head weakly before lowering his eyes to the ground.

'Is that what I'm doing? Disrespecting her pain? But what about my pain? Am I being selfish?' he wondered, feeling a knot in his throat.

Phoenix kept Coral in her arms until her shaking stopped.

Then she heard Coral's hoarse and feeble voice whisper from within her arms.

"Thank you, Queen Phoenix. I'm okay now. I can talk."

Phoenix pulled away, still holding the girl's shoulders, giving her a loving smile.

"Remember, Coral: friends and family. You are safe. Speak freely."

Saying these words, Phoenix let go of her and walked back up the dais to sit next to Astaroth.

"Let us resume this hearing, shall we?" she asked, glancing over at everyone.

Heads nodded all around, and Phoenix was satisfied.

"Alright. Coral, I believe it is your turn to speak. We are listening."

Coral could feel the gazes land on her, but instead of feeling pressuring, as they did earlier, she felt as if they were a blanket wrapping around her, warm and comforting.

She breathed in, exhaled loudly to muster her courage, and lifted her eyes toward the thrones.

"I… I don't want to be the cause of more pain. But I think he should pay for the things…"

Coral paused, her hands beginning to shake again. But she felt a firm hand land on her shoulder.

Lifting her eyes to meet the gaze of the person next to her, she found her betrothed's gaze saddened but supporting. This gave her the push she needed.

She turned her gaze back to Astaroth and Phoenix but focused on Astaroth.

"He did unspeakable things. Things I wouldn't wish upon the worst person on this continent. I don't want to cause more pain, as karma usually takes care of things like that. But I want him to pay. I want him to feel the pain I felt."

Astaroth could feel a shiver of rage inside her voice. He smiled in response.

"It goes without saying, Coral," Astaroth said, smiling at her warmly.

"But I don't want to decide his fate," Coral added.

"Hmm. Very well," Phoenix hummed, her hand reaching under her chin.

"I know two people who would love to give a verdict. But before we get to them, I want to ask the others here what they think.

"Chele? What is your verdict on the matter?" Phoenix asked, turning to the Lizardman, who had remained quiet all along.

A smile, or something resembling it, stretched on the head servant's face.

"I, glad you asssked, my Queen. For the crime of violently asssaulting one of my ssservantsss, and violating the sssanctity of another, he dessservesss death. In my homeland, he would be beheaded and left to rot under the sssun," Chele said, his S' dragging out through his forked tongue.

Astaroth and Phoenix nodded their heads.

As he wasn't speaking more, Phoenix turned her gaze to Rodney next.

"What about you, Commander Levine? What would Themiscus do to him for his crimes?" she asked.

Rodney gazed at her with a complicated look.

"It depends on his status. The assault of a servant is a matter dealt with trivially in Themiscus. But the matter of defiling a maiden's purity… well… that is harsher punishment."

He paused, his face showing discomfort.

"How much harsher, Rodney?" Astaroth pressed.

Rodney sighed loudly before speaking again.

"Given his high status before, he would be sent to the gallows, and deprived of food, water, but most importantly, mana, until his body gave up on him."

"And what about a commoner?" Phoenix asked, her eyes cold.

Rodney shuddered at the thought.

"A commoner committing such crimes… would be burned at the stake for a hundred times longer than he forced himself on the maiden," Rodney said gravely.

Raising his eyes to see the monarchs' reactions, he had expected horror.

But instead, he was the one reacting in horror.

They were both grinning.