He turned toward the chained figure of Thas, his face unreadable.
“He was like a brother to me for most of my life. I admired him. I trusted him. So you can imagine… the depth of my anguish.”
Those words struck like a blade—because everyone in that room could see Heiko meant it. There was no joy in this prosecution. No gloating. Only sorrow, bound by justice.
The King, who had been seated in stone silence, finally spoke, his voice grave and slow.
“Lord Peter, please sit down. Let Heiko ask the questions, and we can judge after if there is any truth to this…”
His voice cracked with emotion.
--
Tension rippled in the air, thick as smoke, coiling around the nobles and royals alike. No one dared move. No one dared speak.
At the edge of the room, Heiko’s dark eyes remained locked on Riv
