Elysium's Love Triangle (25 page)

This must be a huge trial if they want Rejon’s help.  I wonder who is going to be brought before us.

It isn’t long before Judge One starts the trial.

He stands up and speaks to a hushed audience, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the trial you are about to see today is no ordinary trial, oh no.  The people on trial here tonight are
outsiders
.  They are not just any ordinary outsiders either.  Tonight, here, we are judging people who actively worked against Rejon himself.  They plotted to kill our great master!”

Most of the room gasps.  This reminds me of my own trial again.

They are ever so excitable, these people.

The people who stand accused are dragged into the court-building now, for the beginning of their trial. 

They stand before us. 

I cannot believe what I am seeing.

There are three of them, all bound with rope. 

Nate.  The leader of my old group.

Andrew.  The ‘expert’ we brought in to help us identify Rejon.

Daniel.

My heart jumps when I first see my boyfriend.  Then it sinks.

Riley is here.  They have been caught.  This is not a good situation.

I want to run and hug Daniel.  I am so happy to just see him again.

I can’t.  I must be professional right now.  My people are watching.  They all believe that I’m married to Greg.  I can’t just show my feelings for Daniel in front of them.

At least I must try not to.

I look over at Riley.  He gives me a smile.

He has all the power right now.  The boy I love is completely at his mercy.

I find myself wishing to wake up.  I wish this was all just a nightmare. 

Judge One, who is wearing yellow robes and a belt, asks them the same question he asked Greg and I.  Would they like to speak at their trial or would they prefer to be fed to the animals now?

This question must be part of the plantation’s court process.

Nate says that they’ll stand trial.  Then he asks which one of us is Rejon.

People gasp.  This traitor dared say their great master’s name.

Andrew answers the question, gesturing towards Riley, “That man, up there, sitting with the old guys.”

Nate asks him how he knew that.

I smile.  Andrew knows because he is Andrew.  I think it’s as simple as that.

“Well, that’s him,” Andrew explains.  “He’s not dressed as flamboyantly as the others.  He has no need to prove his status.  When you said his name he was the only one who didn’t react . . . He holds himself in high enough regard not to care if you ‘insult’ him.”

The three boys look at Riley now. 

My uncle gives Andrew a clap.  Then he tells him that the likelihood is that they will all die.

They should not have gone looking for that weapon, Riley says.

Daniel looks at the table of judges now, having been occupied by the audience before.  His gaze falls on me. 

“Katy?”  He says, extremely surprised.

He thinks I’ve changed sides.  It’s the obvious conclusion for him to come to. 

He looks devastated now.  He thinks I’ve betrayed him.

I can’t stand it.  I want to jump into his arms and tell him the truth.  I want to tell him absolutely everything.

I can’t.

His eyes stay on me.

Judge One speaks again as he sits down, “Okay, so you three are accused of the heinous crime of plotting to kill our great and glorious master.  What do you have to say for yourselves?  Do you plead insanity?”

The boys do something brilliant at this moment.  They don’t show even a slight bit of fear.

Instead the three of them glance at each other.

Then they all speak together, “We Are The Ones Who Will, listen up, Bring Down The Cezer Empire!”

This is obviously a new mantra for Nate’s group.  They have practiced it.

It completely shocks the people.

I try to hide my glee.  Hope hasn’t completely left them yet.

Daniel looks at me again.  I’d almost forgotten how perfect his features are.

I have to get my boyfriend out of this alive.  I don’t care what it takes.

I am going to have to be clever.

Unfortunately Judge Two still has his place on the panel.  He begins spouting his own personal style of justice.  These people shouldn’t even have a trial, he claims.  They plotted against Rejon!  They should be killed!  Their insides should be mixed with goat’s milk!”

This gets quite a reaction.  A lot of people seem to agree.

A few seem uncertain.  Having your insides mixed with goat’s milk is a pretty steep dishonour, even for people who plotted against the great master.

Judge Three thinks a less severe punishment is in order.  These people merely plotted.  Plots are mere words.  They did not actually harm our master in any way.  Perhaps we should make them stay here and clean the lavatories until they die. 

He gets into a fight with Judge Two at this point.  They are both certain that their own proposed punishment is the one suitable in this case.

  The three boys are beginning to look extremely nervous now.  The crowd are yelling.  They are saying that they want to see these boys severely punished, soon. 

Greg is one of the people yelling for the boys to be punished.

I take note of this.  He wants to get rid of Daniel.

This could mean that Greg is the evil one the prophecy speaks of.

It could also mean that Daniel is the evil one.  Greg would know that it isn’t himself.  He could simply be trying to get rid of the true evil.

Greg’s behaviour doesn’t tell me anything, I realise.  Either of these explanations could be behind it.

Judge One calls for some order.

Then, unfortunately, he turns to me, “Ethereal, dearest goddess, if I would be so bold as to ask . . . What punishment would you propose?”

Daniel and Nate are completely shocked to hear me called ‘Ethereal’.  You can see it in their faces.  Nate’s jaw drops.

Andrew isn’t surprised.  He probably figured it out the second he walked in.

My people are all expecting me to speak now.

I need to think of a plan.  I almost smile when it comes to me.

It is so simple.

These people are superstitious, almost to a fault.  I will use this.

I speak up, “I think the most suitable punishment would be . . . We should send them to live in the House of Ten Agonies.”

Most people look confused. 

They have never heard of the House of Ten Agonies.  This is probably because I have just made it up.

“What’s that?”  Asks Judge Two.

Everyone looks eager to know now.

“It is a cell, a prison if you will, of many tortures,” I explain.  “It is run by Hades himself.  It is a place of punishment that defies human imagination.  It is only used on the most vile, warped, creatures.”

Nate and Daniel look scared.

Andrew doesn’t.  He knows I’m bluffing, no doubt.

Everyone else looks really impressed.

“That sounds like a place suitable for traitors of Rejon,” Judge Two remarks happily.

The people seem to be in agreement.  A lot of them nod.

Great, it’s working.

“Where is this House of Ten Agonies?”  Judge One asks.

I answer quickly, “It’s in the Underworld.  Don’t worry though.  I can replicate it here on Earth.”

My people look impressed at this ‘power’.  Too bad I am making it up. 

Daniel and Nate look like they could faint.  They still have no idea that I’m lying to save them.

Andrew is calm.

Riley interrupts, “I believe our Great Goddess here may have assigned too hard a punishment to these boys.  I think we should just kill them.”

I look at my uncle.

He knows that I’m lying about this punishment. 

He wants to kill my boyfriend, to get back at me for helping Greg.

I will not let this happen.

I put on my sweetest smile, “They will die a million times in the House of Ten Agonies, Rejon.  Surely that is better than once.  Now, who here agrees with the punishment I’ve assigned?”

All of my people agree, mostly out of loyalty to me.  Others agree because they are rather afraid of me.  I really have been acting well here today.

“So it is decreed,” Judge One says.  “Ethereal will bring these boys to this prison of punishment.”

There are cheers.  The Cezers obviously enjoyed this trial.

Uncle Riley doesn’t look too impressed.  He knows that I have no intention of letting the boys die at all.

I look at Daniel again.  I don’t like seeing him so scared.

I can’t wait to tell him that he will be fine.

“Follow me,” I address the three ‘accused’ boys.

They don’t come willingly.  They are dragged.

We make our way outside.  Then we walk across the plantation.

Some of my people come to watch, they want to see this legendary House of Agonies.

Nate is cursing at me.  I am a ‘betrayer’ of the highest order.  He is sorry that he ever trusted me.  He can’t believe that he didn’t see who I truly was.

Daniel just looks rather devastated.  He can’t even speak.  It hurts me to see him like this.

Andrew is just going along with everything, waiting to see what will happen next. 

They are all surprised when I stop outside an ordinary looking house.  It is wooden and some of the windows are smashed in.  I know that no on lives here.  It happens to be next door to the house Greg and I live in.

“This is the new House of Ten Agonies,” I announce.  “It does not look it from the outside, but I have put a curse upon it.  Mortal’s who enter this building will endure an eternity of torments.”

Some of the Cezers look scared again. This building will probably never be used again, ever, by anyone.

They believe me.  This is good.

I open the door and demand that our three culprits enter.

They don’t.  Instead they are pushed in by Cezers.

“I shall go in,” I say to my people.  “This is just to make sure that they are getting the appropriate torments.  I am immortal.  I can leave when I wish. The torments will not hurt me.  I shall be back to you all soon.”

I enter the house, quickly closing the door behind me.

Daniel looks at me, confused.

Nate is looking around him, as if trying to find these ‘torments’.

Andrew is smiling at me, “Cool.  Thanks for that.”

Nate looks at him, indignant, “Thanks?!?  Is that what you just said?  She just sentenced us to an eternity of torments in a supernatural prison!”

Andrews turns to him, “Nate, calm down a moment.  Now, think.  Does this look like an underworld prison to you?”

Nate inhales, as if about to say something.  He looks around a bit more.

The truth dawns on him in a few moments.

There is delight in his tone, “You just totally tricked those people!”

I nod, “Yes.”

Nate’s relief is obvious, “Andrew, dude, you weren’t even scared.  How did you know that we weren’t going to be punished?”

Andrew shrugs his shoulders, modestly, “Just a few obvious things . . . Mostly I knew because of the way Katy looked at Daniel when we walk in.  She’d never hurt him, not in a million years.  Then, while she was talking, she kept glancing at him, as if to make sure he was still alright.  I was pretty sure that we were all going to be fine.”

I look at my boyfriend.  He still hasn’t spoken.

He is still trying to process it all.

His eyes fall on me now. 

He smiles at me.  The warmth in his smile says it all.

I hug him.

He begins blurting everything out. 

They all thought that Rejon had killed me.  He thought he’d lost me for sure. 

Yesterday was the worst day of his whole life.

It was like his
own
life had ended. 

They came here to get a bit of revenge.  Then they found me, alive.

That was a major surprise.

He will never lose me again, not ever. 

“I realised how much you meant to me . . . I thought it was too late.  I never want to feel that pain again,” he finishes.

“You won’t,” I promise him.

I look into his eyes so that he knows I mean it.

Andrew addresses me now, “Em, Katy, there is another thing we need to discuss.”

“What’s that?”  I ask, reluctant to look away from Daniel.

“The fact that you
are, in fact, Ethereal,” Andrew says it straight forwardly.  “It’s a bit of a problem, wouldn’t you think?”