The Princess's Revenge Chapter 124

Valencia’s POV

We walked through the castle corridors toward the great hall. My heart pounded harder with each step. Warriors and servants stepped aside as we passed, bowing their heads respectfully.

When we reached the great hall doors, two guards pulled them open. The room was already full. Members of the pack sat in rows facing a semi-circle of chairs where the elders would sit. Dr. Vance stood near the front, holding several papers. Elias and Amara were there too, their expressions serious.

Logan guided me to seats at the front, his hand warm on my lower back. As we sat down, I felt the weight of dozens of eyes on us. Some looked sympathetic. Others looked curious. A few looked uncomfortable, like they'd rather be anywhere else.

The elders entered through a side door. There were five of them, all older wolves with gray hair and weathered faces. They took their seats in the semi-circle, their expressions grave.

Elder Thaddeus, the eldest, raised his hand. The hall fell silent immediately.

"Bring in the accused," he said in a deep voice.

Two guards appeared, dragging a man between them. His hands were bound in iron shackles. His feet were chained together, forcing him to shuffle rather than walk properly.

He was maybe forty years old, with greasy brown hair and a face marked by years of hard living. But what struck me most was his expression. He wasn't afraid. He wasn't remorseful. If anything, he looked annoyed, like this trial was wasting his time.

My hands clenched into fists. Logan felt my reaction through our bond and immediately reached over, taking one of my hands in his. His thumb rubbed gentle circles on my palm.

Stay calm, he said through the mind link. Let the elders handle this.

The guards forced the man to stand in the center of the hall, facing the elders. He looked around the room with barely concealed contempt, his gaze sweeping over the gathered pack members before settling on the elders.

"State your name," Elder Thaddeus commanded.

"Ronan," the man said flatly. "Ronan Beck."

"Ronan Beck, you stand accused of serious crimes against this pack," Elder Thaddeus continued. "Dr. Vance will now read the charges."

Dr. Vance stepped forward, unfolding one of his papers. His voice was clear and steady as he read.

"Ronan Beck is charged with the following crimes. First, illegal entry into private property. Second, willful destruction of personal belongings. Third, verbal abuse and harassment of a disabled pack member. Fourth, causing emotional distress that directly led to the suicide of Isaiah."

The hall erupted in angry murmurs. Several people shouted accusations. The guards had to step forward to restore order.

"Silence!" Elder Thaddeus's voice boomed through the hall. The noise died down immediately.

"Dr. Vance, present your evidence," Elder Thaddeus said.

Dr. Vance nodded. "Three witnesses saw Ronan Beck enter Isaiah's cottage two days before Isaiah's death. The first witness is Maya, who works in the castle kitchens."

Maya stood up from her seat, her face pale but determined. "I saw him, my lords. I was delivering bread to the village that morning. I saw Ronan go into Isaiah's cottage. He was laughing as he went inside."

"Did you see him leave?" Elder Thaddeus asked.

"Yes, my lord. About twenty minutes later. He was still laughing. He seemed very pleased with himself."

"Thank you. You may sit." Elder Thaddeus turned to Dr. Vance. "Continue."

"The second witness is Nestor, head cook of the castle."

Nestor stood, his weathered face serious. "I saw him too, my lords. I was getting water from the village well. Ronan came out of Isaiah's cottage carrying something broken. It looked like pieces of wood and metal. The wheelchair pieces."

"Did he say anything?" Elder Thaddeus asked.

Nestor's jaw tightened. "He said, 'That cripple won't be getting around so easy now.' Then he threw the pieces in a ditch and walked away."

Anger burned hot in my chest. My free hand clenched so hard my nails bit into my palm. Logan squeezed my other hand tighter.

"The third witness is Delphine," Dr. Vance said quietly. "She found Isaiah after his death. She also spoke with him the day before, and he told her what happened."

All eyes turned to where Delphine sat near the back. She looked terrible. Her sandy blonde hair hung limp around her pale face. Dark circles shadowed her eyes. She'd lost weight in just the few days since Isaiah's death.

She stood slowly, her legs shaking. "Isaiah told me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He said Ronan came to his cottage. He said Ronan smashed the wheelchair right in front of him. Piece by piece. While laughing."

Her voice broke. "He said Ronan told him that cripples like him should just die instead of wasting everyone's time. He said Isaiah was disgusting and worthless and that no one would miss him if he was gone."

Tears streamed down Delphine's face. Maya, sitting next to her, wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Ronan destroyed the only thing that gave Isaiah hope," Delphine continued, her voice stronger now, filled with rage. "Isaiah had finally started to believe he could have a future. And this monster took that away from him!"

"Lies!" Ronan shouted suddenly. "She's lying! I never said any of that!"

The hall erupted again. People shouted at Ronan. Some stood from their seats. The guards had to physically hold several warriors back from rushing at the accused man.

"Order!" Elder Thaddeus slammed his hand on the armrest of his chair. "There will be order in this hall!"

The noise gradually died down. People returned to their seats, though angry muttering continued.

Elder Thaddeus fixed Ronan with a hard stare. "You will have your chance to speak. Do not interrupt again, or you will be removed."

Ronan's jaw clenched, but he remained silent.

"Continue, Dr. Vance," Elder Thaddeus said.

Dr. Vance consulted his papers again. "When I examined Isaiah's body, it was clear what happened. He had climbed onto his table. He positioned himself over a knife that was stuck blade-up in the dirt floor. Then he fell backward onto it. The blade went through his chest, piercing his heart. Death would have been nearly instant."

"Isaiah left no note," Dr. Vance continued. "But the destroyed wheelchair was found in pieces all over the cottage floor. The evidence clearly shows that Ronan Beck's actions directly caused Isaiah's suicide."

Elder Thaddeus nodded slowly. "Thank you, Dr. Vance." He turned his attention to Ronan. "You have heard the charges and the evidence. What do you say in your defense?"

Ronan lifted his chin defiantly. "I didn't do anything wrong. I was just having a little fun. How was I supposed to know the cripple couldn't take a joke?"

Gasps echoed through the hall. I started to rise from my seat, ready to rush at him, but Logan's hand tightened on mine, holding me back.

"A joke?" Elder Thaddeus's voice was ice. "You call destroying a disabled man's only means of mobility a joke?"

Ronan shrugged. "Look, Isaiah was pathetic. He sat in that cottage all day feeling sorry for himself. I was just trying to toughen him up, show him that life isn't fair. If he was too weak to handle reality, that's not my fault."

"You pushed him to suicide!" someone shouted from the crowd.

"He chose to kill himself," Ronan shot back. "That was his decision, not mine. I didn't hold the knife. I didn't make him fall on it. Whatever he did, he did to himself."

The rage inside me exploded. Before I knew what I was doing, I was on my feet, pulling my hand free from Logan's grasp.

"You murdered him!" I screamed. My voice echoed through the hall. "You might not have held the knife, but you killed him just as surely as if you'd stabbed him yourself!"

Logan stood quickly, putting himself between me and Ronan. Valencia, he said urgently through the mind link. Sit down. Please.

But I couldn't. The injustice of it burned through me like fire.

"Isaiah survived losing his legs," I said, my voice shaking with emotion. "He survived losing his hand. He survived months of pain and suffering. He was finally starting to heal. And then you came and destroyed the one thing that gave him hope!"

Tears streamed down my face. "You took away his future. You took away his dignity. You took away his will to live. And you stand there with no remorse? With no guilt?"

Ronan's face twisted with disgust. "Why do you even care? He was just a crippled minstrel. He was useless. This pack is better off without—"

He never finished the sentence. Logan moved faster than I'd ever seen him move. One moment he was beside me. The next, he had Ronan by the throat, lifting him off the ground.

"Say one more word," Logan growled, his voice barely recognizable. "Say one more word about Isaiah, and I will end you right here."

The guards rushed forward, but Elder Thaddeus raised his hand, stopping them.

"Alpha Logan," Elder Thaddeus said carefully. "Put him down."

For a long moment, Logan didn't move. I could see the tension in his shoulders, the barely controlled rage. Through our bond, I felt his wolf clawing to get out, demanding blood.

Logan's eyes met mine. Slowly, he lowered Ronan back to the ground and released his throat. Ronan gasped for air, his face red.

Logan returned to my side, pulling me back down into my seat. His arm went around my shoulders, holding me close.

"Thank you, Alpha Logan," Elder Thaddeus said. He turned his attention back to Ronan. "You have shown no remorse. No understanding of the severity of your actions. No respect for the life you helped destroy."

The other elders nodded in agreement.

"This council finds you guilty of all charges," Elder Thaddeus pronounced. "Your sentence is twenty years of imprisonment in the pack dungeons. During that time, you will perform hard labor for the benefit of the pack. You will receive the minimum food and shelter necessary to survive, nothing more. And you will think every day about the life you helped end."

Twenty years. It wasn't enough. It would never be enough to bring Isaiah back. But it was the harshest sentence pack law allowed for crimes that didn't involve direct murder.

"Take him away," Elder Thaddeus ordered.

The guards grabbed Ronan's arms and began dragging him toward the side exit. As they passed our seats, Ronan's eyes met mine. There was hatred there, but also fear. He finally understood what he'd done. He finally realized he would pay for it.

Good, I thought fiercely. Suffer like Isaiah suffered.

The doors closed behind him with a heavy thud.

Elder Thaddeus stood. "This trial is concluded. Justice has been served, though it cannot bring back what was lost. Let Isaiah's memory remind us all to treat each other with compassion and dignity."

The pack members began filing out of the hall. I sat frozen in my seat, emotionally exhausted.

"Come on," Logan said gently. "Let's get some air."