Chapter 198 A new case
Chapter 198 A new case
ADRIANA
It was court session, and I was mediating the first ever case of its kind—for me, anyway.
A girl stood in front of the court, her head bowed and her back stiff. Her hair was black and long; it shone under the sun, reflecting years of care and attention that didn’t echo on her skin. She looked pale and malnourished. Maybe not malnourished, but she didn’t look like a woman who was thriving. Her name was River.
Her dad, along with the two men who had brought the dispute, were to my left, and the Elders were to my right. Unfortunately, Elder Kane wasn’t present today. He had caught a cold and was being attended to by the royal physician.
Elder Dure had his nose in the air, and while the other elders didn’t have his rebellious stance, they did not feel like they were on my side. The fact that they were yet to utter a word said this was a test for me.
“I’d like to talk to River. Alone,” I announced.
The father charged like an angry bull. “No!”
I stood up from my designated court seat and walked towards River’s father. I didn’t stop until I was two feet away. “I wasn’t asking for your permission.”
“This is not how court is held,” the man argued. His eyes turned to meet Elder Dure’s.
I took a soft breath. “I’m sure this wouldn’t be the first change around here,” I responded coolly. “River. Follow me,” I ordered.
The girl stood there with shaky legs, her eyes on her father, waiting for his permission.
I gritted my teeth to reel in my anger. “Would you like to be banned from the high city?” I threatened River’s father.
His face faltered.
I said nothing but held his eyes, letting him squirm. Finally, he turned to his daughter and gave her a nod.
She followed me like there were coals beneath her feet.
“What do you think of your betrothed?” I asked her. River had been promised to a man in marriage, and while the ceremony was being arranged, she had found her true mate. Now he wanted her, but her betrothed was unwilling to let her go.
The issue escalated when the men fought and almost hurt themselves, and now the matter had been brought to court.
River would stay with whosoever I decreed her to be with. It felt like the most important chore I would ever be given, because someone’s future was in my hands.
“I don’t know him,” she responded quietly.
“What about your mate?” I asked.
She looked away, avoiding my eyes as she answered, “I do not know him either.”
“But if you have to pick one of them, which will it be?” I asked, trying to make headway.
“It doesn’t matter to me either way,” she said, finally looking at me with tears in her eyes.
That was the first truth she had spoken today.
The words echoed in my head, but I knew they were not mine. My fingers squeezed the gem in my pocket. I had my own problems.
We went back to the courtroom.
The decision was solely in my hands, but I had to trust the gods who gave this girl a mate.
“River’s father should return her dowry to her betrothed and let her be with her mate.”
River’s father stood up with a shout. “I don’t have it! I have spent the money,” he snarled. “I’m just a farmer with a heap of debt I had to pay.”
I took a deep breath. “How about her chosen mate refunds the money?”
The man bowed his head humbly. “I am just a servant; I do not have such an amount.”
“How much are we talking about?” I was getting frustrated.
“One hundred taels of silver,” the betrothed responded proudly.
My mouth fell open. Was he trying to sell his daughter? This was preposterous. Were dowries that expensive?
If I insisted on her being with her chosen mate, they might spend the rest of their lives paying a debt, but if I let her go with the man who had paid her dowry…
Did he pay so much because he valued her, or because he wanted autonomy to do whatever he liked with her?
“How much of this money can you return?” I asked the father.
“Five taels,” he responded with a smirk. Something about the man made my skin crawl.
“We’ll adjourn this ruling till the next court meeting,” I said at last, dismissing the court. “Let the rivals wait behind,” I commanded.
I talked with the man who had paid her dowry first.