(NARRATED BY CAMERON SETLER)

Looking over the edge of Istanel's Robinson Tower, General Mason finally took her hand off her saber's hilt. "Looks like the enemy's a no-show," she said. "Guess we scared 'em off after all."

Although the enemy had been expected to arrive around six, it was nearing midnight and they were nowhere in sight.

Mason turned to Charlotte at her side. "Tell everyone to pull out. We'll have the unit rest here for the night, then head back to the Tribal Woods in the morning." She glanced briefly at Samson. "Is that all right with you, Head Lieutenant?"

Narivado blew a bubble, glaring at her with his arms crossed. He must've been beyond ticked, given all the time we had wasted. Nevertheless, Penny took his silence as a 'yes,' so we ended up staying in Istanel for the night.

As I slumbered in my hotel room, I had a dream about a time in my life that I had since tried to forget—yet it was not from my perspective. It opened in a windowless room, where fifteen people were gathered around a long table. At the head sat Colonel Charlotte Davis, who was dressed in a black judge's garb. A large, black binder filled with documents lay in front of her.

Folding her hands on the table, she gracefully announced, "The meeting regarding our strategy for The Province of Ether v. Cameron Setler shall now commence."

Samson Narivado, who lounged in his chair with his arms behind his head, flashed Davis a blinding grin. "Let's get right down to business, then, shall we, Lottie? I have a meeting with the Chief in about an hour."

The Head Lieutenant still had his sunglasses on and was chewing gum like always, but it was the first time I had ever seen him out of his Brotherhood uniform. In this instance, he wore an open trench coat with a white, buttoned-up dress shirt and solid-black tie underneath. In addition, he had a cool, gray fedora that matched the color of his dress pants, which were made visible as the detective leaned back in his chair. I also caught a glimpse of the police badge attached to his waist, which was even shinier than his sparkling, white grin. Knowing Samson, I assumed he polished it regularly.

Putting on a pair of reading glasses, Charlotte began flipping through the pages of the binder. "Don't worry, Detective, I'm getting to it. I just need to find the case file, and—Ah, here we are." Having found the section she was looking for, Colonel Davis folded her hand on the table and spoke once more: "As you all know, with the grand jury's decision to indict Mr. Setler, his case must go to trial. However, before we begin planning for that, I'd like to address any questions our defense attorney has, given that he only recently took this case."

"There's no need to address me in the third person," said Daniel Jameson, who was sitting directly across from Samson. "Just call me by my name."

He was dressed in a dark blue suit with a white dress shirt and red and white striped tie underneath. Aside from him, Charlotte, and Samson, there were six men dressed in Naridan Brotherhood uniforms and six women in Naridan Sisterhood uniforms.

"Very well," said Charlotte. "Do you have any questions, Mr. Jameson?"

"A few, yes."

"Go on then."

Daniel gestured at everyone around the table. "Why are you all here? You're not actually involved in this case, are you?"

"You think I would risk my nephew being found guilty for the murder two people?" Samson laughed, slowly shaking his head. "That's about as likely as toast landing jelly-side up!"

Mr. Jameson narrowed his eyes at Charlotte. "What's going on here, Davis?"

She fidgeted with discomfort. "Well, um... before I get to that, why don't we have everyone introduce themselves? I'm Judge Charlotte Davis. I'll be presiding over this trial."

"Great! I'll go next," Samson volunteered, straightening himself out. "The name's Samson Narivado. I'm the bigshot detective leading the investigation for the defense in this case. I'm the best there is!"

Everyone around the table either groaned or rolled their eyes at him.

He looked at them with a frown. "What? Haven't you mortals ever heard about the Jepsen case? I was lead investigator for the prosecution in that one. Oh, and did you hear—"

Drained of patience, Charlotte held up her hand. "Yes, Detective, we get it. Now, please proceed, Jonny."

The man sitting directly to Samson's left introduced himself next: "I am First Lieutenant Jonathan Lazar. I'll be heading the jury for this trial."

Sitting across from Lazar was a younger General Mason, who followed with an introduction of her own: "I'm the recently-elected leader of the Sisterhood, General Penelope Mason. Although I'm the one who should be leading the jury, I shall allow Jonny to do so anyway, because he's just so darn cute!" Penny sighed dreamily as she gazed upon Lazar with her head on her hands.

"Not the word I'd use to describe him, but whatever," grumbled Narivado.

Mr. Jameson looked at Mason with a frown. "I'm sorry, but aren't you a little young to be a General?"

Mason looked offended. "Well, Charlotte's only twenty-eight and she's already a judge, yet you don't question her. And didn't you Brotherhood snobs elect Adaleen and Guilder as your General and Head Lieutenant when they were only nineteen years old? Tell me, Mr. Jameson: What does age have to do with greatness?"

"Nothing," he replied, sounding no longer interested. "Sorry I asked."

From then on, everyone else introduced themselves as jury members—all ten of whom were either part of the Brotherhood or Sisterhood. Once they were all finished, Mr. Jameson looked at Charlotte in horror. "You rigged the jury? Are you out of your mind, Charlotte? Don't you realize how illegal that is?"

"Actually, Counselor, I rigged the jury." Samson raised his hand up high. "I also got Judge Cupcake here to oversee the trial. All I had to do was ask my Chief for permission to investigate, and our team was complete."

"W-What? How did you...?"

He shook his head and sighed, "It's a long story involving a lot of secret phone calls, but that doesn't matter. All you need to worry about is looking pretty during the trial, while we handle the rest for you. I'll even pay you for your service once the verdict is handed down. The trial shouldn't take long, I assure you."

"Samson, I am not doing this."

He threw up his hands. "Oh, come on, Danny! We already know he's innocent! Why must we make the poor kid suffer by needlessly drawing out the trial?"

"Let's not forget that Naridan trial procedural law is in dire need of an update," said Jonathan Lazar. "We can't guarantee anything under the current system."

"Not only that," added Colonel Davis, "I ought to inform you that one of the memories extracted from Elizabeth Craydell's mind suggests that this boy might be a child of the Great Prophecy."

The attorney's eyes widened briefly, but he made no comment.

"For the time being," Charlotte continued, "both the Brotherhood and Sisterhood have agreed to put the law on hold for this one. We cannot allow Cameron Setler to be found guilty."

"If that's the case, then why don't we have the prosecution on our side as well?" Mr. Jameson inquired. "Where's our prosecuting attorney? And isn't it a requirement in this country to have a detective investigate for the prosecution as well?"

Samson heaved a sigh, "I tried to get my Lieutenant to prosecute the case, but he decided that our operation was too unethical and will be prosecuting without our counsel."

"Well, I can't say I blame him," Mr. Jameson snorted.

Narivado continued, "As for the prosecutorial detective, I was unfortunately unable to have that role filled before Detective Marshall Weaver took it."

The lawyer's jaw dropped. "You mean the guy who forged evidence as the prosecutorial detective in the Lemmings case?"

Samson dismissively waved his hand. "That was all just speculation. No one ever proved that he did it."

"While I do sympathize with your concerns," Lazar said to Jameson, "I don't believe you understand the gravity of the situation."

Mason—who was still daydreaming at the time—suddenly snapped into place. "Y-Yeah! What Jonny said!" Then, she immediately went back to daydreaming.

Levi's dad looked offended. "What, you don't think I can win? Not to brag or anything, but I'm pretty darn good at my job. Just ask anyone working in criminal law."

Mrs. Davis nodded. "Yes, and that's exactly why we need you. Only an attorney with your reputation can make such a smooth-running trial seem natural to the public."

"So, you want me to cover up your sins with my presence?"

"Essentially, yes."

After a lengthy pause, the attorney extended his hand. "May I see the case files for a second?"

"Of course."

Charlotte slid the binder over to him and he immediately began to read through it. Then, after a minute or so, he looked up at her incredulously. "This has got to be one of the most open-and-shut cases I've ever seen. What the heck are you guys worrying for?"

Samson blew a bubble with his chewing gum. "We already told you: My nephew might be a Prophecy cupcake, and Calvin Azlarus will be prosecuting. He's somewhat of a bigshot as well, in case you haven't heard. I assisted him in the Jepsen trial."

"What're you—"

"The cards we hold might make the game look like a sure victory, but you never go all in when there's a pro sitting across from you. No matter the chances and no matter the stakes, a player must learn to keep on his toes if he is to remain at the table."

Mr. Jameson rubbed his eyes with frustration. "I know I've already taken this case, but I can't bring myself to go through with it like this."

"How about this," Charlotte proposed, "we'll replace the jury with a pure one. Meanwhile, Samson and I will remain on the case, being as fair as possible to both sides. I'll grant Cameron special permission to sit out during the trial so that we can avoid traumatizing him."

"No way!" exclaimed Samson. "Whatever happened to plan A, huh?"

"We're revising it to plan B," she answered.

"Why not just clean the entire roster?" asked Mr. Jameson. "I still don't think I'm comfortable with you two as judge and defense detective."

"Since that would require us to give the state a valid reason for making that change, 'cleaning the roster' is out of the question," General Mason stated firmly. "With the jury, it's much easier to switch people out than state-hired officials like Narivado and Davis. And Sisterhood policy requires that we make sure absolutely no heads are turned. "

Mr. Jameson stared at the closed binder in front of him intensely. Then he lifted his head and passed it back to Davis. "All right, I'll do it."

With a soft sigh of relief, Charlotte reopened the binder and began their session.

"Now, then, moving on to strategy...."

Suddenly, the setting of my dream transitioned into that of a courtroom. Sitting at the defense's desk on the left side was Mr. Jameson. Meanwhile, Calvin Azlarus sat on the other side of the room, beside a detective with white hair and silver eyes. He had a rough face that was highlighted by a prominent scar that ran across his cheek, making him and Azlarus look like the perfect pair.

"Please state your name and occupation for the court," Judge Charlotte ordered the detective at the stand.

Detective Sunglasses threw up a salute. "Sure thing, Judge Cupcake."

Charlotte banged her gavel. "Detective, you shall refrain from addressing me as 'cupcake' for the duration of this trial. Do I make myself clear?"

"Clear as day, Your Highness." He then blew a bubble with his chewing gum.

Charlotte warned, "It would serve you well to address me as 'Your Honor,' Mr. Narivado."

His bubble popped. "What was that, Judge Cupcake?"

"Nevermind," she sighed. "Please proceed."

Saluting her once more, he addressed the people: "What's up, cupcakes of the courtroom. My name's Samson Narivado, the world's finest detective. I'll be serving as the detective for the defense in this trial. Furthermore, I enjoy long walks on the beach, filtered photography, wrecking my kids at board games—"

"All right, that's it." Rising to his feet, Daniel Jameson slammed both hands on his desk. "Objection!"

The judge responded, "Is there a problem, Counselor?"

"Um, yes."

"Proceed."

"Okay, first of all, are we seriously going to allow the detective to wear sunglasses and chew bubble gum inside the courtroom whilst he spews meaningless drivel, which I strongly believe is a waste of this court's time? If so, I request that you allow me a recess to down a hard drink or two before proceeding."

Narivado chuckled, "Sorry, cupcake, no can do! These sunglasses contain the only prescription lenses I own. Furthermore, the gum I'm chewing is to help me deal with the stress of work. If you want to complain about that, go talk to my therapist."

"You liar! There's no way you have a therapist. Otherwise, I would've seen at least a modicum of improvement in your mental state."

"If I may," uttered Azlarus, also rising from his chair. "The defense is engaging in needless badgering. Mr. Jameson holds no substantial evidence that would suggest our trusty detective is lying. I also believe his comments have nothing to do with this case and contribute nothing to this trial. Therefore, I conclude that he merely aims to waste the court's time, and I humbly suggest that you, Your Honor should put a stop to it."

"I agree," Mrs. Davis nodded. "I deny the defense's request for recess, and overrule its objection. That said, I must ask Detective Narivado to cease his incessant rambling. In addition, I find it necessary to request that he keep his metaphors to a minimum as well, given his reputation."

"Wait, what?" Samson's shrilled. "But I had so many planned!"

"Yes, and I'm sure they were well thought-out. But I can't allow you prevent me from attending my daughter's dance recital like last time. Therefore, I ask you to deliver your opening summary in a straightforward manner." She brought down her gavel. "Proceed."

After sitting back down, Mr. Jameson ran his hands through his hair, grumbling to himself, "What kind of country is this? Everyone's a complete lunatic!"

Clearing his throat, Detective Narivado gave summary for the court:

"On the night of the crime, two people—the parents of the defendant—were killed outside the suburbs of Sova. The victims' names were Joshua and Emily Setler. The location of the murder was approximately five miles from their residence, and the autopsy indicates that it took place around nine in the evening. Both victims were reported to have stab wounds; Emily's being in her back, and Joshua's, in his chest. They are also suspected to have died immediately after the stabbings, given the murder weapon came into contact with both their hearts. In addition, there were no signs of a struggle found at the scene.

"According to the prosecution's report, the murder weapon was a double-edge sword with a four-foot blade stolen from its glass case on the wall of Joshua Setler's office within his residence. The prosecution originally found the murder weapon lying on the ground at the scene of the crime with the defendant's fingerprints on it. Though they were virtually unable to find either of the victims' blood on the blade, they found a great deal on the grass. They also discovered a burned-out LED lantern and a pair of the defendant's prescription glasses at the scene."

"You cite the investigation of the prosecution," Charlotte noted, "but has the defense conducted one of its own?"

With hesitation, Samson nodded. "Yes, Your Highness. But the prosecution had already locked down the majority of the evidence for analysis by the time I was assigned to this case. The defense has submitted a request to analyze the evidence exclusively and in-person, though it was given a hold because the evidence had already been approved and added to court record."

Mrs. Davis nodded with understanding. "Well then, Detective Weaver, do you have anything to add to his testimony?"

The white-haired detective shook his head. "That'll be good, Your Honor."

"Er, objection," said Levi's dad, getting up from his chair.

Charlotte looked confused. "Can I help you, Counselor?"

"Why did you allow Detective Weaver to address you without standing?"

She made a dismissive wave of the hand. "Overruled. Though I prefer he stand, I'm not overly big on formalities, especially when it involves such a short statement. Most Naridan judges see it as a waste of time."

"Of course they do," Jameson muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, your Honor. Please continue." The attorney sat back down.

"Well, then...." Charlotte turned to Samson once more. "Return to your seat, Detective. That will be all."

Giving her one, final salute, he made his way to the defense's bench.

Judge Davis spoke once more: "Will the prosecution deliver an opening statement?"

"Sure," Azlarus responded, getting up from his chair. He faced Levi's father directly with a menacing grin. "Using the decisive evidence dug up against its client, the prosecution intends to prove the defendant guilty and show that the defense cannot, should not, and will not win simply because they have stacked their side with two big names. The power to bring justice lies ultimately with the jury, whose members I implore to help our nation combat crimes committed against innocent people by considering all the evidence and testimony with their just hearts and intelligent minds. That is all." Still grinning at Mr. Jameson, he took his seat once more.

Charlotte turned to the defense attorney. "And you, Counselor? Do you have an opening statement to give?"

For a moment, Mr. Jameson stared at the piece of paper in his hands, then placed it flat on his desk. He rose from his chair, facing Azlarus with a stolid expression. He outlined his strategy, then finished with, "The prosecution is correct in its assumption that the defense will not win this case because of its so-called 'big names.' Rather, we will win because my client is innocent, which the jury shall soon discover. Indeed, they are entrusted with the task of upholding justice, not ruining an orphan child's life for the sake of boosting their own reputation, nor out of jealousy for anyone else's. This trial will lead us to truth, and truth will lead us to justice. Thank you."

Immediately, Azlarus' grin fell, while Mr. Jameson calmly sat back down in his own seat.

"Ooh, this is gonna be good," Samson chuckled silently, blowing another bubble. "Just you wait, Emmie. I'll get him out of this."

Mr. Jameson extended his hand. "Ready for a clean trial?"

"You know it, cupcake." Samson shook his hand firmly. "After all... I think this is what Emily would've wanted."

The lawyer's smile spread even further. "That's the spirit, Detective."

Right when the judge banged her gavel, I woke to the sound of somebody shutting the door of my hotel room. Without a light or glasses, it was hard to see who had entered, though I could determine by the curviness of her figure that the intruder was most likely female.

Being without a shirt, I quickly retreated under the covers and watched with utter confusion as the girl slowly staggered to the other side of my bed, mumbling something about a "tragic fate." When she climbed under the covers next to me, I found myself staring directly at the face of Esther, whose stormy-gray eyes were only half-open.

"Oh... hi, dear," she slurred. "I did not think you would be awake at this hour."

"Um, Esther?"

"Yes...?"

"What are you doing in my room?"

Lifting herself into a sitting position, she looked around. "Huh? How strange. I do not see your name on it anywhere. Could it be in the closet?"

Even half-asleep, my meratis was as sassy as ever.

"How did you get in here?" I demanded.

Lying back down, she answered groggily, "When I told the lady at the front desk I was engaged to you, she gave me a key. Simple as that."

"Er, yes, well... would you please go back to your own room?"

"Hm, let me think about it for a moment...." She snuggled up against me. "Mm... nope! Sorry, but I am very comfortable here."

I sighed deeply, "Why are you here? Is something wrong?"

Opening her eyes, Esther frowned. "Why are you not wearing a shirt?"

I gestured at her nightgown. "It's not like you're dressed for a business meeting, either."

"Yes, but I have never seen you shirtless before."

"Likewise. Let's try to keep it that way until we're married."

She giggled, "Why do I get the feeling you are the only man who would say such a thing?"

"Because I probably am," I grumbled. "Anyway, these covers have a trillion layers of fabric in them. I shed my shirt to keep from being hot."

"Well, love," Esther breathed, gawking at me, "based on what I see, it did not work very well."

"Huh?"

"You are hot," she said.

"Well, I wouldn't say that. I mean, I do feel a little warm, but—"

She put her hand on my chest. "I am not referring to your temperature...."

"What the—?!" Self-conscious, I shielded myself with covers. "Just answer the question, Essie. Why are you here?"

"Geez, what a sipremor," she grumbled. "You are no fun, Cameron."

"Are you gonna answer or what?"

Esther sighed in defeat, "I had a nightmare, so I needed to see that you were okay."

"Wait, what? You needed to see that I was okay?"

She nodded. "In my dream, you were fighting someone in the dark. At one point, he stabbed you with a sword, and... you died."

"That was only a dream, Essie."

"No, it was more than that."

"What do you mean?"

"I am a Guardian," she explained. "Like you, I receive meaningful dreams, which are sent to me by the original Guardian of Galia himself."

For a moment, I lost my breath. I hadn't considered that. "So, you're saying... I'm going to die soon?"

Without warning, Esther threw her arms around me, her eyes filling up with tears. "Please, let the other Prophecy children go on without you! I do not wish for you to die!"

"Esther...."

"May we leave in the morning?" she implored. "May we leave this danger behind, and live together in peace?" She burst into a full-blown sob. "Oh, darling, I beg of you! Please, turn back now! This road only ends with your life!"

Although I was skeptical, I couldn't help but wonder if she was right. Had Esther been sent a glimpse of my future? Well, that didn't really matter—at least in the moment. I was chiefly concerned with consoling the poor girl. It hurt a lot to see her crying like this.

"You know, dear," I told her, "Travis once had a dream where he died, too, but he survived."

My meratis only tightened her grip on me, continuing to sob.

I responded by wrapping my arms around her and holding her close. Fortunately, her crying eventually subsided after that, although she fell asleep in that position.

I cursed under my breath. "Great, now what do I do?"

There was no way I could fall asleep like this. For starters, I always fell asleep on my stomach, usually waking up on my back. In this position, falling asleep would be difficult. More importantly, Naridan men weren't supposed to sleep in the presence of women unless they were wedded to each other. As it stood, we were already breaking a few rules, and I didn't want to break any more. Nevertheless, my beloved meratis wasn't going to budge any time soon, which meant that I couldn't either. She still had her arm around me, after all.

"Guess I'll wait this one out and maybe say a few prayers while I'm at it," I muttered. "After all, I still haven't asked her father for his blessing to marry his youngest daughter...."

I thought a lot about how Esther's dad was Pyro. I felt pretty lucky being engaged to his hottest daughter—especially since he was the god of fire.

That was a pun, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you enjoyed it.

For a while, I began to stare blankly at the ceiling. Then, I looked over at my beloved Esther. I could've stared at that girl's face all night long without ever wanting to look away. She was just so breathtakingly beautiful. In fact, the very first time I had lain eyes on her, the initial thought that went through my head was, "That girl is way out of my league!" But now that I had her lying by my side, I realized that I had been wrong. Esther was perfect for me.

Watching her, I couldn't help but notice how peacefully she was breathing—despite all of the suffering she had been through. "Poor Essie," I whispered sympathetically, gently stroking her hair. "You've had it pretty rough, haven't you?"

A warm smile spread across her face, and I heard her murmur in her sleep, "Mmm... I love you."

Smiling as well, I used my thumb to brush her bangs out of the way and kissed her softly on the forehead. "I love you too, Lady Esther."

__________________________

Meratis
[Lustrian] Fiancée 

Sipremor
[Lustrian] Nuisance; Buzzkill