Caelan POV

"She shows no sign of changing" I say stressed as I run my fingers through my hair.

My father hums. "Could be stress." He simply says, glancing up from his work as he sits behind his large desk in his office.

I sigh. "It's been 3 days, she's starting to get back to her normal self, but she still has nightmares of Ben Braum."

My father found out every single bit of detail of what happened that night, Olivia approached these men before they were called to escort the Braum wife and children out of The Vale, for their safety, if anyone got word that they were in The Vale, no doubt someone would try and assassinate them for the horrors her husband and mate had caused.

It only took my father five minutes to get everything out of the four men. Nobody has seen my father until today, he was in the room with the men for three days without coming out. I already know what he did, they disobeyed an order, it's an Alpha's and King's duty to see fit to the punishment.

Somehow those men are alive after spending all that time in the same room as my father, I know him enough to know he did not go easy on them, I bet they wished for death a couple of times during the time Kane was in there, they have their trial today before Ron and Mason Aldin's trial.

"I failed that family, Elizabeth Braum had cut her bond willingly just to escape and protect her children." He grits out angrily. "Those fucking pieces of shit, they don't deserve a trial." He says deadly silent, his eyes blazing with hatred as he clenches his hand into a fist.

I stand up from the sofa and look over the folder that is placed in front of my father. The four men and their entire life are in this folder. They left the legion army and settled down, kids, wives, they lived the good life.

But then the next page is very good detail of their confession, they were not the good wolves their mates and children thought they were. Rape, murder, torture, extortion... the list is never-ending, they confessed every single thing they had done since and after the war, in the time of five minutes with my father.

"Where is your mate?" My father asks, pulling me from the horrors inside this folder. I close the folder and throw it back on the desk and walk to the stained glass window behind my father's desk, I look outside the unit l can see her.

"With mother, I thought it might be good for her to get some fresh air." I say as I gaze into the garden and watch my beautiful mate walk beside my mother.

They are both walking in and around the royal palace gardens, something my father and mother do often to get a release from the burden of their title, no one bothers you in the garden and if they do, it's important. Nature is a safe haven for my kind, everyone knows that when we are in it you do not disturb us.

I feel my father stand behind me as my eyes never leave my mate. How far we have come, the two years I did not see my mate were the worst of my life, the stares of disgust and embarrassment from my father had affected me more than others, it was no secret in the palace that day Acela left me that she was my mate and she had rejected me.

A part of me during those two years without her was contemplating accepting her rejection, resulting in my immediate death. I was at an all-time low, knowing that my mate was somewhere happy without me and she didn't need me, the thought consumed me, until that day I found out she was still in The Vale, she had made a life for herself, she worked hard and opened her own business, she did something she enjoyed.

I didn't want to leave this world without anything to show for it, I wanted to show her that me she met the first time was not the real me, I was living on borrowed time from The Tears of Tris, I was hateful, often wondering without a purpose, I was losing my mind.

I feel a hand tap me on my back. "Acela will be fine if one thing your mother is good at is taking your mind off things." He says with a lazy grin and I grimace.

I roll my eyes and walk away from the window, tearing my eyes from my mate and mother. "When is the trial?"

"Two hours, is she going?" He asks and I feel myself grow tense.

The trial, mine, and Acela's first argument in our relationship, and it all happened this morning and it was all about the fucking Aldines.

°• ♔ •°

"No fucking way you're going." I say glaring at her.

She stares hard at me, not backing down. "You can't force me to stay away Caelan, they had nothing to do with Olivia, I am going." She says as she drops the robe onto the floor and walks into the bathroom to start the shower.

I feel myself get angrier. "Your friend Mason gave the men who kidnapped you the map of the palace! It's because of him that you almost died." I breathe out, feeling my wolf Rion get angry with me.

I start to pace as I hear the shower turn on. I walk into the bathroom and see her getting inside the shower, I grab hold of her hand stopping her, she turns around and her eyes are hard. "I'm going, I deserve to know everything Caelan, you are not being fair right now, please leave so I can shower." she says coldly and I let go of her arm, she closes the shower door and I can't see her anymore from the steam of the shower.

I see black, I storm out of the bathroom in frustration and rip the bathroom door from the wall and throw it across the room, it breaks in two when it hits the wall. I am so angry right now I can't be in the same room as her, fear that me and my wolf may actually keep her here by force, that is how much this pisses me off.

No, I could never do that, I refuse to keep her here as a prisoner, I just don't want her to cry anymore from that disgusting Aldine family. From the moment I met them I got bad vibes from all of them, Ron was the only one with a clear head, but he knew what his fucking witch of a wife was up to and did not inform me or anyone for that matter.

They deserve this trial, I have on good authority that they will get sentenced to The Shadow Lands pit, or at least Mason will, Ron has ties in The Vale meaning that he will most likely get a slap on the wrist with a fine.

Such a fucking joke.

I leave the bedroom and slam the door on my way out, hearing the door break as I walk away.

°• ♔ •°

Since then I haven't spoken to her since this morning. I know she won't change her mind, I can't force her, some part of me wants her to go, to get rid of that toxic family once and for all from The Vale and Acela, she deserves to be happy and after she learns of their treachery she can move on.

I just want to fucking get her away from all of it.

*****

I stand beside my mate outside of the hearing room where the trial will take place in fifteen minutes. This is where Aldine's fate will be decided and Acela will learn everything once and for all.

I feel Acela look at me so I turn my gaze and see she is staring at me with a sad frown on her face. I sigh out and lace our hands together which she accepts without any argument. "I'm sorry." She whispers out and I feel like an asshole.

I smile at my beautiful girl, leaning down I peck her on the lips and her cheeks blush slightly as we are not standing alone. "Me too." I say back and she leans her head against my arm as we stand and wait to be called in.

My family is also here with us, my mother and father have been here all morning because of the Braum family trial. The trial went as anyone would expect.

The four men got the worst punishment currently in The Vale. It is referred to as Gaia in The Vale but it is anything but pleasant, they will spend the rest of their miserable lives alone in the underground facility of The Silver Forge, no one escapes and no one comes out alive, we house the worst criminals there for crimes that fall into the categories of the four men.

The Silver Forge is laced in bane, powerful silver that even I can not touch, no wolf has ever come from Gaia and none ever will, there is a reason it is underground, the only exit is magically locked and hidden, no one knows where the exit is and some go mad trying to find it. It is The Vales's worst kept secret yet no one knows where it is unless you are the king of The Vale.

"Caelan?" Acela nudges me as I notice the doors are now open and people are walking inside. I look down at my mate and she's nervous and looking at the number of people who are showing up for the trial.

"Let's go sit." I say softly to her as I walk with her in my hand into the courthouse and sit in the royal booth section of the court.

Acela POV

I sit beside Caelan with his family as I glance around, there are so many people here to watch the trial of Ron and Mason.

Oh, Mason what did you do? Even Ron.. I still can't believe all this is happening. This all feels like a sick nightmare but no matter how many times I wish, this is real and this is happening. Mason was like a brother to me and Ron was like a father I never knew or had, they were there for me for two years, birthdays, christmases.. we had meals and laughed together on a daily basis.

It almost doesn't seem real, it can't be.

"All rise for Judge Moreia Cann." A man up front says and we all stand as a big huge man with dark purple eyes and dressed in a fine black robe walks into the courthouse, stopping to bow in front of the king, Kane, then makes his way towards the front of the room, to sit behind a large desk overlooking the crowd of people inside the room.

"You may all be seated, court is now in session." The same man says and we all sit down.

The room is silent as the double doors open wide, revealing Mason and Ron in black jumpsuits with numbers 'prisoner 217' and 'prisoner 218' engraved on their clothes. They both walk with their head low as they are escorted by guards. Both of them shuffle into the room with handcuffs on both wrists and legs.

The sound of metal chinking makes me sick. I can't bear to see them like this, it looks like they have not slept since their arrest.

Ron and Mason Aldine sit on the left side of where I am, but I can see them clearly, they have not once lifted their head to meet the faces of those sitting inside the room, not even the judge as they make their way to their seats, upon sitting down the judge Cann clears his throat.

"Ron Aldine and Mason Aldine, you are both being charged with attempted murder, how do you plead?" He asks, staring straight at Mason and Ron.

They both pale as they both lift their heads to stare widely at the judge.

"Not guilty.. your honor." Ron says, almost lifeless.

The judge then looks to Mason.

"Not guilty your honor." Mason says out quietly.

The crowd in the courtroom becomes hushed once the harsh whispers start. The judge Cann slams his hand on his desk hard, silencing the room instantly and I hold onto Caelans hard harder, his thumb is rubbing circular motions that help calm my beating heart.

"The evidence against you both are very serious in accusations, the abduction and attempted murder of the future queen is a serious crime in The Vale, one I do not find amusing or take lightly, you both show very little regret for your part in assisting Olivia Aldine in her plot to overthrow the crown, starting with the attempted murder of Miss Acela Shaw, mate of Prince Caelan Black and future queen of The Vale."

I feel sick at knowing what is coming next.

"I once had a deep respect for your family, your charitable work, and kinship to your fellow neighbor, for 100 years we have been in peace, and your part in this plot threatens everything we in The Vale hold dear." Judge Cann takes a deep breath and stares into the eyes of Ron and Mason.

"I sentence you immediately to serve 100 years in The Silver Forge max prison, effective immediately." He declares and slams his gavel down hard on the desk.

The crowd clap and erupt in cheers and I feel sick, 100 years? What is the silver forge prison?

I can't bear this any longer! I look to Caelan to do something and he shakes his head. "I can't change this Acela, I'm sorry." He simply says and I stand up, tears threatening to spill.

The people all erupt in chatter and cheers as they hug each other. I run towards where Ron and Mason are, the guards are getting ready to take them somewhere and I refuse to let them go without a real reason why they did this!

The past two years can't have been a lie, they just couldn't have!

"MASON! RON!" I call out desperately.

Ron's head snaps in my direction and his eyes soften when he sees me as tears begin to cover his eyes. Mason does not turn and stands with his back to me.

I breathe out and reach out to touch his hand, Ron takes my hand as he begins to quietly sob. "I'm so sorry flower, please forgive me, I was a fool to not doubt Olivia's true intention." He says as regret and despair cover his expression.

Mason snorts and turns around, his eyes are glaring at me with hatred, a look I have never seen in Mason before. "I see you let him try and turn you." He says deadly quietly as I feel Caelan come up behind me.

I feel Caelan's anger as he grabs my hand away from Ron's."Acela what the fuck-"

Mason interrupts him. "She will never be one of your kind, filthy dog." Mason says casually then cackles out and I pale at the sound of how much he scares me right now.

"I never once cared for you." Mason says without emotion in his face as he stares deep into my eyes. "You were a means to an end."

I feel Caelan growl deadly beside me as guards pull him away from us and Mason is laughing hysterically once they pull him away, Mason leans back until his head is upside down and stares at me, the same look Olivia had in her eyes is now in Mason's eyes. "I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE ACELA, I KNOW WHO YOU ARE, HAHAHA! HE'S COMING! WE ARE ALL DOOMED!" Mason yells as he is being dragged away whilst he is laughing hysterically like a maniac.

Ron is being escorted away behind him silently, not once turning back to look at me.

I stare and watch as Caelan lifts me up and carries me outside of the room, away from the crowd and stares of people around us inside the room, everyone had heard our conversation and saw the scene unfold, I can't even think right now.

Mason's words are ringing in my ears.

What the hell is going on?