At some point between Chapter 5 and 6

---

Blue Diamond stood in the high ceiling room, decorated in ornate diamond patterns and statues carved of beautiful stone by the finest made Bismuths Homeworld had produced in centuries. They were in a side room of the high courts building were they, she and the other Diamonds, held trials for gems who had committed crimes that warranted their limited time and attention. It was here that she kept Orange from the public eye, her trusted Citrine guards stationed outside the doors to keep anyone from interrupting. Her pearl stood to her left, head bowed and silent as she spoke with Orange Diamond, the smaller gem's cherubic features turned up to her in rapt attention, as she explained what would be happening today.

"Orange, I have a few trials to oversee. Until I finish, you'll be staying-"

Orange's lip jutted out in a rather dramatic pout, "Aww!" her whine cut through whatever Blue had been about to say, "Can't I sit in for the trial?"

Blue gave her a kind smile, those large eyes were a weakness of Blue's that she knew she had trouble saying no to. "You know you can't be seen by the general public yet. White would be furious."

"But it's just traitors right? I could..." Orange paused, her brow furrowed in what have been serious thought before her hands shot into the air with her excitement, "I could act like a guard! Or an escort!"

Blue chuckled at the absurdity of her suggestion, bending down to lightly ruffle her hair. "My sweet Orange, that's a lovely idea, but I hardly think you could pass as a Agate."

"Then I can be a Quartz."

"A tiny one?"

Orange glared at her, and Blue found it incredibly adorable on her large features, "I'm not that small, Blue!"

"No, of course not, Orange." Blue attempted to placate her little ward before she could become too agitated, "But still."

"What if I hid in your robe?"

"Mmmm." Blue looked away from Orange as she gave it a moment of thought.

A moment that Orange didn't hesitate to jump on as she clasped her hands together and started to beg, "Please? Please, please, please! I'll be quiet! It...it'd be educational!"

"Mmm. Oh, i suppose..." Blue relented, though she wasn't sure if she was glad to see how happy it made Orange, or dread the talk she would have to have now that she had tentatively caved to the littlest diamond's request.

"Yes!"

"I'll have to talk to Yellow first." She attempted to tamper Orange's growing enthusiasm, but the youngest diamond would not be stopped in her joy of winning this dispute.

"Just tell her it's another lesson! She can't say no then. You're the best, blue!"

"Hehehe." Blue giggled, covering her mouth as she watched Orange dance for a moment, her happiness was rather contagious, but she could not remain here much longer if they wished to keep on schedule. "Stay here with Pearl, so I can talk with Yellow."

"Okay!" Orange couldn't stop grinning even as she watched Blue exit through the large chamber doors, leaving her alone with the silent pearl standing obediently next to her.

"Soo..." Orange said after the silent had stretched on for far to long for her liking, turning to look at Pearl, "what are these trials normally like?"

Blue's Pearl turned to look at her, her head still bowed slightly as to keep her gaze respectful to her superior, "They normally involve my Diamond, and on occasion, a collaboration with Yellow Diamond, listening to the cases of a Gem who has been accused of a great crime against the Empire or the Diamonds themselves. This is followed by the Diamonds giving a verdict."

Orange hummed in acknowledgment, mulling over what she had been told for a moment, "Are they normally good verdicts?"

"It is not my place to decided if the Diamonds have made a good verdict or not."

"True, I guess...how long do you think Blue is going to be?"

"I can not say."

Orange decided that if they were going to wait, she'd do her waiting while looking around at the new architecture around them, and proceeded to walk away from Pearl as she spoke, "Yeah, I suppose it's anyone's guess how long Blue and Yellow are going to argue, huh?"

"Indeed."

---

"Blue, you can not be serious! We can't have Orange in the courtroom!" Yellow yelled as she stood up from her chair where she had been preparing and reviewing before her fellow diamond had come to her with this ridiculous request. Her harsh, quick movements startled her Pearl who had not been expecting the outburst and dropped the diamond shaped display she had been holding, scrambling to pick it up from the floor as Yellow ignored her, moving towards where Blue Diamond remained standing near the door.

Blue diamond lowered her gaze from Yellow's angry one for a moment before meeting her eyes, her tone was calm but beseeching, "Of course we can. She will be hidden, no one but us will even know she's there."

Yellow began pacing the walkway in front of blue, using her hand to motion between them as she spoke, "That is precisely why she can't be there. I'll know she's there, you'll know she's there, and we'll constantly be trying to make sure she's not seen. How are we suppose to hold a trial when we wouldn't even be paying attention to the proceedings?"

Blue gave Yellow a pleading look, "Orange is very well behaved. She has promised to be quiet."

Yellow took a moment to take a deep breath, pinching the bridge of her nose before facing her diamond counterpart, "Blue, please. I know, I know Orange can be very good and well mannered. But she can also be rambunctious and she bores easily. What will you do if she decides she no longer wishes to be apart of this? How are you going to keep her from throwing a tantrum if she decides she's had enough half way through the prosecuting's speech?"

"Orange doesn't throw tantrums, Yellow. She's just very vocal-"

"Blue." Yellow stopped her before she could continue, meeting with Blue's pleading, if not somewhat sad eyes.

"Please, Yellow. She really wants to learn about this, and is that not what we are supposed to be doing? How will she learn how these proceedings go if she is in another room, by herself, for hours doing nothing."

"She can watch recordings."

Blue narrowed her eyes at her in warning, "Yellow."

"What?" Yellow threw her arms up, "That's perfectly acceptable learning materials!"

"Wouldn't you rather her see for herself, than second hand footage? She may have questions that we can answer afterwards, that we can't if she's watching recordings by herself."

"Hmph." Yellow crossed her arms as she settled Blue with a tired look, "It's always like this. I'm always the one that has to put her foot down and say no, and I'm turned into the bad guy for it. Sometimes I wonder if I'm not on trial when we argue about Orange."

"This isn't a trial, Yellow. If..." Blue paused, and sighed, "If you think this really isn't safe for Orange, then I'll have her wait in her room." Blue turned her back to Yellow, as if to make for the door, "I'm sure I can find her something to do until then. She'll be upset, but she will understand."

Yellow scrubbed a hand over her face, ""Stars help me. No."

Blue stopped and turned to look at her over her shoulder, "Yellow?"

"You are correct. This is a good chance to...show Orange first hand what a trial is, and how it goes. But, You have promise to keep her in line, Blue. This is your idea. is something happens..."

"You won't regret this! She'll be so happy."

"Yes yes." Yellow waved her off as she turned back to her work space, snatching the proffered display from her pearl as she returned to her chair, "Collect her and let's get on with this already."

----

Blue turned her head to look over her shoulder, speaking lower than she normally would have to the gem currently using the hood of her robe as a makeshift hiding spot, "Orange, now remember. You have to remain hidden, and you've promised to be quiet."

Orange peeked her head out from over Blue's shoulder, where she had tucked herself into the hood of Blue's robe, nestled in between the silky fabric and her long hair. "Yes, Blue! I'll be as silent as a pearl!"

Yellow, who was leaning over in her seat to look at Blue and Orange, gave the two of them a nod of approval, "Good. I don't want to hear a single peep, Orange."

Orange leaned over further to look at Yellow, ducking under Blue's chin to look at her, "What if I have a question? Can't I whisper it to Blue?"

"No. Save your questions until the end of the trial, there will be breaks in between. Do not distract Blue."

"Okay Yellow. But what if-"

"Orange."

"Yellow?"

"Shush."

"Mmm." Orange sat back, tucking herself back into Blue's hood and hair until she was practically invisible to anyone down below, "Okay, okay."

Yellow nodded and glanced around, pleased to see everything seemed to be in place "Let's begin. Pearl, call in the Zircons."