A man takes the fifth and middle chair. He confers with the woman beside him for a moment before rising. He’s a middle aged main with thick dark hair. Though he’s dressed casually in a v-neck tee and jeans, he has a quality, an authority to him. He holds up a hand and the room slowly quiets. “We will begin now. I ask that all students be respectful and quiet during proceedings.” He reads over a sheet of paper before continuing. “First case to be heard is for Watcher, Dustin White.”
“I’m up,” Lila sighs. She stands and walks briskly to the chair in front of the table. “My name is Lila Wallace. I’m here on behalf of Watcher White. He is still in the hospital recovering from his injuries.”
“I’m sorry there must be a mistake,” the man says. He looks down at his paper again. Shakes his head. “Accused must come in person. We will reschedule until he is in better health.”
“He was injured. Not accused.” Lila glances over her shoulder at Nick then back to the man.
“Guardian Wallace, Dustin White has been branded with treason.”
Lila looks at her dad. He is shuffling through papers desperately. “Dustin was captured and tortured trying to save Keely and her parents,” Lila says slowly, an edge of panic in her voice. “He cannot be held liable for anything he may have said under duress.”
“Guardian Wallace, these allegations come from a member of the Hierarchy. He will have to come forward and dispute the claim himself.”
“Who is the accuser?”
“I am,” Coach says firmly. “Mr. White broke Oath by helping Prince Apophis capture Princess Keely.”
Nick’s hand grips Keely’s so tightly her fingers go numb. In one silent gesture, he screams a million questions at her. Is it true? Why didn’t you tell me? Did he hurt you? What will Lila do?
Keely puts her head down and stares at her hand turning white in Nick’s grasp. Everyone is staring at her. Blaming her. Judging her.
“Because of his actions,” Coach continues, “a search party was dispatched into another realm. Many lives were endangered. He was sworn to protect his charge, instead he betrayed her. He dishonored the Angel.”
“She’s lying. He wouldn’t do that,” Lila cries.
“Guardian Wallace, I witnessed it for myself. He attacked me and knowingly sent the Princess into a building full of Demons. When she looked to him for salvation, he denied her and aided Prince Apophis in taking her prisoner. If I need to be more direct, Miss Wallace, your boyfriend held Miss Kiem while Apophis beat her into unconsciousness.”
Nick releases Keely and rests his head in his hands.
“Princess, would you like to give your statement now? Or would you prefer to wait to face Mr. White?” the man in charge asks Keely.
She looks up, stunned. She hadn’t planned on making a statement at all. “Do I have too?”
He smiles at her kindly. “You do not have to today. But yes, I’m afraid you will have to either confirm or deny.”
Keely nods. She would rather get this over with now. There is no way she wants to do this face to face with Dustin. She stands shakily and Nick stands with her.
“Miss Wallace, you are dismissed.”
Lila turns slowly and walks through the maze of people. Her eyes burn with tears. She stands in front of the door trying to decide whether to stay and hear what Keely has to say, or run.
“Guardian Wallace, Princess,” the man says. “Please, Princess, sit.” Keely doesn’t so much sit, as she does fall into the chair. She feels so sick. And this is probably the easy part of the day. “Do you confirm or deny the allegations against Dustin White?”
She bites her lip until she tastes blood. Takes a deep breath. She said she was going to be honest. If she lies now, when Coach knows the truth, it will only make things worse. But every part of Keely’s heart is begging her to lie. She looks up at Nick. He nods his head and squeezes her shoulder.
“I confirm the allegations. But may I say something?”
The man inclines his head, giving her permission.
“Dustin didn’t have a choice. Apophis got a hold of Lila and took her to the Demon realm. Apophis threatened to kill Lila if Dustin didn’t help him. It was only because he was scared for Lila. Otherwise, Dustin would never have done that. And I don’t think he knew who you were, Coach.”
“Princess, when a child of God’s light takes an Oath, he is sworn to it. By betraying you, he has betrayed his oath, therefore, betraying God. This offense is very serious. It does not matter the reason behind it. Betrayal is betrayal,” the man informs her.
“May I ask why you did not come forward on your own accord?” Coach asks.
“Because I couldn’t say I wouldn’t do the same thing. Apophis had my parents and I went there to save them. I put everyone in danger too. Because he had people I loved. Because I would do anything to get them back. I don’t think he should be held accountable for trying to save Lila.”
“This will weigh heavy on your character,” the principal looking man says.
Keely raises her chin. “I hope it does.”
“If that’s all you have to say, we’ll move on.”
“Just one last thing, please. I know you look at what Dustin did like he did something personally to all of you. But I was the one he did it to. And I don’t think he should be punished for it. If that matters.”
“We’ll take it into consideration,” the man in charge says and smiles kindly at her.
Twenty-Seven:
Nick is told to stay where he is. Keely is asked to return to her seat. She wants to hug Nick and wish him luck, but she doesn’t. She knows it’s better for both of them if she does exactly as she’s been instructed. No reason to flaunt their relationship in the face of the Hierarchy.
Keely turns in time to see Lila walk out the door. Part of her is relieved she doesn’t have to sit with her while the other part wants to apologize.
“Guardian Wallace, you are branded with hindrance and amoral consorting. Do you confirm or deny?”
“I confirm on both grounds,” Nick says.
Whispers and gasps roll through the room. “Students, please be respectful or you will all be asked to go back to your classes,” a woman from the Hierarchy scolds.
“Are you ready to give your statement at this time?”
“Yes, sir, I am. I will address the brand of hindrance first,” Nick says. “I took an Oath to protect Princess Keely. My Oath is my honor. I take it very seriously. It is my duty to protect Keely at any cost to myself. I have sworn to give my life in order to preserve hers. I am unaware of any clause that states I should not be willing to give my job to defend her. I would say the order of a man’s life is honoring the Angel first, my charge’s life second, my family, my own life, and my job last. I have not dishonored the Angel by my actions. I have insured my charge’s life. As any Guardian is aware, life doesn’t always go by the book, so therefore, I cannot always act by the book. I don’t believe there is any one way to handle a situation. I learned of the Demon King’s wish to keep the Princess alive only the night before we escorted her to Pandora. I was aware she was planning on entering a dangerous situation and decided it took precedence. I acted upon the needs of my charge.”
“It sounds nice, Guardian Wallace, but if your charge hadn’t been abducted Friday night, would you have come forward with this information willingly?” Principal asks.
“I planned to seek my father’s council, yes.”
“Do you believe, sitting here before us today, that you made the correct decision?” the pretty woman asks.
“No I do not. In trying to protect her, I put the Princess in greater risk. I should have sought assistance from the Hierarchy.”
“Often, we learn the hard way,” the man says.
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you have a statement for the brand of amoral consorting?”
Nick clears his throat. “Yes.” He runs a hand through his hair. Inhales deeply. “This hasn’t been the typical job by any means. For a yea
r, I hid who I was from my charge. I protected her in secret. Watching someone when they don’t know you’re watching, you see who they really are. Not the person they want to show you. We’re all a little better when we know someone is looking. But Keely, she’s just Keely. She is the same person whether she knows you’re looking or not.”
Bryon slides into the seat next to Keely. He leans in and whispers, “What’ve I missed?”
“A lot.” She gives him a look that clearly means she wants him to shut-up.
“It’s simple. I fell in love with her,” Nick finishes.
“Relationships between a Guardian and a charge are not common practice,” Principal declares.
“Yes, but not unlawful.”
“It is not unlawful. You’re right. But do you feel you can make the proper decisions necessary to protect her when you are emotionally invested?” A small man in the last chair asks.
“I believe I will be even more careful in the decisions I make from here on out.”
“Do you think your feelings for the Princess altered your decision making in the past? Such as your decision to hinder the Hierarchy?” Nick’s dad asks.
Nick meets his dad’s eyes. “Yes. My Oath is to protect Keely. Not to protect her from everything but the Hierarchy,” he says firmly.
“Do you feel you are perhaps biased due to your feelings?” the man in charge asks.
“Biased how? I have pledged my life to keep Keely safe. I will do that. Perhaps better than I might have before I loved her.”
“But what about future assignments?” Coach wonders.
“I have not taken an Oath for any other jobs.”
“Yes, but there will come a time when you will be reassigned to another. Will you be able to fulfill your duties?” the pretty woman asks.
“My father loves my mother very much, yet he has always fulfilled his obligation to a charge.”
“Yes, but your mother has never been your father’s charge. She is his equal,” Principal offers.
Nick smiles. “If it is a question of equality, the Princess is equal to no one. She’s better than all of us. She comes from a Guardian mother and undeviatingly from a Watcher. Nobody else can say that. I know how special she is. And I will guard her as such.”
“We are fully aware of where the Princess comes from,” Principal says. “I worry that perhaps your commitment is too zealous.”
“I have sworn to die for her, my commitment cannot run any deeper than that,” Nick scoffs.
They sit in complete silence. If someone were to drop a pin, everyone would hear it. Keely feels like she should say something in his defense. They can talk about her, but she isn’t allowed to talk? She disagrees. Keely holds up her hand as if she were in class. “May I say something, please?”
“I don’t see why not,” Coach says with a shrug. “She’s the reason we’re here.”
Keely squeezes past Bryon and walks quickly to where Nick is seated. She takes a deep breath and smoothes her hair. “I just want to say that there have been a lot of attempts on my life, but I’m still here. Nick has done his job well. I owe him my life. He’s great at what he does. His whole team is. And if you choose to give me a Guardian after today, I want that Guardian to be Nick. I trust him. I care about him.”
“Very nice, Princess, but your feelings have little to do with Guardian Wallace’s actions,” Principal says as if he is tired of hearing everyone’s voices.
“Princess? I am interested in your opinion,” the pretty woman begins. “If Guardian Wallace were to be placed with another charge, how would you feel about that? Would you accept another Guardian?”
“I would accept the Hierarchy’s decision. I would not feel…happy about it, but I’d accept it. I wouldn’t want another Guardian, though. I’m half Guardian, so I could just learn to protect myself. I actually would like to attend school here and train to be someone else’s Guardian.”
Again, the room breaks out in whispers. Keely’s face grows warm. She rubs her arms. No matter where she goes, she’s the freak.
“We’ll take a break before judgment is passed,” the man in charge declares. “All students need to report back to your classes.”
Nick guides Keely to the side of the room as the students clear out. “Thank you for speaking on my behalf.”
“I don’t think it did a lot of good. They don’t seem to like me much.”
“It doesn’t matter if they like you. They can’t act as if they feel any specific way. They’re supposed to be neutral.”
“How long will it take for them to decide?”
“I have no idea. Hopefully they do it quickly. I just want this over with. I mean, if they want me to resign, I will. They can’t stop me from being with you. And if they assign you a new Guardian, you need to take it. The more protection you have, the better.”
“I don’t want another Guardian,” Keely sulks.
“You can’t go without one.”
“You can teach me how to take care of myself. Train me to kick ass like you and Bryon and Lila.”
“Keely?” Nick takes her hand. “You should have told me about Dustin.”
“Why? He did what anybody would have done.”
“No, he didn’t,” Nick says, disgusted. “We are supposed to be a team. We work together. If he had done the right thing, he would have been with me when I found you and Lila.” He shakes his head. “When I think of Dustin holding you so Apophis could hit you, I just want to kill him.”
“What?” Bryon stands behind Keely, his face a mask of disbelief. “What did you just say?”
“Bryon, it’s not like it sounds,” Keely begins, but he cuts her off.
“It sounds like Dustin held you so your sick and demented Demon brother could hit you. Dustin?”
“Nothing wrong with your hearing,” Nick says. “To the point of unconsciousness, isn’t that right?”
“I only remember him hitting me once. Then I woke up in that cell.”
“Why did he do it?” Bryon asks, his voice tight with anger.
Keely explains once again why Dustin was forced to do what he did. She gives him the short version because her mom and dad make their way over to them.
“I can’t believe he did that. I mean, I believe you, I just can’t believe it,” Bryon says. “If they don’t kill him, I will.”
“They won’t kill him. Will they?” Keely puts her hand over her mouth. If she had thought that, even for a second, she would have lied.
“He’s been branded with treason. It is punishable by death most of the time,” Nick says.
“He doesn’t deserve to die. Hasn’t he been punished enough?”
“I kind of want to kill him,” Bryon says casually.
“Ugh. Stop it. Both of you. I would have done the same thing for either one of you. Would you want me to be sentenced to death?”
“Keely, you need to calm down,” Kimberly says stiffly. “They can’t hear you speaking pertly about their practices.”
“It’s wrong, Mom. Who are they to judge? They are not God. I understand in some circumstances it may be necessary to kill, but not for what Dustin did. He was tortured. He lost an eye. And I’m fine. He did no permanent damage to anyone but himself. It isn’t right.”
“If they shouldn’t judge, then neither should you. If his Oath meant that little to him to disregard it so easily, who is to say he won’t do it again? You should have told us, Keely. You’re lucky he hasn’t hurt somebody else already. Everything worked out o.k. this time. But what about next time? What if the next time he decides someone’s more important than Nick and it costs him his life? Would you be so forgiving then?”
And too much of this little speech makes sense to Keely. She nods, grinding her teeth. “I would want to kill him too. It’s just, nobody did die. Can’t they like, un-Oath him?”
“I’d rather be sentenced to death than have my Oath revoked,” Bryon says quietly.
“They can. They’ve done it before,” her mom states. r />
“I just find it hypocritical the Hierarchy may decide I’m too much of a threat and execute me, but Dustin jeopardizing my life for Lila’s life may cost him his life.”
“It’s a different world here,” her mom sighs.
“They are not going to execute you, Honey,” Kevin says.
“There is no way. We would never allow that to happen,” Bryon adds rigidly.
The Hierarchy enters the room and takes their seats, same as before. There are few people still in the surrounding seats, but the room has drastically cleared out. Keely recognizes one man from Friday. He came with Nick as part of his search party. The rest she’s never seen before. They all take their seats and wait for a ruling.
“We are unable to make a definitive decision about Guardian Wallace until we understand more about you, Princess. Please come forward and take conference with us,” the man announces.
So this is it. It’s her turn. She rises and as Nick moves to stand, she puts her hand out. “I need to do this alone.” She places herself in the chair in front of the Hierarchy. Her stomach churns with nerves, but she tries to appear at ease. She reminds herself she has nothing to hide.
“Princess, has the extraordinary circumstances surrounding your life been thoroughly explained to you?” the pretty woman asks.
“That my real father is the Demon King? That he was a Watcher, the only fallen Watcher that didn’t return to Heaven? That I am the only known living daughter born directly from the bloodline of an Angel?”
The pretty woman smiles. “Your Guardian keeps you well informed. Do you understand how special you are?”
Keely shrugs. She doesn’t feel special, but this is what everyone tells her. “I guess so.”
“When someone has a parent from an Arch Angel bloodline, this person takes the title White Warrior. Currently they are our most valued lineage. Long, long ago, if an Angel married another Angel’s offspring, a Watcher, or a Guardian, their children were also very special. They were given the title Doyenne. These children were believed to have been sent from the Heavens in order to shepherd man. Obviously over the years, these children have died, forcing the Doyenne into extinction. It is a term no longer used until now. You, Princess, are a Doyenne. So you see, you are not a Guardian, nor are you a Watcher. What we must discover is if you are here to lead the Angel’s children, or the Demon’s.”