Love and Betrayal | Wriolette

Chapter 12: With tears come rain

"Go on then, speak. Where was the 'murderers' fingerprints? How come only yours were found?" Neuvillette exclaimed loudly, practically shouting at Wriothesley. But this wasn't purely out of rage. Neuvillette had done it. He fucking cracked it. The realization hit him like a brick. Wriothesley was frozen, a look of terror on his face. He knew what it had come to.. And so did Neuvillette. He was so surprised, he let out an audible gasp, covering his mouth. He knew what was coming.

"I.." Wriothesley finally spoke up. He simply did not know what to say. "He was.. wearing gloves?" Wriothesley managed to mutter, still frozen.

"We have the clothing he wore during the murder! He was not wearing any gloves! If he was, then why did you say you saw blood on his hands? YOU WOULDN'T HAVE SEEN ANY IF HE WAS WEARING THEM!" Neuvillette shouted. At this point, he was practically screaming, leaving the entire Opera Epiclese dead silent. The shouts were no longer out of anger. The Iudex was clearly tearing up, because he knew with Wriothesley being guilty with something like this, there was no good to come. And he didn't mean a life scentence to the fortress. Suddenly, there was a loud sounds outside. Followed by many loud little pitter-patters heard on the roof.

It was raining.

-

Wriothesley stayed silent as he watched Neuvillette trying not to break down, many other citizens watching from below, confused and concerned. 

"Neuvi.." He whispered under his breath as he began to go slightly teary eyed as well. He knew better than anyone at that point what the rain meant, and wanted nothing more but for him to be able to pull the Iudex into a tight embrace. But with how things were going, he didn't know if he'd ever be able to do that. As Neuvillette tried to calm himself, he finally spoke up in a much quieter voice.

"We.. We will now hear the verdict decided by the Oratrice Mecanique D'analyse Cardinale." Muttered the Iudex, trying his best to hold back his tears. With both Wriothesley and Neuvillette knowing what there was to come, they watched as the Oratrice made the final decision. And as always in court, Neuvillette said his line. This time, in tears.

"According to the judgement of the Oratrice Mecanique D'analyse Cardinale, Sir Wriothesley is.. Guilty." He said as they could here the rain grow stronger. No longer trying to hold back, and with tears running down the Iudex's face, he spoke.

"And will be punished via.. the death scentence." He said looking down, while the citizens watching gasped. At this point, the Duke had excepted it. He too, with tears now running down his face, looked up and smiled at Neuvillette. They made eye contact, and Wriothesley mouthed the words "It will be alright, my love."

The case was dismissed, and Wriothesley's execution time was set. He was taken out of the Opera Epiclese by the Guards, but just as they were about to lead him to the fortress, they heard a voice yelling from behind them. 

"Wait!" Yelled the Iudex, running towards them.

"Y-Yes your honor?" Said the guards, nervous to be speaking to a higher up. Everyone was drenched in rain at this point, but Neuvillette nor Wriothesley cared one bit. They were just overjoyed to see eachother.

"Please, allow me to personally escort him to the fortress. Please notify Chlorinde of the current condition so she can tend to the needed duties." Said Neuvillette, managing to hold himself together.

"Yes, of course sir." Said the two guards, and they ran off. Now it was just the two of them in the rain, both crying.

"Hey Neuvi." Said Wriothesley with a smile. He had just exepted the conditions at this point, and now he was with Neuvillette. So it was going to be okay.

"Wriothesley I-" But before he could finish his scentence, he was pulled into a warm kiss by the Duke, muffling each others tears. Neuvillette melted and for those few seconds, everything went away. Until they pulled away.

"I'm so sorry Neuvi.." Wriothesley said, continuing to apologize over and over while cupping Neuvillette's face in his hands. "My parents treated us like livestock. It was pure torture.. and I had to do it. For me and my siblings. But my older brother appreciated it so much that he took the blame for me and I.. didn't know he would be sentenced to death. Im so sorry." He said in tears as he pulled Neuvillette in for a tight hug.

"It's okay. It's alright Wrio." He said with his voice muffled, his face in Wriothesley's chest. He just couldn't fathom that the love of his life would be gone in a matter of hours. As he continued to cry into Wriothesley's chest, he remembered something. Something extremally crucial. In that moment, he immediately stopped crying and remembered a rule that was decided long ago. If the higher up permitted it, the death sentence could be taken by another. Many who's loved ones were scentenced to death begged of him to allow it, but he simply couldn't just let a completely innocent person who had done no wrong die for somebody who deserved it. But he knew deep down Wriothesley didn't deserve it, any of it. And for once, he could make the decision. He could allow it. He had done plenty of bad things in his lifetime, so he wasn't just some innocent person dying. He would do it for Wriothesley.

He would take his death scentence.