Knight | Celeste Academy Series BK #1

5th Chapter ♣ The Court's Trial

"Welcome to Valemnia!"

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CHAPTER FIVE ♣ THE COURT'S TRIAL

"Wake up the girl, someone please."

Someone started shaking her and tapping on her face. Valeriana's eyes fluttered open at this, confusion showing on her face. She looked around warily and tried shifting to a more comfortable position when she realized her torso down to her ankles tightly bound by thick ropes.

"What the hell!" she exclaimed, struggling to sit up.

"Keep it down, now." She paused as the command resonated throughout the whole room.

Crap, my head hurts.

Valeriana fixed her gaze to the sound of the voice. She was lying on the center of round, dim-lit chamber of some sort. The walls were made up of brick of rough, pale-grey stones with a domed ceiling and candles which served as the wall-lighting. There were elevated seats behind a long, curved table in which five, cloaked figures, sitting distantly from one another had positioned themselves.

"I am the Court Leader, Lord Aeron LaVallene. Here with me is Sir Berias, Lady Aleara, Sir Zeke, and Lady Josephine."

Their cloaks were the color of silky white, trimmed with gold. Silvery threads embroidered patterns onto the cloth, making them look domineering and . . . formidable. Valeriana silently huffed at the train of thought, but at least they weren't brown.

She cautiously stared at all of them. "You guys look like you're a part of a cult," she commented straight on.

Hearing this, the cloaked figure at the very center started laughing. Throwing her gaze around some more, she discovered that Seraphina was standing a few steps away from her, head hanging low with her hands bound by a rope together in front of her. Her hair blinded her face, so she wasn't able to see how she looked like.

Valeriana gasped and trashed around violently, wanting to break free. At least there was one person in the room that she, at least, knew. Sad news was that she didn't look freer than she was.

"Seraphina! You—what . . ."

A hand clamped on her shoulder and she was pulled up on her feet. She strained to stand up straight and prevent herself from falling back down.

"So you do know her."

Uh-oh. Though instead of showing her idiocy at slipping, she tried to redirect the attention.

"Hey, people! What's with the ropes?!" she yelled angrily in discomfort.

"Instead of going peacefully, you fought hard and attempted to escape. Emmett also informed us how violent you were. We're only taking countermeasures."

"What did you expect me to do? Come with you with a smile on my face! Hell no! I'm not some idiot! And why the heck do I have to be tied all over! You could've just cuffed my hands and feet together, you know. I don't get why it should be my whole body except my face!"

"Such ruckus. Quiet down!"

"Oh, please! Will someone gag this girl!?"

One of the cloaked figures started waving their hands and someone walked forward, winding a cloth around her mouth tightly.

"Mmmm! Mmmmmm! Mm!" She tried speaking, but her words came out as low, muffled moans.

"She's too noisy," someone commented.

"At least we know now this whole thing won't be boring," added another.

"She's an aggressive one. Well, then, let's proceed."