Opera in Underland

14. Rescuers

As soon as Nergal unmasked, Rosalind knew she could as well. She pulled back the hood on her cloak, giving her a full view of the courtroom. She spotted her sister immediately and trotted down the pathway Nergal had created through the crowd, going to the younger girl's side.

For the first time in over a year, indigo eyes looked up at her. But now they were wide with fear and confusion. If it were possible for the girl's face to be any paler, it certainly was now. The only word she got out was a little whisper, as if she wasn't sure whether to believe what she saw. "Rose?"

"Yeah, Lia. It's okay, we're getting you out of here." She put an arm around her sister in an attempt to comfort her and looked back towards the figure commanding the room's attention.

Nergal was smirking, clearly satisfied with himself and the change in the room he had instigated. "Yes, yes, I know none of you have seen me in quite some time, but please, it is rude to stare."

"Well dey ain't starin' cause dey admire you, y'know," Grim retorted, standing up to face him. The two were nearly equal in height, both tall and slim, and both clearly forces to be reckoned with. Rosalind suspected this wasn't going to be a pretty conversation - she could practically smell the testosterone.

Nergal gave a snort in response. "Well, Reaper, you're one to talk, as the servant of a couple of children. Anyway, I'm not here to argue positions with you. I'm here to get the girl back to her sister, where none of you lot can bother her any longer."

Rosalind actually blinked in surprise at that last bit. Just a moment ago he had stated he was claiming Ophelia back for himself. Now he was being altruistic? It made her wonder what could possibly be motivating him. Although at the moment, she was more concerned with the looks Mandy and Grim were giving her.

Mandy, in particular, was questioning her with cold black eyes. "You seriously went to this slimebucket for help?"

She felt her sister's grip on her arm tighten slightly at their stares, and it made her grow bold. "Well considering you arrested my sister and want to throw her in a dungeon, better him than you."

That earned her a fresh and vicious glare. But Mandy made no move besides that, and stayed where she was as Grim spoke again.

"And just how are ya gonna do dat? You've got no power here and ya know it."

"Don't I?" Nergal strutted forward to the judge, who seemed only slightly nervous at his approach. Grim tried to keep protesting, but he was sounding less sure. "Well - no, I mean, weren't ya banished thousands of years ago?"

"Indeed I was. You were there, I believe," Nergal noted, throwing a glare over his shoulder at Grim. "But, for the court's sake... I'd like to submit the original order of my banishment as a piece of evidence and have it read." He took a rolled up piece of rather ancient looking parchment from his jacket pocket then, and looked directly at the judge before handing the paper to a court official.
The judge's underling, hands shaking, took the paper and unrolled it, scanning it quickly with his eyes and pulling back a bit when he got to a part near the bottom.

"Well?" the judge prompted, trying to reassert his control. "What's all this about? Read it out for the court."

"But- your honor, it's just- this order expires today."

The entire court gasped and erupted into chatter all in one instant. It took a few bangs of the judge's gavel to silence them. Rosalind felt her own eyebrows skyrocket upward. Either they had gotten exceedingly lucky, or Nergal was smarter than he looked.

"Let me see that," the judge grumbled, grabbing the document. In just a few moments, he had a similar look on his face to the official who had originally received it. "He's... right. The term runs out today."