DAWN’S POV This is not my father. I know him but he was never like this. I can't say that he was the best of fathers, but he was loving and understanding at least to me. Now it does not behoove me to persecute him. I know that he seeks my life, but then what right do I have to condemn him before everyone? All I want is for him to accept the fact that he can't kill me, at least not as easily as he wants to, and give up. Even if he does not ask for it, I definitely would forgive him. “Speak, Dawn, you have no right to remain silent” Scarlet commanded. “My queen, it is true that I fought against my people” I replied in a single sentence. I know the truth, Scarlet knows the truth, but for the people, everyone knows the truth. What gain would there be in making my father appear as the bad one? She is the queen and she can free me with no one daring to question her. As for my father, I know that he has gone deeply astray, but I still believe that there is hope for him. I am aware that this might take long but I am willing to give in my all for him. She should not condemn him, she should leave him to me, and soon he would be that father that she had always desired. This is my promise to her. “Now tell us why you had to fight against your people,” she demanded further. I should reveal my reasons for standing up to our soldiers and fighting alongside the Pixies. Yes, this is the word that my father holds against me, treason. But won't an explanation put an end to all his accusations? Won't that make him the guilty one since it was all masterminded by him? Would I want such to happen? “Or were you forced?” Scarlet inquired. But then, the queen desires an answer from me and I am obliged to give it to her. I have to tell my own side of the story for the people to hear. I should not forget the fact that in trying to save my father, I should also ensure to protect my image. Loyalty to one’s Pack and people is paramount, and it means a lot to werewolves and I should never intentionally allow myself to appear otherwise to them. With these thoughts, I went on to explain what transpired that led to my fighting for the Pixies. “No, my queen. There is a war going on, and I was in Pixolands at the time when the soldiers of Diamond Cut attacked us” I paused for a moment. “That is not the battleground, and they were aware that our men, the soldiers of Pixolands have gone off to war. As at the time this happened the Pixies were my people and I could not sit back and watch such a grave injustice happen to them. They have been good to me while I was with them and made me feel at home” I stopped and allowed the noise that my revelation had generated to die down. Yes, I was captured by the Pixies, and no one would understand why they would be good to me at the same time. How would they when they don’t know that the queen is my long-lost sister? They all debated among themselves on the possibility of a prisoner getting good treatment to warrant a display of unfettered loyalty against one’s own Pack. They could not understand this, and in as much as they tried to, it continued to sound foreign to them. When the noise had subsided, I continued. “At the time we were short of mercenaries, we had only a few men and a lot of women, helpless children, and the aged. Everyone would agree with me that the war was completely uncalled for. I might not be in the herm of affairs of our Pack, but I know that there was no justification for going to war against the Pixies and even though the war was all our initiative, the Pixies would never attack our land or fight against our children and elders” I paused. “The Pixies would never invade our land with the intention of burning our houses and destroying our farmlands. It was an unfair war practice on the side of our soldiers and I knew it. Coming against helpless citizens was uncalled for and I just would not condone it. So I had to fight with the rest for our lives and a place that had become my home” I finally stopped. “You...” my father gnashed his teeth, pointing at me. “You ordered it, father, what if I had been killed in the process?” I asked. “Ingrate, that is what you are. You are better off dead” he howled. I could feel the hate radiating from him. If he can, he would kill me with his eyes. It is a pity that he is not ready to admit his wrong and this realization hurt me deeply. BETA TIM’S POV “You...” I muttered as soon as she finished speaking. I was gnashing my teeth all along as I listened to her tale. I cannot believe that she has been the household demon all along, the white-eyed wolf. And to think that she was a daughter that I spoilt, a daughter that I delight in even when there was not a reason to. She was supposed to be one with me and support me even if I am clearly in the wrong and not to come out here to proclaim her verdict on me even before the queen does so. “You ordered it, father, what if I had been killed in the process?” she asked. Isn’t she worse off than death? I fumed inside. “Ingrate, that is what you are. You are better off dead” I cussed. Whatever I did I did for her, I did for our family and I did for the Pack.A betrayer, that is what she has always been. She claimed to have been captured by the Pixies, yet she was allowed to be free with them. What stops her from returning to her people knowing full well that she was in the territory of the enemy who sought to wipe out every single one of her people? See now even the queen, the king, and the leader of the rogues can all stand up for her. Of what good is she to them for they to be this eager to defend her when it is clear that she had gone against her own people? Even if she got the treatment of a spoilt princess in Pixolands, what about the precarious state of the health of her brothers, does she not care about them, doesn’t it bother her that her so acclaimed friends would dare to do that to her own family? I will kill her here even if that is the last thing that I do before taking my own life. “And now what should be your punishment now, Tim?” the queen asked. My punishment, she would still want to punish me even when all the facts are in my favor? To hell with her and her mantle. Between Dawn and me, I say who is guilty and who is not. I was still boiling in anger and unwilling to answer the queen when Mildrid spoke up. “She betrayed her people, and so she is the guilty one” “And you don’t speak, witch, especially when you are not spoken to” the Chamlee stood up and yelled pointing his finger angrily at Mildrid. “I see you are still alive” Mildrid mocked. “Shut up right now” the queen yelled at Mildrid. “And who speaks?” Mildrid retorted. What, did Mildrid just reply to the queen? I can see that she does not value her life one bit. She is definitely the proverbial fly that follows the corpse to the grave. For me, I am not with her in this. “I can end you this very moment, watch your mouth” the queen warned. “You scary little girl, you dare to speak when I am speaking,” Mildrid said with her finger pointing at the queen. Oh no, this is getting really tense. I said to myself. “You witch, enough” alpha Fred sprang to his feet and warned angrily. At this point, Dawn pulled away from me and ran to her mate, Landon. I did not go after her, there is a lot on ground at the moment and her issue is trivia. “Now I will show you no mercy” the queen growled. Mildrid chuckled and took a step forward. “Stop hiding behind those veils, you scary kitten, show your face” she demanded. My mouth dropped open in terror.