Weight of a Lie
Everything happened in a blur, unfolding like some kind of nightmare. The new guard took a rough hold of Serenity's father and dragged him away. Addison had to restrain Rosalie, as Bran and Salazar shouted and ran into Hearthhart Hall, demanding to know what had been found. Serenity pushed her way through the crowd to follow the guard who had her father. She grabbed onto his arm and pulled it.
"There's been some kind of mistake! My father is innocent, please listen to me!"
The guard stared at her coldly with his icy blue eyes and easily elbowed her off of him. "Get her away from me," he grunted at a nearby guard, who pulled her off him.
"Wait… no!" she fell to her knees and cried as the guards escorted her father away.
"It's okay, Serenity. We'll figure this out, trust me," said Cas as she knelt next to her.
"Oh, Cas, what is this happening?" Serenity said, sobbing into her arms.
The family sat together in the dining area, all still in shock. Bran and Salazar stared into space, Rosalie cried softly, and Cas looked out the window, deep in thought. The servants had all made themselves scarce, so Heathhart Hall was quiet but for the sound of a large pendulum clock in the ballroom, which quickly became deafening. No one knew what to do or say.
Finally, Serenity broke the silence. "We can't just sit here, someone's framed Father!" she huffed.
"Hush. There's been some kind of mistake, that's for sure, but what can we do?" Rosalie responded sadly. "It's a royal family member who's been killed. We have to trust that the truth will come out and your father's innocence will be proven. Going into the palace or the jail and making a scene will only make things worse."
Serenity stood up recklessly, her chair dragging against the floor in an explosion of sound which echoed loudly around the cavernous rooms. "I don't care, I have to do something!"
"Serenity," said Bran with annoyance, shaking his head. "You won't help."
"To hell, I won't," Serenity stormed out of the room and was quickly followed by Cas. She heard her family's voices calling out after her, but she didn't listen.
Serenity and Cas walked quickly through the city towards Daggerfall Prison. People were crowding around, talking loudly and staring at Serenity. She could hear some of what they were saying, and it cut her to the core.
"Prince Qiaren, he really is dead…"
"Yes it's true, and the Hearthharts were behind it."
"Addison couldn't make the arrest. He's apparently in love with one of them, got it real bad for the youngest daughter."
"Isn't that her? Oh sweet Dibella, the poor thing."
Serenity strode faster, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall. She marched up the stairs of the prison and barreled through the door, shocking the guard on duty.
"Miss! What is the meaning of—"
"I demand you take me to see Mattias Hearthhart. Now."
"Yeah… I don't think that's such a good idea."
"NOW!" Serenity yelled, lacing her words with persuasion magic and commanding a kind of authority rarely seen in a woman of her size.
The guard got up and led her and Cas through to the prison cells. They walked past some of the inmates, who cat-called and reached out toward Cas and Serenity.
"Damn… they make 'em different these days."
"Looking for Daddy, are we?"
"Ohh, wait until you find out what that fancy new guard and his nasty little accomplice did to him, heh. Aw. Why don't you come over here? I'll make you feel all better, sweetheart," sneered a mean-looking Argonian of formidable stature, as he thrust his hips against the bars of his cell.
"Behave yourselves, you lot," growled the guard menacingly. "Or you just might find your worthless hides in the torture room later on, hey?"
The corridor quickly fell silent. They arrived at a large room in the center of the prison, and the guard unlocked the door and let them inside.
Serenity started bawling at the sight of her father. He was beaten and bloody, strung up like some kind of animal. She approached him and threw her arms around his chest.
"Who would do this to you, father? Why… why?" Serenity cried.
Mattias groaned, wincing in pain. He attempted to speak. "R-ren. The guard, he's, he's… Just please know I love you, okay? Whatever happens, whatever they tell you... Never forget that."
"I love you too. I'll get to the bottom of this, I promise."
Serenity turned viciously on the guard. "Who let this happen? Father is innocent. There hasn't even been a hearing!"
"Miss. The only people who've come through here are members of the Guard. It doesn't matter who your father is, he's accused of killing a Prince," said the guard, as he crossed his arms and looked out the window. "There's more than enough evidence against him to have him on the gallows at first light. Your father is a dead man walking."
"Serenity, stop. Just take a deep breath and calm down. They'll arrest you next, the way you're going," said Cas. She sat cross-legged on a rock down at the beach, trying to reason with Serenity as she paced back and forth.
"I don't care! Somebody has to know something Cas. The servants, the maids, even you! The Daggerfall Guard can't seem to do their damn job, so we'll do it for them. Whatever evidence they're on about has been falsified, I know it."
"Serenity, what if... Maybe it was him."
Serenity whirled around. "What are you talking about? Are you insinuating that Father is a murderer? The real killer is out there and my father is to be punished for their actions."
Cas rested her face on her hand as though nursing a headache. "I know Serenity, I know. But I just can't think of anything we could do that'll change things. We could all be targeted when an investigation launches, and your father might not be the only one to go down. Think of Rosalie, your brothers, me… and yourself."
"You cannot be serious."
"Serenity…"
"If he dies, our whole family will fall anyway! Nope, that's it. I'm getting us all together, and anyone else who'll follow. We'll request a reception with the royal family. We can fix this… They can't ignore us all."
As Serenity approached Hearthhart Hall, she noticed two men outside the front doors. They stood with their arms crossed, seemingly stationed there. Serenity approached them angrily.
"Hey, you there! What's all this about?"
The men looked at each other. They both had masks on, so Serenity was unable to determine their identities. They definitely weren't guards and were wearing some sort of strange, red light armor.
"I'm afraid we can't let you in here," said the man on the right.
"You what? This is my house. Stand aside, now."
"It is?" The one on the left frowned. "Well… you're not coming in. Now, be gone. We don't want to have to hurt you."
Serenity ran for the door, seeing red. "Stand aside, you fools. I have to talk to my family!"
The man on the left stepped in front of the door and grabbed a hold of Serenity's neck. He lifted her off her feet easily and held her face up to his as she kicked and struggled. "How did you slip away so easily, huh?" he hissed.
All of a sudden, a rush of cold flew over their heads and crashed into the wall. It exploded and fizzled, crackling menacingly with magical energy.
Cas approached them, holding her arm up. "Drop her. I assure you, the next one won't miss."
The man threw Serenity down the stairs, and she fell heavily on her backside. Cas knelt beside her, and Serenity looked at the men, trembling with fear. "W-what is going on?"
"They're… probably just stationed here to protect your family and prevent anyone from tampering with evidence."
"Why won't they let me in, Cas?" Serenity turned to her, teary-eyed.
Cas looked down at her solemnly. "I told you making a scene wasn't a good idea. They're making sure you don't make things worse."
Serenity couldn't believe what she was hearing. Time was running out for her father, and she knew she had to do something before it was too late. Suddenly, it came to her. Serenity jumped to her feet and ran off.
"Wait!" yelled Cas. "Where are you going now?"
"To the only one I know who can do something to save Father!" Serenity called out over her shoulder as she sprinted back into town, bound for Daggerfall Castle.