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"Where is he?" Fabian cried, truly angry as he stormed through the house. "Where is that ungrateful little stupid idiot!"

Everyone looked up, completely shocked at his outburst. This was Fabian, the quiet resourceful one who never needed to raise his voice. "Fabes? Why are you being so rude?" Joy asked, smoothing out her blue dress, it was one of her nicest ones, and she was just looking for an excuse to wear it.

"It's gone!" he cried "The gem is gone!"

"What?" Nina shrieked standing up "It can't be! Who would steal it?"

"I have a pretty good idea," Fabian grumbled, pushing past the astonished Mick who stood in the door way. Everyone turned to see Mara, who was sat there, shock all over her face.

"I didn't know about this, I swear," she said truthfully.

Line Break

"Do I even want to ask why you even have a prison down here?" Jerome asked. And he didn't look any different even though he was locked in a prison cell in the basement with hand cuffs around his wrists, and only the light o one window streaming onto him. He looked fine. He looked cool and comfortable.

"How could you do this, Jerome?" Mick cried "One day after you promised! You promised!"

"Oh not you too," Jerome shook his head waving him off "I didn't do it!"

"Yeah right! You know as well as I do how much that gem is worth! You would do anything to get it back! We called the guards from a nearby village, you either give us the gem…or they're going to kill you,"

At this, Jerome became serious. There was no way he was going down the same way as his dad. No way. He knew his dad was innocent and of course the judge wouldn't listen to it, so eager to pass the blame and get it over with. To them, it was just another case, but it was Jerome's whole life. It made him who he was, the day he witnessed his fathers death, he changed forever.

"What?" he cried, pressing his face against the bars desperately "You're joking right? I swear to you Mick! I swear to you I haven't! I would never take it! I promised! I promised! Look! Look the scar is still there! I haven't broken it!"

"Yeah right," Mick shook his head "I know anyone could forge a scar like that, especially someone like you. And I'm not letting you get away with it."

"Please," Jerome looked him in the eye "Come on Mick, you know me better than anyone else in the world-"

"I knew the old you. I knew a teenager who was fumbling his way through life who still had some kindness left. You huntsman….I have no idea who or what you are,"

Jerome looked him right into the eyes, blue eyes shining and glimmering more than ever before "I promise you, Mick. I didn't do it."

Mick took a deep breath.

Line Break

"This is stupid," Jerome grumbled. They were all in the back of a wagon, as they drove to the village far off. The Dwarves may have been harsh, but they were not unfair and they wouldn't turn them in, even if Jerome had stolen a rare and expensive gem that was keeping them alive.

"Can't believe you," Mara hissed, sat opposite him, but she was looking away.

"Me neither," Joy shook her head "You're disgusting, I can't believe I ever trusted you."

"Oh for the last time! I didn't do it!" Jerome cried, turning to look at Joy, Eddie, Patricia, Fabian, Nina, Mara and Alfie. "I didn't! Where's Mick! He can prove it!"

"Stop trying to pass the blame to him!" Patricia yelled "He didn't go a thing to you! He tried to warn you! To stop you! It's not our fault you didn't listen!"

"Come on! Eddie?" Jerome pleaded to the boy he had bonded with, the boy he barely even knew "What do you think?" Eddie turned to look at him, his eyes sad, and he opened his mouth but Patricia cut him off

"Don't pass the blame!" she called again "Okay?"

Line Break

"You realise," Mara whispered. She was tied up too, just for safe measure, they didn't need to tie her up, they didn't think she was in on it, but it was to be safe. And Jerome was tied up far tighter than she was, he could barely move. "That if they find you to be guilty, I'll be locked up for ever. Some life,"

"Mara please-"

"My whole life, Jerome. I always felt like second best, I tried to hide it with smiles and kindness, and it worked for some time. And the façade…it feels real enough, occasionally so real that you forget its not who you actually are,"

"Like playing a character," Jerome nodded, beckoning for her to continue.

"If you did it Jerome….admit to it," she urged in a whisper "The punishment is always lessened slightly if you just admit to it, please. You'll be helping everyone,"

"You want me to admit to something I didn't do?" Jerome asked, looking her right in the eye, and in his sincerest voice said "Well I'm sorry, Princess. I can't do that."

There was silence, and you could only hear the horses hooves trotting along, Mara watched him, waiting for some sign of a lie. And for one moment, she doubted herself. She truly doubted whether she was right when she had never had the need before. For a moment…she thought he was telling the truth.

"Well, I hope you can convince the judges of that," she said softly.

Line Break

The figure was tall and lean, rather shapely. Completely black with a balaclava over where its head. So you couldn't tell if it was a man or woman. They glided through the house, like a dancer, graceful, moving in the shadows. They pressed their whole body flat against the wall, and listened.

Snoring.

They twirled and tiptoed to the room at the end of the hall. The room that contained the gem. They tried the handle, a gentle tug, locked. Of course. The figure looked around, they hadn't brought anything, no tools. But it was not a mistake. They had done it on purpose, they would never bring their own tools to the scene of a gonna-be crime. Anything could happen. Finger prints.

The figure went to the closest door, which was left a crack open, they pushed on it, and it didn't creak for the first time in record history. The figure looked around, a suit of armour stood in the corner, a sword. That would suffice. They slid past the bed, when they noticed the sleeping figure, so still the young man in it could have been dead.

The black figure gazed down at Jerome for a moment, reaching out a hand to gently touch his cheek.

"Oh…" they whispered. Before moving on, picking the sword out of the armour, black leather gloves gripping the handle. "You've been framed,"

Line Break

Gem. The Gem. The Gemy gem gem. That same tune kept repeating itself over and over in his mind. Maybe because Alfie wouldn't stop singing it. But Jerome was grateful for any sort of contact, no one was speaking to him. Mara would give him a nervous glance from now and again…and oh wow. Those few daring moments she would sneak a look up at him, her brown eyes large and doubting. He could tell what she was thinking.

People have often said that the eyes are the window to the soul, Jerome believed differently. He believed that eyes were given to people, so they could make others feel. That was why when you watched actors, you cry, when there are little silver crystals making their eyes glisten, just before the tears fall. That was why when someone painted a portrait, you could tell if the smile was genuine or fake, by the eyes and not the lips. The eyes themselves would be smiling. All the emotions, whether you wanted too or not, could be seen in the eyes.

And Jerome could tell that she was doubtful. She didn't know anymore. She had been sure it was him, but now she was doubting. And he liked it…he liked it a lot, it gave him a feeling of…pride?

But the gem? That was just plain ridiculous. He had promised he hadn't taken it, why on earth would he? What would he have to gain from that? But that wasn't the main problem right now, the problem right now was, how was he going to convince everyone else?

But there was one bright spot.

If the Princess could believe him, then surely everyone else could too.

But of course, what Jerome didn't realise was that, that very statement, was about to be used against him in the court of law. And he was holding the evidence in his hand.

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