In the past two days Harelip had watched his brother beg, actually beg, on his knees, something the prince had never done in his life. Then again, never had the prince been accused of treason. He'd seen his stepmother throw fits that rivalled earthquakes and he saw his father grumble tirelessly to himself more than he had seen in a lifetime.

But the council was merciless, and for good reason, Froglip was a bastered, admitted by hs own lips in front of an audience of two goblin councillors, Councillor Berzker and High Councillor Zexzees. Fyzsal took the stand and said what she had to say, the councillors did the same, but because Frglip's parents were both royalty they could not interfere with the diplomatic process. Harelip himself testified on his brother's account, explaining that there was no goblin more related to the thrown than his brother, no matter whether he was Gazlowe's child or Korumn's. But the council had none of it.

It ended all fairly quickly for such a serious trial.

Harelip never saw Nuna, he heard she had been there to support her sister, Fyzsal. Ever since the night Munph had kidnapped her, he had been worried for her sake, afraid that there was a chance the horrible goblin man had come after her a second time that night. But slowly, when he had heard she was well, he realized what must of happened.

That she came to her senses and fled from him as fast and as far as she could.

And he couldn't blame her.

But that was not to say he stopped looking for her in the crowd of goblin's watching the trial. As usual he did this from the shadow's but never caught sight of her vibrant purple locks.

...

Mefeero would be looking for blood now that her son had been humiliated in front of the entire goblin council.

Fyzsal played the part she had always intended, however her nervous twitching was visible. Most took this only as a sign of the fear she had of the Prince but it was actually not even close.

She could keep a calm face around Froglip, but Mefeero was something else. She leaked with pure acidic rage and she had daggers for just about everyone, especially anyone there.

Fyzsal's eyes drifted over the court from end to end. Royalty and the noblility like her father were seated to one end and the the onlookers of goblin people watched the stage play out.

Her eyes lingered on the King and Queen, their shocked horrified faces were tight lipped and sallow while the prince was at the mercy of a very much merciless court.

They had to be just about squirming in their seats and it made her snicker under her breath. However's Fyzsal's gaze came to rest on the one figure she didn't assume would be there.

The one who might have very well caused all this to happen in the first place.

She glanced at the goblin who sat there with a stone face as he had watched his brother beg and plead before the council.

Her eyes narrowed softly, only for a moment while she studied the rather horrifying goblin.

He was ugly without question but what Fyzsal feared was whether he would be wise enough to figure out how this had all come to be.

A sneer slipped onto her lips before she shook the the thought away dismissively.

Even if he had an inkling as to her deceit it could never connect her to the Prince's terrible circumstance.

...

Froglip waited on his meagre stone table. He hadn't been allowed the ability to speak during the trial, not when there had been so many witnesses. During the trial he had tried to speak to Fyzsal but every time he went near her, her eyes widened she grabbed her arm and cried.

Her father snarled at him and pulled her away.

And Froglip wondered what he had done. Of course he had thrown off their marriage but that was to be expected, when he knew it was a plot connived by his parents for the sake of his pride it was his only choice. But he had never done anything to her, it wasn't as if he was the kindest goblin under the mountain but he hadn't done anything -that he was ware of- to receive such treatment.

And her father, who happened to hate him the most, was one of the councillors himself. He spoke next.

"Froglip Crown Prince of Goblins, approach the council."

Froglip's eyes had been wide as his palms were long and when the twelve heads of the council looked down on the goblin prince they sneered resentfully and spoke:

"For the act of treason and plans to usurp the throne, we find Froglip Madcurse guilty."

A gasp large enough to sail a ship blew through the room and all of the goblin eyes now directed to the hunched over figure of the goblin prince. Froglip tried not to grind his back teeth, clenching them as tight as he could as he did the same with his hands. His eyes were a dry, irritated red and the shadows under his eyes far prominent but the goblin prince knelt on his knees before the council as was custom for goblins guilty of a crime.

Never in his wildest nightmares would he have imagined something like this- and they still hadn't even dealt out his punishment.

"As punishment for your traitorous crimes, you are henceforth stripped of any previous title and cast out from Goblin society."

They almost finished there, those horrible eyes laughing down at her son, her only son, but then Zexzees, the High Councilor goblin leaned down to the former prince.

"But-"

Froglip's ears twitched, his eyes were trained on the ground, but hope, which was very unusual for him, flooded his chest and the goblin held onto his very last breath.

"-the council has agreed, as these are very special circumstance and you are of noble blood, you are granted the opportunity to prove it."

Another dramatic roll of gasps passed from the crowd behind them. Froglip sneered to himself and under heavy low eyelids glared up at his accusers.

What sort of opportunity would he need? He had the hair of a pure blood prince, the mannerisms, the skill and the strength. In what way would they -a bunch of rambling commoners- decide how he, Crown Prince Froglip, should prove himself.

"You will be returned your title and your place on the throne, if-"

Hey! Thought I'd update randomly