Wriothesley looked on calmly as the opera hall began to fill in with people from the ludex's balcony. Pretty much all of fontaine had come to see the trial but since not everyone could fit in the hall projectors were placed outside of the hall so that others could witness the trial. In short, entire fontaine was going to witness the trial.

He sighed, never once in his life did he ever thought of taking the place of a ludex even if just as the acting ludex. He looked down at the clothing that he wore, specifically designed by the famous designer chiori and by his archon, lady furina herself. Though he couldn't say he didn't like it, it was more fancier than anything he had pretty sure most expensive too. A black militaristic uniform with golden buttons and a white shirt underneath, along with white gloves and a black tie. He had a black cape with greyish fur secured on his shoulder with a rope that looked to be made of golden threads. Furina had told him that he could keep the dress even after the trial since it was tailored specifically for him. Furina herself had taken to it to get him ready with a slight amount of makeup and styling his hair. He still remembered the amused look sigewinne given him as furina scolded him for not taking care of his hair and everything. Hey, it wasn't his fault he never took proper care of his hair since it was very rarely he ever leave the fortress and he never cared of how he looked anyways.

Furina had drilled all the basic etiquettes and rules necessary into him in a single day. He still couldn't believe what his friends had tried to do, he knew they were desperate to know the truth and all, but tricking their archon into a trial, raising their blade against her,... that had gone too far. He himself wasn't that much of a worshipper of god, he believed in them but he never depended on them. But even he would have never agreed to their plan if they had asked him to join.

Besides, ' how could i join them when i had already pledged my alliance to lady furina ' .one thing he never told them was that he knew more about the prophecy than them, not the full truth but he knew why furina was so adamant about keeping it a secret . She herself had told him when she recruited him to her side months ago, when Neuvillette had sent traveller and others to the fortress. Despite being impartial towards all powers in fontaine he found himself aligning himself with his archon after she requested his assistance to help prevent the prophecy . As the acting ludex he should be impartial to everyone, so him being selected as a ludex when he was on furina's side, in terms was wrong. But...furina already told him to be impartial towards hers and not help her even if the need arises.

Flashback( 1 day ago)

"so...how do I look ?" Wriothesley inquired as he looked towards furina and sigewinne. Furina was on the couch with sigewinne on her lap munching on some of the treats furina had brought. Both of them squinting their eyes up and down his figure trying to find some mistakes in the attire. It seemed there was none as both of them relaxed and gave him a 'looks good' from furina and a thumps up from the melusine since her mouth was filled with the treats, cheeks puffed like a squirrel.

"atleast now you look the part of a ludex" furina smiled

"hey! What do you mean ' i look the part' . i can totally be a true ludex!"

"my dear duke, i am sorry to say this but...while you have the looks and gracefulness to be a ludex...it amounts to nothing when your brutishness is involved. And don't refute that. You know its true" furina said with a teasing smile.

"traitor" he muttered seeing sigewinne nod along with furina's statement. But in the end what she had said about him was true.

Still he couldn't help the smile that came on his face watching furina wiping the smudges on winne's face while laughing. He had come to know more and more about the real furina during the past months. Some of the things he realised was that the furina that everyone knew wasn't a fake but a slight part of what made up furina as whole. She and the melusines seemed to share a special relationship by they way how every melusine he saw interacting with furina acted in her presence. Rather than them treating furina as an archon or superior, they seemed to treat her as family. He had once asked sigewinne why they treated furina that way since they even treat Neuvillette who was said to be closest to melusines with respect and reverence. The answer he got was

" lady furina is one of our most precious person, not just for me but for every melusine. I never mentioned this but, it was furina who gave me my name. Its not just me but most of the melusines are named by lady furina. Many would say lady furina isn't that close to us but in my opinion she might be the close person to us. It was lord neuvilette who brought us to fontaine but it was lady furina who gave us a home."

It was the first time he heard winne talk with such fondness. He was rather curious about one incident she mentioned where apparently lady furina got really mad at fontainians for the melusines. Though she didn't really know the details but that entire fontaine was shaken for weeks after that incident. It was rather curious, he knew how much his archon loved fontaine and its people but for her to get enough mad at entire of fontaine for the melusines made him want to ask furina but refrained when the little doctor mentioned that it was a taboo subject among the melusines and lady furina.

He sighed deciding not to think much about it since he didn't want to bring up any topic that might make them uncomfortable. He got up from his seat before walking to the dressing room to change, neatly putting away his attire for the trial he dressed in a rather comfortable dress before walking out of the room and joining his guest.

"ah it seems winne's passed out" he stated seeing sigewinne sleeping soundly on furina's lap, head tucked into her neck. Furina chuckled silently, then with practised ease lifted the melusine onto her arms before heading toward the room to tuck her into bed. She pulled the blanket over the little melusine, making sure she was comfortable before retuning to the living room.

"now then i am sure you have some questions to ask me"

"about tomorrow's trial is ther-.." Furina cut him off before he could complete his words.

"there's no reason to worry about the trial, i have already made the preparations. I didn't choose you to be the acting ludex so that you could turn the trial towards in my favour but rather because there is no one in fontaine more suitable for the role than you. I want you to take your role seriously. I want you to give judgement to whoever deserves it no matter what the verdict will be. I want you to stay impassive and immovable towards both sides." Furina stated, her eyes narrowed making sure he could feel the seriousness of her words. He nearly flinched from the sharp gaze, he wondered if she knew just how intimidating she could be. Who was he kidding of course she knew.

"well let's move on from that. How is the construction of the ark going ?"

"its progressing smoothly. The engineers and the resources you sent were quite helpful. The efficiency has also increased with the new designs. The new power source that you gave us seems to be working amazingly. The ark is almost complete with only some minor paint works and furnishing left. It should be more than enough to be used in case of emergencies."

"that's good. I was worried we won't be able to finish the work since i told you to remodel based on a complete new design."

"it wasn't that hard since the base structure was same and the people that you sent were quite efficient in their work"

"they were, weren't they?" a proud gleam shone in those heterochromatic eyes after hearing the duke's praise for her workers.

Furina had told him about her organisation that were of individuals that were loyal to her and her only. They were a secret group furina had created to gather information and to do some of her personal mission and expeditions that solely reported to her. They practically didn't existence in any records and each of them had their own code names that were used whenever on the field. Not even Neuvillette knew about their existence. The only reason he was privy to this information was because he had allied with her and was her accomplice. He had seen them work and his own engineers were floored by the vast difference in their skills. When asked she had said that they had access to various methods and technologies than most of the fontaine had privy to.

Such technology could have been used for the development of the nation but apparently furina decide to withhold most of it. He had inquired about why she did that, her reply was...

"while fontaine may be the most advanced nation in terms of technology, that doesn't mean they can adjust to the development as quickly. Even now some of the projects that i made centuries ago are still shelved since humans can't keep up at the pace the technology is advancing. Humans need time to adjust to changes that involves their daily lives. Even the new power source that i gave you was a shelved project that i made 300 years ago."

He wondered just how much more secrets did this lady have. Fontanians had called her an open book that wore her heart on her sleeve for all to see. But they could never expect their beloved archon could have so much secrets and sides to her that were known to a very few.

"you should prepare for everything that will happen tomorrow" he was broken out of his thoughts hearing furina's words.

"hmm?"

"tomorrow will be the day fontaine will finally be rid of the looming prophecy. You should ready the ark and prepare for the prophecy."

"huh?.. why do you need me to prepare the ark if the prophecy will be stopped ". He questioned. If the prophecy will never occur, why did she ask him to ready the ark and prepare for the prophecy?

Furina smiled it wasn't warm nor did it posses any coldness but it was a feral one. A wicked grin that stretched across her face.

"oh my, it seems i forgot to tell you." Her eyes gleamed under the shadow of her hair. Wriothesley stifled the shiver that went along his spine seeing the inhuman glow of her eyes . she continued..

"the only way to stop the prophecy is ... to let it happen in the first place" furina giggled seeing the bewildered and shocked face of the duke.

Flashback end

He didn't know what she meant by letting the prophecy happen but trusted in his archon that she wouldn't bring any harm to her people and nation.

He once again looked across the hall. Furina was on the prosecutors balcony to his right all the goofiness and playfulness removed adopting a serious face. For everyone it may look like she was just standing there but he knew she was running stimulations in her head about all the ways the trial could go. On his left the travellers along with the fatui were on their balcony muttering between themselves. Their nervousness for all to see. It was natural that they were nervous since they weren't facing furina, the mascot and the idol that everyone knew. But a furina that entire fontaine has never seen before. It also didn't help the confident grin that furina would sent them occasionally. Neuvillette, Clorinde and navia were seated in the vip section in the hall. After everything that happened that day they couldn't bring themselves to stand with the people that tried to kill their archon.

The crowd were muttering among themselves about the outcomes of the trial. Many were anxious, nervous some were excited. Their excitement warranted since this was the first trial that their lady personally participated in and it was against the legendary traveller and her companions. It was surely a day that will go down in the history of fontaine.

A clap resounded through the hall and in an instant all in the hall went silent as they followed the source to its owner, furina. Her presence was felt by everyone as they quieted down to give her the at most attention. A small smile broke through her serious demeanour for a moment.

Wriothesley was impressed at the way furina could command the crowds even without saying anything and just by her actions.

"acting ludex Wriothesley, i think it is time " furina calmly stated.

Nodding to her statement he decided to start the trial

"as you all may know, we are present here today to witness a very significant trial that may shake the very foundation of fontaine. It is an event that might go down in history of fontaine as the very first trial directly prosecuted by our dear archon, lady furina de fontaine. And the first trial against our archon. I will allow discussion among themselves as long as long as they didn't disturb the trial. Anyone that may cause ruckus or disturbance during the trial will be escorted outside by the gardes. I expect everyone to maintain a respectful and proper behaviour, remember today's trial is broadcasted all across fontaine, do not let your actions tarnish your reputations. If anyone feel like not wanting to follow the rules then they by all means are allowed to leave." His words were backed by his aura that demanded respect and authority that none of them could refute. Once he made sure there were no objections, he decided to continue.

"now then without any delay let's move on to the first trial. We now start the trial of the fatui and the travellers on the charge made by lady furina on the assassination attempt made on her by the fatui and attempting to steal the hydro archon's symbol of power, the hydro gnosis. The travellers, lumine and paimon are charged with being accomplice of the fatui and for not notifying the relevant authorities about despite being known of their conspiracy." He took a breath once again making sure everyone was paying attention.

"now then, I, acting ludex Wriothesley, hereby declare this court to be in session."