Chapter 399: The Great Mate-Off

The God of Patience let out a long breath.

"They have been keeping that part confidential along with Solveil’s status to the public," she explained. "But they have to reveal it before the accused is put on trial. That is Luminari law. Due process."

"Due process," the God of Chaos repeated. "Due process is about to tell a woman who thinks she is serving time for property damage, that she’s actually being charged with attempted murder. Due process has no idea what it’s walking into."

"Back to the bets," the God of War said. "The young dragon has the power of proximity. He is the favorite pick."

"Ashenvale hid the dagger. He saw blood on it. He thinks she’s guilty. And he already misread her through their matebond," the God of Wisdom countered.

The God of Patience shook his head. "Maddox is the clear winner here. He is the dot connector. He will be the one who probes for clarification on the means of attempted murder. He was the mate she told the dagger story to. She got it from Maria."

"Maddox didn’t ask her about the attempted murder during their heart-to-heart. Nicholas is the most emotionally intelligent of the three," the God of Hindsight stated. "In the war room, Nicholas asked Ashenvale point-blank if Guinevere actually stated that she had attempted to murder Solveil. Only then did Ashenvale admit he was ’reading between the lines.’ And the only reason Nicholas hasn’t asked her is because he hasn’t had an opportunity to. He didn’t know until the war room conversation."

The room murmured in agreement.

THE GREAT MATE-OFF

Who Figures It Out First? — Live Odds

🏆 NICHOLAS SHADOWFELL

Odds: 2:1 favorite

Assets: High emotional intelligence. Excellent instincts with Guinevere. Critical thinking.

Liability: Far away from Guinevere.

🏆 KAEL ASHENVALE

Odds: 3:1

Assets: Proximity to Guinevere. Personal growth track record.

Liability: Distracted by pockets. Stubborn. Occasionally assumptive in nature.

🏆 MADDOX DRAKENCREST

Odds: 8:1 long shot

Assets: Intelligence. Has his wife’s explanation on dagger. Sharp instincts when it comes to her.

Liability: Upset about timeout still. Not in proximity.

✦✦✦

SOLVEIL - CRIMINAL INCARCERATION FACILITY

Guinevere stood up from the cot. Looked at it. Looked at the window. Looked at the cot again. Made a decision.

She grabbed the edge of the cot and dragged it across the stone floor until it faced the window. The scraping sound echoed down the corridor. She stepped back. Evaluated the angle. Tilted her head. The evaluation lasted three full seconds and produced a verdict that required adjustments.

She moved it two inches to the left.

Stepped back again. Squinted. The angle was better. The natural light from the window would hit the cot at the correct trajectory for optimal morning illumination. The view was centered.

The nearest guard was watching her do this with a thousand-yard stare. By the time she finished adjusting, four more had joined him.

"Guinevere," Kael chimed in. "The guards are clutching their pearls watching you redecorate. I don’t think they appreciate you trampling on their customs."

"I’m optimizing," she explained, still studying the placement. "The original position had the sleeper facing the corridor, which prioritizes surveillance over rest. Rotating it toward the window prioritizes mental health and aligns with the rehabilitative philosophy I identified earlier. This is consistent with their values."

"You’re feng shui-ing a prison cell. They set these up in a specific way, Guinevere. You are not honoring their system."

No one could tell if he was joking or serious. Kael also wasn’t sure. This was a pattern.

Guinevere took it as serious and turned to the nearest guard. "Hello there, fine patron of the law. Pardon my interruption. Would it be alright if I kept my sleeping surface here for my stay? I don’t want to violate any furniture placement customs your people observe. If there’s a traditional orientation for the sleeping surface, I will absolutely respect that."

The guard looked at the cot. Looked at her. Looked at the three guards beside him who had all been watching.

"It’s fine," he said, because no other sentence was available to him.

"Thank you. While I have you, quick question. Is the garden below accessible to inmates during daylight hours, or is visual access the extent of the interaction your community offers with the natural environment?"

The guard blinked. "There’s a yard."

"A YARD," Guinevere repeated, turning to Kael. "They have outdoor access, Kael."

"I heard."

She turned back to the guard. "Is the yard schedule posted somewhere, or is it communicated orally? I want to make sure I follow the correct process for requesting outdoor time."

"It’s mornings."

"Every morning?"

"Every morning."

Guinevere snapped her fingers in applause. The guard watched. Looked at the guard next to him who shrugged.

"I want to acknowledge something," she continued. "You all have been standing at this post for over an hour. On your feet. In armor. With no indication of when relief is coming. I see that. I want you to know it’s seen."

The guards stared at her.

"Being witnessed in your labor matters," she continued. "Your community benefits from your presence even if it doesn’t tell you that."

"Thank you," one of them said after a moment.

"Quick question. Is there a process for submitting feedback about the intake experience? I want to give all of you a positive review."

"There is no feedback process."

"Would you be open to starting one? I could draft a template during my incarceration. I have time and I have pockets."

One of the guards looked at Kael for help. Kael shrugged.

"Regardless, I’m going to put in a good word with Commander Veyron," she added. "All of you deserve recognition."

"Please don’t talk to Commander Veyron about us."

"Too late. I’ve already composed the recommendation in my head. It’s glowing. Much like everything else in your beautiful kingdom."

Footsteps echoed down the corridor. A member of the Kingsguard appeared at the cell bars.

"You’re being brought in for questioning, Your Highness."

Guinevere beamed at him. "Of course. Thank you for the advance notice. I appreciate the transparency. Is there anything I should prepare, or is this more of an open dialogue format?"