By the appointed hour, everyone assembles in the grand hall.
The Asmodean guard has told Robert during the preparations, that we were to remain in our cells today.
Something about an investigation, he said.

"Hey, Sirus, you there?" Robert's voice asks next to me.
I open my eyes and look at the mass of people.
I don't think I've ever seen so many people in one place and all of a sudden my throat dries up and I can't seem to utter a single sound anymore.

Robert seems to notice and says, "Listen, I really don't want to do this to you. You seem to be a decent guy and all, but you really should have kept your mouth shut like I told you to."

He looks at the crowd and says, "This sure brings back memories, doesn't it? That's been a while ago, wasn't it? We were so little back then and didn't really understand what was happening."

"...how could I forget. I lost my father that day."
"Oh, right! It was your father standing on trial back then, wasn't it? Man, teach is right! History does repeat itself! What was his issue again?"

I clench my fist and mumble, "He had fallen in love with a woman who was already mating with someone else."
"Ah yes, now I remember. Man, that was a show! He had accused her current mating partner to treat her badly and that guy put him on trial for not only cheating on his mate but also for trying to steal his mate. Wasn't it like that?"

"This is nothing like that!" I shout.
Robert raises his hands in defense and says quietly, "I never claimed it was. And I sincerely wish you the best of luck. You're going to need it."

Robert turns around to go to his spot, but I reach out to him.
"What is it?" he asks, turning around halfway.
"Do you happen to know what...what became of those two? After the verdict was handed down, I lost sight of him. But you...you have this annoying habit of knowing that kind of stuff."
"...it is not a 'habit', it is a necessity. Anyway, to satisfy your curiosity before I need to destroy you, apparently shortly after the trial, the man had a little accident and is now sleeping in the gardens. I...am not privy to the details."

I raise an eyebrow, because Robert's words may say that he knows nothing, but his face tells me that he does know something but must not say so.
I shudder at the possibility, that my father might have done something to the man, but ask no further questions.

Some things, after all, are best left unspoken.
A lesson, I may have done well to learn earlier.

But I cannot help the past, the only thing I can do is face forward and do the best I can to defend myself, my name and, most importantly, the future of our entire block.