With Nova’s suspicions and concerns confirmed, she has to get proof of Don being evil. Which is harder than one might think.

He apparently had built up loyalty with the former king, Princess Aziza’s grandfather, so to break that, she needs something more substantial than her word against his.

Because even though she and Haze are changing some minds, Nova knows it isn’t enough.

But gathering evidence of wrongdoing is difficult since using magic for malicious intentions isn’t exactly tangible.

At least to these castle people.

To Haze, she can tell it was Don that spelled the dragon to attack.

The ‘why’ of it all still puzzles her but she can’t dwell on that. She needs to focus on the proof first.

And then it hits her. Well, to be fair, Ward actually comes up with the idea.

The guard that tried to kill Princess Aziza. He is locked up in the dungeon. Even though Haze didn’t sense a magical signature, doesn’t mean magic wasn’t involved. Haze was distracted and terrified that day. Maybe she missed it.

Or maybe someone is better at covering their tracks.

Ward wanted to come with her but the princess required him at an event, so Nova didn’t want to wait.

So here she was, walking in the dungeon, looking for some sort of evidence against Don.

The prison is underground. It has stone lining every aspect of it. The floor, the walls, the ceilings. Only the bars are not stone it seems.

The bars are solid black, running vertically and intersecting horizontally as well. Pretty hard to escape from. Though Nova doesn’t want to test that.

It makes her queasy with every step how easy it would be for them to throw her and Haze down here.

Rotting for who knows how long with no trial.

Because witches don’t get trials.

Having gone quite a while, passing variously chattering prisoners, some creepier than others, the cells get progressively more secured and dingier.

It’s obvious the care of them don’t extend to the worst of the worst.

And the guard that tried to kill Princess Aziza at a public ball in front of everyone is the worst of the worst.

Nova doesn’t even know his name. The king and queen were so appalled that they forbade his name being spoken. That a traitor and an attempted Princess murderer doesn’t get the notoriety. He deserves to be erased.

Not even Ward wouldn’t tell her. He knew the guard but followed the orders.

“Hello,” she greets when she gets to the third last cell of the hallway.

The guard is sitting on a bench that is on the wall to Nova’s left. It is made of stone that looks jagged as if it was chiseled by someone who had no idea what to do. It wouldn’t be where she would choose to sit, but there aren’t many other options.

The cell is about six feet in each direction with a toilet in the far corner that is black with grime, not a spot of white.

The soiled stench makes Nova’s nose scrunch up, but she composes herself quickly.

There is a bit of hay on the ground in front of the bench that Nova supposes is a bed.

He doesn’t move when she addresses him, keeping his head in his hands, never acknowledging her at all. “Sorry to bother you, but I need to speak with you.”

He shifts, peaking one eye from his right palm. “Go away,” he grumbles, his voice is rough and dry like a desert landscape.

While normally, she would relate to that sentiment, she can’t leave now.

“What’s your name?” She questions. The guard glares at her as if she is mocking him. “I can’t tell you. It’s illegal.”

“Who’s listening? What more are they going to do to you?” She gestures to their general location, raising an eyebrow at him.

He puts both hands down and he turns his head so she can see his face fully. When she remembered the murder attempt, she couldn’t see him because of his knight garb, but now she gets a good look.

She imagined him to be intimidating. This imposing force that would make you cower in his presence.

Instead, he is just a guy.

A normal guy.

No features that were really defining. A bit of a baby face to be honest.

“Why do you care?” He pushes.

Nova shrugs, “I like to address people by their names.” Which is true, though she really just wants to call him by name so she can stop calling him ‘the guard.’

And if she can go against the royal rule, that’s a bonus.

Finally, he answers, “Devland.”

“Well, Devland, that was the worst assassination attempt I’ve ever seen.”

At first, he doesn’t react. Then it’s a slow tremor of his body. That turns into a chuckle to a full on belly laugh. It echoes off the walls and adds to the chorus of prisoners’ voices.

Nova isn’t quite sure what to do. She wasn’t joking.

“Thanks, I needed that,” he says once he stops chuckling.

“You’re welcome. Now can you tell me your perspective on that day.” Nova gets right to the point. She doesn’t have all day.

He tips his head back against the grimy stone and closes his eyes. If she hadn’t known where he was, it would look like he was peaceful. Maybe sleeping. “I didn’t know what I was doing,” he answers.

That feels like a pretty weak excuse.

“So you just decided to kill the princess on a whim?” She questions, injecting some sarcasm in it. Maybe it would rile him up. Get him to admit something like perhaps a partnership with the evil wizard Don.

He shakes his head. She cringes at the gravely sound his head makes against the wall behind him. “I literally didn’t know. Like one second, I was at my assigned station, and then the next, I am being tackled by my friends, being stripped of my duty.” His voice is robotic, recounting the events like Kit happened to someone else. Not himself. Maybe that’s how he has to do it. The only way he can talk about it.

Nova isn’t the best at talking about her feelings either. So distance, she understands. “Where was your station? Do you remember talking to anyone before?” She inquires.

“What does it matter? Everyone thinks I meant to hurt my princess.”

It’s insane how he still shows loyalty to the crown, even as he is locked up, never to be released again.

Nova recognizes her issues with authority, but why follow people who don’t give you the courtesy of a fair trial.

“It matters because I believe you,” Nova emphasizes the last part by slowly pronouncing each word.

She says it because it’s true. She believes him.

She could just be naive, but it’s something in his expression that tugs at her closed off heart. A state of total heartbreak. Like the worst element of his situation isn’t that he is sitting in a cell, it is that he will be known for being treacherous to the royals.

At her words, she can see him look to her, eyes glazing over. A glassy sheen that he tries to blink away. “Sorry, it’s just is a relief to hear that.”

Coming closer to the bars, she rests both hands on them, fingers poking through the square holes. The bumpy metal biting into her skin. She pins him with a stare, “I need to know where you were and who had access to you. And I’ll clear your name.”

His entire body language shifts. His nonchalance is gone in the weak draft of the dungeon. Devland swiftly stands and mirrors her position at the barrier.

“And I should trust you to do that why?” He questions, though she notes it has less annoyance in it. It’s more of a vulnerable skepticism.

Quirking an eyebrow at him, she narrows her eyes at him.

“What do you have to lose, Devland?”