Chapter 17 - The Brother in the Gallery
King Edouard's younger brother, Duke Henri, had spent sixteen years pretending to be harmless.
He hunted. Gambled. Told bad jokes at dinners. He rarely attended council.
And he was sitting in the front row when the tribunal began.
The Hall of the Wheel was packed before sunrise. Citizens stood beside nobles. Soldiers lined the walls. The doors remained open, just as I had promised.
Vautrin entered in chains.
Henri smiled at him.
Only once.
But I saw it.
So did Elise.
The king opened the tribunal by reading my arrest order aloud.
Then he said the words I had waited sixteen years to hear.
"Blanche Marceau was imprisoned without trial. That was unlawful. I signed the order. I was wrong."
The room went silent.
He did not blame grief.
He did not blame Vautrin.
For that one moment, he acted like a king.
Severin testified about the poison. Lucien presented the ledger. I decoded Aveline's hidden message. Elise explained the false confession.
Then Colette entered.
Henri stood.
"This is absurd."
Colette pointed at him.
"You held her wrists."
Henri's face changed.
The gallery exploded.
He backed toward the aisle.
Two guards moved to stop him.
One guard suddenly turned and struck the other.
Henri ran.
Lucien vaulted over the rail after him.
Elise followed.
"Elise!"
Of course she ignored me.
I ran too.
Henri tore through the west corridor toward the old machinery room beneath the Wheel.
When I reached the stairs, I heard Elise shout.
May you like
Then a heavy door slammed.
By the time I got there, Henri had locked himself inside with my daughter.
