There was a strong sense of déjà vu for Théadan. It was not the first time he stood accused, standing in a throne room full of people judging him, arms held to keep him from going anywhere. The similarities it had to being back in Nygaard were striking, and yet not all that unpredictable. He had hoped this would be different, that Navia would be proven right, and had even allowed himself to forget about the possibilities of not being welcome, and to just enjoy every day he was spending with Navia. But now that he stood in this throne room, with his past catching up to him, and so many eyes watching him, most with hatred, including that of the one called King, it was abundantly clear to him he was not going to be welcomed into Mandira, even with Navia by his side, and that made the future they had been dreaming of together, very uncertain. They would be together, of that he had no doubt, but they needed to prove to the Khluri he was of no threat to them.<br/><br/>Navia was doing all she could to defend Théadan, even squirming out of her brothers hold and putting herself between him and Kazim, squaring up to her cousin, rebuking the one called Marek, and making a case for him. Théadan knew she would continue to fight for him come what may, but looking into Kazim's eyes, he could already see judgement had been made, and nothing Navia was saying could sway him. Both were already locked into their views, and the frustration from the King seeing his own cousin defend someone he considered an invader and his enemy, was palpable. He looked towards his advisors for support and was soon using his authority to end the argument, making his judgement, and pointing towards the death of Argyle, suggesting Théadan had been the one to kill him.<br/><br/>Word had spread far indeed, and their was a pang of hurt at the memory of his brother, but Navia however was not about to let him take the fall for it, instead pointing out the truth which was met with derision and laughter, all of which came to a stuttering halt as the King and Yousef spotted the unfaltering gaze Navia held. They were family, they knew she wasn't a liar, they could look at her and see the truth of the words for themselves, and that put an end to the laughter very quickly. Now the King's concern grew, and that perhaps changed things for them. Théadan had no choice but to co-operate with the command he be taken to the dungeons, the guards manhandling him as they began to take him away, he would not fight it, nor struggle against it. He had to show them he was not the man they thought him to be, and so despite the rough way he was handled, Théadan complied, making no effort to fight it. There was desperation in Navia's eyes for them not to be parted, she wanted to go with him, Théadan could see the commitment in her eyes, but they had no choice in the matter. Yousef held her, and the guards drew him ever further away. "It'll be okay Navia." He called to her trying to be reassuring, but his life really was in her hands now. He trusted her to fight his corner, to do all she could to help him, there was no one better to do so than Navia with all her stubbornness, and sense for injustice. It was better she did not go with him, he needed her to be in her family's ear, doing whatever she could to help him.<br/><br/><br/><br/>This was a very strange turn of events. The loss of the<i>sitvati, </i>the wife of Khlurios greatest general to Mes'Mo'Tan had been an open wound upon Khlurios. One they had to accept would go untreated for the sake of the rest of the country. For her to return from Mes'Mo'Tan lands was near miraculous and worthy of celebration, but to come back to Khlurios accompanied by one of their princes, one of those who had pillaged their lands and killed thousands of their people, even aiding in the murder of the husband of the<i>sitvati,</i>it was deplorable. There was much for Marek to take in, from the way the two had entered holding hands, how the herald had announced the<i>sitvati</i>as a Thakur rather than Lahkimpur, a decision she will have no doubt insisted upon herself, such was her head strong nature; and just how strongly she had chosen to defend the Mes'Mo'Tanian prince. He would have to ponder it all later to understand the full implications and just what he had witnessed.<br/><br/>Right now the King was in need of his counsel, and so it was his duty to provide his years of experience and wisdom to aid the still youthful King however he needed. With the Mes'Mo'Tanian prince being dragged away, and the<i>sitvati</i>held by Yousef, Kazim looked to him for a better understanding of what his options were to handling this situation, and what the wider implications maybe. "Whether the<i>sitvati</i>was involved or not wouldn't matter." Marek said, despite knowing her to be an honest woman, he was not prepared to believe she who had never even held a blade could kill one of the Mes'Mo'Tanian princes, where her own husband had failed. "They wouldn't believe it to be true, and even if they did, they certainly aren't about to let it be known their crown prince was killed by a mere woman." The Mes'Mo'Tanians were proud of their warring ways, and particularly of the Prince who had ravaged their lands, they would not want the final page of his life to read having been felled by a little Khluri woman, they would not be able to bare the shame. "I don't believe we need worry about that, it's far more convenient for them to blame this Prince."<br/><br/>There had been some rumours of this Prince, that he had fled Mes'Mo'Tan after murdering his own brother, his mind muddled with jealousy of his brother's victory over the Khluri, and his own failings in the war. The Mes'Mo'Tanians still had their High King Midean, but for how much longer. With their heir to the throne dead, and their youngest having cowardly fled his own country for fear of punishment, there left only one of the three Princes to take the throne. "The concern lays with their new heir to the throne, a madman by all accounts. Those with ill minds are always the most difficult to predict." They would have to be careful how they handled this situation, having one of the Mes'Mo'Tanian princes locked away in their dungeons should by all rights be a victory for Khlurios, but this was a poisoned chalice if ever he saw one. "I believe there are three choices: Lock him away down in those dungeons until whenever it suits us most, whatever his reason for being here, I'm certain Mes'Mo'Tan would like their prince back be it for revenge of their crown prince. The others are to send word to Mes'Mo'Tan we have their prince, and have him escorted back to their borders, handed over for the sake of future peace, though this may be viewed as weakness if we do not ask for anything in return. Finally, we execute him, have justice for all those lives he has murdered, and send his corpse back to Mes'Mo'Tan where it belongs, and proof that the Khluri spirit can never be crushed." How this Mad Prince of theirs may react to any of this would be almost impossible to foretell, but he was not the one in charge, for now it remained King Midean.