The silence in the courtroom was suffocating as Aeric's eyes darted from one unfamiliar face to another.
He recognized the Messengers, with their flowing robes adorned in perfect embroidery and tall mage-like hats. The way they shifted uneasily under his gaze because they remembered they had once tried to have him killed as a baby.
The Disciples, however, sat unmoved — seven bald men with long, snow-white beards. Their stern expressions made them seem carved from stone, each wearing a glowing amulet around their neck, pulsating faintly with the powerful energy of Divinity
Mother Guinevere rose gracefully from her seat, her elegant movements betraying a subtle tension. "Aeric," she began, her voice calm but guarded, "these are the Messengers and Disciples."
"I know who they are," Aeric replied with a clipped tone. "What I don't know is why they're here."