Chapter 5

As the trial progressed, Rae’s initial anticipation turned into a sinking feeling of disbelief, as she watched what unfolded in front of her. The realization dawned upon her, this wasn’t a trial at all, but rather a twisted display of the minotaur's abuse of their power and control over her. What Isabella had said was true. They really were just fighting over who got to own her, or if she’d become a servant to all of them. Rae’s heart sank as she observed the true nature of the proceedings. It all just felt so dehumanizing and humiliating to Rae, standing in the middle of a giant hall, listening to these powerful beings debate who should have ownership of her. A mix of anger, frustration, and sadness welled up within Rae. How could her quest for truth and justice be reduced to this?

However, throughout the so called trial, Isabella seemed to pay no attention to what was going on or even express any interest in Rae. She just stayed sat awkwardly on her throne and stared off into the distance, bored out of her own mind. Occasionally, she made snarky remarks towards Magnus or towards Minerva, as Rae learnt was the name of the female minotaur. Rae soon noticed that she never made her snarky remarks towards Tia, the youngest minotaur sat in the room, and even encouraged her to stand her ground against the adults. “Yeah, that’s it Tia! Stand your ground against Magnus and step-monster!” Isabella encouraged, getting herself a stern disciplining from Minerva but it didn’t stop her from making her snarky comments.

“Isabella, please stop it, why must you rebel against us so much?” Minerva asked, getting no proper response from Isabella, she just mumbled to herself before sticking her tongue out at her like a child. Isabella’s playful antics didn’t deter Minerva, as she kept trying push Isabella into answering, into giving her a proper answer. “Stop with this childish attitude, Isabella. Why do you rebel against us, against your position as heir so much?” Minerva tried to ask again, and was yet again met by Isabella’s tongue being stuck out at her but this time Isabella didn’t just mumble her answer.

“You know full well why.” Isabella retaliated back at Minerva, her tone of voice shifting from being more playful to a more serious sounding tone as she crossed her arms.

"Oh Isabella, let that go. It was 12 years ago, you were 5! There's no reason to be holding a grudge against us for that long." Minerva scolded, her own tone of voice shifting to match the tone of Isabella's.

"I will keep my grudge for as long as I please. I can't forgive you for what you did." Isabella grumbled back at Minerva.

“Fine, keep your grudge but it wouldn’t kill you to take some interest in this.” Minerva’s frustration was palpable as Isabella’s childish behavior persisted. Despite Minerva’s attempts to reason with her, Isabella seemed intent on maintaining her disinterest and defiance.

“I’m not interested because this whole thing is ridiculous, you ever think about how messed up this is? Taking random humans from outside Miyagi and forcing them to be our servants, isn’t it all just a bit cruel.” Isabella’s defiance flared, her posture straightening as she challenged those around her. She refused to be a mere spectator in this unfolding narrative, determined to have her voice heard. “Plus, even if I did take interest, you wouldn’t let me have her. You never let me have anything I want.” Isabella continued, both of her parents desperately trying to get her to be quiet and stop with, as they called it, her childish rebellion. When all they tried failed, Magnus resorted to his final offer. His final, calm, attempt at stopping Isabella's rebellion against them.

“If we let you have her, would you stop with this childish rebellion of yours?” Magnus offered, his patience wearing thin from Isabella’s constant complaining and the snarky comments she was making.

“I will gladly take her, so that you assholes can’t.” Isabella accepted as she hastily got up from her throne, grabbing Rae’s arm before walking out of the room with her in tow. "And so you know, I won't be stopping anytime soon." Isabella shouted as she left the room.

Isabella’s grip on Rae’s arm conveyed a mix of emotions—neither tight nor gentle, but somewhere in between. As they continued walking through the palace, Rae’s heart pounded in her chest, she was uncertain of where Isabella was taking her, what she planned to do with her. The uncertainty gnawed at Rae’s mind as they ventured deeper into the heart of the palace. While she wanted to trust Isabella’s intentions, the path they were on felt like uncharted territory. The palace corridors seemed to stretch endlessly, each turn, each archway leading to new and unknown destinations.

As they approached a grand set of ornate doors, Isabella finally stopped, still keeping her grip on Rae’s arm as she pushed open the doors and made her way inside. It was clear to Rae that this was someone’s private bedroom, adorned with lavish decorations and personal belongings scattered haphazardly across the floor. “This must belong to someone important,” Rae whispered to herself, her voice barely audible but loud enough for Isabella to hear.

“I sure well hope I’m important here,” Isabella responded with a slight laugh, indicating that the room they were standing in belonged to her. Her unexpected reaction startled Rae, leaving her unsure of what to say next. “Just, I don’t know, make yourself comfortable here,” Isabella suggested, releasing her grip on Rae’s arm and shutting the doors behind them. Both young women stood there, unsure of how to navigate the newfound intimacy of being alone together in Isabella’s private space. The air in the room seemed to buzz with unspoken tension as they exchanged awkward glances. Rae couldn’t help but notice the stark contrast between the spirited Isabella she had witnessed causing a scene in the hall and the reserved Isabella standing before her now. It was as if the walls of the room held secrets of its own, shrouding Isabella in a different light. Once Rae had finished carefully exploring the room, her gaze returned to Isabella. Without the glare of the sunlight, she was able to study the young minotaur more closely. As she looked into Isabella’s eyes, something clicked in her mind. Those deep orange eyes were unmistakable. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized why Isabella looked so familiar. The image of the minotaur in her house flashed in her memory, and now, with clarity, she saw the resemblance. The same piercing orange eyes stared back at her. The same eyes that stared back at her in her house. Rae’s eyes darted around the room briefly, soon landing on a hood that was hung up on the wall, confirming her suspicions.

“You’re the minotaur that was in my house!” Rae accidentally blurted out, quickly covering her mouth with her hands afterwards. The room fell silent, and for a moment, Isabella seemed taken aback by Rae’s unexpected revelation, her unexpected shout. Rae’s heart pounded in her chest as she realized what she had just done. Fear crept into her mind, wondering if she had overstepped a boundary she wasn’t supposed to cross. She had never dealt with royalty before, let alone the royalty of a completely different creature. Isabella’s position as heir to the throne presented an entirely new dynamic, and Rae couldn’t help but feel uncertain about how it all worked. However, to her surprise, Isabella let out a soft chuckle, breaking the tension that had settled between them.

“Oh, so you do recognize me. Took you long enough.” Isabella’s playful tone broke the remaining tension between them.