Aimery offered his elbow to Adri, who made a half-strangled, terrified sound. It took her a long time to accept it. She looked like she was going to be sick as Aimery led her to the center of the throne room floor.
All around them, the sounds of chewing and the licking of fingers persisted, as if the delicacies were every bit as interesting as the prisoners. The servants were still on their knees, holding the trays above their heads. Cinder grimaced. How heavy must those trays be?
“I present to the court Linh Adri of the Eastern Commonwealth, Earthen Union,” said Aimery, releasing Adri’s arm so she stood alone on her own trembling legs. “She is charged with conspiracy against the crown. The punishment for this crime is immediate death by her own hand, and that her child and dependent, Linh Pearl, be given as a servant to one of Artemisia’s families.”
Cinder’s eyebrows shot upward. Until now she’d been concerned with her own fate, and it hadn’t occurred to her that Adri may have been brought there for any reason other than to annoy her.
She wanted to not care. She wanted to feel nothing but disinterest toward her stepmother’s fate.
But she knew that, for all her many faults, Adri had not done anything to warrant a Lunar execution. This was a power play on Levana’s part, nothing more, and it was impossible not to feel a tinge of pity for the woman.
Adri fell to her knees. “I swear to you I haven’t done anything. I—”
Levana raised a hand and Adri fell silent. An agonizing moment followed in which Levana’s expression was unreadable. Finally, she clucked her tongue, like chastising a small child. “Aimery, continue.”
The thaumaturge nodded. “An investigation has shown that the two invitations with which Linh Cinder’s accomplices were able to invade New Beijing Palace and kidnap Emperor Kaito had been given them by none other than this woman. The invitations were meant for herself and her teenage daughter.”
“No! She stole them! Stole them! I would never give them to her. I would never help her. I hate her—hate her!” She sobbed again, her shoulders hunched so far now she was practically a ball on the floor. “Why is this happening to me? What have I done? I didn’t … She isn’t mine…”
Cinder was finding it easier not to care.
“You must calm yourself, Mrs. Linh,” said Levana. “We will see the truth of your loyalties soon enough.”
Adri whimpered, and made some attempt to compose herself.
“That is better. You have been the legal guardian of Linh Cinder for almost six years, is that correct?”
Adri’s whole body was shaking. “It—it’s true. But I didn’t know what she was, I swear. My husband was the one who wanted her, not me. She is the traitor! Cinder is a criminal, and a dangerous, deceitful girl—but I thought she was just a cyborg. I had no idea what she was planning, or I would have turned her in myself.”
Levana ran a fingernail over the arm of her throne. “Were you with Linh Cinder when she underwent her cyborg surgeries?”
Adri’s lip curled in disgust. “Stars, no. Her operation was completed in Europe. I did not meet her until she was brought to New Beijing.”
“Was your husband present for the operation?”
Adri blinked, fl.u.s.tered. “I … I don’t think so. We never spoke of it. Although he was gone for a couple of weeks when he went to … to claim her. I knew he was going to see about a child who had been in a hovercar accident. Although why he saw fit to go all the way to Europe to be charitable I never could understand, and his philanthropy was rewarded with nothing but heartache. He contracted letumosis on that trip, died within weeks of returning, leaving me to care for my two young girls and this thing he left in my custody—”
“Why did you never seek to capitalize on his inventions after his death?”
Adri gawked openmouthed at the queen. “Pardon, Your Majesty?”
“He was an inventor, was he not? Surely he must have left you something of value.”
Adri pondered this, maybe wondering why the Lunar queen would be interested in her deceased husband. Her gaze darted around the guards and Lunars. “N-no, Your Majesty. If there was anything of value, I never saw a single micro-univ from it.” A shadow fell over her face. “He left us with nothing but disgrace.”
Levana’s voice ran ice cold. “You are lying.”
Adri’s eyes widened. “No! I’m not. Garan didn’t leave us with anything.”
“I have evidence to the contrary, Earthen. Do you think I’m a fool?”
“What evidence?” Adri shrieked. “I haven’t—I swear to you—” But whatever she meant to swear was drowned out by a flood of sobs.
Cinder clenched her jaw. She didn’t know what game Levana was playing, but she knew Adri’s hysteria wouldn’t make one bit of difference. She considered using her Lunar gift to stop Adri’s uncontrolled sobbing so she could die with a bit of dignity, but she hardened her heart and did nothing. She might need her strength when it came time for her own trial. When it was her turn, she vowed to not dissolve into a trembling mess.
“Aimery?” said Levana, her words cutting over Adri’s sobs.
“One of our regiments uncovered a box of paperwork in the storage s.p.a.ce leased to Linh Adri in her apartment building.”
Levana smirked. “Do you still wish to maintain your defense that there was nothing of value left from your husband? No important paperwork still kept in storage?”