The crowd mumbled to themselves. Tyrex felt a lump in his throat. He had no idea what Rajla had to do with this trial.
Sophia returned to his side. “She's the one you had a date with, right?” she whispered to Tyrex.
Tyrex nodded. “But I don't understand why they called her here.”
Rajla made her way through the crowd, shoulders back, chin up. She was confident and Tyrex could feel something was wrong.
“Can you state your name and where you're from for the record?” the Council Elder asked.
Rajla stood before the audience and smiled. “My name is Rajla Cut'ha from the village Tuk'na.”
“Very good. Now will you tell the village what you told the Council of Elders earlier today.”
Sophia looked at Tyrex with an uneasy glance.
“Tyrex came to my village a couple nights ago for a date. We had a wonderful time under the stars. That's when he kissed me and told me I was to be his Intended.”
“That's a lie,” Tyrex screamed.
Sophia knew that too. Tyrex would never betray her.
“You will be quiet and let her finish,” the leader said. “Now Rajla, would you be so kind to continue.”
Rajla brushed her hair out of her face. She didn't dare look back at Tyrex and Sophia. “When I came to Ja'la to be with my Intended, to my surprise he had broken his promise. I don't know why he would do such a thing to me. A promise is a promise.”
Tyrex could see the audience changing their minds about him. He couldn't figure out why Rajla was doing this. What did she have to gain?
He remembered the transaction that was supposed to take place between the two villages. If Tyrex took Sophia as his Intended, Tuk'na would not get Sophia.
It all made sense now.
“Thank you very much, Rajla Cut'ha,” a Council Elder said.
Rajla smiled again at the crowd and strolled down the steps. She turned around to face the platform but refused to make eye contact with Tyrex.
“What are we going to do now?” Sophia whispered.
“I don't know,” he replied.
The lead Council Elder stood before the village. “This is some very distressing news. But now we will allow anyone else to come in defense of these two.”
Tyrex stepped forward. “I would like to speak.”
“I'm sorry but we have already heard your testimony. Is there anyone else?”
Tyrex knew nobody else would come to their defense. His parents couldn't risk public embarrassment and his friends didn't even know that he was taking Sophia as his Intended.
“I will speak for them,” a voice came through the commotion.
Tyrex couldn't tell who it was. He turned to Sophia and she shrugged at him.
Kitor walked through the village of people until he made it to the platform. “I will speak for them.”
“But, Father,” Tyrex said. He never thought in a million years that his father would come to his defense.
Kitor ignored Tyrex and stood before the village.
The Council of Elders were flustered. They didn't think anyone would come to Tyrex's defense. “Please state your name and where you are from.”
“My name is Kitor Luk'ta, father of Tyrex Luk'ta and this village is my home.”
“And what do you have to say to the Council of Elders today.”
Kitor looked for his wife in the crowd. Lija was barely visible behind a large Jeorn male. But he could see her eyes. He knew exactly what that look meant. “If you don't do this, you'll be sleeping on the couch for the rest of your life.”
“When my son broke the news about Sophia as his Intended, I wanted to disown him.”
Tyrex hung his head in shame. He knew his father disapproved but not like that.
“Then I got to understand his feelings for Sophia. He feels the same as I do for my wife, Lija. He would do anything for her. Even face death. Sophia is not from this planet but we shouldn't be telling him who he can take as his Intended. That is only for a Jeorn male to decide.”
Kitor left the stage and the village was silent. Tyrex had never heard his father say such nice things before.
The oldest Council Elder spoke, “We have heard all the testimony we need. Now it comes down to you. You will either vote them guilty as the Council recommends or let them continue in their blasphemous ways.”
Tyrex had butterflies in his stomach. The Council of Elders were clearly trying to influence them. The village could go either way.
Sophia could barely handle her nerves. She figured that when the guilty verdict came that death would only be moments away. At least she would be at the end with Tyrex.
“Now we will take a vote. Majority wins. Those that find Tyrex and the alien guilty, make yourself known.”
The villagers screamed a high pitched sound that Sophia could barely comprehend. It wasn't anything she had heard before. Definitely didn't sound like a normal human scream.
Tyrex couldn't tell if that was majority or not. But it definitely didn't look good. He fully expected to only hear his parents to speak next.
“Those that find Tyrex and the alien, please make yourself known.”
The villagers erupted in a scream that caused Sophia to put her hands over her ear. Any louder and her brain was going to explode in her head.
Tyrex smiled and looked to the Council of Elders. Their wrinkled faces contorted into a scene of disgust.
The oldest waved his arms about to calm down the crowd. “The village has spoken. Tyrex may take the alien to be his Intended.”
The crowd cheered. Tyrex went to hug Sophia but forgot that his hands were cuffed behind his back. He had to settle for a kiss.
The Council Elder had to calm down the crowd a second time. “But the two will now have to face the Trials tomorrow.”
“Didn't we just go through a whole trial?” Sophia asked Tyrex.
“The Trials they're referring to is something completely different. I didn't think they'd have us go through it so soon.”
“What is it?”
Tyrex laughed. “I have no idea.”
Guards came and unlocked the chains around Tyrex and Sophia. They were finally able to embrace and the crowd cheered again.