"As your prisoner said, there was a long line of straw men. Lema might be one of them, or maybe have been framed." The King said. "I'm not cutting the line of Lema's life until I'm certain she's not just another puppet in a long line."
"If she's another puppet, then she's an accomplice anyway." Vastor replied. "If someone inside her own academy framed her, then Lema's an incompetent fool, which is even worse."
"Still, no definitive measure will be taken until we have solid proof of her crimes and her identity as the ringleader. This is my final word. Is that clear?" Meron's tone brooked no argument.
"Yes, Your Majesty." The Master said through gritted teeth.
'Fool.' He actually thought. 'It's your fault if two innocents almost lost their lives. You shared your plans with Duke's rivals while keeping him in the dark. You've naively set the stage for the murder attempt, yet you refuse to act decisively.
