The magistrate's gavel struck the dais. "Bring in the first witness."
The side door creaked open. A woman stepped inside wearing a plain skirt, a telltale sign of her status in life. Her hair was pulled back, though loose wisps of hair framed her face. Her eyes were sharp and focused.
Tristan recognized her instantly.
Anna Suarez.
The chamber stirred at once. Whispers broke out in low hisses. Her name carried a scandal. Once a maid of the manor. Later dismissed in disgrace. Now summoned to speak in a trial that could cut a dynasty in two.
Tristan's breath caught. He remembered her faintly from his childhood, a figure in the halls, sometimes near his father, never near him. Always looking away.
The magistrate raised a brow. "State your name for the record."
Her voice carried across the chamber, sharp and unashamed. "Anna Suarez."
"And your connection to this family?"
