But no matter how many times he sobbed Arata's name, the eyes remained dull, the body too heavy and still. "No, no, no…" Carac cupped Arata's cheek with his bloody hand, sobbing so hard he started coughing.
Rough hands grabbed him, dragged him away even as he kicked and fought to get back to Arata. To wake him up. To make sure he'd be all right. Alive. He wasn't dead, he wasn't wasn't wasn't. They were going away. They were going to be free. Together. Happy.
Someone wrapped him up in a heavy cloak and threw him over their shoulder, and Carac threw up as pain and grief and overtaxing himself finally won out. The man carrying him swore but didn't stop walking.
They traveled through the streets, but it was too dark for Carac to see who was there, though he thought he heard his mother's voice. And now he could smell anise, which mean it was probably his father carrying him. He was the only one big enough to do it, other than a few of the guardie.
Eventually the movement stopped, and he was set on his feet and unwrapped. His mother stood in front of him.
"Mama," Carac sobbed. "Arata— Is Arata—"
"That's enough!" a voice bellowed out, making even his mother jump.
Carac tried to stifle his tears as Hardegin-principe stormed across the room, and all the angry voices abruptly cut off.
Behind him was a tall, spindly man dressed in the ponderous robes of a giudice, with the three gold dots painted on his forehead that marked him a Giudice Principale of Verona. He was grim-faced as he took in the room, hard, dark eyes eventually settling on Carac.
"What is going on here?" Hardegin demanded, looking over Carac, his parents, Arata's family, and all the way at the back were Brom and Janshai. He glanced back at Carac, the lines of his face deepening.
Then he turned sharply away and looked to the couple crying quietly over what must be Arata's draped body. "Ishikawa-donni, is it true your son is dead?"
"Yes," Izumi hissed. "That Ferro whelp killed him in a street fight!"
"No, I didn't!" Carac bellowed. "I love Arata. We're going to run away! That man from the alley killed him! I cut off his finger! I didn't—"
The sound of the slap made more than a few people gasp.
Carac stared in disbelief at his mother. "Mama—"
"Not another word out of you," she hissed. "You've caused enough harm for one night."
"I didn't do it," Carac sobbed out. "We were going to run away. That man attacked us. He had bad iron in his mano sinistra. I-I-I purged the blade and hardened it, and cut off his finger before putting it in his shoulder. I didn't kill Arata! I love him!" He whipped around, staring at the back of the courthouse hall they were in. "Brom! Tell them!"
Everyone turned to face Brom, and Hardegin motioned for him to speak.
"Principe-sama, he asked me to bring two horses tonight at the Neko Tavern. I brought two old nags my father would be glad to see gone, and he paid me for them. I was leaving when I heard the commotion. That's all I know." He bowed low to Hardegin.
"What—" Carac stared, horrified. Confused. "That's not true! You walked with me to the tavern! You knew I was running away! You—" His mother slapped him again, and Carac dropped to the floor sobbing.
"Grandpa-san," Hardegin said to Janshai. "What can you tell us?"
Carac looked up hopefully.
"Principe-sama, I wish I could offer more help, but I'm only an old bun-maker. Ferro-don came in to buy some buns, and then went on his way. He does so often, but I've never paid any mind to what else he does."
"Dōmo." Hardegin turned to Carac. "Your story has fallen apart. Best to tell the truth."
Carac swallowed. "By the Flame in my blood, Principe-sama, I have told the truth. They are lying."
"Enough," his mother hissed. "Principe-sama, I cannot apologize enough for this. We have abided by your edict. I did not know the boy was carrying on, else I would have put an end to it."
"Apologies grew wearisome a long time ago, Ferro-donna," Hardegin said. "Apologies do not bring back the dead boy. Do better than apologies."
"Kattalin," his father said quietly, and she shared a brief look with him before stepping back and bowing her head.
Carac's heart sank further.
Hardegin looked at Carac's father. "You have something to say that you think might keep your family from having their heads removed, Ferro-don?"