Final verdict and xenophobia

Marriage isn't usually a pathway filled with roses, although weddings always have several bouquets of flowers adorning everywhere. Marriage is oftentimes is filled with sharp-pointed and poisonous thorns and deathtraps and at any slight incident, the two players could get checkmated and beaten at their own game. My parents aren't exempted from folks that thrash things around and I don't need a soothsayer to foresee the tension between them and it all started with the courtroom incident.

Have you gone mad? What was that all about, Cedric?" Mom stood with her arms akimbo over Dad.

"Setting things straight. I can't afford to let them get away with this," Dad replied as he ran his hand through his hair and paced around his private chamber.

"Why can't you listen to a single thing I say? You have to let the case die down else things might escalate," Mom told him amidst furry while placing her slender fingers on her throbbing head to massage her temple.

"I have a right to be angry," Dad hollered and punched the wall aggressively.

"I can't just sit by and do nothing when you are being biased in the courtroom," Mom raised her voice at dad and stabbed a finger at his chest to portray her annoyance.

"My rules state that there should be no killing of vampires and no performance of magic in the quarter." Dad leaned forward to mom, then continued, "This city runs by my rule and if anybody breaks those rules, they die," He decreed with clenched teeth.

"So, this is about your ego," Mom scoffed and continued, "If you ignore my warnings and you do whatever you deem fit to do, then you must be prepared for another war."

"Well, it is always the same war even though the enemy might differ," He said with wide eyes and shallow rapid breathing.

"And in wars, there are always casualties. Prepare to lose more of your most prized vampires then," Mom spat in his face, then walked away.

"You look so hot when you are angry." Dad raced towards her in a blurry velocity and grabbed her by the waist.

"All your charms and flirtations simply prove that you are every bit of the liar and manipulator your father once was," Mom said through clenched teeth and stared at him in disgust, then tried to walk away again, but dad's grip was too strong.

His once playful smile was replaced with an extreme grimace. "Is that what you really think of me?" He cocked a brow up.

"By all means, prove me wrong," Mom's eyes widened with a strong eye contact and raised eyebrows.

"Very well, come on," He held her hands and led her back to the court.

I decided to make a move and talk sense into him before the case continued.

"Dad, please temper justice with mercy," I told him as I took his hands with cold trembling fingers. Whatever judgment he gave today was most likely going to backfire.

"Mercy is for the weak, child. I'm not some pathetic excuse of a leader, I was given the title of the Dark Lord for a reason," He told me, cupped my face and gave a small reassuring smile before resuming the case.

"Before I pronounce judgment, I will like the forensics examiner to tell us her diagnosis." Dad nudged his head towards a young witch wearing a lab coat, surgical gloves, and goggles.

The young witch walked towards the front and the name tag on her breast pocket read 'Megan.'

"According to the forensics report, the deceased body's heart was pulled out by force and that happened many hours ago." She adjusted her glasses and continued.

"But that wasn't all because after the body had gone limp and lifeless, someone went back to slash his vocal cords..." She couldn't complete her statement as gasps were heard by everyone in the court as they began to mumble amongst one another.

"Silence!" Dad raised his hands to shut everyone up.

She went on, "And right at the back of his neck shows a sign of struggle and a burned scalded skin, and the last time I checked, a werewolf bite doesn't burn, so where did the fire come from?" The scientist asked rhetorically then bowed her head and walked away.

"Hmm!" Dad stroked his beard. "Doesn't that sound magically interesting? Does any witch care to shed light on how fire suddenly appeared out of the blue?"

For a brief second, they let the silence pass on and let their eyes do the talking.

"No more witty responses? I thought as much," Dad said with a smile which was slow and easy, revealing the deep-rooted dimples in his cheeks.

"This is clearly a case of xenophobia." Mom shared a silent gaze with dad and nodded in acknowledgement. She finally understood what he was driving at.

"Considering the long-lasting feud between you all, the animosity and desistation between the supernaturals has eaten so deep into your minds that you can no longer control your disgust, so what did you do?" Mom's heels clicked as she walked towards the front to face everyone.

"You went back to torture an already dead corpse," Mom said viciously and rushed towards Harry at a blinding velocity. She held his neck and raised him to stare at her furious eyes before flinging his body to the other side of the room.

"And yet, someone told me to temper mercy." Dad said with a smirk, cracked his knuckles and stood up.

"Do they deserve mercy?" His strong baritone came out authoritative.

"No!" Everyone except the witches chorused.

"It might have started as a small quarrel, but there is more to this case," Dad said and clenched his fists.

"Yes!" They all chorused even louder.

"They killed him in fair combat and went back to punish the dead body with a fire ignited by magic just because of the discrimination between you all.

"As the sovereign ruler of this quarter, my number one rule states that there must be no killing of vampires, while the second forbids the use of magic. Not only did Mary and Harry defile my rules, but they also broke two of them and there shall be no mercy in my judgment."

As we sat on the bench, staring at Cedric Marshall and wondering what punishment awaited the murderers, the clock ticked with every second and minute counting-- but dad, as usual, enjoys having a little suspense before pronouncing his judgement, and so, we dallied with darting hearts and sweat-soaked clothes.