Rose's Thorns

Against all rationale

Theodore's POV

Today should not have been eventful, the decision has already been made,I was just sent as a figurehead and to make the masses believe it was a fair judgement after all, I am the symbol of impartiality or as the masses would say, the blind judge. Blind in the sense that I am visually impaired and I am also blind to pleas, social status, bribes and sentiments.

I had received the case three days earlier from the chief judge himself. He had said it was a politically sensitive matter and needed to be closed as soon as possible. I personally did not like cases like that but my father had interfered saying I was doing a favour for his friend.

And like all cases meant to be handled 'as soon as possible', there was no concrete evidence and it was just too obvious they were simply making her the scapegoat. It took all I had not to change my mind and refuse the case, I had even thought I had convinced myself to do as I was told but once the hearing had began, I knew I was about to disappoint the whole government of Mowrow.

All they had were stories, she had an alibi, her lawyer was nonchalant leaving her to herself and the prosecutor was simply advocating for her to be executed with no evidential backing, the only reason she wouldn't be acquitted was her notorious record and her open pledge to sabotage his re-election however possible.

"Due to lack of substantial evidence, the case would be adjourned to 10th of January providing the police enough time to conduct a proper investigation. However, the culprit would be held in prison during this period, this has been made after careful consideration of her previous records, her lack of an address and the risk of her fleeing." I pronounced and extended my hand to Ellis, my bodyguard for the mallet.

Right before I could strike it, I heard the faintest voice, so faint that I thought I had imagined it. Pausing for a while, I heard it again, this time clearer.

"No, no, no."

It was coming from the direction of the witness box making me guess it was the accused.

"Pardon, but if you have an objection, it is more appropriate to discuss it with your lawyer." I had replied, returning to my task of striking mallet.

"I'd rather I am prosecuted right now." The voice was no longer faint, it was sharp and the pain in it raw.

Suddenly, I heard a thud which was immediately followed by shrieks and hurried footsteps. I didn't have to be able to see the scene before I understood what was happening. She had jumped out of the witness box, most likely headed towards me or the door, it has happened quiet a few times that I was no longer surprised or even shaken. Ellis is by my side and I am not as helpless as they perceived me to be. I can protect myself to an extent.

The situation may have been curtailed as the voices seemed to die down except one that was straining to be heard.

"Do not take me back there before you give me a chance to atleast express myself, they are gonna kill me even before I am pronounced guilty and even if I manage to remain alive I would be but an empty shell and It will all be on you!"

It had nothing to do with her plea and everything to do with my curiosity when I uttered.

"Let her go."

"My Lord?" A voice asked and I guessed it was a policeman

"You heard correctly." I replied leaning back into my chair.

I heard what he thought was a quiet grumble but chose to ignore it. That is all he can do to express his disagreement anyway.

"You were fighting to express yourself moments ago, did you change your mind?" I asked once I was tired of waiting. I had given her a chance to speak and for some reason she seemed to prefer silence now.

The court was already beginning to whisper to each other and I couldn't help but agree with them, we all had other things to do.

"I cannot go back there." She finally whispered, her voice timid.

"You made that clear, I want to hear the reason you have." I replied impatiently.

By now I had realized there was something my lack of sight was hiding from me, one of the sentences I was able to catch among the audience indiscrete whispering was

"Look at her face, it's all battered."

That made me even more interested in her case, I needed to listen to her if I couldn't see her.

The whole court was quiet now everybody waiting to hear what she had to say.

"Can I come closer?" She asked taking me aback.

"Why would you need to do that?" I replied raising an eyebrow.

"Because you cannot see me." She snapped making me blink.

'How courageous.' I thought. Since I had gone blind, only one person had been able to openly refer to it the way she'd done today and surprisingly I was not annoyed. I was rather intrigued so I offered her a different option, ignoring the murmurs that her reply had erupted.

"However, I can hear you."

She seemed satisfied with that as she began to narrate her ordeal with the officers at the station. She must be either be completely fearless, or have a strong faith that I would save her because she did not hesitate to call the names of the officers, she narrated how they took turns in molesting her and how her cries were never heard.

The officers standing behind me were whispering promises of teaching her a lesson once they have the chance and i couldn't help the disgust that crawled up my throat.

'They were more concerned about her whistle blowing that the deed their colleagues had perpetrated?'

I continued listening to her, this time biased towards her and with every sentence, I found myself wanting to save her.

When she was done I ordered a recess and made a call to a renowned doctor to examine her. Once that was done, I called all the lawyers and consulted them but like robots, they sang the same thing saying she may be faking it to avoid staying in prison. One even had the audacity to say, she was a street w***e so she must have seduced the policemen, not one person had a different opinion, not even her so called lawyer.

I waited for the doctor's results and once he confirmed her claims, I called off the break, my decision already made.

It probably has been made since she had claimed to be abused, her voice had began to sound like that girl's voice 15 years ago and I had to fight hard to stay rational . I would not let another person go through that again, not when I had the power to stop it this time.

So, without thinking about whatever anybody would say, I announced to the court that the accused Marina, escorted by two policemen of my choice would be held in house arrest in the heavily guarded Orson's villa where I live alone. That would solve the problem of her lack of a home and dismiss the possibility of her fleeing and at the same time protect her from police harassment.

The court was in an uproar but I ignored everybody as I struck the mallet, stamping my decision.