BRING ME FONTAINE!
I WANT HIM AT MY FEET, NOW!!
WHOO
I WILL SEE HIM IN THE JUDGMENT ROOM!!
THEY RETURNED EARLIER THAN EXPECTED... WHAT'S GOING ON?
IT LOOKS LIKE FONTAINE CAUSED SOME TROUBLE...
GOODNESS, HE'S GOING TO THE JUDGMENT ROOM!
WHAT A FUSS. BUT I GUESS IT MAKES SENSE SINCE THAT'S THE ROOM PEOPLE FEAR MOST...
THE JUDGMENT ROOM
AS ONE CAN GUESS FROM ITS NAME, THE JUDGMENT ROOM IS WHERE CRIMINALS ARE EXECUTED.
IN THIS ROOM, LANTE DETERMINES A SENTENCE FOR THE GUILTY ACCORDING TO THE WEIGHT OF THEIR CRIME...
...AND PUNISHES THEM WITH HIS OWN HANDS.
IT IS ALSO WHERE ACHILLE'S DEAD BODY WAS DISCARDED.
ANY AGRECE...
...WOULD FEAR THE JUDGMENT ROOM.
IS EVERYTHING READY?
IT'S ALL DONE.
JEREMY, I'LL LEAVE THIS PLACE TO YOU. TAKE CARE OF ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS OUTSIDE THE ROOM.
OKAY, XANA.
AFTER ALL, THIS ROOM...
...IS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE COMMITTED CRIMES.
F-FATHER...
THIS IS A TERRIBLE MISUNDERSTANDING--
SON OF A B*TCH!
HOW DARE YOU?!
YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD WALK AWAY AFTER TRYING TO STAB ME IN THE BACK?!
DID YOU REALLY THINK I WOULD HAVE NO CLUE ABOUT YOU PLOTTING AGAINST ME?!
BUT... MY PLAN WAS PERFECT!
DAMN IT...
DAMN IT!
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!
WHO RATTED ME OUT?!
I NEED A LIGHT.
YES, MASTER.
!!!
HRGH!
DEON!!
IF ONLY HE HADN'T GOTTEN IN MY WAY...!
F-FATHER...
THIS WAS ALL SET UP BY DEON.
I'VE BEEN FRAMED FOR--
SINCE YOU'RE STILL ABLE TO SPEW BULLSH*T, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU NEED SOME MORE BEATING.
I HAD DEON KEEP AN EYE ON YOU...
...THE SECOND YOU STARTED TO GATHER TROOPS BEHIND MY BACK!
DOES THAT MEAN HE KNEW EVERYTHING FROM THE MOMENT I IMPLEMENTED MY PLAN...?
AGH!
SHOULD I LIST OUT THE DIRTY SCHEMES YOU'VE BEEN CONSPIRING BEHIND MY BACK?
I GAVE YOU MANY CHANCES TO PROVE YOURSELF, BUT YOU CHOSE TO MAKE A FOOL OUT OF ME!
BRING IT HERE.
BUT DESPITE BEING A FOOLISH TRAITOR,
YOU POSSESS A VERY USEFUL SKILL.
WHERE ARE THE SOLDIERS YOU STOLE FROM ME WHILE I WAS AWAY?
THE SOLDIERS I STOLE...?
WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT?
I-I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU MEAN--
THAT'S IT, SON.
I MUST HAVE TAUGHT YOU WELL. I TRAINED YOU TO KEEP YOUR LIPS TIGHT AT ALL TIMES, NO MATTER HOW DAUNTING THE SITUATION.
I WILL CUT OFF YOUR LIMBS ONE BY ONE. WE'LL SEE HOW LONG YOU CAN LAST BEFORE TELLING ME EVERYTHING.
FATHER,
THERE IS NO NEED TO WASTE YOUR TIME ON THIS FOOL.
DID YOU FIND THE TROOPS?
UGH!!
NICELY DONE. THAT WAS QUICK.
YOU ALWAYS MAKE ME PROUD, MY DAUGHTER...
WHAT ARE YOU DOING, ROXANA?
I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO SIT HERE.
I WONDERED HOW IT WOULD FEEL TO LOOK DOWN ON PEOPLE FROM THIS CHAIR.
FROM UP HERE,
YOU LOOK VERY TINY, FATHER.
HOW DARE YOU...
...INSULT ME!!!
DON'T BE SO ANGRY, FATHER.
THIS IS TOO INSIGNIFICANT TO GET UPSET OVER.
DID YOU REALLY NOT SUSPECT ME ALL THIS TIME? NOT EVEN ONCE?
WHAT?
EVERYTHING I'VE DONE UP UNTIL NOW...
...WAS PART OF THE PLAY THAT I STAGED...
...JUST FOR YOU.
In Draft Chapter 37 of the Roxana series, as Lante accuses Fontaine of treason and interrogates him in the Judgment Room, Roxana defies her father with an unexpected move. After bringing in the missing soldiers, Roxana settles into Lante's seat and says how tiny he looks from above, revealing that everything she has done so far was merely a staged play for him.
