An armored van approached the back loading dock. Inside it was the defendant. While she would've made her own way there - or ridden in the van - Saint Sabrina would arrive at exactly the same time. The doors were opened and Lazarus would be free to exit into the backstage area. Lisa-Joe Hampton saw this arrival and sent Jake a text.
The package has arrived. Send.
She held Seb's hand tightly. They would be starting soon.
Drew looked to the flask in his hand, and laughed a bit as he realized he'd been holding it so openly. Drew didn't really think anyone thought this was a
real trial. It was a show! That's why he'd come so blasted. It wasn't even that it was a vampire gig. He thought human courts were basically just shows too. Real justice was a thing of the past or never existed at all.
"When at the circus," he said coyly to Murphy, raising the flask and saluting his promise of a party. He looked to the box and saw Jake still talking to Zoheret. He pointed to the pair, and gestured for Murphy and Astrid to look. "I imagine it will all start when he's done chatting with her," Drew observed. He looked around and saw attendants and aids running towards backstage. "Yeah, I give it... eight and half minutes." It was a very exact guess. His phone buzzed. It was Zeph.
Class till like 7 but after that sure. Need food. 
After that Drew's phone buzzed several more times and images of all different kinds of food emojis flooded his inbox. He laughed and smiled at them all. He was going to get to see Zeph after he watched this ancient get the chair. What a cool night!
Jake had forgotten exactly how slimy the she devil was, but her attempts at word play and insults reminded him. He kept his face the same neutral pleasant mask he'd been giving her thus far, and nodded appreciatively at all her comments. The idea of poor Mr. Sampson made him sick. Ben was just another common criminal who used his connections to get out of trouble. Also, mortals who were raped had to testify in public all the time, so Ben was not being subjected to a special form of humiliation. He did have to suppress a dark grin at the idea of cutting off the culprit. That would
not be happening and he wished other District Leaders could hear Zoheret's idea of justice the next time they thought to criticize his own.
"All interesting observations my dear Zoheret," he replied, laying on the implied intimacy with her thickly. He would get such joy if it repulsed her. "I'm so happy Ben volunteered to be here today. As to the publicness of it all, perhaps you're right. I was going for transparency not a show, but it's far too late to change things now. You're already in your box."
He hoped she felt it was more like a cage, the token bird of the District Leaders. "And to your last point, I don't think mutilating my citizens is ever the answer, and thankfully we have your feminine wiles to balance out that masculine energy.
His phone buzzed, and he went to look.
The package has arrived. He pocketed it, and was sad to see this edition of Jake versus Zoheret cut so short. Why, she hadn't even called him a murderer yet.
"I'm afraid I'm needed downstairs and still need to greet the Sacrament. Please let me know if we can make you more comfortable. Good evening." He bowed again, with his face becoming the spiteful little shit Zoheret thought he was.
He would stay long enough to let Zoheret take her parting shots. Afterwords, he blocked out her words. He would process them later. The Black Prince moved away from the Dark Angel's nest and made his way across the small second floor to the box of the Sacrament. He welcomed Jeanne and Charon and offered them the same comforts as Zoheret, sending Charon a warm and thankful feeling only for him. After pleasantries were exchanged, Jake moved to take a seat next to Murphy. He overheard the artist ask what the trial was about but decided not to answer her. She would find out soon enough.
"Hey there Murphy," Jake said, taking the seat next to him. He made sure to save the one on the other side of him for when Sam finished her testimony. He hoped she'd take it at the appropriate time, but wouldn't force it.
