It was at that moment that Jherna was ushered inside, her heart in her throat because she had absolutely heard a nice chunk of that conversation! And there was no mistaking Simone's voice.
Oh Hakeshna, no.
Scurrying into the room, her eyes wide with horror as she saw poor Simone there, in wolf form, behind those bars and being questioned by the Shah herself, Jherna cleared her throat loudly.
"Shah Persea, Your Majesty, if I may...?" she said, folding her hands in front of her to keep them from twitching nervously. Her face was pale. "That is my slave, Your Majesty. Simone. The one I brought with me today..."
She trailed off, her voice taking on a miserable note as she looked back and forth from the Shah to Simone--Simone, who looked so pitiful, locked away like that, splattered in someone else's blood--and was he injured, too? Her heart clenched. "He, ah...he has a condition, you see..."