"I'm late, lass!" moaned Grinzor, hurrying along the path.
"Oh, stop it!" murmured Nine-chan, irritated.
Grinzor paused, then grabbed her by the hand.  "Aggh, fine!"

"Eh? But-" Nine-chan began to complain, as she was dragged along quite uncomfortably by the madly hopping Grinzor. Nine-chan closed her eyes, until Grinzor let go, causing her to crash to the ground rather harshly. She opened her eyes to find Grinzor bowing before a figure in a long, red dress, with a puffy skirt and puffed sleeves, wearing a golden crown, and holding a golden scepter with a ruby heart. 
"Your Majesty, Queen Calamari of the Squid," annonced a voice.
"Cal?" whispered Nine-chan, turning to the Queen.
The Queen Calamari looked down to the girl, and frowned.  "Who's this?" she asked, turning now to her left.

 "It appears to be a young girl."
Nine-chan turned her head in the direction of the voice; there stood AnnChoEve, dressed in similar attire to Calamari’s, clearly the second most important person there.
"L'dy Ann Cho o' Eve," said Grinzor respectfully to Ann, bowing. In return, Ann kindly bowed her head to him, and gently lifted up Nine-chan.  "And who are you?"
"I’m....9261993, or Nine-chan, if it pleases you, m'lady," said Nine-chan, trying to remember the courtly manners that she had read about in books.
"And what if it doesn't please?" purred a voice behind her.
Nine-chan turned around to find GinKazeRyuu bowing slightly toward Calamari and Ann.  "The jury is ready," Gin purred.
Calamari nodded, then turned to Ann.  "We shall take our leave, now."
Ann clapped her hands, getting court's attention.  "Attention, everyone! We shall now go to court!"
"But this is the court!" shouted a voice.
"Yes, but we shall go to another type!" replied Ann, irritated.
"Is the Queen replacing us?" shouted the voice again.
"Oh, folly!" shouted Calamari, standing up.  "We're going to a trial, you fools!"
The crowd murmured their relief and excitement. Ann clapped her hands, again.  "Please, everyone, we must hurry."
Grinzor grabbed Nine-chan by the hand.  "You're coming, too."
As Grinzor dragged her away, Nine-chan watched GinKazeRyuu bow before the Queen again, and disapperered in a puff of purple, almost glitter-like, smoke.

"Let's go, Sushi," said Ann to Calamari.
Cal grumbled as she stood up.  "I told you not to call me that," she murmured, flinching.
The last Nine-chan could hear of the conversation was Ann's reply: "But Sushi is very in nowadays, or so I'm told."
Grinzor took her inside the castle, and then into a room that resembled a courthouse, taking her to sit in the audiance. Moments later the room was filled; the trial was about to begin.