Chapter 341: There is another way.
The office was filled with heavy silence, the divorce papers laid out on the desk like a blade waiting to fall. Mr and Mrs Shade were sitting before the the papers, hesitant to do what needed to be done. Mrs. Shade’s hand hovered over the papers, his wife’s sobs muffled against her sleeve. Noah and Willow clutched each other, watching their parents with guilt and relief at the same time.
Just as Mr. Shade lowered his hand, Mija pulled the paper away. The action stunned everyone, as it was unexpected.
"What are you doing?" Sienna asked her. This was not the time for her friend to be playing around.
"Wait," Mija said firmly. "There is another way."
All eyes turned to Mija. Mrs. Shade froze mid-sob, her tears suspended. Mr. Shade reached out and touched her shoulder, as if to still her before excitement could sweep through her. Noah gripped Willow’s hand tighter.
Sienna arched a brow. "Speak."
Mija rose, placing both hands on the table. "In my white snake tribe, when siblings that don’t share blood but are registered under one household wish to marry, we separate household legally. The son becomes independent of his father’s line. In some cases, they go so far as to remove him from the family tree. It doesn’t end the relationship between him and his father, unless they part ways bitterly. It just allows the son to form a branch of the same family. The downside to this is that the son cannot directly inherit his father’s legacy, if it is a noble house. Anyway. I think this can apply to their situation. Both marriages will remain valid. No divorce."
Mrs. Shade’s breath caught. "You mean.....if Noah is no longer legally my husband’s child, then he and Willow are not siblings?"
Mija nodded. "Exactly. The law recognizes households, not only blood. If the son separates, he becomes his own branch. The sibling contradiction dissolves. Legally, your marriages are no longer an issue. Morally, people will still whisper. So, if this law can be applied, you all have to make sure that you can live with the whispers."
Captain George frowned. "But this is the fox tribe, not white snake tribe. Can such a precedent stand?"
Sienna’s gaze sharpened. "That is the question." She looked at the lawyers. "Check the records. See if empire law or tribal statutes allow such a separation."
The lawyers scrambled, bringing law books from their offices, checking the online law archives. flipping through codices of law and calling law professors for advise. Captain George watched, silent but in judgement. He couldn’t understand why Sienna was doing this much for the Shades. Had it been Lady Cadelaria, they would all be in jail, their story would be on national news and the ink on the divorce papers would be dry by now.
He also couldn’t understand why a snake beast woman was working in this office and giving opinions of fox tribe affairs. He sighed and shook his shook. Each regime came with its own changes.
After tense twenty six minutes, the chief lawyer raised his head. "Lady Sienna, we have found three possible statutes."
The couples couldn’t contain their excitement.
Sienna gestured. "Explain."
The lawyer opened a fox tribe codex. "First, the Household Separation Act, written five generations ago. It has not been used in like two hundred years but it is applicable. It allows a son to declare independence from his father’s household, forming a new branch, under approval from the council of elders or the patriarch. Once separated, he is no longer legally a sibling to those within the father’s line. The law is rarely used now, but it exists."
Noah’s eyes lit with hope. "Then we can remain married."
The lawyer nodded. "Yes. But it requires formal declaration, witnessed by elders and fee paid to the tribe treasury. You must understand that you cannot inherit any of your father’s properties if you do this."
Noah smiled smugly. "I can buy them for one beast coin. I am sure my father would not mind."
Mr. Shade laughed. "A fee is nothing compared to losing my son because I made him lose his happiness. We are still father and son even if we are not under the same household."
The lawyer looked at Willow. "Unfortunately, this law was only applicable to men."
She shrugged. "It is enough that we have a way out now."
A second lawyer stepped forward. "There is also the Adoption Nullification Clause in empire law. If a child is adopted into a household but later proves incompatible, the adoption can be annulled. The son or daughter would then be legally unrelated to his father or mother. It is a loophole, but it has a precedent."
Sienna was not the only one frowning.
Mr. Shade said in a confused voice, "But my son was not adopted."
The lawyer pointed to Willow. "You adopted Willow three months ago. You have to nullify the adoption and legally declare that she is not your daughter. The same goes for Mrs. Shade, you have to nullify your adoption of Noah."
Sienna’s eyes narrowed. "No wonder Captain George came to me. This was not a simple step-sibling relationship, your parents took it a step further. At least we know what must be done."
The third lawyer raised an open book. "Finally, the tribunal exception law. When facing a tribes customs conflict, the empire allows the tribe to choose which law to apply. If the fox tribe accepts the snake tribe’s precedent of household separation for the purpose of marriage between non blood related siblings, the empire will honor it. This requires the king or queen’s approval. In their absence, the royal council can handle the approval. The benefit here is that an exception can be made and Noah Shade can still inherit his father’s properties or legacy. Moreover, with a royal approval, whispers and moral persecution can be avoided altogether. It is the cleanest path."
Mija smiled faintly. "So, it is what I suggested, with a few changes."
Mr. Shade exhaled, relief softening his shoulders. "Then there is hope for us to live with our head high. None of us has to to move or keep our love hidden like a sin."
Mrs. Shades tears slowed, her voice trembling. "I will not lose you. Not to law, not to paper."
Noah hugged Willow. "We will not have to sneak around anymore."
Willow’s sniffled. "We will not be torn apart."
Sienna studied them all, her heart lighter, yet resolute. "You all understand the cost, right? Separation means independence. In the end, Noah may not inherit from your line Mr. Shade. He will not be obligated to care about you in any way anymore."
Mr. Shade nodded slowly. "I understand the risks. If it saves both marriages, and our happiness, I think us Shade men are willing to do this."
Sienna nodded. When she opened her mouth, her voice was firm. "Then let’s separate your family." She turned to the lawyers. "Draft the documents. Household separation, adoption nullification, tribal exception. We will present all three to the fox lord and the queen. Let them choose which precedent to uphold." Anyway, she was not the villain in their love stories anymore. Hopefully, none of them ever regretted this decision in future.