Barak had asked that the musicians, servants and guards be sent out for the matters he was going to table before them was a rather private one. But Gerald had refused.
Since they had all been present when the princess ran in with tears, pointing at the prince as her assaulter, he wanted them to remain even as prince Barak would say his cut. He didn’t want any later reasons for rumors going around that he had passed an unfair judgment. Everyone’s ears would hear, and everyone’s eyes would behold what was about to happen.
Barak at that point could care less if they remained or not. He only suggested it not for his sake, but for hers and in general to save the face of the royal family of Avelah. He knew and was certain that after he had finished with everything he had to say, the one who would be feeling shamed wouldn’t be him nor his father and his people. But the beautiful starlet of the day and her family.
Silently they waited for the arrival of the Royal detector, and while Barak had sat himself down, carefreely walking his way through the many Avelian dishes before him, Neriah sat with her head on her Mother’s lap, using her nails to pinch her arm frantically.
She prayed in her heart, prayed to the goddess that the Royal detector would suddenly be stricken with an illness that will make it difficult for him to come. She prayed that he’d be stricken with leprosy so he would not be allowed to enter into the palace. She also prayed for his death. Whatever would cause the man to not show up, she was asking for.
Was it too much to ask?
The doors to the hall opened and Neriah instantly sat straight, nervously staring at the door while still pinching her arm.
The guard that had been sent to call the Royal detector walked through the door and she almost breathed a sigh of relief as she saw him walking in alone, only to choke back on that single breath as she saw a man slowly walking into the hall.
The man deserved to be called an elder. No, it was better to call him an ancestor. He was tall, but his back was bent and crooked, he was slim and had a head full of long wavy white hair. It was like a miracle for someone who looked like an ancient relic to still have that much hair. His skin was wrinkled and shrunken so much that it almost looked like he had been inside an oven before.
Neriah had heard of the Royal detector but had never seen the man before. He looked three thousand years old!
Accompanying him was a young girl who was probably in her early teens, she had a sac made of leopard skin crossed over her neck.
"Ro_ya_l de_tec_tor A_na_ld gre_eee_et’s His Majesty." His words were as slow as his walking steps. He didn’t need to bow, because his back was already carved into a bowing position by old age.
"Lord Anald, I will ask that you forgive my bringing you all the way here when you are obviously supposed to be in your home resting." King Gerald humbly apologized and explained. "I would have sent for your granddaughter, Estella alone," he pointed at the girl who came with the old man Anald, "but this is a matter of utmost importance and only the best is needed."
"It re_a_ll_y is an h_o—"
"Grandfather, allow me speak for you. Save your breath." The granddaughter, Estella, volunteered to help her old man out. Anald smiled gratefully at her and nodded.
"My grandfather wishes to express his utmost gratitude as it is an honor to him that His Royal Majesty, the King still has use for a man as old and wrinkled as he." She calmly relayed the message and king Gerald forced a smile upon his face.
"Now, forgive my insolence Your Majesty, but without further ado, we would like to begin. My grandfather, as you have rightly said, should be resting at home. So he would like to know for what reason he has been summoned." For a girl her age and size, she was a bold and fluent speaker.
"Of course." King Gerald nodded and turned his gaze to Neriah who he could visibly see trembling. Then he turned to Barak, the man had a wine goblet in his hand now. He seemed confident.
"One of my esteemed visitors from Trago has been accused of a very heinous crime by my daughter the princess, Neriah. I have listened to my child and now I would listen to Prince Barak. I wish to know if his words hold any truth."
Silence followed Gerald’s words as some kind of telepathic communication was going on between the old man Anald and his granddaughter Estella.
"Grandfather says, bring forth a seat and let the Prince sit in the center of the hall, before His Majesty." Instantly, a wooden chair was pulled out by one of the servants present and placed right in the center of the hall, before the King.
Without any hesitation, Barak stood from his chair and strode to his new seat before the Avelah royalty.
Now all eyes followed the slow movement of Anald. Estella dipped her hand into her sac that she had crossed over her chest and pulled out a certain flower. It was a bright blue flower with petal patterns like a dahlia plant.
Slowly, Anald took the flower from Estella and walked over to Barak even more slowly. He took the flower close to his lips and muttered some words into it and magicly the petals began to glow. Each single petal looked like it could be used as the source of light in a dark room.
He handed the now glowing flower over to Barak and said, "Now, you lie, it dies." It was almost frightening how those were the only words he had been able to say at a normal pace.
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Hey everyone, head over to the comments section. I’ll be dropping an image of what our dear old Royal detector looks like.