The grand hall of the royal castle was transformed into a courtroom quickly and those that had permission to witness the trial in person flocked the castle and found seats around. These seats filled up quickly as the trial of the century unfolded amidst thick air. The accused: the noble house of Ye, a once wealthy and respected family now charge with the unthinkable--poisoning crown princess Sigrid, attempted murder by throwing her out of a window to what could have been her death and murdering the royal heir in her womb.
The courtroom was a spectacle. The king whose face was red with grief and fury was gripping the arms of the throne. Beside him was the queen to his right and princess Elarin to his left. The queen looked cold, the same as ever while Elarin’s face was pale and her eyes red from so much crying.
The crown prince’s face held a similar color to the king’s and every once in a while, he could be seen caressing the tip of the sword in his hands. Beside him was his wife the crown princess, despite her red eyes and slightly pale look she appeared to be stronger than expected.
The people were waiting however, for that moment when she would fall apart. Who in Eldoria did not know of her great love for children? The dozens of pictures of her in newspapers carrying commoners children and kissing them on the cheeks, laughing with them or ruffling their hair proved this fact.
In the courtroom, nobles in their finest and newest silks filled the front rows, their faces a mix of various emotions as they had no idea how the trial would proceed. They peeked at the Thorin’s who were also in the front rows wondering what was going through their minds. No word had been heard from them but they were angry and it showed on their faces.
Behind the nobles were the lucky commoners that had been early enough to secure places in the hall. They craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the crown princess and crown prince who were the most affected by the tragedy. Crystal cameras in the hall broadcasted the trial to every corner of the kingdom. In taverns, marketplaces and homes, citizens gathered around these magical devices, their eyes glued to the drama.
Television had never been more loved in Eldoria than it was right now. The commoners were glad to finally have an opportunity to witness for themselves what went on it the king’s courtroom. It was better than hearing about it from servants of the nobles of the few that got to attend.
At the center of the room sat some of the king’s advisors and the prosecutor, Lord Dresden who stared at the accused family like a predator waiting to devour them and send them to their death.
The accused family stood in line to the side, some were in prison and others being held at their castle. Those that had been involved in the incident were the ones that had been brought to court. Blythe Ye was in tears, Oliver Ye was stoic, his eyes defiant as he glared at Sigrid. Whatever hatred he heard for her, it had been multiplied ten thousand times over now. From the arrest to this point, he maintained his innocence, claiming that he had not pushed her.
"Begin." The king ordered Lord Dresden.
Lord Drisden stood up and addressed the crowd. "Your highness, my lords, ladies and citizens of Eldoria, we gather here today to seek justice for the harm done to one of our own. Our most beloved and selfless princess Sigrid Maximus." His tone was sharp and deliberate. "This harm was not just done to her, it was done to the crown prince, our next king. It was done to our king and the rest of the royal family that were excitedly preparing to welcome a new addition to the family. We are here today to stand and protect not just the crown princess but the very foundation of trust upon which this kingdom stands."
He paused and paced slowly, letting his carefully chosen words that he had practiced in front of a mirror four times before trial, sink in. "What was lost three days ago was not just a child, it was the next royal heir. A boy whose magical ability had been confirmed by the head mage. In his words, it was a child with the abilities like no other, the strongest sword mage to be on the continent if trained right."
The crowd gasped for air, someone in the courtroom fainted, Lady Iryne started to cry. The king growled out like a lion, the queen covered her eyes, showing emotion for the first time and Elarin wiped the corners of her eyes. Amazingly, Sigrid remained composed, as did Roland.
But all around Eldoria, especially at the boarders, the citizens were enraged. The loss of a sword mage was a great deal and this sword mage in particular sounded like an important one.
"Death to the Ye’s." Someone in the courtroom shouted and the chants picked up.
It took a minute to clam the people down and Lord Dresden continued. He gestured at the accused family. "House Ye has committed an unforgivable crime. They claim to be innocent but the evidence is clear and the motive undeniable. I shall prove in this courtroom today that they have long held a grudge against the crown princess and acted on it when she went to tea party expecting tea and cakes, but received only malice and poison. This was not just murder of the royal heir, it was a conspiracy that they had been cooking for a long time."
Lord Dresden was quite dramatic but his opening statement did the job of setting the Ye’s firmly in the light of villains. It set the tone for the trial and more gasps and murmurs filled the room as the people anticipated what evidence he would present to back up his words that it was a conspiracy which had been brewed for a long time.
In a corner, a reporter for the daily paper jotted down notes furiously, whispering to herself some of the most memorable lines that Lord Dresden had used.
"Foundation of trust, greatest sword mage, conspiracy." He paused his quill for a moment and wondered what the best title for the article which would headline the morning paper the following day would be. It came to him and his eyes lit up. "The untimely death of the greatest sword mage!" That was a title with a story to tell, it would be perfect.