"Is it your wish to plead for the prime minister?" The King asked.
Viscount Durin nodded. Other nobles, Ladies and Ladies stood up, adding weight to Viscount Durin.
The king was not surprised to see other nobles standing up for the prime minister. Many of them owed him, for others, he knew their secrets and held their lives in his hands. Some were simply trying to join the cause because the tides in politics changed like the weather on the sea.
It could be calm today and unstable another. Today the prime minister was set to fall but it did not mean the end of the Windrider house. They were an old noble house whose wings spanned to other friendly neighboring kingdoms.
If someday they rose to power again, these nobles were hoping to be remembered.
King Raff leaned his head down on his right hand and said, "I would like to remind you all of the crimes that the prime minister is being charged with. Unlawful extraction of resources, illegal ownership of mines, endangering lives and betraying the trust of his king. What punishment do you think is best suited for his crimes?"
Murmurs rippled through the room as people pondered on what punishment he should be granted. The standard punishment was stripping of a noble title and death.
Before the decision of the king could be made, the prime minister lent his voice to the matter. "Your highness, Lords and ladies, I am guilty of my crimes and I am not going to hide from the punishment. What I do plead for are the lives of my wives and children. They are innocent in this matter as they knew nothing of this. As for my sons that knew of my crimes, they were drawn into this unwillingly by me.
They could not betray their father knowing too well what the punishment would be. My son Desire, he was at the mine closing it down. I can swear this on my ancestors. He is a righteous man that urged me to inform the king about the mines and use whatever proceeds I still had left to help in the food crisis of the North.
I have sinned but my ancestors have served the royal house faithfully for many years. Greed got the best of me and I went down the wrong path. I beg you, My King, let them keep their dignity, a home and some possibility of the future. "
The hall fell silent as the king and council Lords that would be making the decision exchanged glances. Most of them found the prime minister’s words to be pity worthy and true. What he had done, could not overshadow what his ancestors had done.
The king noticed their looks and he revised the decision that he had been set to make. The council came to a compromise and the herald relayed to the king what they had decided. The final ruling fell on him, the council was just their to give advice.
The king read through their decision. They had decided that the family could be spared and allowed to retain their estate however all of their wealth which had been gained from sale of minerals and crystals would be stripped from them.
The king folded the paper and faced the crowd. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the final decision to come down.
King Raff raised his voice and said, "I am not without compassion and I recognize the contributions that the Windrider family has made over the years. It is such a shame that things have come to this.
Now, while compassion is necessary I do not believe in being too soft. The crimes that have been committed are grave, if the house of Windrider gets a slap on the wrist then others will follow in their feet and commit the same crime thinking they will make the same plea and all will be forgiven.
For those that have forgotten recent events, the prime minister personally led knights to the Thorin estate to search for gold and he accused them of the same crime he stands accused of today. I do not remember any of you Lords that have stood with him and pleaded for him doing the same for the Thorin’s.
As a matter of fact, you were all eager to see then executed and you would share their assets."
The Lords averted their eyes or blushed red in shame. They had forgotten about that and did not expect the king to share it with the public.
As for the Thorin’s they found themselves on the receiving end of many stares. People were already wondering if they had a hand in the misfortune of the Windrider’s. Many nobles drew the conclusion that the Thorin’s had avenged themselves.
"On that note," The king continued, "This is my decision. The actions of the prime minister are indefensible and he is hereby stripped of his noble title. This title can be reclaimed by the fifth generation of Windrider’s if they are found to be worthy and useful to the kingdom.
The Windrider’s are stripped of all privileges that came with their nobility, they are considered commoners henceforth.
All of their properties in the kingdom are to be confiscated and sold. The money will go to the into the royal treasury to make up for what has been stolen for so many years. I will leave them one small estate where they are expected to live quietly, under strict watch for the next undecided years.
"I will not take the life of the prime minister."
Gasps rippled through the hall and all over the kingdom as the court session was being televised by reporters in the hall that had covered the arrest of the prime minister. These gasps were followed by relief, disbelief and anger. Some people found it unfair that the prime minister was keeping his head when others had died.
The king was not done however and his next words were even more surprising.
"Former prime minister or Mr. Windrider now, you will serve a life time of hard labor in any of the mines you once owned to atone for the suffering caused by your greed."
More gasps befell the hall and a sly smile fell on Sigrid’s lips. When she whispered this idea to Elarin, she did not think the king would go for it but she was wrong, he had done so. He had outsmarted everyone that wanted to force him to show compassion by letting the prime minister go and allowing him to live on as a free commoner.
Who said that death was the only way to bring down a noble house? As a dirty lawyer, she knew all the tricks in the book.