Mabel Trees

Picky, Picky

Everyone turned to me and even though I grew uncomfortable with the amount of eyes on me I tromped it down.

"I knew it. I knew she was never meant to be trusted," Six stated.

"Yeah, she never said a word, now she only speaks after the death of a Royal?" Questioned Five.

"She should be set to the stake and burned," another victor shouted. By this time, I didn't care who accused me, they were false and I was determined to prove everyone wrong.

"I didn't do it," I stated calmly.

"Then how do you know who did?" Aben glared at me.

"I saw him before it happened," I said.

"But I was with you the entire time," Clementine pondered.

"Yes, but I saw him across the courtyard," I said.

"Then why didn't you alert the guards?" Aben accused, "You should have said something. If you did, my grandfather, YOUR King wouldn't be dead!"

His anger boiled, his fists clenching by his sides, his face red, ready to kill me if need be.

"I searched for him briefly before the Victors were called upon stage. I lost sight of the man," I reasoned.

"That is no excuse!"

"Well, it's the truth," I muttered, "Look, you all never wanted me to be a part of this Race. Most people who saw me run thought I would die by the hands of the Woods. I only wanted to compete to get out of here and escape that man. Trust me when I say that man is nothing but a cold-hearted bastard who deserves to rot. I had assumed that when I left at thirteen, he wouldn't seem to care to look for me. I haven't seen him in over six years. I assumed he thought I was dead and I took comfort in that thought. I never wanted that man to look for me."

"Lies! Save it for your execution day," One yelled.

I turned to him. "I didn't lie. We may be blood-related but we will never be anything more than that." Everyone was silent for a moment before I continued on. "I may not know what he has to gain by killing the King, but he's not bright." I looked to Aben. "You are King now. Think this through. What political gain does my father have by achieving this? You personally know of his crimes. He has only raised fear in our minds, but our hearts know you have been training to spot where danger is within every corner. Tell me, what does this murderer have to gain?

"With this, it only raises higher security for every Realm by making this a public spectacle. Any human who bands together to try to use this as a way for power or a voice has failed with not raising an attack upon the many important people in the Eurie Celebration tonight. They did not kill you or any of the rest of the heirs to leave Euradon powerless.

"I have nothing to gain by this. I only had much to lose when crossing the finish line. Kill me, fine. But you will never receive justice for the life lost today, nor know where to turn for any information against this man."

Before anyone could speak, the door burst open and a few guards rushed in. A man in black uniform led the group, he seemed to be the leader. His dark skin and black eyes screamed to run as if breathing unjustly in the man's direction would send them to a long and torturous death.

"This came for you, my lord," he handed Aben a rolled up note in parchment paper before dismissing the rest of the guards besides him to take their place back to their stations. The man remained.

Clementine, Callum, and Aben looked over the paper, but confusion soon consumed their faces.

"I don't know what it says. It's in some sort of strange code," Clementine said, her tears now gone, slowly backing away from the paper, trying to calm down the soft hiccups that occasionally left her mouth.