Cassandra and Maria were back inside the castle to resume the hearing. Maria was still nervous because she knows that when she feels extreme emotions, she'll go insane.
"Still skeptical of me?" Maria raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. Let us continue with the hearing." Cassandra rubbed her temples.
"I shall persuade the people then. Give me the chance." Maria told her, "You wish for it to be fair, then we'll make it fair."
"Go on." The house representative replied.
"People of the Orient. I once more ask of your cooperation. I am your princess and I wish to make this kingdom unstoppable again." Maria said.
"How are we so sure about that?" The council replied.
"Though I only have my name to hold on to, I, Maria Venice Victoria Elizabeth Helen Paris Cordovin Wordsworth, am going to prove my identity to show that I am indeed worthy of the throne." Maria's eyes glowed red as she spoke. It was clear that she wasn't in full control.
"Sleep my darling, sweet and sound... I'll take the throne back and your crown." Elise whispered to the sleeping consciousness of Maria.
"Lady Cassandra, please step down from your pedestal and onto the prosecution's stand." The council ordered Cassandra.
Cassandra nodded before doing what the council said. The house representative looked at the council with a worrisome face. "Shouldn't this be in a different court?"
"Yes, but since we are all here, like always, I am presiding judge and you shall be part of the jury. There are 25 people of the jury, you included, the trial shall start in 5 minutes." The council gave a stoic stare to the house representative.
The house representative lead the jury while the trial commenced. Elise, in the form of Maria, took some of control. She waited for Maria to become conscious again so they can make the deal.
"Ladies and gentlemen, a national issue has been raised to seek our concern.
The issue on the table: Miss Lockheart's plan to take the throne and prove her identity. Lady Hopkins, you may start your defense, ma'am." The council said before hitting the gavel onto the table.
"'Life, dignity and loyalty to the crown are the ideals we live by. Even the wisest of royalty would agree.
Now we have a problem with loyalty to the crown. Forgotten by this nobody from poverty's brow. The king has said his last words with a letter that shall be our first evidence of this fraud. He asked me to rule this kingdom, thus I agree. No monarch is perfect on the first day and I tell you that even our King Eduard would agree." Cassandra claimed.
"Hold on! A letter? Truly that is absurd. May I see the contents of such letter?" Maria raised a brow.
The bailiff put a letter on the table in the middle of the courtroom where a herald from the jury announced its contents.
"I am to leave this earth soon. I have seen tragedies on hand and I forsee something I cannot say or decipher. I shall only understand when I reach that time-" The herald read until he was interrupted.
"I said, may I SEE, not read it to me. I am a woman, not an illiterate." Maria's eyes twitch in frustration.
"Your honour, I object to that motion!" Cassandra exclaimed.
"On what grounds?" The council asked.
"The defendant cannot touch such documents or evidence rather." Cassandra claimed.
"Granted." The council struck the gavel onto the table.
"Fine. I'd have no choice." Maria sighed.
YOU ARE READING
Cost of the Crown (UNREVISED VERSION)
FantasyA war between two kingdoms cause chaos all over the world and it tears each kingdom apart piece by piece. The east, having problems with their consecutive loss of royals, try to rise up as they fight back the west without a permanent royal to lead t...
