The Trial Arc

Prologue

"Let me go! Let me go!" 

Ivan screamed when he was held tightly by the royal prison guards. He was brought out from his cell under the Tsar of Mechtatsvete's order to the Imperial Court of Justice. 

"I'm innocent, you fool! I did nothing wrong!"

The two royal prison guards said nothing in response to the fallen prince's scream. On the way to the court, Ivan put up a constant resistance against the cuffs on his limbs. Two ankle cuffs with chains and heavy metal balls restricted his movements. Due to his resistance, his flesh burned each time. His head pounded, throbbed with pain. And each time his flesh got burned and pain hit his head, Ivan cried, yet his eyes showed a deep detestation and hatred.

All of sudden Ivan stopped walking.

"Walk!" instructed the guard. He gave a force on the prince's back, making the fallen royal had to take a step forward. "Who told you to stop walking?"

Ivan then tilted his head to face the latter. He smiled. It was a vile and venomous smirk. Both his thick black eyebrows contacted each other as his eyes narrowed, displaying a seriously scowled face. 

"Did you bring my medicine?"

Both guards exchanged look before one of them replied the prince. "Are you trying to overdose yourself? Your attempt to make us loosing our guard or commit suicide is futile."

"It is always amusing to hear such an absurd reasoning." Ivan chuckled softly. While lowering his head down, his eyes narrowed as they focused on the cemented floor. They found blood tailing from behind, even he himself wasn't sure since when he started to bleed. Probably the reason why he was experiencing light-headed. "I was prescribed with painkillers. For headache."

Again the guards exchanged look. For they looked rather surprised with the prince's declaration. He could be uttering the truth, or the opposite. To make it worse, there is no one there to clarify Ivan's claim.

"So, I am even being denied my own medicine?" Softly he nodded, making his attempt to walk again. 

Gripping hard his fists, it was a clear message to him that the punishment had begun before he even had his own trial. No, it started the moment his maternal uncle, the Head of Imperial Physicians and the Imperial Tutor, Lord Lucien Nocturnov was sent to Milicayabloko Village by the Imperial decree to bring Ivan back to Mirizgrad .