Duke Cercis struggled with the tie of his robe while he matched our pace. "You are not staying for breakfast?"
"We appreciate your hospitality, but to make it to the capital on time, we must leave right this moment." Stopping on the front steps, I turned and bent forward in a respectful bow. "Again, thank you for your kindness and for your willingness to aid my soldiers and me."
A smile split his face. "It was nothing. I hope you will visit again soon. You know my door is always open for you."
"Thank you. Until next time." To Duke Cercis' great elation, my fist rose to tap the center of my chest plate in a military salute.
"Gentlemen, salute!" At Calim's call, every knight in the yard tapped their chest in unison.
The trip to Southbridge, for the most part, was uneventful. Our only challenge; Herding a group of very stubborn elk out of the trail. Several men sported black eyes and bruises after the encounter. A clear sign of how the elk felt about the interruption of their pasturing.
In the distance, a deep river glistened like a diamond in the sunlight as it circled the grand pale, stone wall that surrounded the city. An extra layer of protection against intruders.
Raised, stone, pier-like structures connected the capital to the rest of the kingdom. Providing the only way to get in and out of the fortress. There are four drawbridges in total —Northbridge, Westbridge, Southbridge, and Eastbridge. These structures are under surveillance day and night. No one goes through them without stopping at one of the checkpoints for inspection. Making it a difficult task for those who want to infiltrate the city.
Our caravan was directed to the gazebo-like structure at the end of the platform and we greeted the guards.
After checking our wagons, the guards shouted, "Drop the bridge!" and waved a green flag to signal the bridge keepers.
The imposing dark wood drawbridge came down with thunderous resound. Completing the other half of the bridge.
High, light stone structures and roads came into my line of sight as we crossed the river. Wooden signs painted in every vibrant color known to man hung from the walls of the buildings. Showing through their creative designs what the establishment had to offer.
The tapping of hundreds of footsteps echoed on the street. Well-dressed people littered the sidewalks as we weaved through the traffic. Going about their daily routines without sparing a glance in our direction.
A gentle breeze blew down the street, wafting the sweet, crisp aroma of baked bread through the air. My eyes darted to the bakery tucked between the tailor and shoemaker shop at the street curb. I need to make a stop there before I go home. My stomach growled with the promise of hot, out-of-the-oven bread and pastries.
Towards the center of the capital, the palace's golden domes seemed to glow with the light of the sun. Guiding us like a lighthouse in the vast sea of buildings. We stopped at the intricate front gate and waited for approval from the guards at the entrance.
"Supreme Commander Iskander Ilberd Nubilus and Grand Commander Calim Acoma requesting entrance. We bring suspects of treason for trial." Announced Calim.
The golden-clad Royal Knight nodded in approval. On cue, the guards under his command opened the gate. Allowing our caravan to continue its course to the palace down a stone-paved road.
As soon as we pulled up at the marble courtyard, royal knights marched out of the palace to gather the suspects.
"I was requested to escort you to the throne room, your grace." Announced one of the knights when I dismounted.
"Alright." I looked at the group of people guided inside for their trial and tried to spot her face. I couldn't find her. She must've already gone inside. After a couple of minutes of searching, I gave up and headed to the throne room.
⚜⚜⚜
"Duchess Adelysia. According to your statement, you claim you have been wrongly accused." Said a court official. "Do you have anything to back up that statement?"
She looked toward the man on the throne. "Your Majesty. My family and our household have loyally served the royals for more than fifty years. We even have donated large sums of money to aid the military efforts to protect our country's borders. Why would I betray Your Majesty after all these years?" The Duchess' voice was full of worshipful admiration.
"Duchess, again, you will only address the council directly." The court official's voice was stern. "Supreme Commander Nubilus, will you please provide us your statement."
I stepped forward, "Last winter, we received word that a group of rebels was going to stage a coup. We set out to confront them, and after a month of searching, we found the settlement of the rebels. There was a great number of them hiding in the eastern corner of the forest of Vria. We took over the settlement by force and captured their leader for questioning. He revealed, after some coercion, who was supplying them with weapons and explosives. Duchess Lidya Adelysia. We even found —with the help of the rebel leader— a note stamped and signed by the Duchess. Giving them access to a shipment that was due to arrive the next day at one of her seaports."
The court official stepped forward and I handed said piece of paper.
"I assume you took care of those rebels as the law commands." He said while he inspected the note.
"Yes," The answer came in a low voice and my gaze dropped to the marble floor. "After that, we set out to the seaport to verify the contents of the shipment. Once there, the workers notified us that someone had already taken the crates. So, we went to the estate to confront her. When she saw our cavalry, she attempted to flee, confirming what we already suspected. I detained her and proceeded to question her, but she refused to answer truthfully. My men searched her estate and found a secret storage room in the stables. It had fifty crates full of weapons, all like the ones the rebels had in their possession."
"Grand Commander Acoma, do you agree with this statement?" He gestured to Calim.
"Yes, I agree," Calim answered.
"Very well, the Duchess' household is also present." The court official spoke to the six councilmen as they stood by the platform.
At the top of the steps, the king sat on his throne; without saying a word.
At his right stood High Priest Gustav, a balding grave-looking man with a sour disposition.
"Bring them forward." Ordered the priest and the royal knights guided the servants to the front of the room.
My eyes scanned through the faces in the group. The girl and the maid had their arms around each other. Their faces were pale.
"Your master has been accused of treason. You are all under suspicion of being an accessory to that treason. Do you have anything to say for yourselves?" Asked the court official.
Silence.
"No one has anything to say?" He asked in an annoyed tone.
After a beat, the maid let go of the girl and stepped forward, head bent, shoulders slumped. "We were not ignorant about Your Grace's dealings with the rebels. They used to come in the late hours of the night; to negotiate with Madam for her help. We know that the law requires us to report any activity that could be traitorous." She raised her head and looked at the man with pleading eyes. "But to be honest, sir, what can we lowly servants do about it? If we report our masters, we may lose our livelihood, be thrown out to the streets, or worse. If our master is proven innocent. They may retaliate and ask for imprisonment due to blasphemy. As a noble, they can do anything they desire to us, and we are powerless to stop it."
The court official watched her and seemed to ponder on her words. "Duchess, it seems that there's a lot of evidence against you." He walked towards the councilmen. "Council, you heard the statements, and here is the note" He handed the note to them. "How do we declare the accused?"
The councilmen inspected the evidence. After consulting with each other in hushed tones, they said in unison, "Guilty!"
"Very well. Duchess Lidya Adelysia. The council has spoken you will be punished for your act of treason. You will be sentenced to death. Take her away." The knights dragged the Duchess out of the room. Her wails and curses echoed through the halls.
"As for the household." He continued. "As difficult as their predicament can be. By law, they are still required to report any suspicious activity. That being said, unfortunately―"
"Wait." The man sitting on the throne finally spoke. He stood up and walked down the steps, his deep blue, royal robe trailing behind him. "I have heard your plight." He spoke to the court official, "And she is right, you know." He stood in front of the servants and adjusted his golden crown. Placing a hand over his heart, he said, "Like my father before me. I wish to help my subjects in anything I can." He turned towards the councilmen, "Thus, I, King Uriel Angelus Caelum II. Declare that they will not receive the death penalty."
"But Your Majesty, treason is a crime by law!" exclaimed the councilmen.
"Yes, and they will be punished, with a five-year imprisonment." He responded.
"The law mandates a death penalty, your majesty!" cried the court official.
"And the King mandates that they will only get a five-year imprisonment." He signaled to the royal knights to take them away.
The servants curtsied and praised the king with eyes full of gratitude as the men took them outside.
In a fraction of a second; The girl evaded the knights and sprinted towards me. Dropping to her knees, she clutched at my ankles. Her long nails dug into my skin through the fabric of my pants. "Please! Don't let them lock me up! I didn't know anything! It is unfair! Please help me! I beg you!"
I stared wide-eyed at the girl. A chill shot up my spine, and I saw in my mind's eye a woman. She clutched at the fabric around the ankles of a man. Her reddish-brown hair shook with her sobs, Please! I beg you! Don't! Cries the woman. I'm brought back to reality by the girl shaking my leg as she looks at me with tears in her hazel-colored eyes.
My skin went damp with ice-cold sweat, "A-Alright." The knights ran to my aid and grabbed the crying girl.
"Don't take her to the cells. Put her in the private audience chamber. We'll be there shortly," said the king. His blue eyes didn't leave my face as he ordered another knight, "Please. Escort everyone out." The retreating sounds of footsteps bounced on the high walls of the room, ending with a soft thud from the door. "Are you alright?" he asked with a lopsided grin. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
I rubbed my face, "Yes, I'm fine, Your Majesty."
A long, wiry arm was draped over my shoulders. "Relax! We finally finished this mission. And pretty quick too. All thanks to my trustworthy right-hand man. You've earned a military leave."
"I appreciate it greatly, your majesty," I responded as we walked out of the throne room.
"Of course, and please don't start with the Your Majesty thing again. We had an agreement that it was Uriel when we are by ourselves," he said, annoyed.
"It's strange to say it right after a royal trial," I mumbled.
We walked through the doors and almost ran into the High Priest as he stepped in our way. "Your Majesty, there are some things we need to discuss." He glared at the king.
High Priest Gustav has been our kingdom's main holy man for four decades. He's served two kings in his time working at the temple. The deceased King Barnabas Angelus Caelum —Uriel's Father— and now Uriel. And according to him, he plans to serve another king before he ends his time as a High Priest.
His position is of great importance and great power in this kingdom. He is the citizen's advocate. The pursuer of fair judgment and equal rights for the common folk. Now, if he has fulfilled those duties, well, that's subjective.
"Y-Yes. I have a private audience right at this moment. As soon as I'm done, I'll send someone for you." Uriel bowed his head and averted his eyes.
After sending a look my way, the High Priest left.
"He sure is a piece of work, and for some reason, he dislikes you. He told me months ago. Right before you left for the mission. That I should send someone else, and while we waited for your return, he kept saying that I should not have sent you." He scoffed, "What did you do to that old man? Did you step on his foot or something? Or, did you break the heart of one of his daughters?" he said with a twinkle in his eye as we walked towards the audience chamber.
"None of the above."
"Oh, well, do not mind him then." He said with a wave of his hand and straightened his royal robe.
⚜⚜⚜
In the private audience chamber, the girl sat hunched over on one of the gold-gilded frame couches. "Well, madam, you have been granted a private audience." Said Uriel, sitting at his golden desk. "You may speak." He placed his crown on a pillow resting on the table.
"I had no idea the duchess was making deals with the rebels." She looked up at the king with tears in her eyes, "I wasn't inside of the house much." Her voice shook. "I also didn't have the opportunity to associate with the servants much this last couple of years." She took a shaky breath, "Please. You've got to believe me."
"Do you have any family members that can come by and speak on your behalf?"
"No, I don't have anyone," Her voice and the corners of her lips dropped with her response.
"You mentioned you were not inside of the house much. Why is that? Did you live somewhere else?" He inched forward.
"I-" The girl struggled to choke back her tears. "I-" Silent sobs caused tremors to shake her shoulders.
"Ok." Uriel waved at the guards standing by the door. "Take her outside for a minute." He stood up and walked to my side. "What do you think?" He asked when we were alone.
"At the Adelysia mansion, she didn't seem like a servant, nor a family member. The Duchess said she had no blood relatives, and it didn't seem like they were on friendly terms either." I continued after a moment, "She even told me that the girl had gone mad."
"Well, is she?" His eyes searched my face.
"I don't know; She didn't seem out of the ordinary while we traveled here."
"Well, there is no way for us to know if she is telling the truth." He ran his fingers through his blonde hair and fidgeted with the golden sun medallion on his chest.
"Somehow, I don't think she is lying, Uriel, and she is sick. She won't last long in a cell."
His eyes stayed on me for a while, "Ok, I trust your judgment, and the Duchess hasn't been completely truthful to us anyway. The thing is, it's going to be difficult for her to go back home in her present condition."
"I-I'll take her to my estate. I'll get a doctor to take a look at her, and when she's better, she can go back home."
His eyes refused to leave my face. "Oh, how generous." A small smile crept across his face. "Working hard to make a good impression, I see. Good." His smile grew wider and he clapped me on the back. "Alright, my friend, I'll notify the madam about our decision."
I nodded. I hope this is a good idea.