Kleopatra is seated by her mother's side at the court of law. Her father was seated with the boards of attorneys. The courtroom was crowded and noisy. Whereas, waiting for the judge to arrive.
[INDISTINCT CHATTERING]
"ALL RISE!"
"You may have your seat.!" The judge ordered.
The judge ordered the witnesses and advocates to be seated at the front desk.
"Lady Sultan worries that Mr Youseef and her father had signed up a deal that doesn't favour her... So she has come to court today to make her complaints and receive her solution to this appalling issue." One of the men on the board said.
[CHATTERING]
"Order!" The Judge roared. The room goes quiet.
"Mr Hughes, please step forward and defend your witness." Charles stood up from his seat, smoothening the wrinkles on his chinos and steadied his coat before walking forward before the whole people at court.
[CLEARS THROAT] He glances around the whole room before resting his eyes on Kleopatra, giving her a calm-assuring smile.
"My lord! My fellow people of Thebes and Britain. As we all sit here today in the witness of our beloved Princess, we are here to bear witness and concern of the issue that has been hidden beneath the carpet...[SIGHS] It is said in these scrolls that a deal was signed by The king himself and his ex, lieutenant. A deal that states, the lack of the king's will, to pay his debts to Mr Youseef, that his daughter will be handed to him as a payment to his debt. And right in this scroll, the lieutenant and the king do not state which daughter, he would marry and we all knew the king had only one daughter at first. At this time of the deal, the king wasn't expecting any other child because the queen had had so many miscarriages... My apologies your majesty!..." Charles waved at the Queen with a smile, and she returned the smile.
"So, my lord...Why does the lieutenant change his mind all of a sudden... Is it because our dear princess Kleopatra is beautiful or does he have something behind his choice... he could have chosen the first daughter of the King... [COURT GASP] Besides can you imagine the King marrying his daughter down to his lieutenant...." Charles said looking at Zosar . The whole people in court cheered at his words, it made a lot of sense but still needs to hear the lieutenant's side of the story.
"Objection!" Zosar's advocate shouted, Mr Crawford. "Objection my lord!"
"ORDER!" The judge says
[CHATTERINGS, CHUCKLINGS, LAUGHTER]
"Silence!" The judge hits the gavel, bringing the rowdy court to order. The room turns quiet at once.
"Now Mr Crawford, you may speak." The judge said to Zosar's advocate.
"Thank you! My Victim here hadn't chosen any daughter of the king to marry yet, because He was drawn into marriage by then. But now the king's wife bores him a daughter and that is whom he chooses to wed, so why shouldn't he go ahead with this marriage? We know that Mr Youseef is a great leader and well-respected soldier in the kingdom, he hasn't done anything against the law that has brought reproach to his name, so I see no reason why the king cannot fulfil his part of the deal... " Crawford says before sitting back into his seat. The judge smiled at his words.
"May I speak your lord?" Charles asked, looking at the judge.
"Yes, go ahead." The judge said.
"My apologies Lord and people of this land, if I may say, [SIGHS] Let me reword what Lord Stanley had said a minute ago. If I am not wrong, you said, Mr Youseef hasn't gone against the law nor has he tarnished his name. But I would like to show these people something that has occurred in the past, it may have flown into thin air. Back in the 1460s, Mr Youseef was charged and arrested for drug addiction... So..."
"Objection!" Mr Crawford said.
"Objection overruled." The judge said... "Mr Hughes, please show your proof." Charles takes out the documents that showed his investigation and background check of Zosar, giving them to the Judge to see.
[GASP] [CHATTERINGS]
"Prince Hughes, you may continue..."
"That is all I have for now," Charles said. Seating back to check his papers for more to say. He looks up at the box room where Kleo and the queen were seated. She smiled up at him giving him a thumbs up.
"Mr Crawford, you are up." The judge said.
"[COUGHS] Sorry! As we all know, that is the past of Mr Youseef's life. He is a new man and he no longer takes drugs. We are not here to talk about his past but the deal, my lord. But I have this good question to ask your lord... " He asked the judge. The judge nods his head in approval.
"My king, I would like to put you on spot, Why did you make a deal with your lieutenants twenty years ago? Truly, there should be a reason for this deal." He asked the king.
"Mr Crawford, you cannot ask my witness without the judge's wishes," Charles said standing up in anger.
"You may go ahead." The judge says to Crawford.
"Thank you,[SMILES]"
The king stands up and walks into the witness box before speaking. "The reason for our deal was because I owed a lot of debt to the nation. I needed to pay it off quickly but to lift the burden off my chest, Zosar offered this deal and I couldn't turn it down." The king said. "Zosar has been plotting for my throne for thirty years! Since he could not claim it, he seeks for my daughter's hand... in marriage."
[SCATTERED GASPS]
"Court! Break!" The judge said before leaving through the metal doors behind him.
[CHATTERINGS, CHUCKLES]
*********************************************
Kleopatra turned and began to follow her mother into the halls. When she heard a noise behind her, the quiet shutting of a door... She turned to look back and saw, Charles. He was waiting for her in the court halls.
"Kleo!" He called after her.
"Charles!" She stopped, turned to walk towards him and then pulled her into a quick stiff embrace.
"Where are you going?" He asked, puzzled.
"Uhm, my mother has called tea for us so... We are going for tea before the Break is over." She said.
"I did not discomfort you with my words? " He asked. She shook her head. "On the contrary, I'm thrilled! No one has ever so boldly defended me before... It brought pleasure and joy to my life..." She said.
"My pleasure Kleo, I'd do anything to save you from marrying the lieutenant ." She fell into his arms. "Charles..." She began and the tears she'd held back since the beginning of the court came forth. He stroked her hair, his hands and jaw trembled.
"Shhh, there now. We have yet an hour after the break."
*******************************************
"There may be other reasons for Mr Youseef to desire to wed the princess?"Charles said putting Zosar in a spot.
[CHATTERINGS]
"Mr Youseef, step into the box." The judge ordered. Zosar stands up from his seat and walks into the witness box beside the judge's left hand.
"I only desire to marry her because I want To gain the part of the debt the King owes me."
"And is that all? Surely, you would never have wished to marry the last child of the king but you hoped to marry his daughter, so why had you chosen the Second princess, even when you were asked?" Charles asked.
"[EXHALES] I have the right to choose whom I will wed, the princess is beautiful..." He said. "And young for marriage?" Charles added.
"Yes!" Zosar said.
"And do you not think that is called paedophile? Miss sultan is just 18 years and you are old, or should I say old enough to be her father" Charles said.
"Objection my lord! His questions are intriguing." Crawford growled.
"Mr Hughes, ask straight questions." The judge said.
"Ok, Mr Youseef in this scroll, says you are married to Mrs Harriet, the daughter of a farmer. [SCATTERED GASP] Is that so?" Charles asked.
Zosar looked shocked, and the whole room gasped at Charles's words.
"Mr Youseef, answer the question." The judge said.
"You cannot lie, you have sworn before the court so speaks the truth," Charles said.
"[SIGHS] Yes![ SCATTERED GASPS] Yes, I am married to Mrs Harriet."
[SILENCE]
"And I believe she bores you a child?" Charles asked.
"Yes, she does."
"Good, that is all I have for now my lord." Charles walks back to his seat, smiling at Kleopatra who was calm the whole time.
"My lord! My witness has spoken the truth about his marriage but what about the deal that has been made by the two men in the past? Should we say it is of no use?" Crawford asked.
"Does your opponent have something else to say, that contradicts to these deals?" The judge asked.
"Yes, I would like to bring my second witness before us... Miss sultan." Charles welcomed the space for Kleo to step in. "So Miss, did you see, Mr Youseef and His wife two nights before talking?" He asked.
"Yes, I did." Kleo smiled at the people.
"And what did you hear them say?" He asked her.
"[SIGHS] Two nights ago I walked down the stairs to catch some air outside the house, but I stopped at a door, where I had seen Mr Youseef and Harriet kissing and also talking. Harriet told him that he shouldn't forget her and her unborn child but Mr Youseef said he wouldn't and that he only wished to marry me for my wealth, to sustain his family and provide a durable shelter for them to live." Kleo smiled.
"Thank you, Miss Sultan. As my witness had said, Mr Youseef's wishes to marry the princess were only hidden by a motive. Which is to get his share from the Princess Wealth ." Charles said.
"Thank you, Mr Hughes... Mr Crawford does your Witness object to Miss Sultan's words?" The judge asked.
"No my lord," Crawford says disappointedly.
"So today's case has been settled and has come to an end... Mr Youseef and The kings Deal no longer exist for the second participant of the deal is married and has no reasons to marry another wife. You may all arise."
The court raised and walked out of the room. Kleopatra smiles happily at her mother and father, indeed she was free from this forced marriage. She walked out the hall in search of Charles but he was nowhere in the court building.