"Calling the case of the crown against Lord Abraham Warlest and Lady Elizabeth Warlest. Both are accused of attempted murder, assault, and treachery. How do you plead?" The judge said. I looked around expecting a lawyer for us to walk over and instruct us on what to do, but everyone remained seating and staring at us.
"Not guilty, sir," Abraham said as loud as he could. The judge's eyes shifted to me.
"Um, not guilty, sir," my voice quavered uncertainty as I tried to make my voice loud.
"I call the prosecution to make their case," The judge said. A man off to the side stood up, adjusting his wig and making his way towards the center of the floor. I had never seen him before and he looked quite wealthy- he must have been brought in from London.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we are here to come to a conclusion of the true events that has taken place last night. The facts are simple and straightforward: the new Princess Margaret had been viciously attacked in the woods last night and had escaped from those who intended to murder her. Her cousin, Elizabeth Warlest and her husband, Abraham Warlest were found in the woods near where she was attacked, both fleeing the scene. Understanding the grounds for this trial, I now call my first witness up to the witness stand; Princess Margaret.
Margaret stood up from a place I hadn't seen her, I don't think anyone had. She was wearing a nice but not extravagant dress and a gauze and bandage placed in the spot she had hit herself with that rock. She approaches the stand, her head held high but obvious tears rimming her eyes. She took a seat at the table. I waited for someone to ask her that stuff about honesty and whatever but no one did. For some reason this trial was quite informal. "Your royal highness, would you mind telling the people of the court the events of last night."
"Of course. Last night was..." she looked up at the ceiling, trying to hold back the tears that were obviously fake, "the most traumatic events of my life. I will start at the beginning. We arrived at the estate, I, Elizabeth, Abraham and Duke and Duchess Hemerton. The Duke and Duchess immediately retired to their rooms and Elizabeth, Abraham and I sat down in the drawing room. I had been on my feet all day and was very tired, so I wished to rest a bit. Elizabeth though said that it is a nice evening and today went by so quickly that we had not had the chance to talk much. So she suggested that the three of us go for a stroll in the gardens. I voiced my concern that it was quite late and we were all tired but Abraham quickly agreed so I reluctantly left with them."
"Did they or you notify anyone on where you were going?" The prosecution asked.
"No, most of the household staff had already retired to their beds. Abraham suggested going out the kitchen door, which is not an area of the house we go to often as it is mostly for servants and leads to the back of the house, he said that it was a more direct route to the gardens. Which I thought was odd since that meant that we would have to go around the stables and the pond to the gardens instead of just around the house if we had left from the front door. But I agreed to follow them that way, Elizabeth does spend more time in the gardens than I do. But as we were getting further away from the house it was becoming prevalent that we were not heading towards the gardens but towards the forest. Elizabeth explained that there was a creek there that she sometimes visits. We walked for what seemed like several miles. I began voicing my concern about our distance from the house when Abraham pushed me to the ground and held me down while Elizabeth beat me over the head with a rock." Margaret said with agony in her voice, a few dainty tears were just beginning to slide down her cheeks. It made my blood boil.
"That's a lie!" I shouted my frustration and desperation tumbling out into the courtroom.
"Silence!" The primary judge yelled. "Continue please your highness."
"Well, after the first hit, Elizabeth attempted to strike me once more but I caught her by the wrist and pushed her into Abraham, as they both recovered I was able to run away. I suppose we weren't from from town now because it did not take me long to run there, less than five minutes."
"Is there anyway that it was not Mr or Mrs Warlest?" The prosecution asked.
"No, it was them. I was with them the entire time and I saw their faces as the attack was happening."
"Did they state any reason for this heinous attack?"
"No, but I do believe it to be out of jealousy."
"I think that is all the proof we require at the moment. I as a loyal man to the royal family trusts the words of our Crown Princess. The prosecution rests." I looked around me and see almost every head nodding along in agreement. My fingers go cold.
"The defense do you have any questions for the witness?" The judge says gruffly.
"Where's our lawyer?" I whisper to Abe as the eyes of the court watch us.
"We are not given one. Stay quiet I will speak for us," He groaned as he stood up," Yes my honour. May I approach the stand to question the witness?" Did he actually have any questions that he could ask her to make our case. We didn't get any preparation.
"Given the circumstances you are not permitted within the vicinity of her," the judge nearly barked.
Abe's eyes widen at the unexpected response from the judge, his cool demeanor cracking for a moment,"O-of course your honour." He closed his eyes and ran his hand through his unkempt oily hair, it had grown out to past his ears now. I loved when he cut his hair for me but now I wonder if he should have kept it the length that is normal now, it just makes him look like more of an estranged outcast. He rubs his left eye as he looks down at the table. He only does that when he can't think of the answer to a problem. He doesn't know what to ask.
"Marg- Princess Margaret is it true that you were raised in France?" Abe asks slowly and uncertainly.
"Yes it is, but do not pity me too much since I was able to escape to here,that's all I can ask for," she said softly. The courtroom murmurs.
"How were you able to make it safely here when the only boats to England from France were military in nature and docking was prohibited?"
"My father was able to secure me a place onboard a ship destined for Spain. Once there I procured a spot on a shipment vessel to southern Ireland and from there a small fishing vessel to Blackpool. From there Duke and Duchess Hemerton hired a coach to bring me here. It was a tiring and dangerous journey but it was worth the trials in the end."
"Ships leaving France are highly secure and checked, how was it that you were able to escape the detection of the French officials?"
"Either by bribing the ones who questioned what I was doing or making a believable excuse. Judge I do not think that this information is pertinent to the trial."
Abe went on anyway," So you have had experience with lying and are rather skilled in it, no?"
"No! I did what I needed to!"
"I just wonder how a Spanish ship was authorized to sail into enemy territory when they are allied with the French, surely all ships such as that had to go through rigorous inspections from the government, I find it highly unlikely they did not know you were on that ship." It was not a question, it was a challenge on her character.
"What are you implying Abraham? After all what you have done to me, what are you implying?" Her voice shook, either from terror or anger I could not tell. Whether it was sincere or fake was even harder to tell.
"Are you accusing the Prince's new bride of being a French spy as a last attempt to make what you and your wife have done to seem justifiable?" The judge spat, "I would have thought a Warlest would attempt to keep his dignity even in the last, but it seems that you are cut from a different cloth than your family, you are an animal incapable of honour. You have shamed your family name, your town and your country. I have seen all I need to. My verdict is guilty and both are sentenced to death by hanging at the gallows." He pounded the gavel once on the table.
"Sir, no there is more yet to our story if you wou-"
"Enough! Take the guilty away. I want the gallows ready as soon as possible!"
A man grabbed my arm in a tight vise pulling me through the crowd after Abe. I covered my face as people started jeering and spitting at us. As we were lead towards the jailhouse again I couldn't help but think how has it come this far? How has this become my life? Two years ago a morning like this I would have been pouring myself and my sister cereal before heading to school. And now I stand before a town who wishes me and my family death. How had I let this happen? I rested a hand on my stomach. How had they let this happen?
They separated us, pulling me down one long corridor while he was forced another way. Killing us was not enough punishment that we had to spend our last night without each other. I called out telling him I loved him but that resulted in me being thrown against a wall by the prison guard. "Shut it!" he hissed in my ear as he pulled me back by my undone hair. It was worth it though when I could hear the echo of Abe's "I love you!" down the corridors. They threw me into a cell without windows and with a thick metal door that barely allowed any light through. Maybe this is what death will be like; empty and dark. But even as they tried to isolate me I was not alone, I could still feel our baby with me. He didn't deserve this. Out of all of us no matter how innocent we were, he was the most innocent. He wouldn't even get a chance to do anything that could challenge that. At least I lived, it may be short but I did. I crouched over myself, pulling my sides in, an attempt to comfort myself as I cried.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."