Chapter 63 - Trial II

Empress was the last one who entered the chamber. After that, the guard closed the chamber door. The air felt tense and the silence was choking. Emperor finally opened the trial, "First, I'd like to express my gratitude for all the audience and witness here. We will uncover the truth behind the assassination attempt happened to young heir of Grand Duchy Stormhill. The trial starts now."

Emperor knocked the gavel.

"We will start by calling the attacker," Emperor ordered a guard to bring the attacker in. It was the same man who attacked Aster during the spring festival. He was very thin now, almost bones only, but his eyes was very sharp. His eyes pierced everyone with hostility, when his eyes met with Aster, he started struggling desperately, seemingly wanting to pounce on him.

The guard successfully subdued him and tied him up on a heavy metal chair. After a while, he calmed down, but the hostility in his eyes was burning. Until he sat face to face with Empress, he smiled and bowed his head devotedly.

Empress was very uncomfortable with this gesture. This was a deliberate act to make her look bad in front of everyone, thus, Empress raised her voice, "Your Majesty Emperor, I would like to sit with the audience."

The Emperor smiled solemnly, "Dear Empress, today, I ordered you to be the examiner. Please ask few questions to the suspect."

Empress had few instances when she was the examiner in private trial, but this one, she felt too nervous. However, she still did it, "First, tell me your name."

The assassin smiled to her and bowed piteously, "This servant's name is what Your Majesty Empress give to him, my name is Ilkish."

"What? I didn't--"

"Continue,"

"Your Majesty! I don't--"

"I said continue!" before Empress could say anything, Emperor ordered Empress to continue with the trial. The Empress gulped, somewhat she already knew the rough outline of what would happen today, but she tried to push that bad thought.

"Ilkish, what is your age, and do you have a family?"

"This servant is 25 years old, and this one has no family."

"... What... what motivates you to deliberately trying to harm young Grand Duke of Stormhill?"

"It is because of Your Majesty Empress' order."

"My order! I don't even know you!"

"Empress, please calm yourself, continue," Emperor ordered again.

Empress finally realized something was really wrong with this trial. She rose up from her chair, but the guard suddenly rushed towards her and tied her down on the chair similar to this assassin in front of her. She struggled hard and asked her husband, "Your Majesty, what is this?! I am an examiner, not a suspect! This is disgraceful towards an Empress!"

"Empress, please do your task as an examiner," Emperor said solemnly. His tone was cold, as if he already placed the word 'suspect' to her.

"This is ridiculous, I will not be tied down like this!"

"Silence!" Emperor raised her voice and knocked the gavel few times. The entire crowd that was whispering to each other closed their mouth.

"Since the examiner refused to do her task, then I will ask you, who ordered you to assassinate young Grand Duke Stormhill?"

The assassin smiled piteously, he glanced at the Empress then replied, "The Empress ordered me to assassinate Young Lord of Grand Duchy Stormhill, for the reason, I don't know either."

"That's a lie! I never ordered anyone!"

The Emperor ignored Empress and continued asking, "Was there any reward given to you given by your master?"

The assassin glanced at Empress and smiled, "This one is Empress' devoted subordinate. This one doesn't take any reward unless gifted by Her Majesty Empress."

The whispers around were getting more noticeable. Empress felt something was pounding her heard, she felt nauseous.

"Then, why would your master want to murder young Grand Duke?" Emperor asked.

"... Her Majesty once said that kid is an eyesore and killing this kid would ruin the Grand Duchy," he said. His face was still calm while staring at the shocked Empress.

Emperor's expression was very heavy, everyone could see that his hand was trembling out of rage. He took a deep breath and collected himself. His darkened eyes sharply pierced through the audience and the atmosphere was tense.

"If the honorable court audience have a proof to strengthen the upcoming verdict, please do."

Everyone was silent, until a woman around her forties from the audience stood up. She wore a dark blue dress, however, she wore a mask covering her half face. "This lady wants to ask something to the suspect," she said.

"Go on."

The lady nodded. She wore this mask every day whenever she went out after that incident. She looked at Empress with obvious hostility and took out her mask.

People gasped, some of the ladies almost fainted looking at the horrendous scar on that woman's face. Lady Merse stayed calm even though every one in this court finally knew about her scar, she shifted her eyes to the assassin.

"Were you the one who attacked me in that assassination attempt to me and young Grand Duke?" Lady Merse asked solemnly.

The assassin frowned, "It's not me. It's my colleague who failed his mission. Her Majesty immediately executed him the next day."

"How about Aster? Were you also the one who did assassination attempt to him that night?"

"Yes, but I didn't do a fatal mistake..."

"That fatal mistake, is this, right?" Lady Merse fished out something from her pocket. A guard medal that is especially exquisite. Made with real diamond with crown symbol behind it. Although it was a secret, but high-ranking ministers and aristocrats knew that this was the Empress official guard medal.

Empress stood up from her chair, wanted to say something to her sister, but the guards held her and pulled her down back to the metal chair. "Sister! What are you doing! You know it wasn't me!"

Lady Merse scoffed coldly, "I'm not heartless to my family, but I'm here seeking for my own justice," she handed the medal to one of the guard, and the guard delivered it to Emperor.

The Emperor inspected it carefully and the rage in his eyes finally lashed out. He smashed the guard medal to the table and made a big 'BAM' sound. His c.h.e.s.t rose up and down uncontrollably.

"You, Beatrice, do you have something to say?" Emperor asked. He didn't even address her as Empress. The guards beside her finally let her go and Empress stood up with the same anger painted on her face.

"Something to say? I have a lot to say!" Empress glared at the assassin who still smiled piteously in front of her. "What is this? This guy is obviously trapping me?! No one should be dumb enough to believe his words!"

"What proof does he have to claim that he is my subordinate? NOTHING!"

"And what idiot would tell everything about his master in front of the court! This is an obvious trap! This trial is ridiculous and I refused to be involved in this trial!" Empress was about to leave the court before the guards surrounded her again and finally tied her on the metal chair. Her status was now no different than the assassin in front of her.

"Then, you, tell me why would you confess all of this." Emperor said. It wasn't a question, but an order. Empress heard it right and she turned her heard to see her husband who stood coldly, watching as if he was expecting something.

Empress' heart sank at that moment.

The assassin nodded, "Your Majesty Empress, this subordinate begs your pardon. Because this servant failed to protect his identity, they discovered my guard medal and your secret letter."

"Secret letter? What secret letter, I don't know you!" Empress' breath stiffened, it was almost impossible for her to breathe right now.

"This trial... the Emperor already knows about my guard medal and secret letter. This subordinate agrees to confess everything, with the exchange that Her Majesty Empress would be exiled instead of executed for her crime. This subordinate is incompetent and will be executed after this. Begs Empress to forgive this one," the assassin said and bowed his head.

Emperor took the initiative and let one guard to hand show Empress 'her' secret letter.

-Assassinate Aster di Arlingdon, Assassinate Merse Thana. No mistake would be forgiven.-

There was her name under with the special wax stamp owned only by Emperor and Empress. This stamp was similar to their guard medal, it was exquisitely crafted with the finest material, so it'd be really hard copy the guard medal, the stamp or the wax.

The only one that had access to this stamp was herself and her Emperor husband.

"NO! THIS IS FAKE!"

"Fake?" Emperor asked, hint of anger on his tone made the situation getting tenser, "Then explain me how the royal stamp is in there! You want to accuse me, the Emperor, that I forged this?!"

"N--no.. I..."

"Then, how can you explain the guard medal? Two guard medals are in my hand! If they are not your subordinate, then tell me, tell everyone here, who is the subordinates who hold your real guard medals!" Emperor's voice thundered, his hand clenched Empress' guard medal tightly.

The audience who was silent the whole time could see that even though the Emperor raged, he looked very sad. He choked and swallowed the air few times to keep his calm. These high aristocrats audience couldn't help but to sympathize with the Emperor.

Empress opened her mouth, and then closed it immediately. She finally realized that this was a trap set by her own husband. She didn't want to believe it, because they were never on a bad term with each other. How could he cruelly set this deliberate plan just to eliminate her?

However, seeing the truth here, she decided to keep her mouth shut. If she told the people here about the identity of her real subordinates who hold her guard medals, her Emperor husband would immediately hunted and killed her subordinates. Basically eliminated all the threats and giving her no chance to come back. The one that set this trap gave her a dead end.

Empress didn't reply. Thus, the audience concluded that these people were her real subordinate.

The raging Emperor trembled hard, his face was red in fury, and he roared, "GO TAKE EMPRESS TO THE HIGH TOWER! SHE IS EXILED!"

Empress stared at her husband weakly, then stared at her children, Charles and Rosalie, and Aster. They all had the same cold face, as if they were seeing a stranger. She stared at them one by one, and all she could mutter was, "Why?"

Her eyes lingered at her husband, and his mighty, handsome husband stood coldly and replied, "I stand for Justice."

And after that, Empress was dragged to the high tower. The tower for exiled nobles.