Galreid looked at Raghav with utter disbelief in his eyes then at King Belreid who looked down the moment their gaze met. Galreid gritted his teeth as he stood up his hands tightly gripping the wooden railings. "Brother, what is happening? I am sure there has been a misunderstanding. I would never do what this man accuses me of. You know that. Right?" Galreid looked at The King with fearful eyes.
The King however remained silent as Galreid's grip began to slip. Raghav looked at Galreid with narrow eyes. "Duke of the west, Galreid." Galreid slowly turned to look at Raghav as he gulped the lump in his throat. "During this trial, everyone present is merely a witness and I am the one in charge. You and I will now engage in a conflict of words. I will state your crimes and you shall defend yourself by presenting before me and the rest of the court; proof that you have not done anything wrong."
Galreid looked up at Raghav as he closed his eyes as his face puckered. "I understand." He opened his eyes matching Raghav's seriousness. "What crime have I committed?"
Raghav looked down at Galreid. "You are accused of Royal Treason."
Galreid stood up fully. "What exactly have I done that counts as Royal Treason?" Raghav pulled out his phone as he looked into it then looked up at Galreid before moving his head to match his gaze. "Drugging The Crown Prince Vonreid, keeping him in a forced slumber for five years. Drugging The King with mentally altering herbs and finally attempting to take The King's life. The gravest crime that can be committed against the crown."
All eyes were on Galreid as he looked at Raghav with unwavering determination. "I plead not guilty. I have no memory of committing such acts against my blood and family. Beside what would I gain through this ploy?"
"Tch." Raghav clicked his tongue as he shook his head before looking at Galreid. "Everything. You will gain everything. The throne will be yours if King Belreid passes away, you can then convince the court and the seven hundred million citizens of the kingdom that it was done by another kingdom to weaken Istreid and you can begin a conquest in the name of avenging your brother. Go down in the annals of history as the King who avenged the crown and expanded the Kingdom to new lands."
Galreid's eyes widened as his lips parted. "I read the laws of this Kingdom although brief but I paid attention to it. If The King dies the crown shall go to his heir, but in this case the male heir is underage and in deep slumber. So the female heir then? But no the female heir needs to get married and take a King Consort to ascend to the throne. Then the law of the Guardian sets in place. Granting the title of King to one of the King's brothers or to a member chosen by the lords of this Kingdom to rule until the heir can take their rightful throne. Which may be never."
Galreid gritted his teeth as he pointed a finger at Raghav. "If I wanted the throne as you say I want and if I was behind Vonreid's slumber as you say I am, why have I kept him alive? A man who wanted the throne would have removed the heirs first then when he gets the throne he can name his own off springs as the heir."
Raghav slowly nodded. "You speak truthfully Mr Galreid. A man who would want the throne for himself would not leave the heir's alive but he can just as easily kill them after he becomes The King, but you are different. A man without a wife or children. Maybe that is why you kept Vonreid alive."
Aurelia frowned at Raghav's word then looked around finding others equally confused at Raghav's words. "In my world in ancient times a man fought his brothers for their empire, he used lies, deceit and treachery to take the throne but in the end a war broke out and he lost. At the end of the eighteen day war he laid by a lake his hips broken. He was left there to die slowly for all the crimes he had committed, one of his surviving friends and came to him asking him what he could do for his friend. He asked him to kill the five brothers and so his friend in the cover of the night attacked the camp and killed five brothers but when he brought their heads to his friend. He cried as he looked up from the ground with blood dripping from his mouth. 'Fool, these are not my brothers these are their sons; I never wanted them dead; my fight was with my brothers I wanted to see them dead. I will die and after my brothers died these kids would have rules and our bloodline would have continued. But you have brought ruin to my entire bloodline.' He then banished his friend and died."
Aurelia's eyes widened as she grasped what Raghav meant. 'Uncle left us alive so that the family will continue.' She then looked at Galreid who sat back down in his chair. His mouth open as he shook his head left to right.
Galreid closed his eyes and hung his head low. "You are in a similar state Mr Galreid, you are without children and you will not be fathering any in the future. I have read about you a little, your wife died few months after your marriage yet you wear your wedding ring, staying loyal to her even in death. I admire it. I believe just like that man from my world you just wanted to remove your brother become King, go down in history and in the end leave it to your own blood. Am I wrong?"
Galreid had his eyes closed as he took a few deep breaths before opening his eyes filled with an unyielding resolve. "You are wrong." In a calm and collected tone Galreid denied the claims. "You are wrong Raghav. I have done nothing of the sorts. If I wanted the throne and that is IF. I would have asked my brother, he has loved me as if we came from the same mother, he would have happily given me the throne had I just asked for it. I never did any of what you say that I have done. If you do not believe me ask my brother if he loves me as I say."
Raghav turned around to look at the King as he gave a nod so small that it went unnoticed by everyone except for Raghav.
Raghav turned around looking at Galreid. "I am sorry; only you and I get to speak during this trial. Let's say what you claim is true, you had no hand in any of this, but the evidence is against you."
Galreid gently placed both of his hands on his thighs and sat upright. "What evidence?" "The maid Venessa, She found Prince Vonreid five years ago in the garden she is the one who has been feeding him a mixture of sedative herbs possibly enhanced using magic to keep him sedated for the last five years. Do you know her?"
Galreid nodded. "I do, she is from the city of Marne, which I rule over as Duke of the west. She worked in my household; pleased with her work I sent her here six years ago."
Raghav quickly raised and dropped both of his eyebrows as he looked around. "Aren't you an honest person? I first thought of having this trial after Vonreid woke up but he probably can't do anything to help us in this trial after such a long time spent in a coma."
"Any other evidence Raghav?"
"The rune at the corner of this throne room that was used to summon the assassin." Raghav pointed to the corner as Galreid looked over his right shoulder. The crowd in that section moved to look at the rune.
Galreid looked forward still calm. "There is nothing there." "Oh there is." Raghav pulled out the UV torch tossing it to one of the guards who shined the torch in that spot as the rune began to glow.
"In my world, there is a special type of ink called invisible ink that can be made with lemon secrete, one of the simpler and easier ways. These inks can be seen under UV light, when heated and a few other ways. Now show us your hands."
Galreid did as Raghav asked holding his hand in front of him. The guard threw the torch back as Raghav caught it and shined it down on Galreid's hands as the tip of his fingers glowed with the same colour. "I saw this on your hands yesterday, when we had lunch."
Galreid looked down at his hands his eyes slightly expanding as he gulped but with a blink of his eyes he calmly looked at Raghav. "What other proof do you have?"
Raghav tilted his head slightly narrowing his gaze. "If you do not wish to talk about this I can't force you to. Then how about this?"
Raghav extended his hand to the right as one of the castle workers pushed a trolley towards him. On the trolley was the laptop which Raghav lifted in his hands facing towards the crowd and Galreid.
Raghav pressed the play button and it showed the cell in which the assailant was held. The video played for a few moments until Galreid walked in the cell sitting in front of the assailant. Raghav hit the pause button. "Now then, why were you meeting the assailant in the night yesterday?"
Galreid looked at the laptop, pointing at it. "What is this thing? What is that moving portrait?" Raghav looked down then back at Galreid. "This is a laptop, a machine that helps me store information equivalent to millions of books, take pictures which are real portrait, and what you see before you is a video, which you can record using an item known as a camera. Which I placed in the cell yesterday. Sadly the camera cannot record sounds."
Galreid nodded as he placed his hand back on his thigh. "Yes I went to see the assailant but not because I ordered the attack but because I wanted to question him." Raghav looked Galreid in the eyes for a moment. "I see." Raghav placed his laptop on the trolley.
He then looked at Galreid the two locked eyes; Raghav's serious and confident gaze clashed with Galreid's confident and calm gaze. "How do you plead?" Galreid looked past Raghav at King Belreid. "Not Guilty."
"I asked you; how do you plead." "Not Guilty."
Raghav closed his eyes. "Am I not loud enough Prime Minister Vaughn?"
King Belreid looked at Vaughn then back at Raghav. 'What is he doing?'
Vaughn looked at Raghav then at others. Raghav opened his eyes and looked at Vaughn.
Vaughn looked back at Raghav who stared at him with his narrow eyes as Vaughn felt a chill as he moved in his chair to find a better position. "Yes, Raghav you are loud enough, everyone can hear you."
"Then why did you not answer me when I asked you the question?" Vaughn tilted his head in confusion. "But I just did." Raghav shook his head with his eyes closed; he then stopped dropping his head down as he opened his eyes and looked up at Vaughn. "I was talking about the other two questions, for some reasons. Mr Galreid was answering instead of you. So I shall ask again. How do you plead?"
Vaughn face twitched as he chuckled. "I am afraid, I don't understand what you mean." Raghav stood straight walking over to Vaughn and standing before him. "I mean to ask, how do you plead Prime Minister Vaughn; guilty or not guilty?"
Vaughn looked at The King as he pointed at Raghav. "Your grace, look what the hero is doing. Instead of asking Galreid this question he is asking me."
Raghav looked at The King. "Your grace, I am indeed asking the right person. Can I place Prime Minister Vaughn in the trial stand?"
The King nodded. "I allow it." Raghav looked at Vaughn as the right side of his lips curled up slightly before going to their original place.
Vaughn stayed seated in his seat staring at Raghav. Until two of the Royal Guards tapped his shoulder as he stood up maintaining eye contact with Raghav as he walked down the stairs and into the trial stand as the guards placed a mouth lock on him. Galreid was released and sat in Prime Minister Vaughn's seat. "My apologies, I can't have you interrupt me the entire time."
As Vaughn sat in the chair he gripped the wooden railing as he stared at Raghav. Raghav took a deep breath through his nose and let it out pulling a letter out from his jacket and Vaughn's eyes widened as Raghav lifted the letter up in the air. "This is a letter from Prime Minister Vaughn, written three months ago. The letter reads. 'Your grace, I Vaughn Bonre have served you and your father before you faithfully for thirty four years, fifteen with your father the late King Delreid and nineteen with you King Belreid. My old age has caught up with me as I find myself turning sixty three this year. I request to leave so that I can give this old body a rest.' A normal letter an old man asking for retirement."
Raghav then placed the letter down. "What were you expecting as a reward for those thirty four years of service? Not to forget the forty year your father served King Volreid and his son King Delreid. What would be a just reward for seventy four years of service?" Raghav looked at Galreid as Aurelia's eyes widened. 'It can't be!'
"Maybe the position of Duke of the west? The greatest position one could ask for." Raghav looked back at Vaughn and walked right in front of him placing his hands on the wooden railing. "But how will you get that position if there exists a duke already? Do you want an idea?"
Raghav pushed off from the railing. "Frame him for assassinating The King." Raghav then frowned as he looked down shaking his head. "No, then you cannot ask for leave during such a crisis. How about framing him for attempting to assassinate The King? Will that work for you? I believe it should he stands to gain more from the king's death than anyone else so all eyes should turn to him while you can fade in the background as an old man."
Vaughn stood up pointing his finger at Raghav attempting to yell but the mouth lock prevented him from speaking. Raghav simply placed a finger on his lips signalling Vaughn to remain silent. Raghav then looked up at the broken glass ceiling. "You picked the perfect moment to do it, the assailant came under the cover of the summoning and prepared a mana blast that no one saw except for Aurelia who called out to her father saving his life."
Raghav frowned while maintaining his seriousness. "But is that what really happened. You know in my world there is a theory about the human mind that it will remember an event the way someone tells them if they were not actually paying attention to it when it happened."
He looked back down at Vaughn. "When I came here, I could not move so I observed and want to know what I saw. The King did not move an inch and still the Mana blast missed him. That can only mean one thing, it was planned to miss him." Aurelia stood up as she approached Raghav. "Then why were you attacked?" Raghav looked at Aurelia. "To push me." "To do what?"
Raghav spread his arms. "This." Aurelia looked around as the realisation drew on her. "He wanted me to be the one to bring Galreid to justice, so he could slip away without gathering attention to himself."
Aurelia shook her head. "How could he have known that you would be able to find all the evidence and do this?"
Raghav leaned over to his laptop as he pressed the space bar. "Mark, he has all the items, as you mentioned, Are you sure he will be able to solve it." Aurelia moved towards the laptop. "This is Prime Minister's voice."
Raghav then raised a hand in front of her. "Keep listening."
"As I have told you Prime Minister Vaughn, the man has been brought here with the skills and tools to help you accomplish your task."
Raghav then pressed the pause button and looked at Aurelia. "Alongside the qualities that you were looking for in the hero were some secret qualities as well."
Vaughn sat there his head in his hands. Raghav looked at him before looking back at Aurelia. "I was a criminal detective in my world. A detective is someone who solves mysteries regarding crimes. He had secretly placed a second paper in there that asked to summon a detective with the qualities of a hero you were looking for."
Raghav placed a hand on her shoulder. "Please take your seat as I explain the entirety of the events."
Aurelia nodded as she moved back to her seat.
Raghav stood before all "Vaughn's father Elmond was the Prime Minister to King Volreid and Delreid for forty years before he died while still in the council his seat was given to his son Vaughn a young twenty seven year old man. Vaughn spent twenty eight years working until he realised something he has nothing to show for all his hard work, neither did his father. They had spent so many years serving and they had nothing to show for it just a good salary and a decent house in the capital but no land no titles. He then enlists the help of Mark, he is from my world yes?"
Raghav looks at Vaughn who furiously nodded. Raghav sighed looking up. "Apparently they had been planning this for the last six years meaning Mark has been here for some time. They were contacting each other using Radio waves which I was able to intercept and catch Vaughn. He placed Vonreid in a coma to leave a long trail of evidence and started giving The King Kava powder to mess with his mental stability for the last few weeks and had Venessa act as Vonreid's primary caretaker so that I would suspect Galreid even more. He placed the invisible ink on Galreid's hands he set this whole thing up. He even had me suspect Venessa."
Raghav then looked at Vaughn walking to him and as soon as he was within reach Vaughn grabbed his throat as Raghav calmly removed Vaughn's hands. "Do you want to know where you failed?"
Vaughn's eyes fumed with anger as he tried to break his hands free from Raghav's. "You wanted everything to happen quickly, you left such easy clues. It was as if you were laying a path of small pieces of bread for a mouse. Your impatience was your undoing had you taken time to do this properly and had actually hidden the clues. I might have believed that Galreid was the one. Six years you spent planning it all. Could you not have waited six months?"
Raghav let go of Vaughn's hands and backed off as Vaughn lunged forward to grab his throat again but was stopped by the railing.
"I read about your father, from what was written he was a good man, he was actually deserving of what you wanted. He deserved to be made Duke, he worked and never betrayed his King. You wanted to leave a legacy behind for your family you wanted your family to rule as Dukes. Now that legacy will forever be tainted. Your children and their children will carry the burden of your treachery."
Raghav turned to the King as he bowed slightly. "Your Grace, I have said everything."
As Raghav looked forward King Belreid stood up from the throne making everyone that was sitting stand up. "Thank you Raghav, for uncovering this bitter truth." The King then turned to Galreid; not looking him in the eyes. "Forgive me brother. I doubted you." Galreid approached The King and hugged him. "There is nothing to forgive."
Galreid felt a hand on his shoulder as he looked to his right down on the stairs. "I am sorry for using you like this. I wanted to give him a sense of victory to finally take him down." Galreid laughed as he shook his head. "Why are you apologising, I still have my head because of you. Thank you, Hero."
Raghav nodded as he felt a tap on his shoulder as he looked at his right. Aurelia looked at Raghav in the eye. "Could have told us all of this." Raghav gently smiled. "I could have, but I wanted to catch him with his pants down." Aurelia frowned as she looked at Raghav up and down. "Why would you want to see him with his pants down?" Raghav shook his head as he chuckled. "It's a metaphor, used to describe a criminal being caught while he is doing the crime, I think that is what it means not really sure, as I said English is not my native language."
Aurelia looked at Raghav as he laughed and smiled. 'Just like him. You are similar in more ways that just appearance,'
"Raghav!" Raghav and Aurelia turned to look at the King. He then motioned him to come towards him. Raghav looked at Aurelia before he walked towards the King, regaining his seriousness.
"Yes, your grace." "Decide his fate. You are in charge of this trial."
Raghav nodded as everyone moved to their seats and he looked at Vaughn. "Open his mouth." The guards did as told and opened Vaughn's mouth. "FUCK YOU SON OF A WHORE! YOU FUCKED EVERYTHING I HAD FUCKING WORKED FOR ASSHOLE! I WILL FUCKING FUCK YOU UP!"
Raghav stared at Vaughn as he kept cursing at Raghav who stood there unfazed by all of this he just stared at Vaughn until he started coughing. "Are you done? If so tell me. How do you plead?"
"FUCK YOU!" Vaughn then began coughing even more, when he calmed down he looked Raghav dead in the eye. "There is no point in this trial anymore, I won't let you take victory this easy. I challenge you to a TRIAL BY COMBAT."