. Time of trial

„It seems like I have already developed a hater within the royal family"

•••

Deep in the shadows, the guilty one still remains hidden.

Morning came in a quick in a bundle of warmth and light, Maylea had been awoken quietly by the graceful bird songs. Maylea knew she only slept for a couple of hours, but she had more energy then ever.

A sudden shock overwhelmed Maylea as she didn't recognize the room, she remembered last night with the prince and and rooftops. Maylea must've been carried back.

Maylea made the bed and went to the washroom, after she found a tray of food on a nearby table in the bedroom. There was a small cheesecake, a bowl of wild berries, a slice of bread and a cup of green tea. It was all delicious but Maylea only ate the bowl of berries. Under the bowl was a note, Maylea picked it up and began to read it.

Good morning Maylea,

I didn't want to wake you up but the trial will began early in the morning in the throne room. Go outside my room and turn right and keep walking till you reach a stair case and repeat. The building works similar to a spiral and if you need assistance, ask some of the palace workers. If anyone questions you, show them this note. Good luck.

Maylea proceeded to follow the set of instructions, she took a right and kept walking, she did find a stair case and repeated those same steps.

As Maylea made her way through the palace, she took notice of every little detail, the massive old painting of warriors, the antics and display cases. The hallways weren't dark anymore thanks to the giant curtains pulled up all the way.

Maylea didn't need help to find her way since she was almost at the main floor, two guards questioned her presence in the palace and she showed them the note. The two guards then guided her to the throne room them left to continue their shifts.

Maylea entered the throne room and was amazed of how fancy it looked, with the red velvet carpets to the huge marble pillars, from the creamy walls to the smooth oak floor.

In the distance Maylea saw three men wearing old rags kneeling on the floor with there hands tied behind there backs, on the left side of them, stood Ashai and another man. Maylea nervously walked up to Ashai's side.

Maylea feared the Nobel family, they were the ones that decided to execute her parents and thrown her into the lake when she was little.

Ashai stood tall and proud so Maylea tried to copy him, but she couldn't help but notice the man beside him, it must've been his twin brother. He was as tall as Ashai, about two heads taller then Maylea, he looked liked Ashai but with short white hair and with dark brown eyes and with a mean look on his face.

Maylea thought to herself that it would be a good idea to avoid Ashai's brother for heaven's sake.

In front of Maylea, up a few steps was a golden throne, where the king was sitting. The king looked like he was in his sixties. The king had long grey hair up in a pony tail but a short beard. Their was one particular feature Maylea didn't like about the king, his eyes. Yes one was normal dark brown but the right one was pure white with a nasty scar across it. Maylea began to wonder about all the ways he could have gotten that scar.

The king looked down at Maylea with a cold look, his look softened a bit,

„Greetings young one, you must be Maylea"

„Yes I am your highness," replied Maylea and tried her best at fulfilling her first curtsy.

The king didn't take his eyes of Maylea yet, observing every detail as of he seen her before.

„I am king Abner, I know you have all ready met my eldest son, Ashai. My other dear son is named Lucah"

„It is a pleasure to meet you your majesty"

„Let us resume with the trial, what was the mere reason for you remaining three to want to commit a crime against the royal family?" Exclaimed king Abner.

The three man stayed silent, on the the other side of them stood another man wearing all black, with a whip in one hand, and a katana in the other. He must be the one to execute them.

The man wearing all black held his whip and painfully whipped them across their backs, a red mark formed followed with groans of pain.

"I won't repeat myself again" said King Abner,

"What was the meaning of your crime?"

Not a sound besides whimpers were made, they got whipped across their backs twice this time, it was a torture for Maylea to watch.

„I don't mean to interrupt you father, but I am certain we won't get any information out of these fools. It is best of we execute them right away", said Lucah.

„Indeed your right son, it's time for them to witness the gates of hell"

A big basket and a thick blanket were brought to the throne room, the man in black grabbed the first guilty one by the collar and held his neck above the basket. In one swift motion of the katana's sharp blade and his head toppled down into the basket, followed by a trail of blood. The body was then thrown into the blanket. The same happened to the other two man, all Maylea's life she tried to prevent people from death but here she is the cause off three.

After the execution, the basket of heads and the blanket of bodies were carried off to be burned in a fire.

The king looked down at the three off us,

„The trial is over, you three are free to go about yours days" said king Abner.

The two twins bowed down to their father, Maylea did the same, she followed the two of them out of the throne room. A chill ran down Maylea's spine making her shiver all over in guilt.

„It's not your fault Maylea, those men were bad and were just put in there place" whispered Ashai to Maylea, it surprisingly made her feel better.

„What should I do now?" asked Maylea, she was clueless of what to do now that the trial was over.

„You can have lunch with me and my brother" replied Ashai.

„Are you sure? I have already spent a night here... I shouldn't take advantage of your kindness"

„It will be fine, you can get to know me and my brother better if you'd like"

„That would be wonderful! Yes please"

On the other hand, Lucah only gave Maylea cold hated looks, as if she had done something to him already.

„It seems like I have already developed a hater within the royal family" whimpered Maylea.