CHAPTER FIFTEEN: ACCUSATIONS

In the office of the head of justice,

"My lord, someone is here to see you," the guard said.

Let her enter" Bryan ordered and then a maid enters, she greeted and Bryan asked for the reason for her visit.

"I witnessed something and I am here to testify?" The maid said. "What do you witnessed?" Bryan asked smiling, knowing that the maid has brought him something good.

***The Empress's Quarter***

A maid hurriedly entered the room, lacking proper decorum. Laura's s attendant, who also served as the head maid, reprimanded her, "Why are you running without any manners? Don't you know where you are?"

"My apologies, my lady, but there is a big problem," the maid responded.

The head maid swiftly entered the Empress's chamber and informed her,

"Your Majesty, you have to proceed to the throne room. Princess Aurora is in trouble and is currently in the hall awaiting punishment." Laura inquired, "What charges has she been accused of?"

"The sacred lamp was found in her chamber," the head maid replied. Hearing this, Laura was extremely shocked. The sacred lamp had been missing for five decades, and no one had any idea who could have stolen it.

Gilbert saw a maiden during the celebration that occurs every 100 years in which all the royal families in all realms is invited. The maiden was a princess of Avian kingdom from the lower realm, and took her in as his consort. She later became pregnant. However, when the consort wanted to give birth, she encountered difficulties because she was not an immortal but merely a princess of the Avian kingdom. Only an immortal can successfully deliver a royal child, and she is not. The sacred lamp was needed to provide her with the necessary energy for childbirth and Gilbert had been carefully tending to the lamp ever since the consort's pregnancy was confirmed. However, when they were asked to bring the sacred lamp to the royal birth quarter, it went missing and due to unknown reasons, Aeonius couldn't find it and claimed that a spell was casted by someone, which makes it difficult for him to find the lamp location .

Tragically, the consort and the child died as a result. Now the lamp has been found in the princess's chamber. Laura quickly went to the throne room to support her child.

***Throne Room***

Gilbert was sitting on his magnificent throne. Officials and princes were also seated according to their rank. Aurora was on her knees in the middle of the throne room. Bryan stood up and faced the emperor to present the case to him,

"Your Majesty, the princess has been charged with the murder of the late consort and the unborn prince. The evidence, which is the sacred lamp, was found in her chamber and there is also a witness, which is also one of her maid, who claims to have seen her stealing the sacred lamp immediately the consort went into labor. I hereby urge your majesty to make a wise decision and punish princess Aurora according to the rules and law of Astoria by sending her to spend her 100 years in the Abyss of Doom (a place filled with infinite pain and agony)," he said bowing his head and some officials also nodded in agreement.

Immediately after Bryan finished talking, Laura entered the throne room. Everyone stood up and then bowed down their heads to show respect. Aurora saw her daughter and sighed in relief. She walked past Aurora, bowed her head to the emperor, and then proceed to take her seat on the throne beside Gilbert.

Bryan began again and asked the emperor for permission to carry out the princess's punishment. Gilbert turned to Aurora and asked if what they said against her is true, but Aurora claimed she had no idea how the lamp got to her chamber. Laura then intervened,

"Your Majesty, just because the lamp was found in her chamber doesn't prove that she stole it. Witnesses can be forced to make false testimony, so I refuse to believe that maid words. Moreover, everyone knows Aurora's temperament; it is possible she maltreated the maid, and that makes her to also a give false testimony. So, Your Majesty, before any judgment is made, I want you to please investigate this matter carefully so you won't punish the wrong person." Immediately Laura finished talking, the third prince, Cadreon, stood up and replied her,

"Your Majesty, I don't really believe there is any more evidence needed to prove her guilty. The maid is not just any other maid but her own personal maid, and Lady Betsy has also used her power to confirm that she is telling the truth. What more evidence do your majesty need with this undeniable evidence and witness? The only way to prove that Aurora isn't the one who stole....no.....I mean who took the sacred lamp is for her to tell us what exactly she was doing on that day and, if possible, provide someone who will testify that she was indeed at the place where she mentioned."

Officials and princes support Cadreon, Gilbert then turn to Aurora and ask her what she was doing on that day but Aurora refused to say anything and this makes Gilbert have no other choice than to give them permission to carry out the punishment. Bryan summoned the guard and ordered them to carryout the punishment and the guards moved closer to Aurora, but she told them not to to touch her and then faced the Gilbert and Laura,

"I refuse to accept the punishment until my brother is on the seat. I wish for my brother to be present here before my punishment is carried out, or else I won't take a single step away from here." She concluded her sentence while facing Cadreon and Lord Bryan.

That is impossible as Karl is on a faraway journey and am not expecting him to be back any time soon, so therefore, you can't wait until he is back. Maybe if you can perhaps tell us what you were doing on that day, this can be settled, because I also believe that you do no such thing. You are only making my heartache by all doing this, Aurora." Gilbert said with a concern tone.

Aurora insisted on waiting until her brother return back before accepting the punishment. When Cadreon noticed that the Emperor might really want to postpone the punishment until Karl returns, which would bring him nothing but trouble, he quickly looked at Luthur and signaled him with pleading eyes to help him.

Luthur, then intervened and supported the third prince and Bryan, "But father, if we waited for the crown prince to come back before carrying out the punishment, what will the people think of this judgment? It is quite obvious he will try to do everything in his power to make sure she isn't punished despite the fact that she is guilty, and that is against the laws of Astoria. A royal consort and a prince died as a result of her actions; it is not a simple case to be delayed just because she requested it. And Aurora is no longer a child, Your Majesty; she should start paying for her mistakes. I think Her Majesty will also agree with me and will not side with her just because she is her biological child," Luthur interjected.

Other princes also supported him except the 9th prince, Aelion. The Officials were also in support of Luthur, including Lord Leonard, and this made Aurora more angry and looked at him with anger.

Laura was left with no other option than to agree with the punishment and also gave the order for Aurora to be taken away. As Aurora was being forcefully taken away, she kept on requesting for her brother, but Laura turned sideway and Aurora was later dragged out of the throne room.

Laura looked at Luthur and Cadreon in anger but hid her emotions well. Cadreon then stood up again and praised Gilbert for the fair judgment. He also faced Laura with praise and compliments for not being biased, despite the fact that Aurora is her biological daughter. Just as he kept talking, the throne room door opened again, and Karl entered majestically into the hall.