PART FOUR: THE TRIAL OF PRINCESS EDNA
The entire Magical Realm held its collective breath upon hearing the sound of Magical Gong ring once. As was expected, the Gong could be heard from virtually every corner in the Realm. However, the most unprecedented thing succeeded the sounding of the first Gong- silence…
The Silence terrified the masses of the Magical Realm. Since its inception, the Magical Gong had never sounded just once. It either sounded six times or seven and the peoples all knew what to expect in either scenario. What did it mean that the Gong had sounded only once?
There was a mad dash to get to the People’s Square and leading the pack were the journalists of the world, hungry for information pertaining to the once sounding Magical Gong…
It was irrefutable that the magic of the Gong could never be corrupted- it had been created and charmed by a Messenger of the Creator, after all, and therefore could not be fooled by any magic known to man.
Nobu grew increasingly anxious but his charge did not appear the least bit perturbed. He observed her standing at the famous balcony overlooking the quickly gathering crowds, her dazzling traditional dress in tow; her flyaway hair blowing in the gentle breeze. He was utterly enthralled by her; speechless as he observed her taking everything in stride.
It took a long while for the crowds to calm down long enough for Emica to finally announce herself to the world.
“Peoples of the Magical Realm, I am Oracle Emica from Timeline Alpha 20; what you refer to as the Dark World. I stand before you this day as a herald of Justice- to correct an err that cannot be overlooked- to preside over the Oracle’s Court in the stead of your own Oracle whose time has not yet come…”
“I have every intention of ensuring truth and justice prevails in the case of the people of Mialand vs. Princess Edna but allow me to be as clear as possible- I am merely stepping in for this world for the purpose I have expressed to you all. I am not to be the Oracle of this timeline but the Creator has appointed me as her Divine Servant in this matter and I shall bid Her call and deliver justice. That is all,”
Emica immediately exited from the podium and withdrew into the House of Purity’s den with Nobu hot on her heels.
Emica observed the worried look on Nobu’s face and smiled weakly.
“How did I do?” she asked him wearily.
“You were… direct, straight to the point but- I doubt those people have had enough of you,”
“Oh they haven’t. I am going to have to face them all again soon,”
“Are you… prepared for that, my lady?”
“I don’t think I have much choice in the matter. In any case, the trial is tomorrow and I won’t have to interact so much with this world,”
“Do you honestly think that, my lady? It appears to me that the trial shall simply be the start of your mission here in this timeline,”
Emica shrugged. “Perhaps you are right, but I need to do what is right for Imani’s safety and for the safety of many others like her who came to this world searching for a safe harbor from the horrors of their worlds,”
“You’re prepared to do all this for the Savior?”
Emica smiled and nodded. “I have done it before… I have died for her cause in the past and I am determined to do the same for her again, if I must,”
“Let us hope that it doesn’t come to that this time around,” Nobu stated frightened by her statements.
Sure enough, the crowds gathered at the People’s Square only grew in number and some brave souls even dared approach the gate to the House of Purity hoping to see and speak to the Oracle in person. The news that day centered on Emica and many news networks even dared ask Oracle Emica to appear on their talk shows to have a proper interview with them.
The crowds did not dispel all day and all night and when the third day came, the day of the trial, Oracle Emica’s safest option to appear in the Oracle’s court was to have a safe teleport arranged for her from the House of Purity.
The Army of Terra Sapienta had to intervene to help dispel the momentous crowd gathered outside the Oracle’s Court Building. The broadcast would be aired live but only a handful of networks were allowed in, most of whom were approved by the Oracle herself.
Shaman Helena Rosenburg and Mr. Luca Rivers had a front row seat to the proceedings and would witness Princess Edna being brought into the Courtroom trembling in fear for her impending trial. Her very own parents, the Queen and King of Mialand had insisted upon being there in person to hear for themselves whether Princess Edna truly had murdered her own sister in cold blood.
Also in attendance was the Family Matriarch of the Alison Family, making a rare appearance to the public despite the risk to her own safety. Alexander Alison’s immediate family was also in attendance.
Oracle Emica would never forget that day when she nervously, in full Oracle garb, walked into the Court Room and all eyes were on her. All in the Courtroom stood up in reverence and cameras flashed madly on her face. Her heart thundered as she registered the full courtroom scene. The live broadcast feeds captured her every movement, mundane though it was.
Nobu took nothing for granted. He was as alert and vigilant as ever, viewing everyone as a potential threat to the safety of his charge. He stood behind her as she took her seat, scanning about the room for any threats.
“Good morning everyone, thank you for coming to the trial of Princess Edna. Princess Edna, kindly arise before the Court,” Emica stated nervously.
Princess Edna arose with her defense team.
“Princess Edna, you are accused of the murder of your own sister, Princess Edenia of Mialand as well as the murder of her fiance, Sir Alexander Alison. How do you plead?”
“Not… not guilty, my lady,” Princess Edna stated nervously, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Very well, Princess Edna. The charges brought before my court today are very serious and as such, we shall henceforth proceed to trial. You have the right to remain silent throughout the proceeding and allow for your attorneys to defend your case on your behalf,”
Princess Edna simply nodded.
“Chief Justice Valarie Grayson, please offer the Court your opening statement,”
The Lead Prosecutor and Chief Justice of the nation of Mialand stood up and spoke with conviction assuring the court that the prosecution team would prove beyond reasonable doubt that Princess Edna had murdered her own sister and Alexander in cold blood and ended it by confidently stating that justice would prevail at the end of the trial.
The lead attorney for the defense, Mallory Blake, sought to appeal to the empathy of those gathered by painting Princess Edna as being used as a ‘Scape goat’ for the elopement of Princess Edenia which had yet to be proven as having ended in murder. He appealed to the Oracle to remain unbiased and give Princess Edna a fair chance to defend herself.
The entire trial was nothing short of surreal and Oracle Emica wondered how she was able to keep track of everything. The Prosecution had indeed done their homework even going as far as to retrieve the very cursed knife that had been used to kill Princess Edenia and Alexander, which they stated, Princess Edna had ordered one of her servants to destroy.
The servant in question, Princess Edna’s own lady-in-waiting had thankfully disobeyed the order and had turned it in to the Protectors investigating the case. Her testimony was instrumental in painting Princess Edna in a negative light which was what was hoped for by the Prosecution.
A renowned team of experts was called to the stand, one after the other, including a Curse Breaker well versed in cursed objects (such as the murder weapon). Investigating Protectors presented evidence in the court showing that after the heinous acts of murder, the bodies of the Princess and her fiance had been disposed off using magical means. The dark magic utilized had left traces that the Protectors had used in gathering evidence against Princess Edna.
However, the Prosecution’s case was not entirely air-tight. The Defense team was able to cast a shadow of doubt on the credible evidence brought before the court by having the witnesses state that despite the Prosecution bringing it to light that indeed, Princess Edenia and Alexander had been murdered, it did not necessarily prove that Princess Edna was the perpetrator.
The Defense had even managed to discredit the lady in waiting’s testimony by showing motive of the servant to commit perjury due to her own prejudice against the Princess as well as giving credible evidence as to why Princess Edna possessed a Cursed Object in the first place. They argued that Princess Edna, a graduate student of Curse Breaking herself as well as a well known and fully licensed collector and owner of many cursed objects, had legally obtained the blade and was using it as a means of studying it. This, they argued, did not mean that the Princess was necessarily the murderer but was instead a target of whoever committed the heinous murders and framed her.
As trial progressed, Oracle Emica realized that though it was clear to her that Princess Edna was indeed guilty of the crime, enough time had elapsed for the evidence against her not to stick to her as well as if she had been immediately apprehended.
After Court Recess, the Defense called Princess Edna to the stand and she gave a moving testimony, no doubt skillfully orchestrated by her attorneys. During cross examination, the Prosecution tried to wear Princess Edna down but it did not work.
The Princess was simply too good an actress for them to really pin down. The way things were going, Oracle Emica worried that her only option would be to remain impartial and give a ruling that would see Princess Edna walk Scot-free without suffering any consequences for her crimes.
TO BE CONTINUED…
And so it begins, the trial of the murderous Princess Edna. Take a trip down memory lane and see how it all began by following the links down below. Enjoy;
elenaverseblog.wordpress.com 