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THE autumnal wind blew, and the fallen leaves danced. The sunlight filtering through the thin clouds was unexpectedly warm and calm. It was easy to forget that a fierce battle was about to begin.
“How do you feel, princess, knowing you’re about to confront a long-time adversary?”
They were in the carriage when Robert asked this of Alicia. Usually, the black-haired adviser would be riding with her, but in his absence, Robert took up the position as a knight sworn to protect the princess.
Alicia thought back on her exchange with Riddhe in the dungeon.
They’d talked about the mystery surrounding the man with the scarred hand, about Adam Fisher’s strange death, about rumors of chancellor Yggdrasil, the night of the poisoning, and the crown prince’s cold smile…
“I’m fine.” Alicia nodded. “Riddhe did his job well, and the truth he uncovered will be our weapon.”
“Haha! You’re as brave as usual, princess,” Robert chuckled sheepishly, then shrugged. “But if I can voice one complaint, it’s that he’s not here. Not that I’m praising him because he’s my friend, but Clovis is smart and quick-witted; there’s no one better suited for today’s showdown than him.”
“Agreed,” Alicia said with a laugh as she recalled what happened yesterday.
When Riddhe noticed Clovis’s absence, he’d become distraught, upset the adviser hadn’t come to rescue his precious rival.
“I wonder what he’s doing,” Robert mused. “Will he come to Erdal or stay in Heilland and plan some diplomatic strategy?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t give him any instructions in my letter…but knowing Clovis, he’ll surely come up with the best solution and save us from this crisis. I believe he can do it.”
“You really trust him.”
“Yes, with all my heart,” Alicia confirmed with a teasing smile. “You know, too, how he’s exceeded all expectations since I took his hand six years ago.”
“Without a doubt.”
Just then, the carriage slowed to a stop. Robert looked out the window, where the footman announced they’d arrived at Kingsley Castle.
Robert opened the door and stepped out, then turned to offer Alicia a hand. Looking up at the ornate Kingsley Castle towering before her, she took a deep breath and let it out, her sky-blue eyes filled with conviction.
“Let’s go,” she called to Robert, who was leading the escort knights, and Beatrix, who had also gotten off her own carriage. “I’ll protect Heilland…!”
The trial was to be held in the castle’s throne room. Three chairs, one of which was a throne, were arranged for the representatives who would act as judges.
Shortly after Alicia’s group arrived, Crown Prince Fritz also arrived, making his way to the throne. Chancellor Yggdrasil took a seat next to him while the third was taken by another man. If Alicia’s memory served her well, the man was a scholar who served as an adviser to Erdal’s rulers. Witnesses and Erdal’s nobility were also gathered to see the outcome of the trial.
Soon, the large doors opened with a heavy creak, revealing Riddhe Sutherland flanked by knights. The chains binding his hands clanked with each step. Perhaps noticing Alicia’s dark expression, Riddhe grinned at his princess in reassurance.
When he reached the center of the hall, Riddhe was tied to the witness stand.
“Please pardon the discomfort, Lord Riddhe of Heilland,” the knight said.
Hearing this, the crown prince piped up, “If you are indeed innocent, then please pardon us, but this trial will determine that soon.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Riddhe retorted. “It’s not necessarily bad to experience new things. This will become a heroic tale to tell my grandchildren someday.”
“I sincerely hope that such a day will come for you.”
Despite his words, Fritz’s tone was cold as he raised his right hand to signal the chancellor. Yggdrasil stood, declaring that Riddhe Sutherland was now on trial on suspicion of attempting to assassinate Empress Elizabeth.
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NEEDLESS to say, the trial was skewed against Riddhe. First to take the stand was the maid who witnessed Empress Elizabeth’s collapse, followed by others who all accused Riddhe of being the culprit, backed by explanations and “proof.”
Some of the evidence was clearly made up to provoke Riddhe and lead him to say something incriminating, which made Alicia cringe inwardly. The young man had mellowed out in recent years, but he used to be very hot-tempered. She feared that if the false accusations didn’t stop, he would lapse back to his old personality.
But her worry was needless. Riddhe frowned in displeasure but didn’t lash out, choosing instead to listen calmly from start to finish. He answered all questions in a cool manner, a testament to his inner strength and trust in Alicia.
“Your Highness, a moment of your time?”
They were having a short break after hearing from four witnesses, and Beatrix had slipped close to whisper in Alicia’s ear.
“I’ve received a message from our ally, who is protecting Mister Albert. The situation has changed, and they will not join us here. They’ll be providing alternate support elsewhere.”
“What do you mean? Alternate support?” Alicia whispered back in surprise, but Beatrix frowned and shook her head.
“I don’t know the details, but our ally…he will not betray us. Besides, he has a good reason to continue cooperating with us.”
“But… So Albert won’t take the stand?”
“No, but our ally assures us it will be worth it.”
“I see…”
Alicia placed a hand on her chin and thought. Aside from Riddhe himself, Albert had also been present at the scene that night and was a valuable witness who knew the truth. Not being able to get his testimony was a setback, and his failure to appear might put Heilland at a further disadvantage.
However, the Erdalians all knew that Albert was Riddhe’s faithful servant. No matter what truth he spoke, the crown prince would probably dismiss his words as lies to protect Riddhe.
“…I understand. We’ll try to make up for Albert’s absence and do the best we can.”
“Yes, that’s exactly it.” Beatrix nodded with a relieved smile.
Soon, the trial resumed, and she left Alicia’s side to return to her seat.
In fact, Beatrix was next to take the stand. Proudly standing as a noblewoman, her light voice broke up the stagnant mood in the room, though she spoke with a clarity that befitted her status.
“I, Beatrix Crowne, hereby testify by the stars of heaven that my guest, Riddhe Sutherland, is innocent.”
She spoke of what she knew about the night of the incident.
Riddhe Sutherland had been invited to Erdal on a special mission. The mission was not only approved by Princess Alicia but also by Empress Elizabeth herself.
On the night of the incident, Riddhe had met the empress to update her on the mission, which was why the empress had ensured that they were the only ones present in the room. Since they were working together to achieve the same goal, it was hard to imagine Riddhe wanting to poison Elizabeth.
Beatrix’s clear explanation caused a ripple of shock through the assembled Erdalians.
Everyone was aware that Beatrix was on good terms with Heilland and was the one who invited Alicia back to Erdal. However, she was also one of the closest people to the empress, and her belief that Riddhe wasn’t the culprit behind the assassination attempt planted a seed of doubt in everyone’s minds.
The true battle was unfolding. It was no longer about Erdal versus Heilland but about the crown prince and the empress’s fight for the throne.
The revelation was frightening, and the people looked between the crown prince on the throne, staring down coldly at everyone, and the peaceful Beatrix in her seat, searching for an answer. Meanwhile, the elderly scholar, one of the three representatives, spoke up.
“Thank you for your testimony, Lady Crowne. But what exactly is the special mission you mentioned? Unless that is revealed, we cannot judge the strength of the alliance between Lord Sutherland and Her Majesty.”
Beatrix chose not to answer, shaking her head.
“Oh, I don’t know. It’s a special mission, after all. Why don’t we ask someone in the know?”
At that, the people turned to see Princess Alicia, the Blue Rose of Heilland, get to her feet.