âI put poison in the drink for my brother. It was I. I take all the blame.â
âWhat?!â
Esmeralda let out a shocked cry.
Yes, I see. I guess I didnât tell Esmeralda. Mia thought,
Citrina moved forward.
âExcuse me, Your Majesty. I would like to ask permission to speak.â She waited for Abram to nod before going on.
âIf it were Rinaâum, if it were me giving His Highness the poison, I wouldnât tell him it was poison. Or else, I would tell him it was just a small toxin that wouldnât hurt his health much. There is some doubt in my mind that His Highness knew that the substance he used could kill.â
âNevertheless,â Abram began, âthe fact remains that he put an unknown poison in the crown princeâs drink with the intent to harm him. I presume thatâs why Echard isnât defending himself.â
âThis is all my fault. What I did is unacceptable,â Echard said over and over, his voice shaking and his head still just inches off the ground.
Even though Citrinaâs case was good, it didnât matter much if the criminal wouldnât accept it. On the other hand, Echardâs claim of ignorance would sound like an attempt to avoid responsibility at this point, even if he did do it.
Itâs likely that what Rina said is true, but itâs almost impossible to prove. Mia let out a soft sigh.
âIn Sunklandâs history, poisoning a king has never happened. But if we were to follow the examples of most other kingdoms, it would be a crime punishable by death. The person being accused is a prince in this caseâŚâ As he looked at the chancellor with doubt, the kingâs voice trailed off.
The Chancellor said âYouâre right, Your Majesty. Even if the person being charged is a princeâŚâ
âAbram âŚâ The queenâs face turned pale.
When she took a step toward her husband, a cold, hard look stopped her. The air around him seemed to push back, making it impossible to get close. All of a sudden, the king felt very far away. The friendly hints he showed at the ball were gone, along with any signs that he cared about his son. All that was left was his royal power, and nothing else. The king lay there in all his glory, untouched by anything. He was pure and righteous, more fair than any person.
The chancellor said nervously, âEven if itâs your son, Your Majesty⌠It hurts me to say this, but giving him a lighter sentence isâŚâ
It felt like Abramâs nod was heavy and slow, like his helmet was made of lead instead of gold.
âEspecially if itâs my son, good chancellor,â he said. âI think the sentence should be the harshest possible. If I let my family members enjoy undeserved pardon, our kingdomâs justice will fall apart.â
Uh-oh. I donât like where this is goingâŚ
Mia was very aware that the conversation had gone in a very bad direction. It was impossible for her to stop it. There was no way for her to say anything. By this time, she knew that Abram hadnât called them here to ask for help. They were only there to watch and make sure that a fair decision had been made about this terrible case. That the law had been followed.
They had already talked for a long time before she got there. She was only supposed to show the world that Abramâs decision and Echardâs punishment were moral. The young princeâŚwould not get a break.
I donât feel anything. There is no tide. There are no waves.
She didnât even feel like she was in the water. Because of how Abram approached her, she was just a witness. She could only watch from the shore. And some of her friends, like Rafina, met her on the beach. The Holy Ladyâs input wasnât even asked. In horror, Mia couldnât say a word as she saw the righteous king of Sunkland raise his sword of justice and, without any outside advice or warning, lay it on his sonâs neck. That was right thenâŚ
âThis is wrong!â
âŚThat a sharp voice cut through the thick air. Even though it shook a little, Tiona Rudolvon looked Abram straight in the eyes, her gaze unwavering and determined.
âAll this talk about harsher punishments and tighter judgments because heâs family⌠Thatâs crazy!â
She had no right to speak. She didnât have the duty or business to do that. She didnât care, though. If she had something to say, she was going to say it, no matter what! It took a lot of nerve for Tiona to do what she did.
Wow, sheâs not reading the room at all! I like it though! You go girl!
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This was a problem with Sunkland at its core. Besides that, King Abram and his children were having a family problem. There was nothing at all to do with Mia or Tiona. People didnât care about what Mia and her friends had to say. It was so heavy in the air that anyone who spoke out might have been scolded harshly and told to shut up and watch events unfold.
Not Tiona, though. Tiona didnât care about the air in the room at all. She chose not to read it. She was aware of it, felt it, and refused to accept it. She chose to say what she thought was right instead of what she thought was acceptable.
It might have been bound to happen. This Tiona was the kind of person who was called the Saint of the Revolution in the old timeline. It was kind of her thing to break rules and traditions.
But her bravery wasnât based on recklessness; it was based on commitment.
âFamily is precious, and you would give your life to protect it.â
The words her father had said to her many times. Before he became an outcount, Rudolvon was a head farmer. He didnât become a noble until much later in life. He taught her that as a noble, it was your job to make sure that the people who lived in your domain had a happy life. They were their own people. Their family.
Tiona thought of the people who lived in her area as her family. Was she then going to be stricter with all of her people? Should they have all been given heavier sentences? She couldnât agree with the thinking that was being shown. She would give up anything, even her own life, to protect her family.
Her unwavering bravery, like an arrow of pure will, pierced through the thick wall of rejection that kept them from taking part. Mia saw hope through that hole. A breakthrough. It hit her. There was a wave that went through the hole. She would ride it even though it was still small and only reached her legs. That was the Way of the Seamoon. It doesnât matter what shape or size the wave is; a recognized practitioner of the Flotsam would never let it drift alone.
So, Mia took a deep breath and opened her mouth, ready to be carried away by the small wave.
âYour Majesty, there is a flaw with your decision.â
âYou say it has a flaw?â
Abram gave her a sharp look. She tensed a little.
Thatâs fine. I can handle it. Itâs not as bad as when Dion Alaia looks at me meanly. Not quite as bad as it could have beenâŚ
She was able to keep her cool with that thought.
âYes. It could also be called an injustice.â
âInjustice?â
Mia didnât know who blurted that word out, and she didnât want to find out. She only gave herself a second to breathe and gather her thoughts before she quickly remembered what had happened in the previous timeline.
Tiona Rudolvon was not the one who put Mia to death by guillotine. She was the leader of the revolution. It wasnât even one of the rebels. He who chose Miaâs fate was Sion, prince of a different country. The reason was easy to understand: to keep the punisher away from the punished. People who had a personal grudge against her might have asked for a heavier punishment than was necessary. In this case, justice would turn into revenge.
Thatâs not like him to worry about things like that. He had to make sure that everyone, inside and outside of Tearmoon, thought the whole thing was righteous.
It didnât help Mia, though, because her head still went flying! In any caseâŚ
Hey, Sion, thanks for the ideaâIâm going to use it myself!
In other words, Mia stole someone elseâs work without any shame. She made a fierce battle squeal and swung the sword of rhetoric at Abram. The sword of rhetoric had been used by her enemy Sion.
âYour Majesty, I need to remind you that you are the victim. You have suffered because of this. Would it not be possible to see your harsher judgment as an abuse of your power because you hold a personal grudge against the person who did wrong?â
She didnât lie about it. It was âwhat if people think Iâm being unfairly lenient because heâs family?â that got them. âWhat if people think youâre being unfairly harsh because youâre the victim?â she asked back. When she matched him, she did something unfair against something unfair. There were two possible lines of thinking, so she balanced one with its opposite and equal.
âBy the ignorant at least,â she said. âBut gossip is still gossip.â
Most likely, she meant that she didnât think that, but other people might. It was Mia, after all. She wasnât going to start a fight without being sure she had a way to avoid getting hurt. Of course, she was able to take the flag of justice away from Abram in the process.
After that, there was silence, and Abram closed his eyes. He broke it after some thought. âAll right. Princess Mia, your case is strong, and I think it should be taken into account. So, what do you think I should do? What sentence do I need to say?â
âItâs easy. Nothing, Your Majesty,â Mia said. âYou donât need to say anything; your good son can do it instead.â
She looked at Sion. âI think Prince Sion is the best person to make a decision about this.â
He looked at her, and she held his gaze. Maybe⌠she had just found Sion guilty of killing his own brother. After putting a knife to his heart, maybe all that was left was for the skin to give way and a deep wound to form. Still, she had faith in him.
She had faith because she had seen him repent in Remno and determined at Saint-Noel.
He had sworn that he would make things right on his own. She trusted Sion Sol Sunkland because he was her friend.