Heart Over Sword-Chapter 291: The Trial (2)

"These are Maggie and Jude. Mine and my mother’s chambermaid-"

"Your Majesty!" Isabel began again, this time pointing at the chambermaids, glaring at Evanna and Loraven. "How can these witnesses be used when they work for them?! They are not reliable witnesses!"

"Be silent, Isabel or be gone from this hall," King Osian snapped, giving her a stern look.

Isabel’s frustrated expression turned to Queen Eleanor, her eyes becoming misty. Eleanor subtly shook her head, and her daughter lowered her gaze, allowing Evanna to continue. However, this did leave the nobles to murmur among themselves.

"Maggie and Jude claim to be taking orders from Queen Eleanor to poison Lady Loraven. I will allow the witnesses to speak for themselves. Please come forward." Evanna gestured for chambermaids to step forward. Gingerly, they did; Jude glanced at Maggie nervously and then to the Queen, whose intense gaze was sharp on the woman.

"It is as Princess Evanna says, milords and ladies. My king," Maggie began, wiping her clammy hands on the front of her stained dress. "I was not paid by either the princess or the Queen. But if I did not follow the Queen’s orders, then my family was threatened. They’re all I have... And.. And..."

Maggie’s bottom lip started to tremble, and she covered her face with a gasp before forcing her hands down and flicking her gaze to Loraven. "I didn’t want to... And I know... I know this could have been too late, but I am sorry; I’m sorry for the pain I’ve put you both through." Her voice was raw with emotion as tears welled in her eyes.

The chambermaid then looked to the king and the nobles, swallowing down her guilt and finished her statement. "Queen Eleanor ordered me to put some liquid in Lady Loraven’s teas when Jude could not. I didn’t question it at first, and when I saw how it was affecting m’lady’s wellbeing, I questioned the Queen. By doing so, my youngest woke up to the same symptoms within the week. I will say this: I don’t know a lot of things, but what I had to put in Lady Loraven’s teas were not some herbal elixirs to freshen her up or help her wellbeing. It was toxic to her health."

"And you want to do the right thing now?" Duke Ember drawled, his icy gaze on the chambermaid, no doubt trying to intimidate her.

"I will take responsibility for the part I played. I am just as guilty as Queen Eleanor."

This made the nobles stir, their voices rising with outrage. Evanna refrained from rolling her eyes. They were only kicking off because a ’mere chambermaid compared herself to the queen.’ How outrageous, indeed.

"Silence!" King Osian slammed his fist down once more, and the hall turned eerily quiet. The sound of his voice was a little harsher than usual, revealing his inner turmoil. It was never good when the king was angry or upset. Though Evanna had now met King Thalinal and her grandparents, it made her father look like a cub baring its claws and growling compared to those in the elven kingdoms who would have most likely chopped their heads off by now.

Still, in Dunhurst, King Osian held a reputation, though, with the rise of the empire in the north, it wouldn’t appear as intimidating anymore. The nobles in Dunhurst would not know any better lest they visit the north. That, Evanna doubted, would ever happen. The nobles all believed the same, that the northern empire were brutes, war-loving barbarians.

Evanna cleared her throat. "Jude, would you like to add anything to this?" Maggie’s statement should be enough, but it was better to have a second witness on top of the physician and the scrolls full of the information needed to confirm her point.

Jude faltered, her fingers clutching at her skirt before she grimaced, instantly releasing it and staring at where a few of her nails had been removed. What was left was bloodied and quite possibly the beginning of an infection. "I-I... I am Loravens-"

"Lady Loraven," Duke Ember interrupted sternly, glaring at her. Evanna almost scoffed at his comment. The nobles didn’t care about her mother’s title, yet now they decided to play along. Well, the king is sitting there. An angry and upset king, that is. The Duke probably wanted to placate him.

"Um... Yes. L-Lady Loraven... I was... The Queen..."

"She’s a blubbering idiot!" Another noble exclaimed, thrusting his hand in the chambermaid’s direction.

"Stop," Evanna hissed, glaring at the nobleman. "Jude is scared. It is not easy coming forward and facing not only the victim she aided in poisoning but the Queen of Dunhurst." Evanna turned and walked in front of Jude, keeping her body in the chambermaid’s line of sight. Jude stared at Evanna and found her voice once more.

While keeping her gaze locked on Evanna and not the nobleman, the king, the Queen, or Lady Loraven, Jude added to Maggie’s statement with ease. "The Queen ordered me to add poisons to Lady Loraven’s food. I have also helped with many assassination attempts. The first was..." Jude trailed off, her eyes lowering from the princess. "The first attempt was when Princess Evanna was six months old."

Evanna’s eyes widened slightly, though she wasn’t surprised by this. She wasn’t in the palace with the king’s protection until years later. Though Evanna was certain, Osian believed it was safer for her away from the palace. This was not the case, and quite a few guards had been replaced.

Evanna stared back at Jude as the nobles erupted into their idiotic commentary again. She never grew close with Jude; there always seemed to be a barrier between them. Her mother seemed content enough with the chambermaid, and she had seen Loraven converse with Jude. Unlike Maggie, whom Evanna felt hurt by such betrayal, though she couldn’t hate the woman, Jude was a different matter.

Jude had taken a beating by Killian. She was tortured to such a degree that they had to feed her and provide some medicine to help her walk again. Jude didn’t have a family that was threatened. Jude had secretly been the Queen’s spy. The only reason Jude trembled now in fear was because she was a coward. This was it for her.

For... both of them.

Evanna’s gaze moved to Maggie just as the Duke stated exactly what she expected. "These may be orders from Queen Eleanor, but punishment will still be served. My King?" He looked to King Osian, who gazed at the chambermaids.

Jude was trembling, her legs shaking, but Maggie kept her head bowed, hands in front of her, awaiting what she knew would be the death penalty. "I can see you hold remorse for your actions, Maggie. Evanna used to praise you highly, and I can see that she still holds affection for you. You will not be pardoned, but I will give you a lighter sentence... Maggie, chambermaid to Evanna, you are hereby banished from Reigh."

Maggie looked up, surprised, transforming her features from bewilderment to tears as she covered her mouth. "Thank you, thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty."

King Osian’s gaze moved to Jude, his expression unreadable. "Jude, you have assisted in many assassination attempts on my daughter’s life and of Lady Loraven’s. This I cannot forgive. You are hereby given the death penalty by hanging."

Jude gasped, falling to her knees, her gaze moving to Queen Eleanor. But the Queen did not hold any affection for the woman. It was now her turn, and who was a chambermaid to someone like her?

"Take them away." King Osian flicked his wrist, and the guards came forward. Axel and Ger were now standing at the side, watching the trial, their shoulders tense. Ger expected more to be thrown at Evanna by the nobles, but she was shining more than ever before. There was confidence and strength behind her, and he knew the nobles could see this, too. Evanna left Dunhurst ... and returned ....

"Queen Eleanor..." King Osian began.

The hall stilled.

Evanna held her breath.

"I find you guilty of the attempted assassination of Princess Evanna and Lady Loraven." The king then looked to Evanna. She didn’t know what he was trying to convey in the hopeless look he was giving her. It made her heart race and drop, her stomach tied in knots. What would he say?

"I think it is only right that Princess Evanna Goodrich administers the punishment. What do you say?"

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