The Heirs

Chapter 11- This Is Mercy

all goes onward and outward-
nothing collapses;
and to die is different from
what any one supposed, and luckier.
-

Selene strode into the Hall, and behind her were two guards dragging a man between them.
This was the Hall where Jem had his solitary Throne, where foreign royalty were met, and where trials were held.
"Here's the seventh." She said calmly, and Jem rose from his seat.
It hadn't been hard to find them- they had not, after all, been hiding. They'd all been tucked away in their various estates and had been exceptionally surprised when guards had stormed in, announcing that they had been found guilty for attempted murder, and that they were to be taken to stand trial.

"It wasn't me!" The Lord, who'd dropped to his knees as soon as the High King came before him, wailed. "It was Lord Zephian- we simply provided money, it was all his plans, his machinations- I can tell you where to find the assassins, I'll tell you anything-"

"Loyalty truly is hard to come by." Jem murmured, and gestured to the guards to lift the Lord to his feet again. Five other Lords, too, had claimed the same thing, that they were only financing the plans, and did not share Lord Zephian's sentiments. Lord Zephian- or Zenab- he went by both- for his part, had done nothing but smile as they brought him in, and had refused to speak, even when he'd seen Pleion step forward and give his testimony.
He lowered his head, so that he could look the sobbing Lord in his eyes.
"You had no wish to see me or my sisters dead, then?"

"No! No, Your Majesty, I would never- I am most devoted to you, and the Princesses are the sweetest beings to grace this land-"

"No one who knows me would describe me as sweet." Selene rolled her eyes, going to stand by her brother's side.
She'd been fixing her hair, as Khian buttoned his tunic, when a guard had burst in and informed her that Jem had asked for her presence. She'd felt a sudden rush of hope, that perhaps he'd found Temissa, along with momentary panic because no one wants to visit their elder brother five minutes after having sex, but she'd composed herself, and she'd gone to him. She had listened intently to him, and then to the so-called Pirate Prince, and she'd been proud that her anger hadn't exploded. She'd called back the regiment in charge of the search mission and over the next week, all seven Lords had been found and they were currently in the dungeons, awaiting the moment the trial was to begin.
She looked at the Lord, and her lip curled.
"We don't believe you, so there's no point in exhausting your voice. Save it, you'll need it to plead your case. If you have any defence, that is."

The Lord swallowed, tears streaming down his face.
"Your Highness- Your Majesty- I truly am blameless- I had to give the money- he threatened my family- my wife is pregnant- I had to, I couldn't risk-"

Selene tutted, "Hush, now, I know where this ends. Each of you said the exact same thing- I can tell you lot had a contingency plan in case you were caught. It would've been smarter to deny your part altogether, instead of claiming you were only fronting the money. You would've been innocent until proven guilty then- but here you've already confessed to your involvement."

"Now, now, Sel, don't give him ideas." Jem said calmly, but he pursed his lips. He could foresee that the day was going to end with blood on his hands, or with murderers walking free. He felt nauseated as he realised that he didn't know which outcome he wanted. "There's still a chance he could walk free."

"Jem! Sel!" Seraphina called, and her siblings looked toward the door, and saw her rushing in. Tears streamed from her eyes, and she was sobbing almost as much as the Lord, who'd fallen to his knees and had his head touching the floor. "I'm s-so-sorry to interrupt but-" Her voice choked up, "Uncle Trinus- he- he passed away."
He'd not woken up at all. He'd stayed asleep, clinging on for life, but as force-feeding got difficult and his breathing became shallower- the end had drawn close. And he'd died, ten minutes ago, with Tumnus and Lys holding his hands.
Seraphina had just looked in to his room, and had started crying when she saw Tumnus- tears streaming down his face- press a kiss to his pale lips, before allowing a nurse to cover his body with a sheet.
Lys had had to drop his hand after that, and she'd turned to flee somewhere to cry- but instead, she'd collided into Seraphina's embrace, breaking down as the Princess's arms went around her, sobbing into her shoulder.
Once Lys had moved back to her fathers, Seraphina had run to her siblings, needing the comfort of their presence.