A Trial Of Emperors and Empresses

Chapter 6 - Adam

"Welcome contestants. You hail from all 5 kingdoms of the Empire." Aisling paused.

"I am Aisling, Sorceress Supreme, and I will be your guide on your journey. A floor is assigned to each kingdom and you will find your name in the door of your room." She stopped to look at them.

Amaryllis wore a look of frustration and jealousy. Adam knew why. She was supposed to become Sorceress Supreme before all of this.

"Should you be eliminated, you will be held in this building and able to say farewell to your family. You shall be executed the day the Emperor or Empress is announced to the public. Prepare well for the next day. We will cut 10 of you tomorrow."

***

The Trial was a complicated process. First, each of the contestants needed to rest their case before the Empire. Then, they would all vote off 2 contestant from each kingdom. A race would ensue, where another member of each kingdom would be gone.

Then a contestant from each kingdom would be brought back. Given another chance.

A task of elegance and manner, another from each was gone. Then a game of judging sentences. Another form each kingdom gown leaving only one form each left. One from each kingdom. They would fight to the death, or until surrender.

Fighting wasn't exactly Adam's strong suit. She though about Kansyria. What was she doing right now?

And what would Adam show to the Empire? He had no talent. His only asset was the power of persuasion. Those eliminated in the first round were not allowed to say goodbye to their loved ones. And Adam couldn't bear to die without telling everything to Kansyria.

He wanted to tell her how much he loved and appreciated her. How she was more his mother than Empress Berenice.

Adam blew the candle out and lay down, thinking. There was so much he could do. So much he could have done. And he threw it all away. Maybe he even risked Kansyria's life as well.

***

"We shall begin with the Eastern Kingdom." Aisling announced. The representatives from the Eastern Kingdom stood and marched to the front. Adam, Phoebe, Seamus, Oliver and Daniel all came up. None of them had anything. Except for Daniel who had a flute in his hand.

Contestants could demonstrate a skill or deliver a speech. Adam has chosen to give a speech. So had his fellow Eastern Kingdom competitors. Or at least, by the looks of it.

"First, we have Phoebe Canterbury." Aisling told the crowd. Small clapping erupted as Phoebe took to the centre of the stage. Then it changed. Now a piano stood in front of Phoebe. She sat down and plunked a key. Then she began.

It was magical. The way the harmonious melody melted away the other sounds. Phoebe stood up and gave a curtsy. People threw flowers, mostly roses, at her as she scuffled off.

It made sense. The Eastern Kingdom was famous for its music. Some of the world's greatest musicians and composers came from it.

"Daniel Parker and Oliver of Santose."

The pair of boys marched to the centre. Oliver plopped onto the piano stool as Daniel prepared himself. Then they started their piece.

Each boy's fingers flew across their instrument. They moved like the wind blew and the water flowed. Naturally like they were born to do it.

Cheering and clapping could be heard from everywhere. Adam winced as his ears collapsed.

"Seamus O'Connor." Aisling called over the crowd.

It fell silent as Seamus, the poor little thing, took his place. He remained silent. Unmoving. The seconds and minutes went by while he opened his mouth and tried to speak, but couldn't. Adam felt terrible for him. It wasn't an easy position to be in.

People checked their watches and wrote on their clipboards. This was not going well for Seamus.

Finally, Aisling called him off.

"Mark Fields." She said uncertainly. Her voice echoed thought he square as Adam took his place. He had prepared a letter on paper but soon found that he wouldn't be needing it. He took a deep breath as the words spilled out of him. Like a leak that keeps growing until it can no longer be stopped.

"Please. Don't eliminate me this round." Adam pleads to the crowd. They fix him with looks.

"I don't mind losing. I expect it, even. But I don't want to die without saying the things I need to say. To the people I need to say them to." He pauses.

"I need to tell my mother things I weren't able to do before. I need to tell her how much I love her. How even though she isn't my real mother, she's more a parent to me than my real ones." Adam continues.

"I need to make sure she understands how much I appreciate her. How much I love and respect her. That I've always viewed her as my mom, not just my caregiver. I want her to understand that she is a part of who I am today. I am her down to the very core. She has shaped me into the person who stands here today. And even if I am eliminated later on, I just want the chance to say goodbye. To make amends for the actions I've done and how wrong I was. I acknowledge them now, and I beg for your forgiveness mom. And for the mercy of the crowd."

Low murmurs break out as Adam finishes. Then, someone slowly claps. Others follow until the whole crowd is clapping.

"Now then." Aisling says as Adam goes backstage. "Let's put in our votes and call the Eastern Competitors back again. Shall we?"

Agreement echoes through the audience as they put in their votes.

The competitors stand back in their places. Adam glances up and finches when he spots a big bucket. One above each of their heads. They are spaced out enough so that one's bucket would not affect another person.

"The votes are in. The first elimination of the East is..." Aisling reads from her card. "Seamus O'Connor."

Seamus' bucket was yanked forward by a thick rope. Green paint poured down from it, splattering Seamus and ruining his clothes.

"And Daniel Parker."

Daniel's bucket did the same, but with blue paint. It stained his blonde hair and white clothes. It splashed all around the ground around him.

Adam looked at Aisling. Her eyes were sad but her face was bright and content. She had done this a lot. She had watched a lot of people die. And she had been the cause of many of those deaths.