Gaslight Trials | The Wattys2023 Shortlister ✔️

15 | A Trial of the Tyrant

The grand courthouse is adorned with ornate steampunk decor. The magistrates I'd already seen before, their expressions solemn and serious, fill the room with an air of authority.

I sit beside L, but cannot help but glance towards the accused bench, dressed in a weird creamy gown that feels foreign against my skin, uncomfortable in its elegance.

I don't wanna be here. I wanna be in the Solarium, cradling Papa's grave in me arms.

All this pish-posh bureaucracy is for someone else, fer mighty and learned people who know the ways of werds and were born with the gift of the gab. Me, I'm simple and straightforward. And I want a simple and straightforward punishment fer this eejit.

The Grand Duke, now wearing the attire of a prisoner, sits before us, his face a mask of defiance.

The magistrates turn their attention to the supreme judge, their voices echoing through the chamber.

"Your Honor," one of them begins, "we gather here today to bring forth the trial of the Duke, a former leader of Lighthaven, accused of grave offenses against the realm."

Duke scoffs. "You people down here are all the same. You mistake arrogance for bravery. You think you are standing up for something but we all know there is a crime behind every coin that passes through this place. You are just small men in a little hole the world forgot to bury. And I swear, once I am out of here I'm gonna bury the lot of you. The fact that I do not need a law-man of my own, that I can perfectly defend myself from these improbable and petty accusations, says it all." He puffs his chest. Even though he has spent some days in the Brig before the Trials, the gloomy and lugubrious atmosphere does not seem to have done a number on him.

He even dares threaten them! I grit my teeth. L's hand finds mine but his tender touch does nothing for the whiteness of my knuckles and my fury.

I grr inwardly, and I swear I wanna leap off the chair and rip that man's throat. T'was his machinations that got Pa killed and I want him to pay fer it.

The supreme judge, a figure of wisdom and power, sits at the elevated bench. Her calm voice carries an air of authority as she addresses the court. "Let the proceedings begin,"she declares, her words resounding through the room.

At least she looks like someone fair. Like someone who wouldn't let the stupid Duke off the hook just because he is a Duke.

The prosecution rises. The law-man, Copperfield, is L's friend, as he says.

He appears a bit young to me but he is a striking figure, dressed inna posh tailored black suit, adorned with intricate brass buttons and gears. He removes his top hat and presses it to his chest. Goggles rest atop his forehead. 

His presence commands attention, his voice firm and unwavering. "Your Honor, esteemed magistrates, we present to you our first witness. She is Sophie Takeuchi, a witness who holds crucial evidence regarding the accused's lineage."

Sophie, a woman who saved me life, steps forward.

"Madam Takeuchi, would you mind telling the court about the document you have for us here today on display?"

"Certainly." She clears her throat and casts a glance towards the Duke, who leers at her, but she isn't swayed. "I have obtained a birth certificate from the Fumedge Orphanage," she states, her voice steady. "This document proves that Veda Igglesden, the winner of the Gaslight Trials, is indeed the last remaining member of the House Volta. She was born as Veda Volta, of house of Volta, in the Lighthaven Castle, daughter to Albert and Mileva Volta."

A murmur ripples through the courtroom as the significance of Sophie's words sinks in. The Duke's face contorts with anger and disbelief, his eyes locked on me with a fiery intensity. Guards stand at the ready, prepared to act upon any sign of resistance.