IV. The Impact of Her

~ Thirty ~

The atmosphere instantly shifted.

The pirates raised their heads and looked at me, confused. The nobles continued their mumblings. My family, especially James and Gonzalo, turned to me. Their heavy gaze drilled down on my back.

I did my best to maintain my composure. But my inner emotions were too tense, it was about to explode. And all I could do was to slowly grip onto my chair.

My page resumed, "As the future ruler of Western Wind, I was taught to listen to my people and their needs. And these pirates are no different. They only want to provide for their families. But their abilities - their knowledge - were limited to the sea. And with no one to assist them, they resorted to violence.

"Therefore, I changed my punishment from death to absolute exile. I hereby banish them to the northern borders of Western Wind. No one is to step in or out from the forgotten island but the ruling monarch. Signed, Robert Dex."

The nobles stood up in uproar as my page stepped aside. The pirates looked at me in shock. Their people wept silently to one another.

"Silence! Silence!" the captain's voice echoed as he struck the floor with his spear. As the noise died down, he continued, "Allow for His Majesty to speak on the matter."

Slowly, I turned to James, who was deep in his thoughts. He swiped his fingers back and forth on his lower lip. I stole glances at Mother and Elizabeth. They also waited eagerly for James to say something.

The entire room was eerily silent. Even though I was given the power to decide on which punishment will be given, it still needed James' overall seal of approval.

After a long, dreaded moment of deafening silence, James cleared his throat. "As much as I appreciate the prince's humanitarian heart, I'm afraid I cannot approve of your punishment," he said, which received the approval of the nobles. He turned to me and continued, "These men almost took your life, as well as your mother's. The proper and only punishment for them is death."

As the nobles roared in agreement, James slowly laid back on his chair with a satisfied grin.

Furious, I turned to Mother and Elizabeth. Whilst I did my best to compose myself, the nobles rejoiced continuously.

I wanted so badly to abstain from bloodshed within the kingdom. The pirates weren't as bad as they were painted out to be. They were but mere victims of poverty, of unwanted circumstances. And out of desperation, they turned to illegal ways, just to provide for their families.

The overwhelming cheers were halted when a member of the jury stood. He started, "We, the jury and the royal advisors, have weighed both sides. It is only proper that as a nation, we follow the values that our reigning monarchs uphold. And it is truly commendable that our king has remained loyal to our ancestors' imprints."

My heart broke even more as I heard their response. I lowered my head as the nobles agreed with the words of a jury member. I clenched my jaw as I grew frustrated by the minute.

Once again, I was outnumbered.

"However, we cannot deny that His Royal Highness has provided a viable alternative punishment." I raised my head in an instant as the jury member continued. He added, "Seeing that the prince has taken into consideration the suffering of the prisoners, we think that it is only proper that instead of death, exile is the best decision."

Could this be true?! Did I hear everything correctly? The jury, as well as James' advisors, agreed with my verdict?!

That response caused another uproar with the nobles. James was quick to step forward once more. "My lords," he looked directly at the group of respected men. The nobles silenced themselves as James proceeded, "You are a collective of the wisest men within our kingdom. You are the perfect examples of upholding our beliefs and values without fail. Are you certain of your decision?"