Helena's stomach dropped. These people—seemingly powerful—are the final arbiters of her demise. It must have been something heinous. She avoided looking at the delectable evidence on her hands.
"Thank you, Queen Winona. Please state your name for the courtroom." a gravelly voice asserted, rumbling with a resonant quality that felt solid and unyielding. The owner of the voice sat on the far right. He was a short and stout man with a long, thick beard and eyebrows held a sense of practicality.
"Helena Tafari, sir." Helena spoke eloquently. Her voice never wavered to reveal the endless cesspit of emotions within.
"Will you need assistance or accessibility to understand the length of today's proceedings?" he probed.
"In what way, sir?" Helena responded in kind.
"Are you medically impaired in any way that will delay the proceedings?" He divulged.
"I would say so, yes." Helena said. "To be honest, I am not sure why I'm here."
Gasps of outage echoed throughout the courtroom. The woman, presumably Queen Winona, banged the gavel and the crowd instantly quieted.
"Clarify your statement, Ms. Tafari," another person ordered. His jovial appearance belied their serious tone. He was handsome, in that otherworld-high fantasy-way young girls would gush over. With eyes the color of onyx and a head full of silver locks he was a fine male specimen.
"I have no sense of time before this day-only my full name." Helena chuckled. "Hell, it seems I'm lucky to even remember that."
When no one joined her in laughter, she held the gaze of each member on the dais. "Is this planet earth? If so, what year is it?"
Queen Winona answered, "You are in the year 2225. It is Februadu 2nd." Queen Winona's piercing gaze was a sharp blade in Helena's sternum. But why? Why did her presence bring so much pain? "You've committed treasonous acts, breaking at least 10 of the most sacred laws of the Sovereign Accords. You are a curse upon the lands of Edonia."
At least 10? Damn I was on a roll. Allegedly. A snort escaped Helena before she could catch it. Queen Winona's glare deepened.
The snide voice of Empress Adedeji cut in. "Behold the guilty party. Your eyes haven't deceived you, Queen Winona, have they? This miscreant's claims are false. Look at her—she mocks our Sovereignty!"
"Geez, the world feels a bit dreary these days. I just want to know which 'Sovereign Accord' laws I've supposedly broken to attract the attention of such powerful people."
Next to the short man, a wizened man of indefinable age held a small device. A holographic display highlighted a rather extensive list of crimes
Blowing out a breath of stress, Helena began to ask, "What evid—" but was cut off as swiftly as a blade by none other than a Greek god.
"Unless cleared by a medical professional, your amnesia will not deter the continuity of this case, Ms. Tafari." he hissed.
She shot him a glare worthy of the seven rings of hell. "If you lot are still playing by the book, where is my lawyer?"
Greek God's nose flared with impatience. "You are guilty until proven innocent. You've surpassed the time frame of seeking legal counsel."
"Damn, no longer innocent until proven guilty. What kind of bullshit is this?! When did the time frame end?" Helena snarled.
He smirked. This fucker smirked at my impeding demise. "You were arrested the night of your crime, Ianuani 15, 2225. Typically, we allow two weeks for the accused to gather evidence to plead their case. However, you were found snoozing for that allotted time."
YOU ARE READING
Smoldered Flames (Edonia Series: Part I)
ÜbernatürlichesA young woman wakes in a dungeon with no memory of who she was before. She's accused of murder and sent to an academy, meeting four men who will change her life. Follow Helena's adventure as she discovers who she was before and what she will become...
