Caidoz

Chapter 4 ~ Case Closed

  

A stout angry woman stomped into the courtroom smashing something in her large hands. Her green dress appeared made of cheap material, and it compressed her stumpy body tightly. Her hair was in a tiny brown bun upon her head, her lips coated in bright red lipstick. Eyelashes drowned in mascara, and her brown eyes, sunken into their sockets like her husband's, grew wide when seeing the king, crowd and myself.
   She seemed to be arguing with herself as if there was an imaginary person next to her. I blinked, shaking my head, then gasping again when I realized she was still standing in front of me and not just a horrible hallucination. Her lips pursed when she reached the stands, and she was barely heard murmuring, "What a stupid idea for me to come. I rather do much worse things, but no, Antila has to come to a disgusting palace." And with that, she spat on the floor.
   "Excuse me madam, but I would be pleased to know what exactly makes you believe you have the authority to dirty my floors?" My father said, his gaze darkening like storm clouds.
   Mr. Regor rose. "She's a bit addled in the brain, the poor lass," He said, gesturing with a sympathetic look to the woman. "I love her all the same. Don't I, Antila? "
   His wife threw him a murderous look.
   Lowering his raised brow, King Libra sent his notes back into the air alongside his pen. "Mr. Regor claims that you saw what happened on his boat concerning that individual over there," He pointed to Pegasus, who looked at the woman with eyes of wonder. "Have you seen his boy before?"
   She bobbed her head, still muttering.
   Libra nodded. "Now, where and what did you see him do, Miss Antila?"
   "Antila only saw that man receiving his net with the illegal fishies. Nothing more, but a whole lot less...."
   King Libra threw his hands up in the air, and all the papers gathered into a neat stack and landed in front of him. I felt a sense of triumph from Antila and Mr. Regor and a slash of greed that tore at my very heart. People like this always had tricks up their sleeves, and this felt like one.
   "That's a lie!" I hissed at my dad who scrolling through papers. I am far from a lie detector; I fall for most jokes. However, I typically could put one and two emotions together. 
   He looked at me, a smile curling on his lips. "Cancer, the case is yet to be over. Let us hear what Mr. Pegasus has to say about this." He turned to the boy. "Mr. Pegasus, do you know this woman?" He pointed at Antila.
   Pegasus stood. He glanced at her hands, and a shadow crossed his face before he smiled again and shook his head. "No, your majesty." He then hesitated, glancing again at the woman's hands. "Um, your majesty?"
   Libra's gaze fixed on him. "Yes?"
   Pegasus looked at the woman again, who refused to acknowledge his presence. "Your majesty, they stole a sentimental item from me, and I request it returned."
   "An item?" Libra looked at Mr. Regor, who scowled at the boy. "Mr. Regor, is this true?"
   "Yes, your highness," He said, crossing his arms. "I had to teach that transmogrifying brat a lesson. It seemed the best way to do so."
   "When did you take it from him?"
   His face turned slightly pale, and he looked downwards. "After I found him on my ship, I had to tie him up so I could deliver him to authorities. After I tied him up, I took a trophy."
   King Libra paused, but I could see his brain whirling. "Let's see this item."
   The thing flew from Antila's pudgy hand into my father's before she could grab it again. Leaning over his shoulders, I see a large, white feather with a reddish tip. King Libra examined it thoroughly, holding it suspended in midair. 
   "As this has no relevance to the case, and as you took it with no true purpose, I see no harm in returning this to the defendant." He then shifted through his papers again as the feather flew into the air, and Pegasus caught it as it floated into his cupped hands, clutching it to his chest. "Thank you, your highness," He says, his voice quiet.
   It was not a moment later that the door flew open, and my mother, Queen Virgo, walked through the door, her heavy crown atop her black haired head. She walks down the stairs, ignoring the stares of the crowd, all of them having seen every member of the royal family. She staggered backward, fingers against her burning face. "That's quite a masculine energy flow, Libra." 
   My father keeps his eyes on Mr. Regor, but a faint red flash of heat covers my vision, and my dad's heartbeat skips a beat. While I don't enjoy knowing every feeling between my parents, it was nice to know they still loved each other. My mother continued her way to us and, passing Antila stops again as if jerked suddenly by an invisible rope. Confused, she turned to face Antila. "You poor dear, did your children do this to you?"
   The woman stares at my mother with sheer horror, blinking wildly. 
   "What is the meaning of this?!" Mr.Regor asked, his face more scrunched up than a dried prune. Queen Virgo looked coldly at him all, playfulness gone in her eyes, and I felt her blood boiling angrily, raising my body temperature with it. I took off my jacket and folded it on my lap.
   "I see you lack proper manner so you must be a man who is not often in town, and your grumpiness and lack of a proper shave show me that you spend time away from civilization often. You are probably a Shepard or a fisherman, and even if you are not, I hold myself with more rank and dignity than you will ever achieve in your lifetime." Virgo sighed, lips curled.
   "Shall you ever speak in that disgraced, impolite manner, to me, the queen of all Caidoz, you shall find yourself in an unsavory position for the rest of your life. I believe I received a letter from the stables claiming they need a new dung sanitary worker, and if I so much as heard a mutter out of you, I assure you that position will be yours for the rest of your life." Mr. Regor paled and sat down with his face slick with sweat.
   "Now, back you, poor dear," My mother said, her eyes gentle and soft on Antila. "Would you like me to clean all this off for you?"
   King Libra looked at his beautiful wife, eyes weary with exhaustion.
   "Virgo, my love, shall you grant me the authority to handle his situation with Mr. Regor and his wife?"
   I glanced at Pegasus, whose gaze was fixed down at his hands as he placed the feather on the bloody wound. The was glowing light, and the feather etched its way into the pattern, the scar gone.
   "You already contain plenty authority to do so, Libra. My permission is not what you need to exert your powers. It's dominance." She smirked before taking a double take. "Wait a moment, did you say... his wife?" 
   "Yes, that woman whom you were previously conversing." My mom looked around, glancing at every woman but Antila. Then, a look of knowing came over her. 
   "You are an ugly woman, sir." And with this, my mother snapped her fingers. With a loud squeal, a male with the bun still intact, but dangling, appeared on Antila's spot. 
   "That's the other man I saw on the boat!" Said Pegasus, eyes wide.
   The court was again in outrage.
   "How many times.... forgot it... seamed silence." And with that, he sowed their mouths shut with air stitches. "I am ready to rule on this case. Justice for the defendant, who will spend three days in jail for trespassing on the priavte property. Mr.Regor and this man who helped assist him will be put to death for the fishing of Blue Blood Crabs as well as for their attempted deception in court. " 
   "Oh, before their death, Libra," Virgo waved at him. "I believe they can clean the entire courtroom," My mother said. "It appears that someone spat on his floor, and seeing as this man is here, it must have been him. I mean, even our servants have their standards, and I feel sorry for the who was to face that pool of a mess."
   Guards with the Caidozian symbol of the brass scale with wings stepped forward quickly and shackled Mr. Regor and Mr. "Antila" on one side of the room.

On the other side, Pegasus was merely asked to follow the guards to his room, and he nodded, grinning in enthusiasm. My mother stepped around the spit on the ground and came to me. "I have been looking all over for you!"
   I blinked. "You have?"
   My dad waved his hand to the left, and when the crowds realized they regained their most prized action, they gossiped about the case and walked around, allowing my mother and I not to see him leave to his quarters until he was gone. When we realized he'd left, we knew he slipped away to transform back to his usual self.
   "Yes, you need to prepare for your birthday party!" 
   "Of course! Sorry, mom. I suppose I forgot..."
   At this, Queen Virgo smiled and her laugh sounded like angels singing. "You? Forgetful? I doubt that. However, come, we need to eat."