Traitorous Troubles

Part 5: Her Brother

A/N  story picks up right after flashback

Little did we both know that we wouldn't see each other again until almost 12 years later. Mustering all my strength, I launched myself into him, ignoring the pulsing pain from my leg. After all these years my brother finally returned to me, "Where have you been!" I exclaimed, "I've been waiting for years." Tears grew in my eyes as I thought of how maybe, if he came back earlier, then I wouldn't be in this mess.

  "I'll explain it all later, but first we need to get you ready for the Duke D'Angouleme's trial, he is definitely going to be found guilty especially with all the evidence you found, but now we just need to figure out his punishment." Aaron, my brother quickly stated.

       When I was dressed in a beautiful lilac silk dress, the luscious dress I've ever worn. We headed down to the Courthouse, the beautiful brick covering the house gave it an aura of elegance, but I had a feeling that brick was meant for something other than just looking pretty.

     Inside the flooring and ceiling was dark oak, and the walls were an old-fashioned off-white wallpaper. Looking forward I saw 10 pews all facing towards the judge and his posse. With curly grey hair and a robust stomach, you could tell he was the jolly sort whenever there wasn't a case to solve. Rolling the squeaky wheels of my chair forward, I took a spot near the witness podium. My hands were shaking and I felt a bit faint in the head, I was going to be seeing the man that left me to burn to death, and gave me with a painful, gruesome scar.

    When he entered the room, he immediately turned his frosty blue eyes on me, "Ah so the backstabbing brat is here, are you here to make sure I spend the rest of my life in a dungeon, or just to laugh at me?" he sneered.

     "Order!" shouted the judge, "Now that everyone is here, let's get started."

       "The first accusation is that you have been secretly collaborating with the Gagagillians, how do you plead?" the judge questioned him.

     "I plead not guilty, and you have no evidence to persecute me," D'Angouleme confidently stated, even though he was about as free as a lion in a zoo.

    "To the contrary,
we have all the papers from your desk, and upon further inspection find it is your handwriting and fingerprints," the Judge contradicts him, "there is also evidence that you tried to hang someone without a proper trial, nor did you ask the King. Ms. Forthwright, please step forward."

      Rolling up the ramp onto the makeshift podium made for me, I revealed to them the bumpy, red scar I got from the gallows. I also showed them the bruises along my throat, wrists, and ankles.

      "Mr. D'Angouleme, had believed me to steal his paperwork, and fearing I knew what it said, tried to dispose of me as quickly as possible not knowing the paperwork was already with Prince Damian," I calmly announced, ignoring the lasers burning into the side of my head from the Duke.

   The judge, looking like he expected this, promptly questioned D'Angouleme, "Is this true?"

    Looking defeated he answered with a broken, "Yes, it is true."

    "Now, everyone leave, me and my committee need to discuss this," the judge announces, but right afterward a petite gray haired female whispered something in his ear. "Change of plans we have reached our verdict, Duke D'Angouleme has been found guilty, his execution is scheduled for tomorrow, everyone's dismissed," the judge finalized.

      That night my brother told me what had happened and why he was gone so long, "The Duke had me captured, since it was said that I had the strength of 5 Gagagillians combined, when Damian rescued you, he found me also." I knew that wasn't the whole story, but I didn't push him.

     I decided not to go to the execution. I knew that everything would be taken care of, and besides, who wants to see someone murdered in cold blood, no matter how much they deserve it, that is still disturbing.

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Only one more chapter left😊

Grace😄