Locked

Chapter Twenty-Three

Nick stood hesitantly. By now the prosecution was ready to quit. He was not prepared for an additional witness. He had been hired to keep the Duke of Stratford from winning, and now it was seemingly impossible since that girl had ruined his trial.

"I... I was there." Nick said.

"And what happened?" The judge asked as the lawyer was still too dumbstruck and confused to react.

"I shot her."

This time the crowd erupted into conversation. Some were more conservative with their reactions, whispering amongst neighbours. Others exploded into full blown arguments between strangers. Nick stood as still as a statue, too petrified to move. Mr. Mulberry sat unfazed by the proceedings. Will wasn't surprised, but he was frustrated – too many people were getting involved in this. Will had accepted his fate a long time ago. The lawyer was busy scribbling notes about the newest developments. He wasn't ready to lose the Duke quite yet, but maybe he

could trap two nobles with one very clever trial. The judge wasn't even trying to quiet the crowd. He looked down at V with a sly smile – people needed time to vent. V looked up to the

apparently inconspicuous Queen Victoria in the back row. She seemed appalled at the revelations and confused at everything going down at the stand. She noticed V's gaze on her, and lifted her eyebrows ever so slightly, finally, a reaction. The Queen was as shocked by this turn of events as the rest of the crowd.

The viewers were still bickering, whispering, and speculating, when the judge slammed his gavel once, twice, three times. The voices quieted and the trial was able to continue.

"Please, Lord Gellentry, will you elaborate for us?" The judge asked calmly.

Nick coughed a few times to clear his throat. This time he didn't look at V for support, he was doing this all of his own accord. It had simply taken a push for him to see the abominable errors of his – and his father's – actions.

"I was coerced into this. It was never intended for anyone to get hurt, or so I thought. I thought we would be helping millions, not hurting my dearest friend." He looked solemnly at Will, as if begging for forgiveness.

"You say this was not your intentions," The judge asked, "so whose was it?"

"My father, His Grace, The Duke of Westray, planned everything." Nick was raising his voice, getting angrier and angrier as the effects of his father's actions weighed him down. "He planned to poison the city and sell the cure at an exorbitant amount, then buy up all the land if someone couldn't pay. His Grace and Lady Violet were simply trying to stop him! They got caught amidst his schemes!"

There wasn't so much arguing as hushed whispers emanating from the crowd. People were hanging on Nick's every word.

"What part did you have in this?" The judge asked.

Nick continued his tale: "I helped my father so I could be in his favour again. I thought we were simply stealing back a locket. I did not know it contained the poison he needed. I went along with everything he did. Then he told me I would have to kill V... Lady Violet." He caught himself, looking back at the girl who helped him realize his terrible choices. "I was blinded by my need to belong to my father again, and I did not realize the impact it had."

The judge was silent for a second, everyone was. The prosecutor stopped taking notes; he wasn't prepared to make any accusations at the moment. The trial was so out of hand; he would let the

experienced judge take control.

The jury was a mixture of shock, confusion, and blank expressions. No one knew where this would go from thereon.