Restricted Magic - Arc 2: The Competition

Chapter 19

The atmosphere in the throne room was cold, as everyone stared down at the kneeling figure in chains.

"Richard de Riciancia, second prince of the Ellurine Alliance. You have been accused of treason." The king's face was sad as he studied the pitiful figure of his son.

Erin, standing on the sidelines, felt sorry for him, although she was unable to muster any sort of sympathy at all for Richard.

After all, he had brought this on himself.

Richard showed no signs of repentance, his back straight, his face proud. "Everything I did I did for the kingdom."

"You allowed enemy troops into our borders, gave them information on our patrol schedules. You poisoned your brother." The king's voice cracked, his breaking heart on display for the court to see. "How was any of that for the kingdom, and not simply for your own selfish gain?"

"The Ellurine Alliance would have been invaded with or without me! I was simply controlling the when and the how!" Richard argued back, his chains clinking as he gestured wildly with his bound hands. "If I cooperated with them, they were going to allow me to remain king, to keep the country independent."

"Foolish child." The queen sighed loudly, rubbing her forehead. "You would have surrendered this nation to its enemies without a fight, and become a puppet king."

"But...!"

"Silence. I've heard enough." The king looked out around the court, reaching over to take his wife's hand, who squeezed it reassuringly.

"Richard, for your crimes against the crown and this nation, you should be put to death."

"..." A delicate silence fell over the throne room. The blood drained slowly from Richard's face. Gerald's hand was in Erin's tightly gripping it, almost to the point of being painful.

"But... I would like to ask a favor of the court." Gerald's father looked tired as he glanced around at the noblemen and women present. "It is difficult for me to order the execution of my own son. I ask that you allow me to lessen his sentence, only sparing his life. He will pay for his crimes, I promise."

Slowly the crowd nodded, bowing towards the king to show their agreement.

"Thank you, friends." He turned back to his son, his face determined.

"Richard de Riciancia. You will be stripped of your title as prince. You will never be able to ascend the throne of this nation. You will be placed under house arrest, where you will spend time each day helping the poor and disadvantaged of this nation. You will never leave the confines of this city." He hesitated and then added. "Your fiancé, Isabelle, although not complicit in your treasonous plans, did also work with these terrorists to harm Prince Gerald, and will be stripped of her title and banished from this nation."

"You can't do this!" Richard shouted, his face red with rage. "I am your most powerful child! I am the future king!"

The king and queen's expressions were cold. "You are no child of mine. Not anymore." He gestured to the guard. "Take him away."

"YOU WILL REGRET THIS! I SWEAR I WILL MAKE YOU ALL REGRET!!!" Richard was dragged out, still shouting and cursing at the room. Once silence had once again fallen, the king cleared his throat and turned to Gerald.

"On a brighter note, Gerald, please step forward."

Giving Erin's hand a tight squeeze before letting go, the prince moved to the center of the room, kneeling before his parents.

"You have done well, both you and your friends, in defending this kingdom."

"It wasn't me." Gerald lifted his head. "It was mostly..." He glanced over at Erin and seeing her expression, paused before continuing. "...It was all of us."