Palace Ghosts

Chapter 9

I kept Taviq's secret, and Rhys was the only ghost privy to it. Baron Elwinn re-employed me, due to Taviq's insistence. In a way everything was back to normal, except that I now knew who the murderer was, and that a trial would be held for Baron Frox. Everyone thought that he was guilty, except for most of the ghosts, Taviq, and I.
The day passed almost uneventfully, though my mind was still spinning from the revelation.

...oOo...

The next morning, like many other people, I went to spectate the trial. Taviq came with me, though he had to sit in a different section because of our social dynamic.
The trial was long and arduous, poor Baron Frox was almost in tears. The Queen watched the preceding coldly, she was impatient to avenge her husband. In fact, I hardly watched the judge, jury, defendant, defenders or prosecutors, my eyes were on her almost the entire session. My ears stayed tuned to what was going on, but my eyes rarely left her face.
Taviq's eyes darted between everyone, taking everything in all at once. His face looked stony and unreadable to most, but I knew him better. He was pensive, and slightly afraid.

The opinion of the key players was not in our favour, I even noticed that the judge and defenders were biased against Baron Frox. But to my surprise, many of the people sitting in the section for Barons and Baronesses looked saddened, afraid for Baron Frox. Perhaps they knew just as well as I did that it wasn't him who had committed the crime, or perhaps they felt that the king had deserved what he had received. Whatever the case, they didn't want the Baron to be condemned.

Court was in session the first half of the day, by the time the jury left to make their decision, my heart was in my shoes. Rhys Caiden stood next to me with bated breath. In the front row, sitting stiffly and with proper form, was the Commander and the two lieutenants who had been present for the interrogation process. I slowly inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to calm my nerves. I twisted my shaky hands into my skirts, wringing the fabric apprehensively.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the jury returned. Their faces were unreadable and impassive. My breath stopped for several moments.
"Jury, what is your verdict?" the Judge asked.
The room was still, I felt my heart hammering, and I heard the person next to me swallow. One of the jury members stood up, he wore a tailored suit and had well manicured hands.
He cleared his throat before saying in an irrefutably clear voice, "Guilty."
My mouth went dry as pandemonium was unleashed. There were exclamations of approval and affirmation, but there were also groans, shakes of the head, and indignant shouts.
But one voice rose above them all. "Your honour! I wish to testify on behalf of the defendant!" rang out Taviq's voice.
My fear began to surmount. If I thought that the clamour and mayhem couldn't get any worse, I was wrong. People began to gasp in surprise, conversing amongst themselves, wondering how Taviq would shed new light on the incident. Above all the shouts of surprise there was the continuous banging of a gavel and the indignant appeals for order. The Queen stood up from her place of honour, her eyes flashing, and like a goddess full of unknown power; the crowds hushed.
"Speak freely Taviq Elwinn," she said coldly.
"On behalf of the defendant and because of the unfair verdict, I wish to make an aspect of the King's murder known. It was, in fact, I who killed King Dizier."
My fear was paramount. The cool and indifferent aura of the Queen, could not hold the tide of voices and objections. The room, which had hushed so quickly and so completely, exploded. Everyone was saying something, most in abject horror and shock, but a few spoke in wonder and slight trepidation.
"Taviq!" I heard myself scream.
He didn't hear me. No one could hear much besides the clamour, exclamations and accusations of the people in the immediate vicinity. I tried push my way toward him, to get him out of there before an official verdict could be given, but it was no use. The crowds were thick, and I wasn't strong enough to push my way through. Several Royal Guardsmen roughly escorted him to the front. He looked tall, handsome and proud, even when he was standing in the midst of blood thirsty officials. My attention turned back to the Queen, she was thinking, and her forehead was furrowed by the strain of it.
"ORDER! ORDER!" the judge howled to no avail.
Everyone wanted to make their thoughts known, and no judge could stop them. Rhys darted from his place next to me, and passed through the crowds of people. He stopped once he got to Taviq, then he began to rapidly converse with him. Taviq gave almost imperceptible nods, affirmation that he had heard. Tears were streaming freely down my face, I tried to stem the flow, but it was no use. Through the blur of my tears I saw Valena step in next to me, putting a vapoury hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me. I cried all the more. After a few minutes the Queen stood up and was able to hush the crowd, with assistance from the Judge's never ending call for order.
"Please elaborate on that Taviq Elwinn," said the Queen, coldly in a tone full of authority.
The crowd became completely still of their own accord. I managed to dry my tears, my full attention was on Taviq.
"I'll start from the beginning if that will help," said Taviq, with a shadow of a paradoxical smile.
"Please, enlighten us," said the Judge, almost sarcastically.
"In the weeks preceding the King's death I composed a faultless plan in which I would murder the King. As many of you Barons and Baronesses know, he's had it coming to him for awhile."
Many of the Barons and Baronesses nodded automatically, without thought. Though their complete agreement showed in their faces and eyes.
"Whatever the case, like the King has done so many times, he threatened my family, and swore to make false truths public if my father did not comply. Being the man I am, the wish to protect my family was stronger then anything else, morally or otherwise. So I devised a plan. There was only one hole in it, I knew that if things came to this, I would have to be the better man," said Taviq, with a shrug.
"This sounds more like a tirade, get to the night of the murder," ordered the judge, sharply.
"The tirade and the murder go toe to toe your honour. But I will detour since you wish it," said Taviq, condescendingly.
I realised that he held full sway over the crowd, they hung on his every word.
"On the night of the murder, right after dark, I was in my rooms. I wore my bed clothes, and had clothes that were completely black over top, I put on a mask and gloves so that I would be unrecognisable. Then I went out, went straight to the throne room, and waited. Earlier that day I had managed to slip the King a fake note from Baron Frox. Saying that he wanted to meet with the King privately in his throne room.
"When the King entered and walked passed my hiding place, I jumped him. I had a rag that was soaked through with chloroform, so I put the piece of cloth over his mouth and nose, it didn't take long for him to fall unconscious. I continued to hold the rag over both his mouth and nose until he stopped breathing, and his heart stopped. Then I took his own knife, knifed him him in the heart, and threw the weapon into the fireplace. And your amateur detectives never even found his knife for the record," said Taviq, shaking his head slightly at their ridiculous attempts.
"Continue," growled the Judge.
"Once I had finished, I left and went back to my room, took off my black clothes, mask and gloves, which I then stuffed behind a brick in the chimney. After that I hastily swung a cloak over my night clothes, making sure it looked askew. Then I ran for the closest patrol of guards, yelling for help as I went. Once I found them I told them that I had heard a scream some place in the West of the palace. So the guards and I ran towards the West Wing and kicked down several doors until we came upon the throne room. Where we found the King lying dead and a servant girl," said Taviq.
"Go on," growled the Judge.
"There's not really anything else to say. I was never under suspicion, therefore I was never interrogated or interviewed," said Taviq, simply.
"Why did you put Baron Frox's name on the note?" asked the Judge.
"I needed to put someone's name on the note, and I knew that Baron Frox would have had the strongest alibi, but unfortunately, because of a migraine, he had to cancel his birthday party," said Taviq.
"And why did you need to put someone's name on the note?" asked the Judge.
"The King wouldn't have considered it credible if I didn't," Taviq said.
Silence hung in the air.

The Queen walked over to the judge and spoke a few words into his ear, the Judge nodded. "Jury please leave the room and come to a verdict on Taviq Elwinn, the next session will commence in exactly one hour," said the Judge. He banged his gavel in dismissal.