Forest of Fireflies

Chapter 73

(Daniella's POV)

"We find the accused not guilty," announced the representative from the juror's sector. 

My breath hung in mid-air. I was unable to think as I felt blood surge to my head and hands. It all crashed down onto me. The room suddenly seemed as if it was suffocating me. I gaped at the jury. They couldn't be serious. They've witnessed mother's memories, yet their verdict was that the king wasn't guilty?! 

My fists curled up, but rather than anger, in fear. The judge couldn't do anything to help us now. Everything rested with people and they had failed us. I immediately wanted to be back in the Enchanted Forest. There, mother had power, and to a certain extent, so did I. Justice would have been served in a different way. 

The juror continued in detail, "Charges of sexual assault...not guilty. Charges of attempted child murder...not guilty."

I shifted with restless confusion and disappointment but mother's hand held me down. This wasn't possible. They saw the king command the soldier to take me away to be executed. In fact, I would have been, if it wasn't for the knight's disobedience.

The remainder of the court session passed by in a blur. Soon, the case closed. People stood up. No one was charged. No one was condemned. 

Mother's lawyer approached us once conversation had started to augment in volume. His face was etched in disappointment, but no emotion could be seen on hers. She began speaking to him in a harsh tone as soon as he came near us. "What was that?!"

"I'm sorry?"

"You assured me that we would win the case. You said that the evidence was piled against him-"

"I didn't anticipate that his heart was missing."

"You could have found a way around that! Now, I'll never be able to seek legal means to avenge the trauma my daughter has experienced," mother spat. 

Several heads turned our way. Mother didn't make any indication that she had noticed, other than surrounding the three of us in smoke. We appeared outside, under a tree in the gardens on the side of the building. I stood on her side as she continued questioning the lawyer. "What went wrong hmm? Did you want to see them let him go?!"

The man quickly replied, "No. I assure you, your majesty, that 'm on your side. I tried my hardest to persuade the court-"

"NO YOU DIDN'T!" 

I looked up at mother's outburst. She continued with a strained tone of voice, "I trusted you with my past, and not only did you let the court see those memories, you failed at your task to ensure justice is served!"

"Your majesty-" he paused, evaluating my mother. Then, he stood his stance and began his sentence again. "Your majesty, the jury's decision was completely out of my control. I am a hundred percent sure that my argument would have won. The charges that we pressed against your former husband were reasonably argued with sufficient evidence. I had evaluated this with my colleagues. I did not fail-"

"How dare you?! Failure is not yours to deem otherwise."

He set a confident look onto his face and repeated, "I did not fail." Mother continued fuming as he spoke again in an attempt to convince her, "People will always be influenced by a bias, and I cannot do anything for that matter. We have shown them the truth. Their interpretation will determine the result of this case."

"And what if their interpretation is a disillusion?"

"We cannot change the hearts of those who do not want to be changed."