Gardener

Chapter 15

The Queen's Justice

                    

We all stood gathered around the dais none willing to stand above her Majesty now seated on her throne. It was a rare sight for a Gardener to see the Queen in all her regal glory, despite the fact that our titles equated to that of noblemen, we were not required to attend court. Thank the Goddess for small mercies, Dara's recount of certain events made it sound quite tedious, time consuming and at times completely unnecessary. On her left on a slightly smaller but no less grand throne sat the Heir, and two her right sat Princess Kiran, the seat beside her empty.

Across from us stood several noble men and women, Lady and Lord something or other, among them I could see several Councilmen, Kalini had brought with her several servants now offering food and drinks to our small party. I shook my head at the offer of wine, it would do nothing to soothe my nerves. Amida and Kalini toasted each other while Ryu and I shared a look all too sober. The Prince was announced into the room, Prince Jin beside him, Sir Chiang trailing in their wake. I took a deep breath standing a little straighter.

Princess Kiran stood, stepping down the dais meeting her brother as he came forward, the room grew silent, even the green spoke softly and for that I was grateful. "Brother...you come before the court..." Her voice rang out, he flinched startled as she spanned her hand encompassing us all. "Accused of treason. How do you plead?" Her face was stoic, expressionless and I wondered how I ever mistook her for anything less than she was.

"I plead..." Her Majesty stood and I have never felt so small, she stood above us, of course she did, she stood on a platform, but the feeling that she was so much more than we could ever be had never been stronger than in that moment. Wine dribbled down Amida's chin and he did nothing to stop it. My heart raced in my chest as we all waited with baited breath for our Queen to speak. This...was royalty.

"You come before the court accused of treason and you stand as if you are untouchable, your choices are few. Very few, because regardless of what you say evidence is stacked against you." Slowly, the Queen descended her dais, coming to stand before her son, no one moved a muscle. "Bow before your Queen Ang, she is not feeling gracious." Her voice, filled the throne room, thunder on a silent night, I hugged myself as he dropped to his knees before the woman he called mother, but at this moment, that woman was nowhere in sight. Kalini drew closer to me, the nobles held tight to their flutes of wine, the servants had suddenly become scarce and I had never seen so many guards appear out of thin air.
  
"You have undermined your sister's power, the Council questions her claims to rule, they question her word." She paced away from him, looking into the eyes of each and every one of her Council members. Every one of them turned their gaze away. "They question MY WORD?!" I think the entire room flinched, Kalini completely spilt her wine, Ang smartly remained silent watching the Queen, face pale as he kneeled in wait of justice. I did not doubt that it would come.
  
"They question their Queen, they believe that the Trials have chosen wrong, that it should have been you or your younger sister. You encourage these thoughts...this sense of power, the privilege. Claiming all will be different once a man once more sits the throne." Her rage was palpable. Goddess I was glad I had never had such righteous fury directed at me. "What could you give them Ang? What have you promised my people, that has corrupted them so? What promises have you made to make men commit such atrocious acts. Willing to believe the word of a foreign Prince over the Heir herself." There were several gasps of shock, more than one Council member looked away in shame, all of them men.
  
"I will tell you what you could give them, if by some stretch of the imagination you became King." She gazed out across her nobles, before turning back to her son. "Nothing... you know nothing about the land or the people, you have worked for no one. Not once have you apprenticed yourself, you know no trades, you play no instruments. You cannot even hold a sword or throw a proper punch. All that you are is because of me and though you were born with your title. It is but a word..." Her Majesty glanced at me when she said those words. "A word I can easily take away."