Spellbound

Chapter 5: And So the Trial Began

        The guards stopped outside the courtroom door, where 4 new guards replaced the 5 that had escorted Claudia there. Among the new guards was the guard that had relayed her message to King Könungr. She waved slightly to him, but she couldn’t be sure that e had seen, since he did not respond.

          Claudia smoothed out her dress and combed her fingers through her curly hair, and then the doors opened. The group entered the courtroom in silence.

          Inside, there were numerous benches on either side of the aisle that lead from the door to the front of the room, all full of richly dressed people that Claudia took to be nobles. The guards guided her to the front of the room, where she took a seat in the chair directly in front of the judge, who was, of course, the King.

          King Könungr was not an ugly man, nor was he handsome. He had shoulder-length black hair, a prominent nose, and bright eyes. His features were that of a normal man, one who had done no evil in his life. But Claudia knew better. She knew that under his orders, entire cities had been slain, the grounds salted and buildings burned so that nothing could be recovered. It was as though the fires of those cities and towns burning down were what brightened his eyes… Looking closely, she could see that the king’s expression was cold, though he was smiling down at her.

          “Claudia… Cedarleaf,” said the king, tasting the words. His voice was not unpleasant, but it had a sort of… Claudia didn’t know how to describe it. It was warm, yet cold at the same time. It was odd. “You have caused me a great deal of trouble, little girl. Luckily for you, though, I granted you this trial. And I assure you, it will be a fair one.” He leaned back in his chair, which was cushioned and sculpted elaborately out of wood, unlike Claudia’s chair, which was simple and made of stone.

          And so the trial began.

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