Nine:...Revenge is the main course

The day for the hearing came and most people anticipated that it would be the last hearing for the case, since 'Hear' had successfully convinced the majority that Melinda was the most probable culprit. But the people who were aware of the king and the head of 'the Harbinger' friendship doubted this. They were certain the king would fight tooth and nail for his loyal minion.

This time around The Carlson family came along with Sir Milton, thought their relationship seemed frigid.

Qaya looked around for Melinda and Rivan but she only saw Rivan and the other woman that had accompanied Melinda to Hillan house the last time.

"What exactly are you planning?" She muttered to no one in particular and took her seat beside Rachel.

The king strolled in twenty minutes late and bowed in apology.

"Seeing as I have taken much of your time, we'll solve this speedingly"

"I smell foul play" Qaya whispered to Rachel, who just lightly patted her, telling her to calm down.

Awin inspected the room "where is Ms. Charmale?"

The lady, who Qaya now presumed to be Melinda's lady-in-waiting stood up "as she is under arrest, she has decided to remain in her home"

The king didn't even hide his smirk "I see, as she is now a suspect, wouldn't it make sense for her to be here?"

"Yes, but she's acted well in the boundaries of law by staying in confinement in her home"

The king nodded "then we will just have to carry on without her testimony or statement"

Rachel stood up "your highness, I ask that there be a five minute recess, as it is the court has been put in mild disarray not just by your tardiness but the absence of a prime suspect. I believe five minutes will be substantial to regain decorum"

The king flinched; this woman was testing him in all the possible ways.

"I see, ten minutes recess is granted and once again I apologize for my tardiness"

"Even if I gave your an hour recess, you'd still not be prepared for what I've planned"

"Ms. Heris-Mariale, I have asked for recess because there are some things I have taken into account"

Qaya nodded, she was feeling restive. She really wanted to acquit Sir Milton and bring The Harbinger down while doing that but Awin wouldn't let her live.

"Our initial plan was to present Ms Charmale as the culprit but with her being absent and not being able to defend herself, it could be charged as libel and the whole case will be dragged."

"So what are we to do, we have no definitive evidence to convict her, we were going to just rely on our questioning"

"Calm down" Rachel said as she held Qaya's hands "what we can do now is prove that Sir Milton is innocent and we have the report of the forensic physiologists* and his alibi, that should be enough. But I don't want to be blindsided again, so I want you to draw up possible attacks against the King's prosecution, seeing as you know what happened" she pointedly nodded knowingly.

Qaya nodded and got to work.

"Recess is over, we shall resume the proceeding" the king announced and started sifting through documents.

"Evidence has been submitted against Sir Milton"

Qaya looked at Rachel in confusion. The other woman continued as usual, making notes like she wasn't nervous. Qaya decided to do just that and waited eagerly for the evidence to find plot holes.

"I summon Lazarus Peom"

A thin scrawny man in his thirties came up to give his testimony

"You submitted a statement yesterday morning,is that not right?" the king asked

"Yes, my king"

"Recount what I read here to this sacred court"

"I am Lazarus Poem, a servant in the Carlson estate, I hold a supervisory role as the head of stables.

That night, I didn't go home because a horse was in labour and I had travelled far to get a doctor. And it was much too late to return home also I couldn't possibly leave the horse like that...so I waited behind"

The man wiped his forehead with a handkerchief and continued. Awin frowned.

"I was hungry because it'd been long since I sought nourishment, so I went to the kitchen to inquire for a meal, when I saw a young woman that wasn't a servant in our manor, I was certain and I even asked to be sure. She confirmed this and told me, she'd been summoned by the Lord of the house"

He wiped his forehead again and Qaya began scribbling.

"Much later, when I went to the store close to the barn to get nourishment for the new born calf, I heard Sir Milton and the woman arguing and it became rather violent, I got concerned and tried to step in but the lady stopped me from entering by assuring me all was well. I did notice that she sounded exhausted but I alluded it to exasperation or fatigue from the argument..."

"I couldn't imagine that..."

"Stop there, we only need eyewitness report do not make your own conclusions, that's my job" Awin interrupted, he eyed Qaya and Rachel nervously, he had to. As much as he already knew in whose favour he was going to decide, he wasn't going to underestimate them, he could never. Not with the rubbish testimony the help had given. His nervousness was so evident and he didn't adhere to the script.

"This is what I get for holding his family hostage" he mused.

"Can you refute this statement" he asked, turning to Sir Milton's counsel.

The two women got up. Qaya was holding a slim package, she got to unwrapping it and showing the people in the court.

Awin inched forward, pensive; he wanted to know what she showed them but she had her back to him

"From your testimony, you saw a woman but how are you certain that it was Qaya Wright you saw? With this testimony, one could assume that you had seen Ms. Charmale because if her testimony holds any truth then she might have been the woman you met."

The man frowned, he was thinking hard for a response "please do not confuse me, as I said when I saw the woman, I knew she didn't work in the estate because I'd never set my eye on her, I am quite familiar with Ms. Charmale"

"Still how are you certain the woman you saw was Qaya Wright?"

"Because it was the corpse of the woman that I saw "

"So you saw the victim after her death? Are you certain of it? Take your time you may be confused"

Lazarus gulped, what was he to do? It was true that he didn't go home that day and had gone to the pantry by the barn to get the new born, food but nobody was there and he left at dawn to take his bath and take a short nap. He didn't set his eyes on this Qaya Wright.

"Are you confused?" Rachel asked with a smug smile

"The man got slightly aggressive "no, you must be treating me like this because I'm no literate like you but I am certain of what I saw, my memory does not fail me."

"So you're certain this woman was Qaya? A woman with brown hair and eyes and a petite build"

"Yes I am sure"

"Did you see anything of note on her like a mark on her nose?"

"Yes" the man answered, bopping his head with such confidence. The audience watched on in shock.

For a minute everyone was quiet, even Rachel kept mute and looked at him skeptically

"Mr Peom, are you certain of this?"

"Yes, I am sure of it"

Upon hearing this, Qaya turned to face him and behold in her hand was a portrait of a woman.

"This is Qaya Wright" Rachel commented

"She looks nothing like your description, instead the person you described was Melinda, but you should having known you see Melinda often or it didn't occur to you that I was describing Melinda"

The man bowed his head; offering his last prayers for his family.

"Seize and imprison him for perjury for fifteen years" the king declared.

Qaya chuckled, Awin was a piece of work. He didn't hesitate to dispose of the man to cover his tracks but she shook her head.

Did he really think so little of her? This was all he prepared, surely there's more to come.

"But honestly, I'm not in the mood to continue this goose chase" she thought to herself as she took her seat to let Rachel handle the rest.

"Your highness, in the two proceedings we have had, two people have offered false testimonies and we've had another prime suspect, it's safe to say someone is trying to frame Sir Milton and I will provide proof

She waved a document; I got a report of the forensic physiologist and it was proven be expert deduction that Qaya died from bleeding out not being stabbed, the knife wound wasn't fatal but ghastly enough to immobilize her, no grown man especially one as dexterous as sir Milton in handling the blade would have made such a wound.

And he has an alibi, Sir Milton was seen by not one but five servants sleeping in the Knights' quarters and he didn't leave the building until when he was arrested. This is his doctor's diary, sadly his personal doctor was so badly wounded that he couldn't testify but according to his diary documenting his patient's health, around this time, Sir Milton's health suffered. Because of the news published by a news agency that Melinda Charmale Co owned, his relationship with his wife soured and he was forced to sleep in the Knights' quarters, no one but the occupants of the building was aware of this not even his family. His heartache was causing him bouts of fever throughout the night and it greatly troubled him, so the doctor had to check on him in intervals."

Awin sighed. "Why should..."

Rachel turned to the court "compared to the unreliable and fabricated evidence that has been presented against Sir Milton, our evidence holds more. It is scientifically endorsed and there are many eyewitness that can attest to Sir Milton's whereabouts at the alleged time of the murder, it makes us think that Sir Milton is definitely being framed"

Awin rubbed his temples, he so badly wanted to get rid of Sir Milton because the older man disapproved of his dealings with Harbinger and was beginning to influence the others in the ministers' court. He also did not like the man's entire being but it seemed the resilience of Qaya and the impudence of Rachel would be his saving grace.

"I'm about to give my verdict, close your argument"

Qaya sprung up "I'd like to take that"

The king turned to Rachel frustrated "what's this?"

"She's my student, I want to give her an infield experience"

Awin 's frown deepened "this is not the place or time for such"

"I am very sure, she's allowed to do this little"

"You mean she's allowed to do this much"

"Your gracious majesty, I request that you let my student close the argument"

"You may" he finally conceded

Qaya got up and started her speech "we are here to ask that the sacred court of order declare this man innocent.

He was wrongfully convicted, with no grace of a proper trial or proper thought. He had an alibi but was still maltreated as a murderer.

From what has played out today, it seemed that someone purposefully put him in this situation. Mr Poem said that he'd met the victim or more appropriately a woman in the kitchen but the existing relationship between The late Ms. Wright and Sir Milton was not cordial enough for her to personally walk into the kitchen, our prime suspect is not even here in our midst. It's sad that the person who sought to sabotage Milton Carlson did it so haphazardly. I fully believe that this sacred court of order is inclined to wisdom to act on this evidence and acquit him"

Awin smiled, she'd just threatened him, if he was to rule otherwise, he would be deemed a fool. Inside him, he was grateful it was Qaya that took the closing remark and not Rachel, he could only take such attitude from her.