Chapter 6 - Court

The day began with its grueling activities but I planned to pay a visit to the Keeper of the Palace Royal Books.

I had to know why Ally did not feel the bond as I did. I only hoped it was not a hex.

But I could not do that in the morning. I had other activities to fulfill.

I walked behind Father into the courtroom. We sat before the rest of the Royal Advisors did.

It has been years since this hall was built but it still had the overpowering smell of oak.

The pews were filled with townsfolk. I once observed there was a corner that was almost always filled with maidens whom I supposed were only there to catch a glimpse of me.

As I expected, they were present.

As a court servant announced the first case, Father looked at me briefly. He nodded. It meant I was supposed to oversee all the cases the day would bring.

I nodded also.

"Your Highness, this man here-" A man who looked over fifty years old pointed to a younger man before continuing

"- stole my harvest right off my farm. I demand you charge him to return what he stole and pay interest on for damages caused."

I looked at the younger man. He looked about my age and was angry.

"How do you know this young lad?" I asked the older man.

"Sirius was once a help I hired to help me on the farm, my Lord. I let him free of his duties before he committed this evil unto me."

"Do you have any witnesses to this crime you accuse him of?"

"Yes, my Lord. I saw him with my own two eyes."

I shook my head softly.

"The law demands the presence of at least two witnesses." I reminded him.

"My wife and I saw this, my Lord."

An elderly woman stood up at the first bench.

She bowed.

"He speaks the truth, my Lord. I am his wife. I saw this man sneak into our farm and run off with our harvest."

A light murmur arose within the crowd.

I acknowledge her words with a nod.

"And the second witness?" I asked the man.

"I have but one witness, your Highness."

I raised a brow.

"Your wife says she saw him and you speak the same. What did you do when you saw him?"

"Your Highness, it was at the heart of the night when he ran off with our potatoes, turnips and cabbages. Alas, my wife and I were unable to stop him."

"You did nothing at all?" I questioned again.

"My Lord, I am a man without my youth. I have trouble walking. I could not run after him even if I wanted to. My wife, being a woman, might have been badly hurt if she attacked him."

I smiled, noticing a hole in his story.

"Do you stand before me today to tell me a man broke into your farm to steal your produce, your means of livelihood, and you did nothing to stop him? Not even did you scream once to call your neighbors? Or perhaps, you had a sore throat?"

The crowd laughed at my response. The man tried to speak but his words failed him.

"The defendant may speak now." I ordered.

The elderly man stepped back and Sirius, the younger man walked to the front.

"Thank you, my Lord. I confess to my crime. I stole from the one I worked for but I did so to pay off the wages he had not paid me."

"So he had not paid you?"

"No, my Lord."

"Did you ask him for your wages?"

"Yes, my Lord."

The crowd began to talk amongst themselves and I waved for silence.

"How long were you due?"

"Three months my Lord. I enquired endlessly about it but he refused to say a word about it. At the end of the third month, he told me to never get on his property again."

"So you decided to steal from him."

"My Lord, I told him I would if he did not give me what was due to me."

I gave a neutral look to the elderly man. He

looked adamant.

"Do you have any witnesses to this?"

"Yes, your Highness. With me are two of his neighbors and three market women."

The five stood from behind the first bench, beside the elderly man's wife.

I turned my attention to them.

"Do you swear that he speaks the truth?"

"Yes, my Lord." They said together.

"And if it is proven that he does not speak the truth?"

"We will face your wrath, my Lord."

"You may sit."

They sat after a bow.

I looked at the elderly man.

"Why did you keep his wage? Did he not work for them?" I asked him.

He walked to the center before he spoke.

"He did, my Lord but it has not been easy making sales."

"He lies, my Lord. Every vegetable I harvested, he sold." Sirius protested.

"Be quiet until it's your turn to speak." I admonished.

"My apologies, my Lord."

I did not acknowledge it.

"It is not right to engage a man in labor and refuse him his wage. How much is your wage?"

"15 pennies a day, my Lord." Sirius said.

I turned my attention to the elderly man.

"Before nightfall, you will pay what you owe." I told him.

The elderly man met my eyes in shock. He fell to his knees.

"I plead for mercy, my Lord. Even if I sell

myself, I can not pay this debt by nightfall."

"Then every penny sold from your farm would be used to pay your debt until you owe nothing."

The man did not look pleased but he had no other option but to comply. He got to his feet.

"Thank you, my Lord."

"To you Sirius, it is unlawful to steal from any man. For your actions, you shall receive 10 strokes from the bull's whip."

"Thank you, my Lord."

The two were dismissed and an officer was charged with ensuring the rulings were met.

I held back my satisfied smile.

The first case if the day went well. Father did not say a word during the whole trial and he remained quiet for the rest of the trials.

He wanted to test my knowledge of the laws.

It was noon before all the court proceedings ceased for the day. The council was dismissed and I finally had time to do what I planned for the day

I could not do so immediately because Father had me walk to his chambers.

"You have improved." Father complimented.

"Thank you, Father."

"It pleases me. You are learning. I can rest now, knowing that when you take over the kingdom, you will rule with a just hand."

"Thank you Father."

He smiled.

"And about the search for the intruder, I have sent men to that effect."

"Thank you Father."

King Breaven walked ahead of me to his chambers. It was noon and I knew it would be time for a meal soon. I had to hurry.

I walked into the royal library. I took a moment to look at the books that were carefully placed on the shelves.

There must be hundreds of them. Even if I

lived for a hundred years, I could never read them all.

I found the book keeper in his study. He stood up when I came in.

"Welcome, my Lord. What assistance do you seek?"

I sat in one of the chairs.

"I wish to know about second-chance mates."

The book keeper looked a bit surprised by my question but he did not question it.

"You may sit." I said before he could speak.

"Thank you, my Lord. As you know, second-chance mates are only reserved for royalty such as yourself. It is for moments when the mate of the Royal one dies or the first mate is rejected. It is for these reasons that the second-chance mate appears."

I nodded. I already knew that. I had to frame my next question carefully.

"You speak the truth but that knowledge is already known to me. I desire to know if there is a difference with the mate bond with a second chance mate."

The Book Keeper leaned in his chair.

"My Lord, if the mate of a member of the royal family dies, the mate bond will not differ from the first. However, if the royal rejects his first mate, the bond with the second mate will only be felt by the royal one. In such a case, the member of the royal family will have to fight for the love of his or her mate."