The Trial...

The next day, nobody came to see me except for one of the maids, who brought food for me. She told me that her mother was as sick and that I won't be seeing her for a while. On the second day, I woke up with a headache. It was due to the tears, I shed last night. How was I going to prove myself innocent when I don't have an idea about this.

I was locked in my room for a crime I knew nothing about. The Emperor didn't allow me to prove my innocence since I was the accused here. Though, it was already late. It was morning already-The day of trial.

I took my bath and applied no makeup or herbs. I comb my hair because of its looks, maybe it might give them the notification that is not a princess, they all thought I was.

My headache increased with the thought of these things. What if the Emperor found out that I was not Eva! To the people of Akkad, it was taboo for the king to marry an ordinary, especially a slave girl like me! Princesses we're reserved for them. That's why Emperor Sargon married only the daughters of kings.

"Am sure he will kill me without thinking twice about it" I said to myself.

The angry man I saw yesterday wouldn't hesitate to destroy the whole Camelot if he finds anything that looks strange or suspicious.

My mind went back to the activities of that day. Searched within to see if I forgot anything, but I didn't. Am sure of it, I have never seen the King's Grandmother before, how will I visit someone I don't know without asking permission from her guidance?

Maybe, this was just a misunderstanding. Today, if the guards come up for the trial, we will clear it up I hoped so.

Someone unlocked the door, I knew at once, that it was the guards who came to take me away. They knocked before entering though I didn't answer them.

Quietly, they walked me down to the courtroom. When we got there, a guard told me to wait outside, he had to inform the Emperor first. I felt bad, just before this incident, I was allowed to enter the courtroom. Even the guards didn't have the right to talk to me in such a manner. Life was scarier than I thought it will be, all these statuses and jewelry were vanity upon vanity.

"You can come in now" the guard permitted.

Gently, I walked to the courtroom with my head bent. There was much more crowd than I thought, yesterday wasn't like this. It seemed the news must have reached the people in the village and they all came to witness the fall of Queen Ariadne.

The Emperor sat down on his throne like a wounded lion. Why was he angry? I thought he despised me a lot and didn't want anything to do with me? The first day I got to the palace he scolded me! Same the next day!! Now he was boiling in anger as he cared.

Apollo came forward as usual. He brought the long scroll he always carried when someone was going to be tried in the court.

"With your permission should we proceed..."

"Start the proceedings, immediately" the Emperor Interrupted.

Was he this eager to send me to death? Apollo was weak, he had no choice but to continue with the trial. It was his duty to serve the Emperor as long as he lived.

"Queen Ariadne, did you go to the gate on the day of the king's Ball?" Apollo asked.

"No, I didn't" I replied. I summoned all courage left within me. if I don't save myself, no one will. I dropped my fear and faced the reality of life.

"Did you go outside the palace?"

"On that day, I almost fell from a ladder. The Emperor himself took me to my room. He told me not to go outside and I didn't"

"Your majesty, the case is more complex than I thought. Your Queen here stands that she didn't go out that day" Apollo explained to him.

"Bring the guards that we're on duty" the Emperor demanded.

Apollo signaled to one of the men behind him. The young man who looks like one of the Emperor's soldiers stood up and left the courtroom. Am sure he was asked to call the guards.

A few minutes later, three tall men walked into the room. They all bowed, concerning their Emperor.

"Which of my Queens came to the gate saying that I asked her to deliver some gifts to Grandmother," the Emperor asked one of the men, who I believed was their leader. But how he questioned them baffled me. He narrated a story to them as a question, instead of asking them to explain what happened at the gate. We were all eager to hear it from their lips.

"Queen Ariadne," the man said. I almost screamed at him. Why such a lie?

"Are you sure of what you are saying?"

"Yes sir, am sure of it. We were afraid to disobey your order, that's why we allowed her to go. But when we were about to close the gate, we noticed that she went South instead of West, where Grandmother's castle is located."

"That means she went a different direction" the Emperor concluded the storyline for them. What a perfect plot! These men were as crazy as their king. What were they saying?

"Pardon me, your highness" A familiar voice chimed in. I turned around to be sure of the person and it was Queen Valeria! Why she of all people? This wasn't going well at all. Indeed today, was one of my worst days on Earth where all my enemies gathered together to prosecute me.