Chapter 109 Justice
Dalia had been having a blast for the past few days. First, her mother had brought her to this incredibly large city in which there were so many things to see. Having grown up in a small village, all the sights seemed extraordinary to her.
The best thing was the food! Back in her village, she could only eat meat a few times a year due to the cost. Here, she and her mother had incredibly tasty dishes each day.
And the candy! Candy of all colors, flavors and textures! Right now, her favorite thing to do was go with her mother around the city while also munching on all the candy she could wish for. In fact, she had already decided that she herself would open a large candy store and give free candy to all the little kids like her who couldn't afford them.
Of course, one other thing she loved about the Kingdom was the man who appeared in the air. He had had some kind of bird around his shoulder, which looked cute making Dalia want to pinch its cheeks. Why she loved this man was that when he said something, her mother had smiled the brightest she had ever seen in her life.
Today, her mother had taken her to a building which had many men in green uniforms standing around it.
Helena smiled slightly seeing her daughter's inquisitive gaze at the constables. In just the past few days, she had noticed that her daughter who had actually become quite introverted was opening up more and more and behaving like a normal girl her age.
Instead of before when the two looked like they hadn't eaten in weeks, the mother and daughter were now hale and hearty from all the full meals they had had. A gold coin was after all a lot of money, so there was still quite some silver left even though all of Dalia's desires were fulfilled.
Now, she had been notified to come to this building in order to state her testimony again in the presence of others.
No information had been given regarding who else would be there, hence she was quite startled when she saw that this was actually a huge building which could hold hundreds inside. It also seemed to be recently renovated, with temporary banners showing directions and designating rooms.
A female constable was seated at a table, while around 20 commoners had made a line in front of her.
Joining the line, Helena waited patiently while keeping a tight hold on her daughter.
Soon enough, it was her turn.
"Name and given place of residence?", the constable asked, holding in her hand a small piece of parchment.
"Helena, Burbery Village"
"Courtroom 26, go left in the hallway up the stairs.", said the constable, pointing towards a set of stairs after giving a brief smile to the cute Dalia.
Nodding and thanking her, Helena walked up the staircase and reached a large room that was labeled with the number she had been told.
As she entered, she froze at the entrance while an expression of rage and fury appeared on her face.
Even though Dalia tugged at her hand, she couldn't move an inch. Her eyes were transfixed on the gaunt face of the man who had greeted her nightmares almost every day since her loving husband had passed away.
"YOU!", she screamed, making everyone in the room turn around while she took off at a run towards the man who was only now turning around to see the woman who had the air of one who wanted to rip him into pieces.
"Restrain her."
As a voice sounded across the hall, Helena felt a strong wind blowing against her, making her slow her pace. The brunt of the force hit her body, while the ones behind only felt a moderate breeze.
With the wind buffeting her face, Helena finally came back to her senses.
Stopping herself, she almost lost her balance and fell backward.
A strong hand supported her back, letting her stand firmly on her two feet. Hearing Dalia crying behind her at the door, Helena quickly ran back and took her daughter into her hands.
The mage who cast the wind spell using the trinket provided by the palace went back to his spot, seeing that the woman was fine.
"Please take a seat. The court will hear you shortly."
The voice came from a bearded man in white robes who sat at the end of the room. Hurriedly nodding, she made her way to the row of chairs which were currently unoccupied.
Sitting down, she started looking around the room while trying not to lose control again seeing the man who was responsible for her family's condition.
It was divided into four sections. In the center towards the end of the room, the bearded man sat in front of a table which held numerous parchments like the one the constable outside had been holding.
In front of this man and placed at a right angle to him, two more tables were there. There were no chairs behind these two; the one on the right held a woman with sunken cheeks looking like she hadn't slept in weeks. Although her clothes were still tidy due to the enchantments placed on them, they did nothing to detract the audience from the hopelessness apparent on her face while she kept her head angled downwards.
Behind the other table, a burly man whose face was twisted in memory of something precious that had been taken away stood with his eyes glaring at the woman in front of him. Both the man and the woman had two people standing behind them who held some kind of metal rod in their hands. The last section comprised of the row of chairs in which she and Dalia were sitting.
"Continue"
"Yes, My Lord. As I was saying, this noble had my wife killed because I refused to enter her retinue of guards due to some rumors I had heard. She later tried to kill me too, but I managed to escape to the countryside and live under a different identity. All these years, all I could do was nurse my hatred and wait for the day when I could get my hands around my throat and....."
Stopping himself, the man huffed in anger still glaring at the woman. His fists were tightened beside him, as if he was holding back the urge to pounce forward.
"Is this true?", the bearded man asked, making the woman look up.
For a few moments, a silence ensued in the courtroom.
"Y-Yes"
Almost as if she had no choice but to answer, the woman croaked out the words before looking back down in defeat.
"All right. Mage, release him from his oath. Because Lady Arabella has already exceeded the counts of infractions set for punishment via imprisonment, she will be executed one week later in front of the Inner City Gates. As for you, by order of the King, you are eligible to obtain a pension from the government for the next 50 years, and you can also use a special reference when applying for any job. You may leave now."
Each word seemed to crush the will of the woman while burning away the agony apparent on the man's face. Towards the end, the woman fell forward, wishing that this was just a dream.
Hearing the judgment, the man seemed to have gone into a trance. Tears started flowing from his eyes while he looked up and muttered, "Lizzie, I've done it. The witch who separated us will die soon. Now, it is time for me to join you and our unborn baby."
"STOP HIM!"
Seeing him take out a hidden knife from his sleeve, the bearded official screamed, making the men standing right behind leap forward and restrain his hands.
"The King ensured that the justice you asked for was delivered to you in full! Don't you have an obligation to repay him by contributing to the Kingdom that he loves and cares for? How can you face your child and wife if you choose not to?!"
The official continued speaking in an agitated tone, making the burly man stop struggling and kneel on the ground. After a few seconds of sobbing, he said, "Yo-you are right. I just..... wanted to see them again, but I must repay the King for everything he has done for me and the people of Lanthanor. Henceforth, my life is his to command...."
As if he had made a decision, his expression morphed into one of determination. Yet, everyone still heard the last thing he muttered.
"Lizzie, I'll see you soon...."
As his voice faded away into silence, the official sighed with relief and smiled briefly, gesturing the men who had restrained him to take him away.
Helena was quite shocked seeing everything that had happened. Yet, she understood the desire of the man to kill himself and be reunited with his family. In fact, even she would have wished the same if it weren't for her lovely daughter who was the last thing her husband left behind for her in his world.
Taking his seat again, the official said, "Miss Helena. You may walk forward and state your case now."
With chest puffed out, Helena walked towards the table while keeping her eyes fixed again on the man who had destroyed her life.
....
Meanwhile, Daneel knocked on the door of his dear friend Faxul's room. It was finally time to find out just what was plaguing the one who had been with him almost since the start of his journey in this world.