Chapter 10: “Not Guilty”
Eleanora’s pov ~
“Eleanora stands accused of murdering the named emperors heir by use of poisonous herbs,”
Cathain continued.
“In doing so she also endangered the life of our Queen, Jennifer Raven.
The trial today will look at the evidence to determine whether she is guilty of this crime.”
‘Jennifer Raven? So, She is the child who was kidnapped and lost from the Ravens duchy?’
Jennifer Raven was born a month before Cathain.
.....
But she was decleared as death along with the duchess at that time.
But some said the baby was lost or kidnapped. A cold sweat formed at the back of my neck.
No wonder they looked familiar. Now no one will even look down at her because of her status.
At that time, i become the prophecy lady because Jennifer was older then Cathain by a month and she was also rumored to be death.
After Cathain’s birth, i was the first girl to be born in the upper noble class.
So now, people might even say that she was the true prophecy lady.
What a joke!
I discreetly scanned my eyes around to see if I could spot Rena or Maria, but I couldn’t find their familiar face anywhere.
It made me more nervous as every second ticked by.
“Do you swear, Eleanora, that you will tell the whole truth during this trial?”
Cathain asked, bringing my attention back to him.
I met his piercing bloody red eyes, a shiver going down my spine.
How those eyes haunted me.
“I do,” I replied loudly and confidently.
“And how do you plead?”
I held my breath, my heart racing in my chest.
“Not guilty.”
A murmur went through the trial hall in hushed voices but I ignored it.
Surely they hadn’t actually expected me to admit guilt to such a heinous act?
“Very well,” Cathain replied.
“We’ll start by hearing the witness testimonies of those involved and any supporting evidence.
The noble council heads and I shall and your sentence will be set.”
I swallowed hard, my throat feeling so dry.
The trial started after that without further drama and the imperial doctor was called forth first to give a medical opinion and an overview about this herb involvement.
“The herb in question is Ephedra,”
Doctor Andrews started.
“I believe Queen Jennifer must have been giving this via means of ingestion. She lost the baby at three months but given her bad fortitude, her health was also a concern as she was given over dosage.”
Another murmur went through the crowd as they heard the Doctor’s testimony.
I gritted my teeth against their voices.
But it wasn’t just one testimony.
Several came forward to discuss the evidence found.
The knight who had found the evidence was called upon next to recount his steps during the search of my quarters.
“I found the herbs the doctor mentioned under former empress’s bed. They were well hidden and I believe had been placed in order to conceal their location. There was also a letter obtained from her bed.
It was addressed to her father, Former Duke of Dalton.”
He read the contents of the letter aloud to the crowd to which they all began to chatter again.
‘Father,
Am so sorry because i couldn’t save you. Forgive this unfilial daughter who couldn’t even save her own father, who made her father like this.
I can’t bear all this anymore so i made a decision. I want to run away, leave everything behind and him. It was my biggest mistake to love someone who didn’t loved me back.
I hate myself for sacrificing everything for that man, father.
Please forgive me for leaving you behind and run away alone.
Yours Ele.’
“Silence!”
Cathain yelled to them all, instantly making them quieten down. He looked angry.
He snatched the letter from the knight then turned to me.
“Is this your handwriting, Eleanora?”
I noded as he would know if I was lying as he had seen my handwriting many times before.
“Yes,” I coldly admitted.
And i know that am close to my dead. They have planned all this beforehand and i foolishly walked into their trap.
I showed no emotions and continued to listen to their made up, false testimonies.
It was humiliating to have something so personal read out infront of the people. The knight continued with his recount.
“In addition to the items recovered, we also found the former empress by the door as we entered.
She was in possession of a bag with supplies and clothing. It is believed she had intended to run away that night.
We also have several witnesses who can attest to her admitting to trying to run when we took her into custody.”
Then Cathain gestured him to step down.
“We”ll hear from Marquis Brayden Hill, my aid now.”
Brayden stood on the podium next, his face stern.
I knew whatever he was going to say about me wouldn’t be positive.
“The night when our Queen’s pregnancy was announced there was an incident inside the main palace that several members witnessed.
It was between Queen Jennifer and the former empress Eleanora. I believe this may have been a deliberate attempt to put stress on Queen Jennifer and the baby, an act motivated by jealousy.”
My mouth hung open. I couldn’t believe they’d actually brought that conversation into evidence.
Did no one care to see things from perspective?
I would like to see them act so calmly when their husband’s impregnated other women.
I’m certain most of them would have kill them without hesitation, yet I was being chastised for speaking to her harshly.
It was true though, I couldn’t deny what he was saying.
I was angry and jealous of her.
Who wouldn’t be in my shoes?
But to kill her child is unthinkable, an abomination.
As i also had lost two of my babies before.
I unconsciously run my fingers on my stomach when i noticed Cathain’s gaze on me and immediately moved my hand from my stomach.
Brayden’s testimony painted me in a horrible light, fueling the hostility in the air against me.
Cathain gestured him to step down before he opened his mouth again,
“We have one final testimony for you all today, one I believe will determine the fate of this trial.
.....
This is Rena, Eleanora’s attendant.”
I felt numb all over, my breath catching in my throat. They had Rena then what about Maria?
She was here and she would clear me. She knew me better than anyone else.
Rena walked up to the podium and looked physically fine, healthy even.
Where they pushed Maria to my side like a crawling dog.
I hurriedly caught her and helped her to sit up, beside me.
“W...What happened? Why are you like this?”
Maria was full of bruises, whipped marks and cuts.
She wanted to say something but couldn’t.
This made me wonder why both of them was treated this differently.
However, I did notice that Rena looked nervous. I wondered if they had been pressuring her to betray me.
But i knew how much Rena loved me. She will never do it.
Maria was trying to say something that i couldn’t understand fully as her mouth was still injured, till i heard Rena’s words.
“I am Rena. I have been former empress attendant for four years now. I treated her as I would my own daughter, caring for her and consoling her through difficult times.
So I can confirm that I know her better than anyone else.”
I smiled at her because of her words but she avoided to meet my eyes.
“Therefore it is with a heavy heart that I stand before everyone today, bound by my oath to the God, to inform you all of the atrocity she had me perform whilst under her command.”
My smile faded and fell quickly.
No, Something was wrong.
Atrocities? I’d never committed anything of the sort.
How could she say something like that? She knew I was with her all week, knew how upset I was.
I felt sick watching Rena stand at the podium, refusing to meet my eyes as a feeling of impending doom washed over me.
It was clogging my thoughts, nothing was making sense.
All I could hear was my short breaths of anticipation over the loud beating of my heart.
“Eleanora, the former empress, ordered me to present Queen Jennifer a herbal tea.
A tea I believe caused her miscarriage.”