Kitanna
Chapter 105: LAST ACT OF MERCY

Chapter 105: LAST ACT OF MERCY

[MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: THE ROYAL COURT ~ GABRIEL SABAN]

Inside the royal courtroom, Lord Hieron observed how things have changed over the years within the palace walls. It still felt like it was just yesterday when King Dunstan had invited him to come and see his little girl.

Felipe stood at the entrance of the courtroom, and beside him was Severus. When they saw the guests walking in their direction, they bowed deeply.

Hieron acknowledged this by nodding, stepping inside the courtroom where few of the most important officials were waiting for him. Stepping inside, he gauged the faces of the ministers. It was not ones he was quite familiar with.

"Greetings, White Lord," the officials bowed in respect.

Hieron nodded, walking to sit on the space that was made ready for him. And close to him was Kitanna and Nix. The elderly white Lord took his time before he started addressing the ministers.

"High ministers of Morado, starting today I will govern the affairs of the kingdom until the princess is married according to the tradition of the kingdom. During this period, any decision made will also involve the princess as she is the heir to the throne. Adding to her teachings will be the laws of a queen." Hieron hesitated to watch the expression from the ministers then he continued.

"Any further questions?" He gave them a chance to speak their minds.

The prime minister was the one who spoke on behalf of the other ministers, and he said, "Greetings, Lord Hieron. Since we are going to get the princess married, we should look for a kingdom that equals in strength with Morado. I’m thinking of Avon, as the crown prince is yet to be married." The elderly man suggested, feeling proud of what he said.

Hieron gave it a thought for some time; he turned to look at Nix, a tinge of mirth filled in his eyes. The young man did not respond to this; he already knew Hieron enjoyed taunting him about the princess.

"We will get to that after we decide what punishment is enough for the impostors who have the blood of the king and his queen in their hands. And the blood of several other persons who went against them." Hieron concluded, not wasting time on the issue that had to deal with the princess’s marriage as it was already solved by King Dunstan himself prior to his death.

It was even much better now that the princess had come of age, and by the look of things, it seemed like she shared more than neutral feelings with his grandson. The thought of it made Hieron let out the creepy smile on his face once more.

"We will now invite the offenders, the former queen dowager and her son." The royal secretary announced.

The door to the courtroom opened; Almaria, who had shackles on her hands and feet, stepped inside. Her hair was stripped of the jewels and ornaments which always adorned it. Just a day in prison and her skin was already looking dried up. Almaria’s eyes were void of any emotions; just one look at her face, and anyone could tell she had been crying. The guard holding her dragged her to stand in front of the courtroom, her eyes cast down as she couldn’t face the people in the room.

Khelan walked beside his mother; unlike her, his hands and feet were free. But the usual heavy royal robes were absent; he wore a plain garment that had already washed away in color. His hair looking rough and his eyes had bags underneath them due to lack of sleep.

"What about the cousin you spoke about?" Hieron said in a low voice for just Nix to hear.

"She is still in prison; the ministers don’t regard her as part of the whole thing because it was just a few moons that she arrived in the palace. But I made sure she is locked up and heavily guarded," Nix reported to his grandfather.

Hieron nodded before turning his face to look at the culprits. They were not faces he was familiar with; he said, "It is only right that I allow the most affected to give the punishment. Princess Kitanna. What do you wish for?" The elderly white Lord allowed the princess to speak.

Kitanna stared at Almaria and Khelan for a moment; it was only yesterday she joked around with Khelan. She had only seen him as her family, the only family she actually had. Yes, she never liked Almaria or regarded her as a mother because of her conniving attitudes, but that was not the case for Khelan.

Kitanna had cherished Khelan and tried to help him when he was mingling with the village maidens. Even when Almaria changed her attitude towards her, Kitanna felt it was because of her belonging to the Black Rose that made the woman despise her. Maybe because her hands were soiled with blood, but she felt bad because all she ever did was for the Kingdom.

Looking back now, Kitanna realized the hate was not because of her being an assassin but because she was never Almaria’s child. She would have forgiven the woman and let her go, but she went as far as poisoning Kitanna’s birth mother and father. And even altered her memory which was taking her time to remember.

All these memories flooded into Kitanna’s mind; she was robbed off her normal childhood with her actual family, all because of Almaria’s greed.

"I.." Kitanna started, then she blinked the tears that were forming in her eyes. She turned to look at Nix; she always did this whenever she was overwhelmed by a particular situation and this was one of those moments.

Nix noticed the girl’s hesitation, and he nodded for her to continue, rubbing her hands gently in a way that nobody noticed.

"I grew up seeing Khelan as my big brother, and I don’t want anything to change about that. I will only assume he was not aware of what his mother did. But ignorance is also a sin because the few ones he was aware of he played the overlooking card. So in that note. I want Khelan to be banished and exiled from this kingdom. Never for him or his descendants to step into Morado again." The words left a hole in Khelan’s chest; he raised his face to look at Kitanna. But no word of protest left his mouth.

Turning to Almaria, Kitanna said, "You were the only mother figure I knew, and I suckled from your breast. But she deprived me of enjoying my time with my real mother and took away harshly my innocent father. For this reason, I will separate her from her son. Her punishment will go as thus: she will be dragged to the village center, and she will apologize for everyone to see her. Then she will serve her days in the palace as a maid until the day she dies."

Almaria shook her head violently, "Kill me; it’s better you kill me! I will not serve as a slave!!! Kill me." The woman couldn’t believe it; her position will be moved from the mighty queen dowager back to the rubble she came from. It was not possible; she shook her body violently.

"You should be grateful for the act of mercy the princess is giving you. You killed, and it is only right you are killed too. But in the end, you are to serve as a slave, yet you request to be killed. I will be very glad to do the honors of sending you to the abyss." Hieron said with his eyes narrowed in anger.

"Guards take them out" he ordered, and the protesting Almaria was shoved outside the courtroom, walking behind her was Khelan who did not say anything about his situation.

"Let us continue this meeting some other time, my journey was a rough one I need to rest." Hieron said and he dismissed the court.

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