The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 492: The Beginning Of A Trial

Chapter 492: The Beginning Of A Trial

It seemed another party had arrived.

The doorkeeper retreated to his post and announced, "Announcing the arrival of Duke Benjamin Oberon Jarr of the Sanad Dukedom, Duke Gabriel Everhart of the Greene Dukedom, Lord Aaron Pearce of Sylvere March, Lord Kyle Grey, Minister of Trade Affairs and Sir Alexander Jarr, the Knight of Gerhard."

The door swung open, and the newly arrived group entered.

Lord James cursed under his breath as his eyes caught them. He knew Lord Grey’s support for Anna well, and having him gather the heads and representative of the Pillar Families of Cassian was not a good sign.

All of them were present, except for the Marquess of Roland.

The seated attendees turned their heads, eyeing Lord Grey and his entourage suspiciously.

While the minister’s presence was anticipated due to his status as a royal court member, though late, the appearance of the other lords sparked curiosity among the onlookers.

Why had they suddenly come? What was their purpose?

Clearly, the trial of the Mederian Prince and the concubine had reached their ears and piqued their interest.

"Greetings to the Sun of Cassian," Lord Grey said, bowing with the others.

King Kyden acknowledged them with a nod.

"Where were you?" he asked.

"Pardon me, Your Majesty. I was at the Count of Medhir’s residence discussing this case. I wasn’t aware that the trial would start this morning as I only learned about it upon returning home," replied the minister.

"I see. Then why do you bring the heads and the representative of the Pillar Families here?" the king inquired again.

"I believe it is crucial for them to take part in the hearing," the minister said, bowing slightly.

Lord James swiftly rose and declared firmly, "With all due respect, Your Majesty, I don’t see the need for their presence. This is a matter for the royal court, and the heads and representative of the Pillar Families are not members, so it is not related to them."

"Not related?" The Duke of Sanad turned to the minister, raising an eyebrow. "The Duke of Greene and I are related to His Majesty and His Highness the Grand Duke through the bloodline of the first king. We may have different surnames, but we are still their distant relatives. This case relates to the dignity of the royal family. Why shouldn’t we be involved?"

"I mean no disrespect, Your Grace. However, you appeared so suddenly without being summoned. It is under the jurisdiction of the royal court to decide on the offence, not the Pillar Families," the minister maintained his stand.

"I beg to differ. We cannot turn a blind eye to matters concerning our family. Though we hold no portfolio here, we are still His Majesty’s vassals and retainers," Benjamin argued.

"I agree with the Duke of Sanad," Gabriel, the Duke of Greene, interjected. "This is the first time in Cassian that such a case has arisen, and being related to the royal family and part of His Majesty’s loyal men, our opinion matters too."

"Your presence would only complicate matters. I don’t feel it is required," said Lord James, as if giving a warning.

"We are not here to disrupt the trial, Lord James. We only wish to ensure it is conducted justly and without bias. The honour of His Majesty the King and the royal family is of utmost importance, and we wish to preserve it accordingly," Aaron added.

"I understand the dukes’ sentiment in this matter, as they are related to the royal bloodline, but I don’t see the point of your presence here," Lord James shot back, glaring at the Marquess of Sylvere’s eldest son, who seemed to defy him.

"I stand here as the Sylvere family’s representative, speaking for my father, the Marquess of Sylvere, who is unwell and recovering. His Lordship is the last remaining northern warrior from the Ro’an Empire era and formerly served as the protector of Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Regina. I intend to follow in his footsteps by safeguarding the king and his family’s honour," Aaron said, his gaze fixed resolutely on the minister.

"Thckk!" Lord James clicked his tongue in annoyance. "That is just your excuse! I don’t even see the Marquess of Roland joining you."

"I assure you, Your Majesty, we only want what is best and justice to be served. Though not here, His Lordship, The Marquess of Roland, shares the same desire. He prefers to wait outside for the outcome. I can attest to that," Lord Grey interjected.

"Just admit you failed to convince him to side with you!" Lord James accused.

"Enough!" King Kyden raised his voice. "I will decide on this."

Disagreements and altercations among nobles, officers, and others had constantly challenged his rule. He must deftly navigate these disputes to maintain order and strike a balance between conflicting parties while upholding the integrity of his reign.

"The heads and representative of the Pillar Families of Cassian may stay. They may offer their opinions, but that does not mean I will accept them all. Bear in mind that the judgment shall be made based on irrefutable evidence and credible witnesses," King Kyden decided.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Lord Grey responded, nodding.

"You may take your places," the king said, pointing his hand toward the vacant seats for the nobles.

The group subsequently found their spots, with Alex joining the other Knights of Gerhard and taking his place among them.

Anna secretly glanced at Lord Grey as the minister sat down. When their eyes met, he nodded slightly, as if to convey his support. The princess was baffled by this gesture.

Had she misunderstood his intentions?

Why would the minister and members of the Pillar Families support her?

As she reconsidered, she realised that they must be doing this for the king and Kyren, not for her. Who was she to warrant their interest in her defence?

On the other hand, Kiev remained with his eyes closed, as if the recent altercation didn’t bother him. His face looked weary, but his handsomeness still prevailed despite his dishevelled appearance.

"All those here who were present during the commotion in Lady Raychard’s chamber when this matter was brought up must testify accordingly. We need to hear the details," ordered the king.

"Your Majesty, if I may interrupt..." The Duke of Sanad stood up and interjected.

"Yes?"

"Are all the witnesses present today, or only some?" he asked.

"Not all," the king replied.

"Who is not present?" Benjamin probed further.

King Kyden turned to Charles.

The chamberlain stepped forward and responded, "They include His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Gerhard, Her Highness Princess Consort Elisabeth Naver, Sir Elijah Henderson, Lady Meredith Jarr, Mr Ayden Norman, Mrs Callis Amares, and Madam Jessica Collins."

"Then why weren’t they all summoned? Shouldn’t we hear their testimonies too?" Benjamin pointed out.

"His Royal Highness, The Grand Duke, was aware of today’s trial, but His Majesty decided not to compel him to attend, as this matter significantly affects his emotions. Sir Elijah Henderson is currently tasked with attending to the guests brought back by His Royal Highness, as ordered by His Majesty. As for the rest..." Charles paused, glancing at the king momentarily.

"Your Majesty, allow me to clarify the whereabouts of the others," Eric said, rising from his seat as he interrupted the conversation.

"Proceed."

"Her Highness, Princess Elisabeth, is deeply disturbed by the entire occurrence since her husband, His Highness Prince Kiev, was apprehended right after their marriage, and Lady Meredith Jarr is closely attending to her."

Kiev opened his eyes at the mention of Elis’s name. His heart ached; he wished to run to and console her immediately.

However, the Mederian Prince kept his composure. He knew he must face this trial before attending to her, should the opportunity arise. So, he resolved to remain attentive to Eric’s explanation without interrupting the knight.

"What they know is no more than my knowledge. Therefore, I wouldn’t advise summoning them unless you wish to. As for Mr Ayden Norman, he has been missing since that day, and we do not know his whereabouts. However, Mrs Amares and Madam Collins are currently available in the palace."

"Would there be any difference if they were required to come?" asked the king.

Eric looked down. The hope he had placed in Ayden and Kyren had faded.

"I’m afraid not. I will take liability for their statements on this matter," the second-in-command knight answered. "However, I do not know about His Royal Highness the Grand Duke’s thoughts."

"He cannot represent His Highness’s opinion, Your Majesty. Our Grand Duke is the most affected by this case. If he wished to say anything, he would have shown up himself," Lord James stated.

"I must agree with Lord James’s opinion on this, Sir Navin," the king replied.

"I have no objection to that, Your Majesty," Eric acknowledged, fully aware of the implications.

The minister smirked at his apparent victory and swiftly inserted his strategy to appear unbiased.

"As for the others he wished to hold accountable, I have no issues. He is the representative of His Royal Highness the Grand Duke during the occurrence of the case. Therefore, it is his obligation to bear the responsibilities. Rather than taking statements from everyone under him, I suggest Sir Navin respond on their behalf. This would avoid repetition and expedite the whole process," he proposed.

"I agree with Lord James’s suggestion. What’s the point of repeatedly hearing the same thing?" another minister chimed in.

The rest of the royal court members whispered among themselves, and most concurred with the proposal.

King Kyden gathered his thoughts, absorbing the idea as his hand propped his chin. Then he raised his head, addressing the hall with his decision.

"I must be fair on this, as it pertains to a severe accusation." He turned to Eric and asked, "Would you agree to represent those under your supervision?"

"I do, Your Majesty," the second-in-command knight replied determinedly.

"And the rest of you? Do you agree?" the king asked the Knights of Gerhard and their healer.

They all responded in agreement.

"Then, Lady Anna Raychard, would you agree to it, too?" the king asked the princess.

"I do," she said.

The princess understood the situation and recognised that the knights were as clueless as she was. Moreover, she was concerned about Damon, who might inadvertently reveal details about the escape orchestrated by the king himself.

She didn’t want that to come to light, as it would impact many who wished her safe, especially Helen, the king and his family, since they were all involved.

"What about you, Prince Kiev? Mrs Callis Amares and Madam Jessica Collins are close to you. One is your sister, and the other serves as her nanny. Don’t you want them to testify on your behalf?" King Kyden inquired.

Kiev looked up at the king.

"I don’t need them to do that for me. I’ll speak for myself," he decided.

Nothing good would come if Callis were brought here. The Mederian Princess might create a scene to save him, leading to chaos.

On the other hand, Jessy, loyal to him, was too kind and soft-hearted. All she could do was weep quietly. It would be even worse if they knew what he planned to do.

The Mederian Prince was sure that Eric and Rafe hadn’t revealed his decision to admit to the crime to protect the two ladies; otherwise, they wouldn’t appear so calm.

"Very well, then, if you say so. Don’t complain later that I didn’t give you a fair trial," said King Kyden. "We will proceed as decided. The matter of yesterday should also not be put into discussion, as we all have agreed to dismiss it. As for the Grand Duke, we leave him as he is."

Everyone agreed to the king’s decision.

Kiev initially wondered what the king meant by ’yesterday’s event’, but then, since it was all resolved, he didn’t question it.

The king nodded at the court officer to proceed.

And so, the trial began.

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