Chapter Thirty - The Crown’s Case #2
He looked at the knight with concern. The way Emrys faced softened whenever the prince was near normally made her smile, but something did not feel right this time.
“Of course,” said Emrys.
Though it was clear Aurelian wished to speak in private, Emrys folded his arms in front of himself and held his ground. The Prince looked uncomfortable and stepped closer to the knight, “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“What isn’t a good idea?” asked Emrys, though his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“This,” Aurelian gestured to Emrys, “you. Testifying. I…I don’t like how this is going, and…” he stepped closer Rosamund could not hear what the Prince whispered in the knights ear.
Emrys took a step back from the prince, a hurt and confused look on his face, “are you ordering me to leave?”
Aurelian looked helplessly between Emrys and her, running a hand through his curled golden hair, “I don’t want too but, I…I’m not going to risk you for this.”
“For your own brother?” said Emrys with just a touch of disgust in his tone.
Rosamund saw Aurelian flinch at Emrys’ response, “You know how much I love Dorian. You know I would give anything to get him out of this. But not you. You should know that by now.”
It was obvious to anyone how much the two men cared for each other.
Aurelian was devoted to both Emrys and Isolde, and she finally understood how deep that devotion went.
Though she despaired at the thought of losing Emrys’ help, would she not have wanted the same?
Would she have traded her own sister, her own brother, for the life of her love?
Her hand subconsciously reached for the stone that linked her with Wulf.
With any luck, she would not have to find out.
Emrys took another step back from the Prince and said resolutely, “I am not going anywhere. A man once told me I had to stand for what I believe in, well I believe that Prince Dorian is innocent, and I will prove it. If you want me to leave, then you’ll have to order me.”
Aurelian groaned with frustration as Rosamund stepped between them both, “your highness. I trust Sir Emrys, as I trust you. If anyone can help Dorian now, it is him. I know it is a lot to ask, but please, without him we will surely lose.”
Aurelian looked like he wanted nothing more than to step forward and hold or shake the man in front of him. However, she saw the look of defeat that crossed his face, “carry on, Sir Emrys.”
Emrys looked relieved but only bowed curtly in response.
“Thank you,” whispered Rosamund to the prince.
He stepped towards her, “this better work.”
“It will,” she said, “I promise.”
The prince returned to his seat, and Rosamund felt the relief wash over her as she turned to Emrys.
The man looked unsettled but gave her a nod as he turned to review his notes.
The galleries were beginning to refill, and with one last reassuring squeeze of the hand to both men, she made her way back to the royal box.
This time, she crossed the central floor.
The Templars still surrounded Dorian, as if the rubies on his chains were not enough to keep him powerless.
She halted in front of him, ignoring the towering paladins in front of her.
She thought he had not noticed her, so lost in whatever dark thoughts he was entertaining to notice anything around him.
It did not matter. She needed him to know she was here; she needed him to see her.
“We will get through this Dorian,” she said, not caring that the Templars heard her, “you need to get through this. Your people need you. I need you. Wherever you have gone, whatever has taken hold of you, I need you to fight it. Hate me. Despise me. Just don’t give up.”
She had been about to leave when there was the clink of chain and a hand reached out to grab hers.
Instinctively she had called upon her power as their flesh made contact but there was no need.
The runes flashed, cancelling both their abilities.
She felt the surge of pain along her arm as the rubies forced their will on her.
It was excruciating. Worse even than the chill of Dorian’s own power.
She struggled to stay upstanding as the pain coursed through her.
This was what he had endured since that night; this constant pain.
Even now, as he stood in this room with all eyes on him, he was suffering.
No wonder he had become lifeless, unmoving.
It was taking everything within him to remain standing, to not give them the satisfaction of his collapse.
He held her hand tightly as he brought his eyes up to meet hers.
She had expected the cold dead stare she had first seen that day they stood at the altar.
The lifeless creature she had been watching for most of the trial.
Instead she saw eyes with barely contained fury.
An ice so cold that it burned, and it’s attention was all on her.
It sent a thrill through her she knew it should not.
He was burning inside. From the humiliation, from the things they said about them, the threat to him, his people…
from her betrayal. That fire was the only thing that was keeping him from collapsing, from giving into the pain of the rubies. He was still there. He was fighting.
They had not broken him yet.
Seeing their enjoined hands the Templar stepped forward, “Move away from the prisoner.”
Dorian dropped her hand immediately and stepped back, the pain leaving her body. He resumed his earlier position as the Templars closed ranks in front of her.
She had not lost him yet.
As she returned to her position in the royal box, the Queen returned and gestured for the clerk to resume proceedings. Corvin stepped into the centre of the room and began to make his case.
“Your majesty, your royal highnesses,” rasped the Seneschal, “the Crown Clerk has provided you with indisputable evidence that Prince Dorian removed the schematics from the Iron Keep. This, we do not deny. However, through our own evidence we will show the true reason for their removal. It was not for the alleged rescue of the Valehart boys. What does the Prince of Death care for the sons of a traitor. No, Prince Dorian’s concern has only ever been the protection and improvement of the Kingdom of Valdyr, which we will show here. ”
Forgive me Dorian.
Emrys displayed the scrolls in his hands, laying them out on the floor for all to see.
Surrounding the room with schematics for other buildings within Aurelmere; The Celestine Palace, The Temple of Liathern, The House of the Silver Eye Sisters, The Grand Exchange of Grey Haven, the Baurnhof University, and the Onyx Tower of the Iron Keep.
Emrys had spent day and night creating the designs to be displayed, transforming them into something wondrous.
Rosamund watched Dorian as he looked up at the enlarged papers around him.
There was another flash of cold fire in his eyes as realisation dawned.
The schematics clearly showing the inclusion of Dorian’s gemstones.
They did not know the true reason that Dorian had requested the schematics, but they knew they would need one.
One that would be reasonable, believable and shocking enough to hopefully derail Bastian’s evidence.
They would also need a reason as to why Dorian would not have revealed the purpose of requesting the schematics.
As such, they had included the gemstones Dorian and his Stonewrights worked tirelessly to create for The Veil.
Emrys had been shocked to learn of their existence, had required proof of their abilities before agreeing to it.
He had stared in wonder as Rosamund had showed him the purity stone that cleared the water.
The amber eyed knight took over, explaining the nature of the schematics, what Dorian had intended and why he had kept it secret.
He removed the very same purity stone that Rosamund had given him that day and repeated the example for everyone in the court to see.
Rosamund tore her gaze away from Dorian’s crestfallen expression to see how their gambit was playing.
The Prince’s leaned forward in their thrones, enraptured.
Even Bastian who despite everything stared in wonder as the water cleared.
All except Luceran who sat back regarding it with only mild interest. The lords and ladies of the court murmured excitedly as they watched the demonstration. It was working.
Then Bastian snapped his fingers at the Crown Clerk who jumped and shook himself from his stupor, “what evidence do you have that these designs are Prince Dorian’s?”
“I have been working closely with him on them,” said Sir Emrys with no hesitation, “we discussed the matter at Aurelian’s ball last month. He had sworn me to secrecy, as is his nature, but given the false charges levelled at him today, I am certain he shall forgive me for revealing it to you now.”
“How are they made,” asked the Queen as the purity stone was placed into her hand by one of the clerks.
Emrys bowed low to her and smiled, “your majesty, the only man that could tell you that stands before you now charged with treason. The real question is why, given this extraordinary power, would his brother work so tirelessly to see him executed?”
Before the Crown Clerk could interject Bastian snapped, “I am not the one on trial here today. These pretty pictures have been produced at a convenient time, Sir Emrys.”
“Do you doubt their authenticity?” said Sir Emrys calmly, “I give you my word as a knight that they are by my own hand.”
Bastian scoffed and Aurelian turned to glare at his brother, “do you doubt the honour of one of my knights brother?”
Bastian changed his approach, “these gemstones, where did they come from? You say that Dorian is the only one that can create them, well prove it. How do we know this isn’t some trick?”
“Prince Dorian, would you consent to a demonstration?” asked Sir Emrys cheerfully.