160 The Hearing


    ~Sylvester~


    The day of Larry''s hearing was finally upon us. It was not supposed to be long, but we had to brace


    ourselves for surprises. I watched Tamia stand in front of the mirror in the closet, admiring her


    brooch. It was one of the many decorative essories she was given to use in her official capacity


    as Queen.


    Today she would not be a guest in the King''s Hall, but the Queen and I looked at her proudly. We


    hade a long way and still had a long way to go. Ending Larry''s madness was just a phase, but


    we had the right to breathe and celebrate.


    I went to her and wrapped my arms around her from behind. I touched her bump gently in the


    process. The free-flowing short gown she was wearing covered it up. She closed her eyes and


    smiled. I could tell that she was genuinely happy. That was all I ever wanted. She turned to face me,


    and we kissed passionately.


    Breaking the kiss, she smiled at me.


    "So today is the day we put all of this behind us," She said, and I smiled, nodding.


    We left our room and headed out. We would be leaving for the city in a convoy. Unlike before, when


    we all shared a limo, it would be just Tamia and me in our Limo while the others shared another


    Limo. It was the only downside of being a king. The invisible line that separated us during official


    asions was a bother, but we could bear it.


    We arrived at the King''s Hall with a crowd cheering for us.


    The people were still grateful for what happened at the Lund general hospital. They saw us as


    heroes, and I was d that Larry''sst move made us more popr with our people.


    Thinking of everything, I wondered how Larry believed he would be King. Lucas was right to


    question Larry''s resolve.


    He should not have had that many resources to pull off the stunt that he did, but an angry,


    determined man could do anything, and to think all that he was fighting for was built on a lie was


    highly annoying and disappointing.


    Emily had misled him and put him into a situation where he wouldmit unnecessary blunders.


    Although Larry had a wife now, he ruined and broke another woman''s heart to seek revenge for his


    first love, who did not care for him. She was trying to climb the socialdder by all means.


    It was a sad and disappointing story I was not willing to tell in the future.


    Tamia and I alighted from our ride and stood side by side to wave and greet the people at the


    entrance. They were overjoyed to see us, and Tamia had a perfect smile.


    We walked into the hall and went to our box. It had only two chairs strictly reserved for the King and


    Queen.


    Leonardo and Devin were around. They were council members, so it waspulsory for them to


    attend the hearing. Everyone needed to be there. Vino sat in Dominic''s old box. I was sure


    everyone had learned about Vino''s heritage, and all that Jenny and my father had tried to cover up


    were now open. Everyone was there.


    My mother sat in the same box with Vino, and Jake Brighton was with her. We hid Lucas in the


    building so no one would guess what we were nning.


    Knowing Larry would try to take as many down with him was a given, and we were prepared.


    His top yers were present too. Amanda, Ramsey, Jacob Makhailov, Gatson Wayat and Neil


    Peakman were lined up too.


    The rest were already judged by default.


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    While some will be locked up for many years, others will have to die. We could not upy our cells,


    and we could not allow traitors to roam about freely for the sake of peace.


    Something had to give.


    I knew Marcel, Theodore, Dominic and David, with the help of Vino, who knew what role they all


    yed in the uprising, would know who to keep and who to execute.


    Tamia and I would judge the people present because they were the leaders. They were the


    pioneers of the uprising; the rest of the people were just tools, and they would suffer for allowing


    themselves to be used in such a way.


    Since Vino was no longer in charge of the council and the Lawrence seat was vacant, we needed


    someone else to take control. All the top families were no longer on the council, making the council


    Leadership open to anyone.


    They had informed me a day before that they would take a vote on who will lead them, and I hoped


    they had sorted that part out because I did not n to linger in the King''s Hall.


    Leonardo Albert stood up, and I figured he had been made the council leader.


    He gracefully addressed all those present, including some of the citizens allowed to enter the King''s


    Hall and witness the hearing. Then he stated what we were all present for and implored everyone to


    be on their best behaviour.


    Devin stood and greeted everyone quickly before informing everyone of the day''s itinerary.


    "Today, we will be discussing the crimes of the following people. Larry McMillian, Amanda Richford,


    Ramsey Richford, Jacob Makhailov, Gaston Wayat and Neil Peakman. They have conspired and


    committed treason and must be tried and punished for their crimes." Devin said, and I could hear


    the tinge of anger in his voice.


    The truth was everyone had lost something in the process, and some of those things could never be


    recovered. There was no way they would go free or receive a p on the wrist. They hadmitted


    heinous crimes and had to pay for them.


    The hall was silent, and Devin sat down.


    Pam read Amanda''s crimes, and she pleaded guilty. The same was done for Gaston Wayat, and


    he pleaded guilty.


    Neil Peakman was difficult; he pleaded not guilty.


    "I have the right to an investigation. These are baseless allegationsid against me. It is my right to


    request an investigation," he said, looking at his former colleagues on the council.


    None of them dared to look at him. I could see that they were afraid too. It was clear Neil needed to


    understand the situation he was in.


    "Are you trying to say that we are lying?" Leo asked him sternly.


    "I am not saying anything; I am just saying that evidence needs to be provided before there is a


    conviction," Neil argued, and Devinughed.


    "Why do you always like to do things the hard way, Peakman? You tried to run away when the King


    went to arrest you himself. If your hands were clean, and you were truly innocent, you wouldn''t have


    been caught loading your suitcase into the trunk of your car, ready to run away on the night of the


    massive arrest," Devin said. The people who were in the hall murmured.


    "Mr Peakman, I hope you know this is not the old system where council members abused thews


    and liberties for their benefit. Only one man makes thew now, and thus you have no right to


    request an investigation. You are at the mercy of the King," Leo told him, and Neil looked up at the


    box where I was sitting with my wife.


    I looked into his eyes, and he could not speak. I was the one that arrested him. I was the one who


    locked him up in prison.


    "If you deny your crimes one more time, the penalty will be severe," Devin warned him. Even though


    they were all going to die, there were worse ways to go. Death can be quick and easy or slow and


    painful. The decision was his.


    He conceded after that and pleaded guilty. Likewise, Jacob Mikhailov pleaded guilty and exonerated


    his family members that were in the cell.


    "My brothers were not a part of this, your Majesty. They have no hand in this. They were just


    helping me out. They did not know the severity of the crime. Please, your Majesty, do not punish


    them for my crimes," He pleaded, but I was going to be the one to decide that. I remained silent and


    left my face expressionless.


    Ramsey pleased guilty, and the enforcers moved them to a holding cell, leaving Larry behind. That


    was when I decided to speak.


    "Larry McMillian, you havemitted treason against my father in the past and against me. You


    tried to usurp power and name yourself King. You created chaos in our world, and many people lost


    their lives. I was disappointed to find out your reasons. You im you did it based on what your


    fiancee told you, but she never told you to try to install yourself as King and ruin lives in the process.


    You recruited minors into your scheme and ruined them. You manipted and killed the people on


    your team to cover your tracks. You misled them and destroyed everything from the shadows, all in


    the name of vengeance. Today I sentence you to life imprisonment in a silver cage where you will


    be forgotten and die a slow and painful death. You will be starved and allowed a meal every four


    days to repent for the lives you took and the people you disced because of your greed and


    wickedness. I promise you will beg for death during this period, but it will nevere. I hope your


    remorse is enough for the goddess to forgive you." I said, and the entire hall was silent. Larry began


    tough.