The Crown Of Tears

The king set a table for an audience with General Zard. As Prince Angelus said, General Zard provided proof and gave accounts of everything they recovered in Mordred's abode.

King Edmund's bloodshot eyes pictured Mordred's head on a silver platter. He thirsted for the blood of the man who wounded his favorite son.

"Thank you for taking the time to investigate this matter. Your effort won't go unrewarded, General," King Edmund said, his gratitude overflowing in his expression.

"I was simply fulfilling my duty to Sevigoria," General Zard humbly replied. "I'll take your leave," he excused himself.

Seskel, the king's loyal servant entered the throne room. He ran into General Zard as the male made his way out of the room.

"Call the council. Mordred Falck dies at mid-day," King Edmund ordered Seskel.

Seskel walked up to the king and whispered. "This case isn't as simple as it appears."

"Meaning?"

"I've come to learn from my sources that Mordred is..." Seskel hesitated to break the news to the king. This case puts him in a difficult position.

"Let it out, Seskel!"

"Mordred is Princess Elveryn's lover, my king," he ripped the band-aid off.

King Edmund froze in a moment of shock. His eyes wide open, his mouth ajar as the words his servant let out sank in.

"There is a conspiracy going on that we can't yet see, my king," Seskel pondered. "If you kill Mordred, it will wound Elveryn, and if you don't, it'll wound your stance with your people as magic is outlawed, and the man tried to kill Prince Augustus," he rumbled on and on.

King Edmund's blood ran cold. The news his servant brought him put him in a difficult spot, one which made it impossible for him to pass judgment on the criminal.

On one hand, Mordred was accused of practicing magic and the witness to his crime was someone whose testimony that King Edmund couldn't shake or ignore. And on the other hand, the man was someone important to his daughter and he couldn't bring himself to hurt Elveryn by beheading Mordred.

"Mordred is a criminal and should be tried as one. Regardless of his connections to my daughter," the king let out, his mind flashed back to Prince Augustus and his current condition. The anger boiling in his heart was hotter and far greater than his sympathies for his daughter.

"Mordred is innocent!" Princess Elveryn barged into the throne. She looked a mess; her hair was out of place, her outfit unkept, and mascara ran down her face as she cried.

"There is evidence of his crimes and a liable witness, Elveryn. He will be tried and senten..."

"He's been framed," Princess Elveryn insisted.

"By whom?"

"Prince Angelus Tiberius Rathmore!" She bellowed. "He's the one who hurt my brother and framed Mordred. Think about it, Dad, who is it that's got to benefit from this case if not him?"

The king took a step back. He had to admit that he did find it suspicious that Prince Angelus happened to chance upon Prince Augustus and saved his life. Something seemed amiss with the perfect case presented before him.

The criminal was in custody; there was all the evidence to pass judgment on him and a credible witness that the people of Sevigoria trust. It was all too good, almost as though someone was hellbent on seeing to it that Mordred was beheaded.

"What does your brother stand to gain from this?" King Edmund played along to hear the angle Elveryn was going with.

He doubted Prince Angelus had the brains to come up with a brilliant scheme as the one he was faced with. In his opinion, the grand prince was as useless as his loud mother of a queen.

"Revenge!"

"Revenge? For what?"

"A few days ago I heard chatter among the servants that the queen was blackmailing Prince Angelus using Gael. I brought up the idea of marriage between me and him to try and find out why Angelus didn't wish to see Gael married. Prince Angelus wasn't very pleased," Princess started from the beginning to help her father understand Prince Angelus's rage.

"I was wondering why your decision to marry Gael was so sudden," the king let in.

"Queen Rosalyn and Gael managed to turn the tables and get Princess Rose as the bride. Which led to the two of them getting married and Prince Angelus's birthday celebrations being canceled," she went on to explain. "Angelus blames me for everything that happened and this is his way of getting back at me," she added.

King Edmund couldn't understand Princess Elveryn's logic. Yes, it was wrong of her to bring up marriage with Gael when she had no feelings for the man only to upset Prince Angelus. But it didn't explain why Angelus would wish her lover dead, Angelus had no reason to be against Gael getting married.

He let out a deep breath and turned to his daughter. "I've heard all you had to say but I think this was done by Rosalyn. Gael was her pawn in controlling Angelus, as you've said, and that card went out the window when you brought him to everyone's attention," King Edmund reasoned.

"The queen has been known to do worse for lesser mistakes," Seskel commented.

"No, it's not the queen who's doing this father. Angelus looked me in the eyes and admitted that he was behind this," Princess Elveryn reported. She narrated the secret conversation she had with Prince Angelus in the infirmary.

King Edmund listened attentively. The vein in his head threatened to pop at the thought that Prince Angelus was the one responsible for Augustus's condition.

"I suppose I underestimated Angelus's connectivity," he admitted.

"A person raised by wolves ultimately becomes a wolf. Prince Angelus was brought up by the evil Queen, he obviously inherited her traits," Seskel let out.

"If Prince Angelus is behind this, I won't spare him. He'll pay for hurting your brother!" The king barked.

"What will happen to Mordred?" Princess Elveryn asked.

"He's been found guilty of practicing magic. I can't set him free, he'll face punishment f..."

"But Angelus framed him," Elveryn cried out.

"General Zard testified to the crimes against Mordred and brought evidence to prove the man's guilt," the king pointed at the numerous memoirs on his table. "I can't dismiss that unless I'm given credible evidence of him being framed."