Neverquest – Part 144

Characters: Queen Isabella, Michelle, Mack, Jeff, Roy, Gena, Lucilla, Cara, Siarra, Kim, Fallon
Location: The royal courtroom
Time: Day 5 – Morning

“Fallon, you may bring in the jury now.”

“Right away, Your Highness.”

From high up on her throne, Isabella lowered her gavel and looked down on the convicted felons. “…You will be pleased to know that, despite the delicate matters surrounding this crime, a jury has been selected at random to provide you with only the fairest trial.”

“Told you,” Mack whispered.

“Unfortunately, they were picked from the list of the today’s obituaries and none of them could make it.” She faked a big frown, held it for a moment, and then clapped her hands. “But don’t worry! Just like every other self-respecting official body, I always keep a spare jury in my closet.”

“Wait... What?”

Fallon appeared from the backroom holding a stuffed bear in one hand and a stuffed lion in the other. She tossed them on the jury bench, facing forward, and then went back for the rest. She made five more trips, carrying two stuffed animals at a time, until the entire bench looked like a three-ring circus.

Everybody else stared in shock.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Isabella said, “but I want to assure you that the jury only wants the truth from you all. Isn’t that right, Mrs. Berry Bear?”

With a squeak, the stuffed bear fell over on its side.

Fallon quickly set it upright.

“…I think I just wet myself,” Roy said. “Mack, let me borrow your pants.”

“Now we may begin!” Isabella said. “I’d like to hear from the victim first. Will she please rise?”

There seemed to be some confusion for a moment because everybody stood.

“Sit down!” Isabella yelled, pounding her gavel against the desk. She continued to do so until everybody had fallen back into their chairs. Then she stood up. “…Peasants. I’m the victim here.”

“But how can you—”

Kicking off her slippers and hiking up her dress, she hurried down the small staircase to the witness chair below.

“Thank you, Your Honoress,” she said. Before she sat down, she tousled her hair a bit to look more like a victim. “I suppose you want me to make an opening statement.” She turned to the crowd with tears in her eyes. “Yes, I suppose you all want me to make an opening statement…to tell you how this sweet young princess was attacked out of jealousy and rage… I suppose you want to hear her whole tragic story, how her best people failed to save her in her darkest hour… Yes, so you, too, can feel her pain! I will tell you everything…from the start of this heinous crime to the devils who conjured up such a elaborate scheme…against this wonderful kingdom…against this beautiful queen…”

“…This is ridiculous,” Michelle said as Isabella went on with her melodramatic speech. “We need to talk to Gena.”

“How are we going to do that?” Mack asked. “She’s on the other side of the room.”

“Well, Isabella seems to think we’re all in this together. If we could get the same sentence as her…”

“We are! We’re all going to hang. Where have you been?”

“All we need is a few minutes alone with her. If we could only find a distraction…”

“…Maybe I can do something,” Siarra said.

“Completely out of the question. It’s too risky for you.”

“Risky?” Siarra looked up. “Risky is us staying in this world for another moment. All I want to do is get home.”

“I know. I want that, too.”

“Then let me help! I already proved to you that I’m innocent.”

Kim suddenly turned her head to the side. “I hope you’re not trying to escape from custody. You won’t make it far.”

“Kim, stay out of this.”

“No! I will not get in more trouble. I’m confident the Ellewyn justice system will see us through.”

“Really, have you seen the Ellewyn justice system?” Roy asked.

“…And that’s why they all must be killed for their crimes,” Isabella said, finishing her statement. She dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief and then blew her nose. “I just fear I may never recover emotionally.”

Before anybody could object, Isabella jumped to her feet and ran back up the stairs. She plopped onto her throne and picked up her gavel again.

“Guilty, guilty, guilty!” she cried with every blow of the gavel. “I sentence you all to—”

Fallon whispered something in her ear.

With a look of disgust, Isabella’s nose crinkled into the shape of a ball. “…Ahem. It would seem the stupid law my mother made allows each of you a chance to speak before you hang.”

“Don’t you mean, ‘before you sentence us’?” Roy asked.

“I fail to see a difference.”

“You should probably call your first witness to the stand,” Fallon whispered.

“Right.” Isabella sat up on her throne and looked down at the convicts below. “I caaaaall…” Her eyes scanned their faces, looking for the one filled with the most fear. When that failed, she raised her finger and started pointing to them one at a time. “My mother told me to pick the very worst one and you are not…not…not…not…not…not……not…”

“Enough of this!” Siarra said, pushing out her chair.

“IT!” Isabella screamed. Her finger was nowhere near Siarra at the time, but she quickly shifted it to the one who dared raise her voice.

Michelle grabbed Siarra’s arm. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“What I should have done a long time ago. I’m taking control of the situation.” She nodded to Michelle and held a stiff upper lip. “I’m no longer going to be a victim in this game. It’s never done me any good and it cost me every relationship I ever had… Well, no more. It ends here.”

“Siarra…”

“Do what you can to talk to Gena. I’ll try to keep everybody’s eyes on me.”

“It, it, it!” Isabella continued to cry, now bouncing on her throne and pointing to Siarra with both hands. She only wished her fingers could shoot lightning.

Without a sound, Siarra made her way to the stand, where Lucilla was waiting for her with the book of Dai Celesta.

“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and basically whatever Her Highness wants you to say?” Lucilla asked, holding out the book.

“I do.”

“Then may Dai Celesta bless you.”

Siarra fell onto the cold, wooden chair and slowly interlocked her fingers in her lap. A deep sigh escaped her lips.

“State your name,” Isabella commanded.

“Siarra.”

“That’s a funny way to pronounce ‘Peasant.’ Are you foreign?”

“I’m not from around here, no.”

“So you’re one of the Forsaken.”

“No.”

“You’ve come to kill us all!”

Siarra’s face remained like a rock.

“What are your intentions in this land, Forsaken?” Isabella leaned forward, within spitting range of Siarra. “Why have you come to harm my people?”

“…I may be new to your world, Your Highness, but I’m a quick learner. In my short time here, I’ve come to realize a few things about your customs. First of all, the Forsaken are as welcome in this city as your own, so don’t try to turn that one against me. I am not Forsaken by any means, but even if I was, it wouldn’t matter in the court of law.”

“Well—”

“I also happen to know that it was you who befriended two obvious Forsaken members—Gena and Roxanne. You were well-aware of who and what they were from your first meeting with them, and yet you were willing to give them all the hospitalities of a princess.”

“You have no proof of this, Peasant!”

“…She’s telling the truth,” Gena said. Her eyes were cast on the table, but she slowly raised them so they could all see the glowing red embers within. “You trusted us with all your heart, princess. You let us in. You would’ve given us the world if we had but asked for it.”

Isabella picked up her gavel. “Lies! The Forsaken makes liars out of you all!”

“But you did trust them, Your Highness,” Lucilla said. “I warned you to stay away, but you refused to listen to reason.”

“Who asked you, Lucy!? You’re lucky to still have your position as captain of the Paladins.”

“Face it, Isabella. You’ve been nothing but a brat in office since your mother went away. When she returns, I’m going to request you be sent to obedience school.”

Isabella started stammering, but no words came out. She didn’t know what to say.

Cara, who had been leaning against the wall, suddenly appeared behind her captain.

“How can you say that?” she whispered.

“Because I’ve seen enough,” Lucilla answered, her eyes still locked on Isabella. “Your Highness, I’ve served your mother since I was a mere child. I started ratting out so many of my friends who I knew were thieves and pickpockets that it wasn’t safe for me on the playground and I was sent to the School of Light to learn how to be just and fair in this world. Just and fair, Isabella. That’s how good relations are made. Your mother knew that and that’s how I gained this position and her respect. You can’t take either of those away from me. You’re not the real Queen and I won’t stand by you if you’re truly willing to hang all these innocent people.”

Isabella stuck up her nose. “I believe that’s for the jury to decide.”

“There is no jury. They’re all stuffed animals that you used to play with as a little girl. I was there. I helped raise you, Your Highness. You owe me more than this.”

“I don’t owe you anything! I own you. I own you all.”

“You’re a dreamer,” Gena said with a wicked smirk. “You own nothing but the world in your mind… A world that should’ve been mine.” She shook her head. “You little bitch, I should’ve killed you myself.”

“A confession!” Isabella cried. “You heard her. She threatened me! She threatened your queen!”

“Well, I have no gripes about hanging her,” Lucilla said.

“No one asked you, Lucy.”

“I carry out the executions around here, Your Highness. It’s my business to make sure the right people hang.”

“Ugh, seriously, will somebody pull that stick out of her ass?”

“…Can I?” Roy asked.

Mack hit him. “Shut up.”

“What? It’s a nice ass.”

“Now’s our chance. Let’s sneak over to Gena. Come on, Jeff!”

Lucilla stepped forward. “Your Highness, I’m still as loyal to your name as I’ve ever been. You have twenty years of my service to show for that. All I want is some rightful justice brought to this courtroom. There are only two people who conspired to kill you. Those are the ones who must pay.”

“Yes, princess,” Gena said. “I imagine you must really want me dead now.”

Isabella scowled.

“I betrayed you. But I regret nothing. You were a beautiful staircase to walk upon, but your world means nothing to me now.” She smiled and the whole room seemed to get a little darker. “I’m ready to see the other world now. Show me what it’s like in the darkness, princess. See if I can escape your mind.”

“…I’m going to enjoy watching you suffer.”

“I spent my whole life suffering. There’s no pain left for me to feel.”

“We’ll see about that. Carly!”

“…Actually, it’s Cara, Your Highness,” the Paladin said.

“Whatever. I want you to bring in Roxanne.” She grinned and put her hands under her chin, watching Gena. “I bet you feel pretty betrayed, too.”