Harold hadn't been interested in the other kingdom when he went for his wedding with Princess Amber. So he hadn't taken note of other things that didn't concern him, just like the fact that King Cedric had a young son and three princesses. None of them looked older than 17 years old. Especially the son, who looked to be around 11.
His children's wrists were all tied together with a single rope, and they were made to kneel at the back while King Cedric and his queen were made to stand in the middle where they had to answer questions. Since they were also of royalty, even though they were far below the rank of those they could actually view as being of royal blood, they weren't made to kneel, nor were they tied.
The instruction had been for King Cedric, his queen, and their children to be brought in, excluding his consorts or concubines. How the kingdom was going to function without its king? They didn't care. Were they worried that the other kingdom would come for revenge for arresting their king? They didn't care either. The Moon Kingdom was superior in every sense, and it would continue to remain that way whether they liked it or not.
It would have been easy for Harold to stop this questioning because this was just going to confirm to them that not only was Princess Amber an exiled princess, but she was the daughter of someone who had been labeled a witch and had been executed. But he didn't try to stop it.
They all deserved to know the truth and hate themselves and their nature for the pain they had caused the other group. Also, he had the upper hand here because now he knew that Sir Richard would be able to confess and let the court know that Amber was the only one capable of breaking the curse that had been placed on them. And King Cedric would also confirm that it was Lord Zealot who had made him spare her all those years ago. So they wouldn't even think of hurting her. Not that they could.
It was going to be Sir Richard's punishment.
Sir Rager was out now attending to the queen's business, so the authority for this meeting was back with Damon, who looked very distracted and sick.
"What are you waiting for?" Sir Gregory asked Damon impatiently, making him return to his senses.
Looking at the timid King Cedric, who could not even speak a word, made Harold feel disgusted. He was well above 50 years old. Harold tried to imagine the same person with Anne. He compared this old man to Alicia's true form, and the image was the most unpleasant and repulsive thing he had ever imagined in his life.
Damon was about to speak when Harold interrupted and spoke,
"Sir Damon seems to be unwell. How about someone else take over?" Harold asked before his eyes landed on Sir Richard, and he gently called out the man's name.
"Sir Richard?"
All eyes turned to him while Sir Richard raised his head to look at Harold.
"I believe we can all trust Sir Richard to carry out a proper questioning," Harold spoke.
The room echoed their yeses, urging Richard to take over since Damon seemed to have lost his wit.
An embarrassed Damon could not do anything other than step aside to create the platform for Sir Richard, who was slowly heading up there.
Most of the noblemen could not help but wonder what was up with Sir Richard today. He seemed to be out of it.
"I, Lord Richard, the Minister of War, will take over the questioning." He announced and bowed politely at the others before he faced King Cedric, whose head had been down in fear while his queen was trying to muffle her cries and occasionally looking back at her children, who were also crying quietly as they looked at their parents with fear and uncertainty.
"Did you trick the Moon Kingdom by handing over your witch daughter, who was in exile, for marriage to our Prince?" Sir Richard asked in a hesitant tone.
King Cedric looked up and shook his head immediately while also waving his hands. "She... she is not a witch. Even her mother had never practiced witchcraft before. It... it was never confirmed that she was a witch."
Harold was doing a mental countdown for when King Cedric would recognize Sir Richard. Why was his memory as poor as his looks?
"But you... executed her." Sir Richard said in a pained voice. The raw emotion in his voice confused the other noblemen, who wondered why he sounded affected.
"I was forced to do it! I wouldn't execute my queen just like that if I hadn't been forced." Cedric cried out as though he had been wrong.
His wife, Queen Darcy, turned to look at him in disbelief, and as he met her gaze, he separated from her, putting a distance between them as he pointed at her.
"It... it was her! She was the one who asked for Amber to be brought back to the palace and replaced with one of our Princesses. I never would have dared to lie!" He fell to his knees with his forehead on the ground as he burst into tears.
His children watched in disbelief at what their father was doing, their cries getting louder just like their mother's.
"IT WASN'T ME! HOW CAN YOU LIE AGAINST ME AND TRY TO MAKE ME TAKE THE FALL?!" She yelled at her husband before she looked up at Richard and shook her head.
"It... it wasn't me. I have no authority in the kingdom. Amber was very dear to me. I didn't even believe that her mother was a witch. It was him who did all that and also brought her back—"
"STOP LYING, YOU WENCH!" King Cedric yelled and pulled a handful of her hair from behind, making her cry out in pain as she tried to push him away.
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