CANSTVER 17TH YEAR 548 ASMERIAN CALENDAR.
Lord Daniels entered the room for the second time that day, everyone stood up and bowed their heads to his authority, which was unquestioned. Standing before him was Sir Wentworth, who was rather pleased with what was happening inside the room. The room was massive, the Great Hall of Greendale was an older building, but it was now immaculate on the inside from Lord Daniels's efforts to restore the hall.
Lord Daniels sat down behind his desk; he then grasped the gavel and raised for all to see; no one spoke as he did this. The room was so silent you could hear the person's heart next to you beating rapidly. Everyone knew how this day was going to end, what happened between now and the days end left most to be incredibly nervous. Lord Daniels let the gavel crash against the wood block next to him, making a loud noise that made everyone flinch. "I, Lord Daniels, lord of the Northern territories for his majesty the king, herein announce the trial of the traitorous Scottkey family. Jackson Scottkey will now make his first appearance in front of the public since his arrest."
Lord Daniels gestured to the guards standing at the door to his left, and they opened the door. Jackson fell forward out of the doorway from being pushed through. He struggled to get to his feet; one of the guards kicked him in the gut. Jackson let out a whimper and fell back to the floor. The guards snapped at him and demanded that he get to his feet before they strike him again. "Also, Joining Scottkey is his accomplice, a Varin by the name of Ruby, bring in the foul vermin!" Lord Daniels barked.
Ruby was push through the door as well but was able to keep for footing and stay upright. Jackson was able to get to his feet as Ruby joined him by his side. "Move!" Sir Wentworth ordered as he grabbed Jackson by the shoulder and dragged him behind the stand along with Ruby. Both of them were shackled and gagged. Sir Wentworth pulled out a dagger and cut the gag off of Ruby first; she flinched as the dagger slightly cut her cheek. Jackson was next, but he didn't even bat an eye at the knife, which upset Sir Wentworth as he held the blade right in front of him.
"The trial shall begin, first order, should anyone familiar with the prisoners like to defend them, please make yourself known and come forth." Lord Daniels said with a calm but thunderous voice that was able to reach the back of the hall. They waited for a moment, but no one came forward to the defense of Jackson and Ruby.
"Very well, the second order of business. Should anyone have any evidence against the prisoners, please make yourself known and come forth." A young girl came forth; she was in tears and holding a doll. "I would like to say something, my lord." She said Jackson recognized the voice as he looked up he saw Audrey standing in the center aisle.
"Very well, child, state your name and what you have to say in a reasonable amount of time."
"I'm Audrey Barker, niece of Fritz Barker." She started but soon had to pause to collect herself. "I didn't know what my uncle and Sir Frederic Miller were plotting against Asmeria until Asmerian knights were knocking on my Uncle's door and demanding him to surrender himself. I do know that my uncle didn't need to die. I don't think that Jackson is a traitor, but I know that his father was close to my uncle and Sir Miller." She paused as she looked up at Ruby. "I do not doubt the Varin girl being a traitor, though. The fact that I even pitied her when she was with Sir Miller disgusts me." Jackson stared at Audrey in shock.
"That's enough, that you for your testimony, miss Barker, and I am sorry for your uncle's death. He was, however, a spy, and if it were me, he still would've hanged for his crimes. Now please be seated." Lord Daniels said as he turned to Jackson.
"Now for the third order of business. Jackson Scottkey and Ruby, these are the charges being presented against you. Two counts of treason, for both of you. One count High Treason for Scottkey. "One count evading arrest for both of you. Thirteen counts of murder for Scottkey. Finally, one count murder for Ruby. These charges are punishable by death. However, King Zander banned the execution of those below the age of fifteen. As Scottkey and Ruby are fourteen and thirteen, respectively, their charges can lead to forced servitude for up to two hundred years of service."
Lord Daniels paused to let the charges sink into the public's mind; the silence made Jackson uneasy. The silence didn't last long. The audience started to grow restless, and they started to whisper among themselves. And soon, several men were barking out threats towards Jackson and Ruby. Jackson heard a man even threaten to rape Ruby. Lord Daniels let this go on for only a moment as a way to let them rile each other. He soon slammed the gavel down and restored order.
"I shall now go over the charges for Jackson Scottkey." Lord Daniels stated as he grabbed a piece of paper from his desk. Let us start from the beginning. On Castver tenth, Frederic Miller's residence was raided, and that was when Fritz Barker was slain by Frederic Miller along with two of his majesty's guards, Henry Calvin, and Bruce Mosin. Also, Miller, once he got near Farmville, injured another guard. On this day is when we know that you smuggled Ruby inside of Greendale and took her into your house."
Everyone in the great hall gasped as an injured guard entered the room from the same door that Jackson and Ruby came through. Lord Daniels rose and gave a grand gesture to the man as he limped into the room with one leg wrapped bandages, and the stub of what used to be an arm was covered. "Please, sir, have a seat." Lord Daniels said as he sat back down.
"I shall continue with the charges. It was Castver thirteenth when the Scottkey family arrived just outside of Farmville with the Varin Ruby with the hopes of returning the vermin to Frederic Miller and seeking refuge inside of Gregoria. With all of the other traitors that they might have aided to Gregoria in the past months since moving to Greendale."
"Hang him and the bitch!" A man cried out. Suddenly the entire room burst out with cruses and threats against Jackson and Ruby. Lord Daniels couldn't help but be amused, a grin from ear to ear, and his eyes set on Jackson Scottkey.
"Order, let me have order!" Lord Daniels finally barked after several minutes. "Let us remember this is a hall of his majesty, the king. Any more disorder would be an affront to his majesty." Jackson watched as the crowd calmed down as soon as Sir Wentworth gave a gesture. "So that's what this is all about," He said as he stood up.
"Sit down, boy, or you will be made to!" Lord Daniels snapped as he saw Jackson stand up.
"Of course, my lord, shall I follow Sir Wentworth's directions and cues as well?" Jackson said with great sarcasm.
"You little brat, you should learn some humility and stay silent. You murdered thirteen of his majesty's soldiers and guards."
"I defended my family; my mother and father might have been traitor,s, but I had no part in it." Jackson quipped and sat back down.
"S,o you admit to aiding a traitor?" Lord Daniels laughed.
"I guess King Zander was at fault for letting his sister live when she rebelled against him. Is that what you're implying?" Jackson argued now, bringing the church of Asmeria and the founder into his defense.
"To think that a brat like you could even have the gall to use his majesty's name. There is a difference between mercy and assisting."
"I was taught that it was King Zander himself, who released her and even gave her his own horse to escape. You call that mercy?"
"Your education must be flawed, Scottkey."
"I got the best education in the entire capital, second only to the teachers that directly taught the king. Unless you believe that the capital's scholars are fraudulent," Jackson said as he leaned forwards in his seat. "I am a Scottkey, a direct descendant of Marcus Scottkey who helped King Zander build this country and even laid the first stones for the capital. I am the grandson of Stanton Scottkey, the very man who saved Asmeria from Gregoria and the Tyrant king who slaughtered so many of our people."
"Silence!" Lord Daniels snapped as he stood up. "You will only speak when I say. If you open your treacherous mouth one more time, I will have you gagged again."
The room fell silent once more; no one had thought that Jackson was this intelligent. Now instead of disgust, they looked at him in fear. "You murdered the thirteen soldiers and guards in cold blood, helping a traitor try to escape to Gregoria, we already know the truth from documents recovered in the cart. There's no use in lying, now confess to your guilt!"
Jackson broke out in laughter; hee stared straight into Lord Daniels's eyes. "So, you order me not to speak unless it's to confess to a crime that I haven't committed?"
"I did not give you permission to speak, you little brat."
"Why are you calling me a brat? I haven't insulted you, and yet you just seem like you can't help it? Should I seek another judge to sentence me?" Jackson said as he stood up, he looked around the room, and everyone in the room looked as if they wanted to lop his head off. All except Ruby, who was terrified, she was shaking with fear and unable to control herself.
"Gag him! I warned you brat; now, you won't have a chance to defend yourself!" Lord Daniels barked, he was now out of control, he didn't care about justice anymore. Jackson didn't resist the gag and didn't even react to it, this made Lord Daniels even more furious.
"Now, the evading arrest is quite a simple matter, whether or not you were guilty of murder you still ran and hid in The Bowing Woods like a coward and only when you were cornered by Sir Wentworth and the soldiers under his command. You smartly surrendered without any resistance, but that will not aid you in sentencing. Because of your lack of guilt, I shall punish you even more. For your crimes, I sentence you to a lifetime of servitude. I also command that your servitude be done at the very castle that your father was commissioned to construct. I will also have you be lashed by Sir Wentworth. All of the Scottkey's estate will also be seized and become the property of Greendale."
The audience rejoiced and came to an uproar once the sentence was delivered. However, there were a select few who booed at Lord Daniels. "False trial!" They shouted, but only to be silenced by the outrage of the others in the audience. They were correct, it was unheard of for a sentence to be passed in a single day.
"Order, we are not finished yet, may I have order!" Lord Daniels barked.
Everyone quieted down and returned to their seats. Jackson looked around the room, there wasn't a soul who dared challenge the charges for him. He took a deep breath and calmed his heartbeat. Lashings were the most brutal form of punishment allowed in Asmeria. And he had an unknown number of them.
"As for the Varin, Ruby, you shall serve as a slave in the castle until the day you die. I will spare you the lashing, however, I will ensure that the difficulty of your servitude is fitting that for a Varin." Lord Daniels said, he was visibly hiding a smile. "Now send the boy to receive the lashing."
Sir Wentworth grabbed Jackson by the arm and jerked him to his feet. He was surprised by being jerked to his feet and let out a short squeal that was muffled by his gag. He was dragged through the audience and out to the street. The street was crowded with people, they all were shouting and throwing food at him as he was thrown against a post that was sticking up from the ground. It had a metal ring attached to it.
Sir Wentworth pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the shackles binding his hands together. He then ran the chain through the metal ring. This forced him to lean over the post and stand on his feet. "Remove his gag!" Wentworth barked at a soldier. The soldier snapped too and undid the knot that held the gag in Jackson's mouth.
Sir Wentworth leaned over Jackson and whispered into his ear. "This is for all of the embarrassment you caused in the capital. I only wish his majesty was here to watch me beat the shit out of you."
Jackson faced Wentworth and looked him right in the eyes. "You're lucky he isn't."
"Why's that boy?"
"Because I'd demand a trial by combat."
"YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Wentworth snapped as he reeled back. He grabbed the lash and whipped him across the back. The lash was constructed by having a stick with up to twenty lines attached to one end. Each line had a hook or a sharpened piece of metal attached to the end of a line that was able to swing freely.
Jackson let out a cry of pain that made even a few soldiers flinch. Ruby was pulled in front of Jackson and forced to watch him get lashed. She was sobbing and in a panic. Jackson felt the warmth of his own blood drip from his sides as Wentworth relentlessly lashed him. He continued to cry out in pain with every blow dealt to his back. The hook sank deep into his back on the seventh lash and ripped out a large chunk of flesh.
He fell to his knees and couldn't find any strength to stand back up. Blood was now pooling under him and he started to feel light-headed. He felt the lashes once more before falling unconscious. Wentworth walked up to Jackson and pulled his head back by his hair. "You little coward, how dare you!" He barked as he slammed Jackson's head against the post, cutting open his cheek. A doctor soon ran forwards and started to wrap Jackson in bandages.
Sir Wentworth knew if Jackson died he would be charged with murder as well, however, he continued to try to lash Jackson as the doctor tried to render aid to him. Ruby watched as this all unfolded before her eyes, she felt helpless as her friend was unconscious and in a pool of his own blood. She tried to break free of the soldiers but she wasn't strong enough. "Jackson!" She cried out, fearing that he was dead.
"Shut up you stupid bitch!" The soldier holding her back barked. He grabbed her ear and for Varin's, that was one of the more painful things you could do. She cried out as she snapped her head backward. "You little shit, come on, you're going to your fuckin cell now."
She was brought to a cart that had a cage built on top of it and she was thrown in the back of it. The soldier slammed the steel barred door shut and the deputy on the bench of the cart snapped the reins. The cart rattled as it made its way down the street and Ruby couldn't help but look back and watch Jackson get surrounded by doctors until he was no longer in view.
She was crushed by everyone she passed and had all sorts of rotten fruits and even shit scraped up from the street thrown at her. She covered her head and ducked down in the cart to avoid most of the projectiles flung at her. She watched as the north gate came into view, the cart stopped only for a moment before passing through the gate. They continued north, passing her home on the way.
Miller's house was torched the night before by rioters along with the barn. The fields were trampled and destroyed. The Siri tree was cut down and fell on top of the pile of ashes that was the remains of Miller's house. The ride north was a long and lonely one, Ruby huddled her head between her knees and refused any conversation between her and the soldier driving the cart.
Eventually, the castle came into view, it was massive. It looked as if it would be as impressive as Fort Verio, even though it was considerably smaller. The walls were only fourteen meters tall and the towers were circular instead of square. The battlements were also not as detailed and only a single section was completed.
As they entered the construction site there were calls from guards overseeing the slaves and workers and whistles sounding off along the site. There were already three buildings constructed in what looked like the beginnings of a bailey. There were slaves moving freely in and out of the largest building that stood at four stories tall. Guards seemed to by occupying the smallest of the three buildings. There were also a lot of other workers there other than slaves. Such as artisans, doctors, engineers, and architects all of which lived in the third building.
The deputy stopped the cart short of a stone platform that had a cellar door that was open, it led down underneath the stone platform into a dark tunnel. Ruby watched as the soldier hopped down from the bench and walked around the cage's gate. He swung the keys around his finger and turned around to watch carpenters and slaves working on the wall. He unlocked the gate and opened it. "Come on out girl, I have to go and pick up your friend." He held out his hand and helped her out of the cart. "At least you're still alive, knowing how Lord Daniels is. He's hanged seventeen men since he came to power. Best of luck to you Ruby, you'll need it." He stopped a passing guard and told him who Ruby was and what to do. He then mounted the cart again and rode back towards Greendale.
The guard took her by the shoulder and pulled her into the largest building. It had a main lobby and it had seven doors that opened to the large bunkrooms. There was also a stairwell in the center, it led up to the bunkrooms upstairs, but it also led to the basement. The guard pushed ruby down the stairs into the basement. "Welcome to your new home bitch. Here you'll stay until you die of exhaustion or disease." The guard laughed as he lit a torch.
It showed three corridors that were filled with shit and piss from the slaves upstairs that leaked through the floors of the bunkrooms. It reeked and Ruby and the guard both had difficulty breathing in the stench. He led her down the middle corridor and opened the first door on the left. "You'll be alone until the other brat joins you. Y'know, you're rather lucky, you get the entire floor to yourself. Seeing as it's only for the most dangerous or traitors. So enjoy your new residence."
Ruby walked into the room, it was about as large as Mister Miller's room and had a bed attached to the wall, or at least what could only pass for a bed. It also had a single bucket in the corner for her to use when she had to relieve herself. There was only a single sheet for her to use and the darkness of the room only gave way once a guard opened the hatch that was blocking the small hole in the wall.
"This is worse than before." She said underneath her breath. She looked around some more and sat down on the bed, it was just several long boards nailed together and mounted to the wall. The sheet was dirty and had a few sizable holes in it. She was able to shut her eyes and doze off to sleep, she was scared, tired, and lonely. She started to sob and couldn't stop herself from having these feelings no matter how hard she tried. She felt sick and started to dry heave until she was able to finally throw up into the bucket.
She had no water to wash out the taste of her stomach acid and profusely stip into the bucket until the taste went away. She watched as tears fell from her face and onto the ground. When she looked up there wasn't any more sunshine entering the cell through the hole. It glowed with a red sunset but failed to illuminate the room.