Lord Arthur's POV:
I'll admit that I wasn't all interested in this case when I was called from my province for the noble court.
It felt like a very straight forward case, crime: act of treason, penalty: execution. When I heard that Andreas himself called for the noble court, I expected something might happen but J never expected this.
The Royal Court. It's been at least forty years since last a commoner pleaded for the royal Court. The Royal court took place in a small room behind the throne room and would only consist of the Royal family and a truth-seeker, However seeing as Queen Nadia is visiting her sister and the Prince Valerio and Princess Elena are studying abroad, It will only be Andreas and the truth-seeker.
In Valencia, there are two forms of courts, the noble Court and the Royal Court. The noble Court consists of the Seven Lords of Valencia and the King himself who only acts a supervisor for the proceedings of the noble Court.
When a tribunal is called for the judgment, the judges and prosecutors are the Lords of Valencia, the proceedings are usually led by a noble of the King's choosing. What most people don't know is that the King ideally doesn't get involved in the dealings of the noble Court, whatever the nobles demand as justice provided that they follow the rules of the Land is final
However, the Royal Court which consists of the King himself and the royal family over-rules the proceedings of the noble Court. It isn't that uncommon for a noble to have an estrangement with a commoner and try to use the power of the noble Court to take revenge.
Votes can be easily be bought with favours or a few fold coins, how cheap the life of the ordinary man is these days. Commoners have a higher chance of getting a fair trial in a royal court since the judges are made of the Royal family who have almost no direct interaction with the commoners.
Despite this being true, the only person who can plead for the case to be taken to royal court is the commoner on trial, but with the extremely limited knowledge of our laws to the commoners, the last time the royal Court was called to action was around forty years ago long before I became the head of the Audorne family.
The plea for the royal Court certainly took me by surprise but definitely not more than Lord Caspian. I could see him fuming on his chair while receiving bad looks from several Lords. With him leading the proceedings, he planned to have the commoner serve under him as how did he put it "a free man".
In trying to get the commoner Alaric, he's ended up making quarrels with Lady Moorde and Lord Talon. It would have been worth it if he had gotten the commoner, getting an educated educating or free and no work? Even I'm jealous educating a commoner is certainly more expensive and tedious than it needs to be, but the possibilities of having an educated commoner are endless in Valencia especially with one in the hands of one of the seven Lords.
Valencia maintains peace and stability by restricting information and knowledge to the masses, The poor and commoners make the best of their situation because they don't know that they can have better or deserve better.
It's not exactly a method that I approve of but since I'm not at the other end I can't really complain besides, I already have enough on my plate dealing with the other noble families. This whole ordeal with Lord Caspian going after Lady Moorde and Lord Talon sadly won't end here and I'm the one who will have to clean it up.
I am hopeful that the commoner will get a proper sentence, King Andreas is usually a fair man usually. However there are two things that bother me. If he knew about the royal court why did he let himself be dragged to the noble Court in the first place? Or is ignorance not the only reason why no other commoner in the last 40 years has pleaded for the royal Court.
Maybe I'm being paranoid, Lord Vishmir is right, even if he is educated he is still just a commoner
But that doesn't dismiss my second worry, the documents provided by the royal guard date only four years ago, just a few months after "the invasion" fiasco, where was he before then? If he really did hail from North-west provinces, then it would make sense, children at the orphanage aren't officially documented as citizens till they turn eighteen.
Still, I can't seem to shake the feeling that there's something that I might be missing.
Just then the side doors that led into the royal Court burst open and King Andreas walked through followed by the royal truth-seeker dressed in a red hood holding a crystal ball from the base with a Grey mist swirling within it. The Commoner, Alaric followed slowly behind still clad in chains but he had a defeated look on his face May I was too optimistic for him I thought to myself
King Andreas took a seat on his throne while Alaric stood at his left and the truth-seeker stood at his right. The truth-seeker let go of the crystal ball but it didn't drop onto the floor but levitated in the air, he waved his hands over the ball in a clockwise manner and the Grey mist within the crystal ball burst out and covered the ball and just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished leaving only a scroll like parchment floating in mid-air.
"These are the proceedings of the Royal Court decided by King Andreas IV himself which precede that of the noble court!" The truth-seeker began "The accused commoner, Alaric is to be released and will compete to be the King's noble advisor"
"My King, surely you can't be serious!" shouted Lord Caspian.
"Surely, Lord Caspian you did not address the king in such manner" replied the truth seeker
"My apologies my king but I'm sure what Lord Caspian only meant to address a concern that All the lords here noticed" Lord Azure began "A commoner simply cannot contest for the role of noble advisor"
"Your concerns are valid Lord Azure" began King Andreas as he settled into his throne, taking in the scene of utterly disarrayed faces on his lords he was enjoying this, "That is why by the next full moon eve's, Alaric shall be bestowed the title of aristocrat, after completing the trials of course".
"Even so my Lord, only a Lord of Valencia can compete for that title" continued Lord Azure.
"Then I guess in a month's time one of you will lose your title as a Lord of Valencia then" replied Andreas trying to hold back a huge grin
In one meeting, not one but two old and forgotten customs have been used in the noble Court. An aristocrat is a title that can be bestowed upon a commoner giving him status and power equal to a Mason in Valencia but the title can only be bestowed by the king and with the title of Aristocrat he can compete for the title of Lord of Valencia as we all did before competing to become the king's noble advisor.
They have only been a hand full of Aristocrats in the history of Valencia because getting a one on one with the King is extremely difficult, I'm one of the seven Lords of Valencia and even I can barely fit into his schedule, it would have to take a big stunt to get the king's attention.
I could feel a slight grin appear on my face as I pieced the puzzle together.
"If there is nothing more to add?" he asked in a rhetorical manner "The noble Court has been adjourned". The doors leading out of the noble Court opened in all but dramatic way and one by one, the Lords filed out, angry, disappointed, upset until it was my turn to leave.
"Lord Arthur" called King Andreas. I turned back to see the chief guard releasing Alaric from his chains and for a brief moment, I noticed it. He had a grin across his face, the kind you have when you pat yourself on thee back for a job well done.
"I would like a word with you, in my private chambers" said the King as he passed me and left the throne room.