"Lady Avory, Her Majesty, the Queen is outside your room and wants to see you." Fara announced in a hurry.
What? Why does she wants to see me so suddenly?
I have no choice but to fix and ready myself to face her. This is very unusual as she doesn't often go out of her quarters except when the palace is having a banquet or an official nobles' meeting.
"Please let Her Majesty in."
As soon as the door of my room opened, the lady with an elegant silver hair strode in wearing a displeased expression on her face.
"Greetings to the queen for blessing me her presence early in the day." I greeted with curtsy but her expression still remains.
"What are these rumors circulating within the Kingdom saying that you will stand as a lawyer in court?"
I guess news really travels fast. That event with the Viscount at Fernthumb's only happened two days ago, but it already reached the ears of my mother.
"The rumor is true, Your Highness. I am defending Mr. Fernthumb's side at the court to his rights of the unclaimed land he and his family cultivated for years." I explained which raised her eyebrow.
"Oh please, princess Avory! Are you certain of the things you're doing? You? A lawyer? You're barely an adolescent." She placed her palm on her temple indicating that I am causing her a tremendous headache.
"I promise, I know what I'm doing."
She sighed and glanced at me, her sapphire orbs met mine.
"Just be careful not to shame the royal family because of your antics."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Just like that, she left without any more words.
I threw myself on my bed back flat and stared at the pink canopy.
["You're quite blessed with parents, aren't you?"]
"Is that an attempt to irritate me? Because you're right off the bat."
["Aside from parents, you're also very much blessed with your sibling."]
I frowned and snatched a pillow to cover my face, hoping that I wouldn't hear Leon's voice, but I failed.
["Repartee aside, are you confident that you will win in the trial next week? You haven't studied civil codes much yet, have you?"]
"I still have a week to cram. Randelle, Fara, and Stella are currently gathering necessary information and evidence against Viscount McCrow. I'm confident in our preparation to say the least."
Besides, Viscount McCrow seemed to take lightly of me and my ability. He must be thinking that he doesn't have to prepare as much to face me in trial and is lowering his guard. There is also a possibility of him thinking that this is a chance to humiliate me and raise his noble ranking when I lose to him. That, I can't allow to happen.
"I'm going to study more."
I studied the laws as well as the important information that the others gathered against the Viscount.
For these past few days, I've been diligently preparing for the one-day trial, until the day finally came.
There are five Court Houses within the Reinngold Kingdom. On the North border is the Blue Court House, Red Court House in the South border, Green Court in the West, and Orange Court in the East. Most of the cases held on each borders' courts are just municipal and local cases. However, in terms of civil cases such as reclaiming lands and severe crimes, the trials happens in the Gold Court House located at the Center Capital of the Kingdom, in other words, here at the Royal Capital.
Thirteen court officials in position and the King himself, as the main judge, will be present on the tribunal.
"Aren't you nervous at all, lady Avory?" Randelle asked as the carriage we're in closely approaches our destination.
"Hmm? Not at all." I answered and turned to look at him.
His whole body is shaking and can't seem to relax this whole time while sweating profusely. I can't also interpret the pale expression on his face. Is his grinding his teeth? And isn't his left eye twitching too much?!
I sighed as I realized that he's the one having a nervous breakdown. "Please relax yourself, sir Randelle."
The carriage stopped at the driveway in front of the Court House. The entrance down to the courtyard is heavily guarded with high ranking knights. The human-size statue of a Saint holding a justice scale in the middle of the yard caught my eyes as we walk through the hallways towards the courtrooms.
"Well, if it isn't the intelligent princess Avory. I thought you got scared and won't show up today. I guess you got more courage than you look."
We encountered Viscount McCrow together with his solicitor along the way. His proud posture is the same as the first time we met and I can't wait to shatter it along with his ugly face. The nervous Randelle also switched to his smug look upon the Viscount's comment.
"I am a princess who keeps her words, Viscount. If you will excuse me first."
I walked pass them with Randelle at my back.
"He's really getting on my nerves. My lady, you must win this trial for the sake of my peace of mind." Randelle irked and I sighed out of his shallowness.
"Aren't we going to win for Stella's sake?"
["Hahaha! What does it matter? You just have to win."]
Of course. I just have to keep on winning in order to survive this.
The courtroom is filled with the Viscount's supporters on the left side wing, while only the Fernthumb's family along with Stella are the only ones present on our side of the right wing. The officials are also already on the tribunal when we came in. The only missing is the individual who will take the seat at the very top center. The King.
"King Ezbeth Agory Reinngold will make his entrance." The guard at the door announced. We all stand as the proud king entered. His casual strides brings tremendous pressure to the people inside the room, and as soon as he took his seat, his cold piercing eyes glanced towards my direction.
"Let the trial begin!" His voice roared in the four-cornered room. A court official started to deliver the formalities before proceeding to the main case. "The petitioner's side will give his testimonies and claims first."
The Viscount's solicitor stepped forward and faced the King and the court officials. My gaze roams the place to observe the people present in the room. As expected, the look on their faces are saying that this is just a waste of time because they all think that no matter what happens, the Viscount will still win against the commoners. Also, I believe that the people here don't actually expect anything from me either.
"As you may know, the land that the Fernthumbs are messing with is part of Viscount McCrow's land property according to the Estate Settlement Agreement Act of the Gold Kingdom Civil Code." The other side started.
"According to this act, the owner of the land have full rights and control of the ownership, and thus can demand authorization to his locals."
The solicitor took his time to list all types of demands the owner can impose that I almost got bored and drowsed off.
"The Fernthumbs not only messed with the land and build a settlement for their own benefits, but they also haven't paid any settlement fee required by the Viscount! Thus, they are the ones in the wrong." The solicitor started to act. What atrocity.
"Viscount McCrow wanted to be as kind hearted as he is even in front of these imbeciles and just asked them to give back the land peacefully. However, princess Avory here opposed the good will of the Viscount as she sided with the wrong ones."
I wanted to roll my eyes. What is this goody-two-shoes performance?
"That was all our side has to say, as we are the ones indeed in the right here."
"Let us hear the defendant's side."
Wait, that's it? That's just how far the Viscount prepared?!
["What a lost of expectations back there."]
You bet, Leon. You bet.
I confidently stepped forward and faced the King and the officials and without further ado, I stated the same land agreement act that the previous solicitor said. As I did, I saw some of the officials sighed and throw their interests. Just let me deliver my side, you assholes.
"However, on the first chapter of the Civil Code, Land Property Act of Unclaimed Lands article 233, a land becomes ownerless if it is neglected for at least ten years."
"And according to the Land Archives, the land that the Fernthumb is claiming has been a wasteland for over a decade already, with a specific time of thirteen years. Therefore, it is no longer listed in Viscount McCrow's property."
I have to thank Randelle for his advanced lessons!
The solicitor and the Viscount suddenly interrupted me, and they now seems to be in panic.
"Your Majesty, that's -!"
McCrow was cut off by the King's words. "Weren't your side said you're already done a few moments ago?! What are you interrupting for?!" His thunderous voice silenced the whole room.
"Continue, princess Avory." An official urged me. It seems like they've started to gain their interest once more.
"Also, in the same chapter of the civil code in article 235 and 242, it is stated that if ever a subject cultivates the land without the prior owner's knowledge, he must present any form of evidence that he revived and can take care of the land with his own efforts."
The king then asked me. "Is there any kind of evidence you can show in this court? Because we don't plan to take a step out of this room just to check the land at the southeastern border."
I turned to Randelle to ask for the thing we prepared before coming here then he took out the crate.
"These may called for evidence, Your Highness." I took off the cloth covering the top to reveal what's inside. A blue gourd-like plant that only grows in the Southeastern lands, the tamilshard.
"These are the crops that Fernthumbs put their efforts to grow over these past few years at that wasteland."
"Hmp! I hate to break it to you, Your Majesty. But they must have just bought it from the market before going here to present as an evidence!" McCrow prattled.
"That's right, Your Majesty. There's no way these crops grew on that wasteland!"
The king started to have his doubts.
"What's your defense on that, Avory?" He asked, making the Viscount smirk and everybody to question the evidence's quality.
That's when this critical information Randelle gathered a few days ago comes to shine.
"You can trust that this plant only grows in the Southeastern land. And as for the accusation, how could we bought this when the Southeast stopped growing this crop ever since the Viscount ruled over the border and the markets have never sold this since?" This time, it's my time to smirk. The Viscount dropped his jaw as he realized this fatal flaw.
"Viscount, didn't you stopped the cultivation of tamilshards eighteen years ago because you feared that the well-known cometpear wherein you invested half of your wealth would be in danger?" I pointed. The cometpear is the main ingredient for making an effective health potion which is the Southeast's main source of profit.
"W-why would cometpear be in danger because of this stupid plant?!" McCrow stuttered.
"It's because the tamilshard is 90 percent more effective as ingredient for the health potion than your cometpear."
"But you manipulated the markets and sacrificed a great-value product for your own benefits!"
The Viscount retorted to my every accusations. He just stopped when the King, once again, raised his voice.
"This case is closed! Princess Avory Reinngold and Fernthumb's side wins the trial!"
—to be continued...