Lady Philippa was preoccupied with her upcoming trial. She was placed under house arrest for a day, but she was frequently visited by her godfather, William of Tyre, who paid her a visit using the sacrament of penance as an excuse. They're both working against Count Tripoli. Her devoted servant, Abu, on the other hand, had only recently received her letter and was already planning her next move.
She was brought to trial the next morning for humiliating an esteem noble count, being a seditionist for encouraging women to rebel against the authorities, and committing perjury for breaking an oath.
Her long soft curly hair flowed behind her back as she entered the castle hall, dressed in a pastel blue gown bodice adorned with crystals. Emma, her maid servant, accompanied her to the high court hall, where her stepparents and other notable nobles from a powerful family await her verdict.
All eyes were on her as she entered the High Court. Lady Philippa looked around the court and noticed Count Tripoli standing next to her stepparents. She rolls her eyes and walks to the centre hall, where she greets the king with a graceful curtsy.
"Greetings, your Highness," I said as I slowly raised my head and looked at the king, then turned my gaze and smiled at my godfather, William of Tyre, who was standing beside King Baldwin and nodded and smiled at me.
I looked confidently around the high court, which was mostly made up of men from different noble families who were vassals of the king; the only women I saw were my stepmother and maidservant. The trial then begins with Henry, Bishop of Toulouse, delivering an opening speech.
"Today we have gathered here to judge the crimes committed by Lady Philippa house of Antioch against Count Tripoli; she will be judged according to her crime, which includes sedition in encouraging both noble and peasant women to deify man with powers, perjury in breaking an oath of promise to marry the champion of the archery tournament," he asked, looking at Me. Do you enter a guilty or not guilty plea? " he inquired.
"Not guilty," I responded calmly. My response to the bishop elicited gasps from the audience.
"I see... no remorse in any of your actions; do you know what punishment awaits you, my lady?" the bishop asked as I stood confidently in front of the noble's judgemental gaze.
Before I could say anything, Count Tripoli interrupted, saying, "I would like to ask permission to speak, Your Eminence, because I am the victim," and the Bishop nodded, allowing him to speak.
"I understand that the lady was not in her right mind, because I heard she lost her memory due to shock, and the action that was so unladylike was explainable, and I know she is still young and reckless, and there is no need to punish this lovely lady if she just asks for my forgiveness and we will go on with the wedding, because I am still willing to take her," he said confidently with a smirk on his face.
As I stood silently, the crowds continued to gossip, and I looked at my stepparent and Count Tripoli, both of whom had a smirk on their faces.
I scoff as I stare at Count Tripoli, who was taken aback by my cold stare.
"Well, what do you say if you lady Philippa apologises to the count, and we forget everything that happened, and we go ahead with the promised wedding?" the bishop asked.
"Nay," I said. Whispers flooded the high court hall.
"With all due respect, your Eminence," I say, "I have no intention of apologising, and I certainly have no intention of marrying Count Tripoli because I clearly won that tournament."
"This is absurd, you promise to marry the champion!" exclaims Count Tripoli.
"yes, your absolutely right my lord, this is absurd, since I clearly won and everyone in this room witnesses that I challenge you and you accept, with the king's permission of course."
The murmuring gossip continues to grow louder, and Count Tripoli's face turned sour, as did my stepparents'.
"Do you realise, my lady, that you organise the Archery Tournament and promise to marry the champion? But now, after winning the said tournament for your hand in marriage, you refuse to acknowledge Count Tripoli!" exclaimed the bishop. "You just broke your family's oath! Do you understand the consequences that your family may face as a result of your action!" On top of that, you engaged in outrageous behaviour by inciting women to fight men in positions of authority? Do you know what you'll be punished for? he enragedly inquired
"In my defence, your Eminence, yes, I arranged the archery tournament in exchange for my hand in marriage, and yes, I intended to marry the champion, but no, I did not violate the oath; Count Tripoli was not the champion of that tournament, It is I," I explained.
"That's outrageous! How can you tell such a thing with a straight face!"
"It appears you did not hear what I just said earlier: "The king was present when the challenge was accepted, and count Tripoli lost fair and square, and I did not encourage any woman to fight authorities; I simply won."
"Now tell me, does the king have no vote in these matters? then what is he doing here?" I sarcastically added. "He is the main witness; are you not going to question him, or do you think he is more unqualified to be questioned?"I quickly rebutted.
A dark raven-haired knight standing among the crowd burst out laughing. "Ahem... I am sorry... I totally agree with the Lady, your Excellency, the King agrees with the challenge that was made by so why not ask King Baldwin on what really happened so we can prove their claims," he said coolly as he winked at me, and I rolled my eyes at him.
When the king's name was mentioned, the bishop's face went completely white, as did my stepparents' faces, especially my stepfather's.
"Is that true, your Highness? Did you accept the lady's challenge to Count Tripoli?"
"Well.. she did ask me if there is a rule for a woman to join and challenge the victor, and I said I don't see any rule for that," King Baldwin explained.
"King Baldwin specifically said that very word before Count Tripoli accepted the challenge with his highness as a witness," I added. "Proving my innocence and that I did not break any oath"
"I can support this claim, I've heard clearly Count Tripoli accepting Lady Philippa's challenges, which may I say was agreed upon by both parties," William said, defending Philippa as he nodded at Lady Philippa.
"Now that you've heard my witness, why don't you ask Count Tripoli what he has to say about thy claim?" as I challenge the Bishop
The trial continued, but this time Count Tripoli was driven to the corner after I revealed some of his misdeeds to the entire jury and council with the help of my godfather William of Tyre, for plundering against his nephew without his consent and adding to his case his massive debts to other noble families.
The trial concluded with me emerging as the clear victor, and Count Philip Tripoli was ordered to be returned to Tripoli to face his crimes. "Your crime has been expunged, my lady, and you are free to go," the bishop said. But the Trial isn't over because I came here for a different reason.
"Not so fast, your Excellency..." I demanded.
"What is it, my Lady?" the Bishop asked as he turned to look at me.
"This trial isn't over yet," I said.
"I, Philippa Princess of House Antioch, formally make a claim against my stepparents, Lord Raynald of Chatillon and Lady Stephanie De Milly, for negligent guardianship and larceny."
The nobility at the high court, which included the Bishop, my godfather, and King Baldwin, were taken aback by my statement.
"That's ridiculous! What are you thinking?! " yelled Lady Stephanie.
"I'm demanding what is legally mine; do you think I'm unaware that you're embezzling my inheritance on your own, using and neglecting my wellbeing when I was sick?" I protested.
My stepparents' eyes widened in surprise as they were unable to speak. "My, Lady, those allegations are serious; do you have any evidence to support your claim?" asked the Bishop.
"Yes, I do," I said. I summoned Emma and Abu, who went to the centre hall and handed over certain papers to the Bishop, who passed them on to William, who passed them on to the King.
"As you can see, these are copies of my last will and testament that those two made up when I was on my deathbed and even forged my signature against my will, plainly indicating that they wanted me dead so that they could have my fortune all to themselves," I explained.
"Unfortunately for them, I regained my health, and they devised another scheme in which they hurriedly intend to marry me off in return for my husband, whom they chose from the start, giving them half of my inheritance."
"that's not true! your grace, my King! I am your devoted liege! I will not do such! m-my stepchild doesn't even realise what she's saying!" Lord Chatillon kneels before King Baldwin.
"Then can you explain these?" I asked as I threw a scroll paper in front of him. "It's an agreement between you and Count Tripoli that after I marry him, the dowry and land will be given to you in exchange for a promise that he will be made Duke of Antioch, you even mention that my brother wishes for this but clearly you are lying to him, once I marry him you might plan to execute him and put me in an abbey," I said.
"That's untrue! don't listen to her, your majesty! I am not planning to execute Count Tripoli! I never intend to do that! I was only planning to get her fortune but never to execute a nobleman, especially one of your kin," he pleaded to King Baldwin, and there he realised he had made a mistake, confessing his true intention.
As he unwittingly confessed, his face turned pale, and my stepmother staggered, covering her mouth in horror. "Oh my... I never said you were going to execute him; I just suggested you might plot it," I grinned.
My stepfather was unable to move due to shock after confessing, and King Baldwin ordered that he return all of my money twice as compensation, that my stepfather be stationed at the border in a faraway land in the west as punishment, and that my stepmother be placed under house arrest until my stepfather returned. Everything went smoothly during the Trial, and I triumphed, but there is one more thing I require before the day is done.