Everyone in the court pretty much knew the man so they weren't shocked but the common people watching in their houses were surely in awe. They didn't get to see Kings everyday, after all.
Richard slightly bowed his head at Charles and continued his work.
"Your highness, tell all of us what you told me. Your statement is crucial today. The whole world awaits your words. Please begin."
Richard kept standing in front of Charles as the King turned his head at the judges.
After that, he started speaking.
"Respected judges, when I was five years old, my father and mother used to tell me the stories of my grandparents. The stories were good and entertaining and I enjoyed hearing them as well.
But whenever I asked my parents what happened with my grandmother and father, they didn't give me any clear answer. They always changed the topic. I was too young to understand such things but when I turned eighteen, my parents finally revealed the truth about my grandparents.
My grandfather and mother were the King and Queen of the United Kingdom and when my father was ten years old, he saw them getting murdered in cold blood.
My father told me a single man broke into our castle and killed the King and Queen of Great Britain in broad daylight. That man, that murderer was Pablo Castillo. The Criminal X."
"Is that all you have to say, Mr. Charles?" A judge asked.
Charles shook his head. "No. I have something more to share."
The judges nodded and Charles continued.
"I never understood the pain felt by my father that day. I never saw my grandparents so I didn't feel that much sorrow after hearing about their murder. But I surely spent twenty years of my life with my mother and father. They were the King and Queen before me.
One fateful day, in the morning of October 2011, another breakout happened in our castle and again a man intruded in our house.
My father and mother were having breakfast in our dining room and I was also there, eating peacefully.
We heard some gunshots, and they came continuously. We three were shocked and we ran towards the safe chamber of our castle. But it was too late.
A man dripping with blood entered the dining room with a rifle in his hand. My father froze in fear as he saw the face of the man and I, too, trembled under the man's fierce gaze.
The man moved towards us, and stopped just in front of my father and mother.
Th-then, he… he shot both of my parents dead in front of my eyes. I watched their lifeless bodies falling beside me and all I could do was watch them dying.
The man then looked at me and I think I had urinated myself there. His eyes were empty, his face riddled with scars, and the man after killing my parents… smiled."
Charles' hands shivered, his lips trembled and tears welled up in his eyes.
"It has been fourteen years but I still get nightmares of that day. Respected Judges," Charles stared at the judges. "I want justice for my parents. Not because they were King and Queen, but because they were Human. Heed my words, my lords, this man, Criminal X, if not stopped, would soon throw this world into World War 3 and if that happened, no one would emerge as the winner. Everyone will lose."
Charles stopped speaking and turned down his head.
"You may leave, Mr. Charles. That's enough." The judges said.
Charles bowed his head and left the witness box.
He went to sit back on his seat and he didn't dare to look at the kneeling Criminal X.
The people sitting around Charles consoled him and the people watching the trial in their homes felt pity for the man.
Even the King of a nation was powerless against Criminal X.
"My lords, I think the proof and the witness I presented is enough for you all?"
"Yes. We have seen all the files we needed to see. And King Charles gave us a good grasp of Pablo too. But we need to follow a procedure. Since Criminal X has no lawyer for his defense, he has a right to say something for himself. Therefore, we, the judges, are giving him a chance to speak. Even the worst criminals have something to say." One judge spoke on behalf of other judges.
"Please, remove the cloth from his mouth, gentlemen." The judge ordered.
In the court, judges' orders were absolute so no one questioned them.
One of the five men behind Criminal X, moved and stood in front of Pablo.
Then, he sat on one knee and brought his right hand closer to Pablo's mouth.
Then after thirty minutes into the trial, the cloth on Pablo's mouth was finally removed and when people saw the cloth, their expressions turned ugly.
It was not just a piece of cloth, it was a full length dress and it was covered with mud, dirt and all sorts of degrading substances ever existed on earth.
However, people felt good that Pablo's mouth was stuffed with that cloth. They all were satisfied with the treatment Criminal X was receiving.
The cloth was finally removed, Pablo's mouth was free again.
After removing the cloth, the armed man stood again and went back to his position.
Pablo's eyes were still covered but his mouth was surely free now. Even he had the freedom to speak.
"Do you have something to say, Pablo Castillo?" The Judge asked and everyone then focused on Pablo.
Pablo's lips were torned, dry, bloodied, he had no beard on his face and at the Judge's question, his lips moved.
"I… I…" His lips trembled, he uttered some words and he uttered some more.
"I wi-wish… I could ha-have.."
People waited for his next words. They were curious to know what the worst criminal had to say.
"I wish I could have…" Pablo paused and moved up his head. Even with blindfolded eyes, he stared right at the judges and with a goddamn smile, he said his next words :
"Killed More!"
Everyone flinched and the next moment, even the judges shivered as Criminal X erupted in a frenzied laughter.
"HahahahahahHahHahHAHHA!!!!"
"That does it. Soldiers! Cover this Demon's mouth. He is too gone to be healed." The judge gave the order and it was the same judge who, just a moment ago, believed every criminal should be heard.
The same soldier came in front of Pablo with the same cloth and the other four soldiers held his neck.
The soldier brought his hand closer to Pablo's mouth and Pablo snapped his teeths. The Criminal tried to eat the soldier's fingers.
"Stay still, scum." The soldier forcefully shoved the cloth in Pablo's mouth and Criminal X was silent again.
The soldier moved back to his position and the judges began writing something.
After three minutes, the judges nodded among themselves and one of them spoke.
"Mr. Richard. Please give your closing statement."
Richard nodded and as the best lawyer, he started his endgame.
"My lords, you all got to know the heinous crimes committed by Pablo. Be it murders, rapes, explosions, destruction of religions, smuggling of drugs, robberies, assassinations, he did all things that are illegal and harmful to the society.
He brought pain and tears to many families be it Kings or common populace.
And it is not me who is fighting this case, I am representing the whole world. And the whole world wants only one thing. It wants the death of Pablo Castillo. The most painful, merciless, brutal, heartless execution possible for the worst and biggest Criminal in the world. It wants, for once and for all, the end of Criminal X! That's all, your honor."
Clap!
Clap!
Clap!
Everyone present inside the court and even the people who were watching in their homes, clapped for Richard. He perfectly demanded what the world wanted to be bestowed on Pablo.
The judges heard the lawyer and they all nodded.
They all talked among themselves for a good couple of minutes and after that, they all gave a final nod to each other.
Then, the judge sitting in the middle of the fifteen judges, reached out and picked the golden pen kept on the table.
Richard took a deep breath and many others did the same. It was not foreign knowledge to them that the golden pen was used when the final decision was about to be taken.
They all knew the end was near. The terror of Pablo Castillo, Criminal X, hung onto that golden pen.
The judge in the middle used that pen and began writing.
And by that, everyone became certain that justice would be served soon. About Criminal X, they would all get to hear…
The Final Verdict.