Dariel looked out the carriage window as it moved. His expression was serious, he seemed to be in deep thought.
He watched as the cottages, trees, people and other carriages passed by.
The carriage slowed down as it turned to the corner before coming to a gradual stop in front of the townhall.
It was an ancient building. One of the first built in the entire kingdom. It stood proudly in the middle of the town.
It was a huge building, a third of the size of the castle. It's rich history and significance made it the perfect place for the king to hold his weekly court in which he settled matters, trivial disputes and most important held meetings with his trusted servants.
"We have arrived my lord." the carriage driver spoke pulling Dariel out of his thoughts.
"I see, go around the corner and wait for me there." he said as he fitted himself one last time before opening the door and stepping out of the carriage.
"Yes my lord." he carriage driver replied as he nodded and drove off instantly.
Dariel cleared his throat as he looked straight at the entrance.
He was about to enter into a den of enemies and he was prepared. He had to look his best, and he was certain that he did at the moment.
Dariel wasted no more time, he walked into the hall, he made his way to the king's court. Two guards stood attentively outside the door, their eyes filled with distaste as soon as they laid eyes on him.
"Your name and state your intention here." one of the guards spoke.
Dariel scoffed, a bunch of two idiotic men. Obviously, they knew why he was here, the entire kingdom was aware of his court case with the king.
They were just being spiteful. Not to mind, he would have their heads once he became the king's in law.
Nevertheless, he would not allow these two brainless guards ruin his lovely day today.
"Viscount Dariel Rivethans, I have an audience with the king and his court this morning." he simply stated with a cold smile.
The two guard looked at each other before standing aside and opening the door for him.
"Thank you." he smiled as he walked into the room, his stride purposeful and confident.
Dariel walked into the darkly lit room. A table encompassed the room in a round manner, behind the table sat fifteen members of the king's court.
He as the accused would be subjected to stand in the middle of the room in front of them all until his matter had been concluded.
"Just you wait, I will soon have a seat in this room as well." he said to himself smiling as he turned to face the king who had the highest seat in the room.
He towered high above Dariel with one of the two lower seats behind him empty. On his left was his most trusted chief guard, and to the right was where his son was to be seated.
Dariel looked around the room, of all the familiar faces he could recognize, he was unable to see Ian anywhere.
"Good morning my king, may your life be as fruitful and as long as the elm tree." he said bowing down on one knee, the usual custom greeting to the king.
"Thank you Viscount Dariel, you may rise." Phillip replied.
He was a plump man, his chubby cheeks, his white hair. He was a very handsome man, all agreed that both his sons were blessed with his good looks.
"Alright, we should start this proceeding, some of us have places to be, things to do." Phillip said clearing his throat.
He picked up the pieces of parchment in his hand as he read them.
"We are all present here early this morning to settle a dispute between family members." he read out.
"Viscount Dariel is suspected of using dubious means in order to gain his present title." he continued.
"The duty of this court is to discover the truth and settle on the right course of action to move forward." he finished placing the parchment on the table and looking straight at Dariel.
"Are there any objections to the nature of this meeting?" he asked as Dariel shook his head.
"None, my king." He replied.
"Anyone else?" he asked as they all shook their heads.
"Alright, may the accuser step out." It was at that moment that Dariel locked eyes with his mortal enemy, the bane of his existence, the one that was responsible for all his shame and hate. His half brother Endrick Rivethans.
"Greetings to you my king and all honourable members of the court." He smiled charmingly. His brown eyes twinkled, he had black hair just as Dariel, in fact there was an unmistakable resemblance between them although Dariel was clearly older.
Dariel could not help but frown as he looked away from the person he hated most.
"Greetings to you Lord Rivethans." They all replied.
"May I just take this opportunity to thank you all for hearing my plight and coming together to help me solve it." he smiled.
Dariel scoffed, he did not even try to hide his displeasure. What sort of plight was this? How come he only came to challenge him for his title more than twenty years later?! Either way this entire meeting was a farce.
"You do not have to thank us Lord Endrick, it is my duty as king to hear the plights of all my subjects." Phillip replied smiling. Dariel almost rolled his eyes at the ludicrous statement.
If their king was as dutiful as he claimed to be, they would not be hearing trying to settle this useless matter, instead he would be busy hearing the actual plights of innocent people and not a greedy son who wants to steal what does not belong to him.
"Alright, let us begin, Viscount Dariel for the past twenty three years you have held the title of Viscount which belonged to your father." Phillip began, the smile disappearing off his face as soon as he faced Dariel.
Dariel was not even surprised, he could feel the hate emanating from their gazes. Everyone in this room loathed him, he did not care, he was used to it, he loathed them as well.
"Lord Endrick attests that you used dubious means to covet a title that had no claim of being yours in the first place."
"What do you have to say to defend yourself?" Phillip asked.
Dariel looked straight ahead, purposely ignoring the stupid gaze of his greedy half brother.
"Let me ask you a question my king." he said.
"Go on." Phillip nodded.
"According to the law, by the right of birth, who inherits the estate and title?" he asked calmly.
"The firstborn son of course, unless the firstborn is a daughter then the father has the choice whether to allow his inheritance pass to his daughter's husband or his other children." Phillip answered as a matter of fact.
"Exactly my king, and would you all please remind me who the first born of the Rivethans is?" he asked, trying hard to hide him smile.
There was silence in the room, they all knew they walked into a trap.
"You are Viscount Dariel." Phillip answered slowly.
"Precisely, which is why I see all this as a waste of time." he smiled. "There is a reason why my title has gone unquestioned for twenty three years."
"He does speak truth, it is in our law." Phillip admitted.
"No! No my king, this is not so, because the same law states that if a will is written it overrules every written law of succession, especially birth!" Endrick hastily interjected.
His half brother had once duped him of his rightful inheritance and he was not about to let that happen again.
"Are you trying to say there there is a will present Lord Endrick?" the man sitting on Phillip's left spoke out.
"Yes! Yes Lord Endron, there is a will, or at least there was one." Endrick scoffed as he looked at Dariel.
"Oh please, this is preposterous, there is no will, if there was, we would not be standing here today." Dariel declared.
"There is a will! You know that there is a will Dariel, you conniving thief, you got your hands on the will and destroyed it, but I am certain there was a will that clearly stated I was to be viscount in father's place!" Endrick insisted.
"You bloody bastard, shut your mouth, there is no will! And even if there was, clearly it would adhere to the laws of our kingdom!" Dariel shouted.
"You bloody liar! You an outcast!" Endrick shouted as he proceeded to to lay hands on Dariel not not before Dariel threw him a nasty blow.
"Lords! Lords! Stop this foolishness! Guards! Guards!" Phillip called urgently as the two brothers were involved in tussle on the ground trading blows.
The guard barged into the room quickly moving to separate the two bothers.
"This is foolishness of the highest order!" Phillip shouted clearly angered by the escalation.
"We are dignified men! Degrading fistfights!" he raised his voice.
"Not all of us." sneered Endrick as he looked at Dariel and spat out blood.
Dariel scoffed, he smiled at his handiwork, his half brother certainly looked as if he had been maimed by some sort of wild animal, he on the other hand was minimally hurt.
"If this is how the two of you intend to settle your dispute then there is no point of coming to my court to waste all of our time." he said his voice calming down.