Peace Offering To The Cursed Prince

"Then everyone should hold onto their stone until the truth is revealed. It will not be right to miss up the stone when we hand them over to you," The Queen said looking at the priest.

She was not stupid, she knew that the prince was up to something the moment he asked that they return the stone. In the scroll she read, the people had to hold on to the strike looking at the witness who would watch as the time turned red it remains white.

So why would he ask them to return the stone? unless he had some plan off his sleeve.

The King tightens his hand. Although he had acted like he did not care earlier when General Thompson came to him that morning, he still went ahead and asked the priest to change the results.

As a king, he knew how bad his decision was but Julia was like his favorite son and he had no plans to watch him die if he could do something about it.

The priest had accepted his request without question, but he warned the king that somebody might notice since the process was supposed to be transparent. No one ever questions the Oracle of truth because of this.

He hand thought that ad long as the priest was the one that switch the ball no one would ask any question.

He never thought that his wife would know so much about the process.

"What are you trying to say, your highness," the priest raised his voice as though he was angry at the Queen's suggestions.

"I am just saying that switching two stones while holding them is possible. To avoid such doubt the scroll advises that, the priest leaves the stone in the hands of the people so that their truth or lie can be seen by all," The Queen replied. She did not even bother about the tone he had replied to her.

"I never had the plans of switching the stones," The priest acted defensively.  The Queen nodded her head. She could already tell he was lying with the way he acted.

"Forgive me, but I never said you did, I just repeated what the scroll said. Unless you are trying to tell me that the scroll is wrong," the Queen asked. Her voice sounded innocent as though she was trying to learn something new but the priest did not miss the challenge in her gaze.

"Of course, not your highness, you can hold on to the stone," he nodded his head. The Queen was right and if this conversation continues others may catch up with the hidden meaning behind the Queen's words. This will lead to people doubting the Oracle.

The Queen nodded his head and face the people in the room. "I believe that prince Julia had tried to connect his brother's wife. I also know that he spread the rumor about his brother being a beast. This is my truth before the king and the Crystal stone. The oracle who can only listen to the truth relieve my truth to all," The Queen said while holding the stone.

Julia swallowed hard as he faced the people the stone in his right hand. "I never wanted to contact my brother's wife, none did I lie against my brother. He... Julia lets his words go, realizing that he was about to call his brother a beast in the presence of everybody. 

That will have only lead to him losing his head regardless of what the result was. He never thought that his end would be this simple. He has always thought that he was smart enough to steal the throne from his brother.

To him strength was not everything, he might not be able to beat the crown prince when they fought but he thought with how smart he was he could steal the throne.

This was why he had been close to his father, making sure he win his love and the love of the crown prince's mother, so how did one simple mistake get him here.

"Your highness is that all," the priest asked seeing that the prince stop talking. Prince Julia took in a deep breath and finished speaking.

The hall stayed quiet as they waited for the result from the crystal stone. After a short moment, the stone moved from the hand of the queen and prince Julia.

It stopped right in their front and shaking light the color of Julia stone Bagan to change color. All eyes were on the stone until it stopped shaking. Prince Julia's stone was red while the Queen's stone remain white and shined breath.

"The result is before our eyes, your majesty," The priest bowed. He felt really sorry that he was unable to help the king save his son.

The king looked up at his son. "According to the law of the land. Prince Julia, you are sentenced to death. He would be killed in three days," the king gave the verdict.

"Your majesty, what about the lady Catherine," the eunuch asked.

"what about her, the lady Catherine had nothing to do with the prince lies. She was just a victim of his manipulate," the Queen spoke.

King Roderick looked at the Queen. "yes, the queen is right. The lady Catherine has nothing to do with today's court. But still, she did wrong to the princess and as such, she should be punished. The lady Catherine has from her mistake and she asked that I have mercy, so I chose to pardon her by not taking her life but She would serve as the princess personally handmaid for a month to compensate for her mistake," the king said before getting off the throne.

Lady Catherine swallow, she did not hate the punishment she was given. After the death of her husband, she would be free to leave the Palace as the Queen instructed but she got the chance to take her revenge on the princess. 

She tried to hid the spark in her eyes. Prince Julia felt his spirit leave his bother. The Queen saved his wife not him, "why would the Queen save his wife and let him die. Her punishment should have also been to lose her head, so why did the Queen speak up to save her?" this was a question in his mind, as he was led away by the guards.