Confidence radiated off of Marona in waves as she briskly walked inside the throne room, her head held high with her cape fluttering behind her with every bit of movement. She was already every bit of a Queen, all she needed was the title. And she would get it.
After she was done with these rebels.
As she passed all the ministers with her eyes set on her Crown Princess throne, the men bowed in respect, some out of actual respect and admiration, while some just did it out of fear as to where todays trial would lead to.
Once seated on her throne, Marona turned to her people who were already watching her. With her words dripping with power, Marona ordered. "Bring them in."
The doors to the throne room were opened yet again, only this time the arrival was not announced. For in walked a series of knights, holding each member of House Mckenzie with them. Once they reach the front, the knights dropped them on the floor in not so smooth way.
Lord Mckenzie fell flat on the floor, hurriedly pulling himself up but he still remained kneeling. His wife, sons and a daughter were all whimpering in fear, their faces already blotched and stained from previous tears. Their fancy clothes were a mess, torn and stained with dirt after spending one night in the dungeon. Not to forget, their unruly, messy hairs.
Lord Mckenzie stared around him in terror, staring from one person to another as they all looked down on him, some of them with victory smirks while some with disappointment or disgust. His eyes then landed on Marona, and they stayed there. Once she knew she had his undivided attention, she began.
"Lord Mckenzie?"
"Y-yes, Your H-highness?"
"Do you know why you are here?"
"Y-your Highness I-" The man stuttered, glancing at his wife in the process. "I'm afraid I do not. T-the guards they…they dragged my family and-"
"Chief Advisor Diana?"
"Yes, Your Highness?"
Without glancing once at the woman, Marona gave her order. "Please, do this man a favour and read out his crime."
With a curt nod of agreement, Diana unrolled a scroll before reading it out loud to everyone present in the room. "Lord Mackenzie, you have been held accountable for the disappearance of the funds issued for the common people. You are also accountable for stealing from the royal treasury on behalf of your wife, Lady Mckenzie. Do you deny it?"
"This is slander!" Thundered Lord Mckenzie, his eyes wide as baseballs as he pleaded with them to Marona, who only stared back at him with an eyebrow raised. The man still continued. "I would never dare! How dare someone accuse House Mckenzie of such nonsense!?"
"My, you really know how to weave a lie, Lord Mckenzie, colour me surprised." Exclaimed Lord Bishore, the Minister of Agriculture as he chuckled along with other ministers who had pledged loyalty to Marona. "I wonder if you shall stick to your stories once we tell you we have evidence of your crimes."
This seemed to drain the colour out of the Mckenzie's as the glanced at each other with fear flashing across their faces. Lord Mckenzie was having a hard time forming words. "E-evidence? Wh-what do you me-"
"These documents," Diana cut in as she waved a bundle of parchments bound with leather before she began flipping through each of them. "They have an account of all the crimes you have done, Lord Mckenzie. It even details the jewels your wife has adorned around her neck at the moment. Do you still deny it?"
"Y-your Highness, please, if you will be kind enough to listen to me." Lord Mckenzie begged with a forced smile, trying to play it cool. "I-I was one of the most trusted Lord of your Mother. She…she admired me! She said I was a great help to the Queendom! I would never do this! You know it Your Highness! You know!"
Lord Mckenzie's panting breaths echoed in the silent throne room as everyone waited for Marona to speak on this sudden outburst. And as they waited, different thoughts ran in their heads.
Does she believe him? I wouldn't be surprised if she does, given how very naïve she always was. Thought Lord Combre, as he rubbed his bearded chin.
Oh dear. I hope the Princess isn't fooled. Even if she isn't she may go soft on him. That doesn't bode well with her reputation. Mused Lord Hadford.
And while every man in the room had a thought of his own, Marona sat there with an eyebrow raised, staring directly at the audacious man which only made him look away, the intensity of her eyes too much. And yet she didn't break away.
"Lord Mckenzie." Marona finally spoke up, making the ministers thought run wild.
She will believe him for sure.
She will go soft on him I fear.
"The chief advisor asked you a question; I demand to know the answer. Do you have it?"
Fear crossed the face of not only the man accused, but everyone single minister present as well. They had not expected this turn of events, let alone Marona's direct authority. For a second there, they had forgotten she was the daughter of the former Queen, whether they liked it or not.
Lord Mckenzie whimpered, sweat beading in his forehead. "Your Highness please-"
"Do you have the answer or not!? Yes or no!?"
"No, Your Highness! I didn't do it!"
Silence prevailed once again as Mckenzie glared at Marona with all the malice. "You may be the Princess and the first in line for the throne and also the Lady of House Cackbeth, but I'm the treasured Minister of the late Queen, and a beloved Lord for the people of Hallowywoods. And I'm also the Lord of House Mckenzie. I shall not be belittled by a Princess that has been spoiled her whole life and doesn't know the ropes of politics."
The man seethed with anger, anger he had bottled up for so long. He glared at Marona who slowly got to her feet, descending down the few stairs that led down from her throne. With a calm expression, she passed by the said lord before stopping in front of his wife. Without warning, she yanked the woman by the neck.
"Your Highness!"
"Melissa!"
"Enough!" Marona thundered, silencing the whole room in one blow. Melissa whimpered under Marona's hold, while the princess glared at her, before grabbing the necklace around her neck and pulling it out by force, making the lady yelp in pain. Once she had the jewellery, she shoved the woman away, dumping her on her children.
"This," Marona hissed, holding the necklace up in front of Lord Mckenzie's face. "Belonged to my late Aunt, Princess Popy. How dare you adorn this worthless woman with my family heirlooms?"
Lord Mckenzie, of course, didn't reply as fear pooled in his eyes. Moving on from him, Marona stormed to his second son, before she yanked the man up with sheer force and grabbed his wrists, brandishing them in front of the father's face. "This! These are yellow diamond cuff links! Made of the highest value and only available in the Kingdom of Hucklebee and reserved for Royalty only! How do you think your sons reached their filthy hands on them!?"
She then stormed towards the daughter who tried to shrink away, but Marona grabbed her by the shoulders, took one look at her hairs and scoffed, before shoving her at her father's feet. "Take a look at her hair pins. Looks familiar? Those were mine, given to me by my late father at my seventh birthday. I had deposed it to the Royal Treasury for safe keeping, and only recently found out about its disappearance. Now I now where they went."
The whole family were on the floor in a heap, their bodies trembling with fear as they looked up at a terrifying sight of Marona glaring down at them, a scoff leaving her mouth. "Even after all these; you still claim you haven't done anything wrong, Mckenzie?"
Mckenzie made no reply, so she continued. "You stole from the People, from the funds, from the Royal Treasury which was entrusted to you, and you claim you were loyal to my mother? The late Queen? You dare?"
"Your Highness-"
"Maybe you were, I shall never know. However, do you know how their Majesties location was sent to the rebels?" Marona asked with an air of carelessness, which was something that irked out the men as they wondered what kind of person Marona really was this whole time. She continued. "Someone from the inside did it. We have a mole. And a mole can only be someone that was a trusted minister. So tell me, Mckenzie, how much did my mother trust you?"
Realizing that he had just dug his own grave with his useless remark, Mckenzie fell on all fours, and so did his family as they began pleading with their lives. "Forgive us Your Highness! We have committed a terrible sin! Show mercy!"
The five Mckenzie's wailed out, their cries echoing across the walls but all Marona did was stare at them blankly before she began walking back to her throne, ready to end this trial.
"Forgive us Your Hi-"
"Diana, read the verdict."
"Very well Your Highness." Diana said before pulling out the scroll from earlier as she prepared to read out the fate of House Mckenzie to the now silent throne room. "By the order of Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Marona, Lord Tybalt Mckenzie, Melissa Mckenzie, George Mckenzie, Julian Mckenzie and Helena Mckenzie, are hereby sentenced to death by hanging for violating their privileges and looting from the Common people and the Royal treasury."
"No, Your Highness! No!"
"Their sentence has been decided on regard for the loss they have caused to the common people. Their actions had brought multiple casualties among the peasants and left many more to starvation and homelessness. Hence they shall pay for their crimes with their lives. No law can change the final judgement."
Diana rolled up the scroll, taking her time to assess the crowd before her. the Mckenzie's screamed, wailed and cried in hysteria as they were dragged away, which was a given. But what perplexed Diana, was the reaction of the other nobles.
They were shell shocked. With fear.
Never had they thought Marona to be this fierce, which was why they thought they stood a chance against her for the throne. Even her supporters were surprised at the sentence, unable to believe how much the young princess had grown.
And then she looked at the very person who made the verdict. Beside her, Marona was leaning back on her throne, completely relaxed and unbothered as she watched the criminals thrash around and fight back while the knights wondered what to do with them.
"Get them out of here." Marona ordered calmly, her face revealing no emotions as the family were finally dragged out.
A small smile built itself in the corners of Diana's mouth, a smile of pride and admiration.
You've grown a lot Your Highness. You've grown a lot, Marona.