MARKS OF LOYALTY
"Present the evidence." The king's command was quiet, yet it carried through the chamber with undeniable force.The great doors opened once more this time not with chaos, but with grim purpose.Two guards entered, bearing a long wooden chest between them. The court fell into an uneasy silence. The chest was placed at the center of the hall.
"Open it," the judge ordered, his voice tight. The lid creaked as it was lifted.A sharp, metallic scent spread through the air.Inside lay a collection of weapons swords, short blades, and broken spearheads. Dried crimson clung to their edges, darkened with time yet unmistakable.
A murmur of horror rippled through the court. Yuma Nzaki stepped forward, seizing the moment."Your Majesty," he said, gesturing toward the chest, "these were recovered from the site of the massacre."He bent slightly, lifting one of the blades with a cloth. "Kindly observe."At the base of the weapon, just above the hilt, was a marking, an official emblem carefully carved.
The symbol of the royal military. The room air tightened.
"These are not the tools of common bandits," Yuma continued. "They are issued under authority and through command."His eyes shifted, deliberately, toward the general."The command of her Highness." The accusation landed heavier this time because now it had weight.
The judge hesitated before speaking. "General do yooou have sometrhing to add?"All eyes turned to her once more.The general stepped forward, her gaze steady as it fell upon the weapons. "They are ours," she admitted.
A wave of shock passed through the chamber. The third Prince's lips curled slightly, sensing victory.But the general did not falter."These weapons belong to my division," she continued. "That much is true."
The judge's hands tightened. "Then you admit....."
"I admit," she cut in calmly, "that they were once under my authority."
"Not that they were placed in the hands of murderers by my will."
The king leaned back slightly, his gaze narrowing in thought.He had not spoken since the evidence was revealed."You claim," he spoke at last, "those weapons bearing your command left your control… without your knowledge?"
The general met his gaze.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
That alone stirred something unreadable in the king's expression.Power, he knew, did not only lie in armies but in loyalty. And hers… was vast."Military emblems are not easily replicated," the Third Prince interjected.
"Then perhaps," the general replied, her tone sharpening slightly for the first time, "we should ask who benefits most from their appearance here."The words landed like a blade drawn slowly from its sheath.Silence followed.Suspicion, once aimed in a single direction, began just slightly to fracture.
The king's fingers rested lightly against the arm of his seat.He respected her. But influence such as hers if left unchecked could rival a throne."Continue," he said. The trial had changed; it was about power and who could control it.