Breakthrough: Princess Mia Rides the Waves.
“I’m…sorry, father…”
Echard got down on his knees. His head bowed.
“I put poison in the drink for my brother. It was I. I take all the blame.”
“What?!”
Esmeralda let out a shocked cry.
Yes, I see. I guess I didn’t tell Esmeralda. Mia thought,
Citrina moved forward.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty. I would like to ask permission to speak.” She waited for Abram to nod before going on.
“If it were Rina—um, if it were me giving His Highness the poison, I wouldn’t tell him it was poison. Or else, I would tell him it was just a small toxin that wouldn’t hurt his health much. There is some doubt in my mind that His Highness knew that the substance he used could kill.”
“Nevertheless,” Abram began, “the fact remains that he put an unknown poison in the crown prince’s drink with the intent to harm him. I presume that’s why Echard isn’t defending himself.”
“This is all my fault. What I did is unacceptable,” Echard said over and over, his voice shaking and his head still just inches off the ground.
Even though Citrina’s case was good, it didn’t matter much if the criminal wouldn’t accept it. On the other hand, Echard’s claim of ignorance would sound like an attempt to avoid responsibility at this point, even if he did do it.
It’s likely that what Rina said is true, but it’s almost impossible to prove. Mia let out a soft sigh.
“In Sunkland’s history, poisoning a king has never happened. But if we were to follow the examples of most other kingdoms, it would be a crime punishable by death. The person being accused is a prince in this case…” As he looked at the chancellor with doubt, the king’s voice trailed off.
The Chancellor said “You’re right, Your Majesty. Even if the person being charged is a prince…”
“Abram …” The queen’s face turned pale.
When she took a step toward her husband, a cold, hard look stopped her. The air around him seemed to push back, making it impossible to get close. All of a sudden, the king felt very far away. The friendly hints he showed at the ball were gone, along with any signs that he cared about his son. All that was left was his royal power, and nothing else. The king lay there in all his glory, untouched by anything. He was pure and righteous, more fair than any person.
The chancellor said nervously, “Even if it’s your son, Your Majesty… It hurts me to say this, but giving him a lighter sentence is…”
It felt like Abram’s nod was heavy and slow, like his helmet was made of lead instead of gold.
“Especially if it’s my son, good chancellor,” he said. “I think the sentence should be the harshest possible. If I let my family members enjoy undeserved pardon, our kingdom’s justice will fall apart.”
Uh-oh. I don’t like where this is going…
Mia was very aware that the conversation had gone in a very bad direction. It was impossible for her to stop it. There was no way for her to say anything. By this time, she knew that Abram hadn’t called them here to ask for help. They were only there to watch and make sure that a fair decision had been made about this terrible case. That the law had been followed.
They had already talked for a long time before she got there. She was only supposed to show the world that Abram’s decision and Echard’s punishment were moral. The young prince…would not get a break.
I don’t feel anything. There is no tide. There are no waves.
She didn’t even feel like she was in the water. Because of how Abram approached her, she was just a witness. She could only watch from the shore. And some of her friends, like Rafina, met her on the beach. The Holy Lady’s input wasn’t even asked. In horror, Mia couldn’t say a word as she saw the righteous king of Sunkland raise his sword of justice and, without any outside advice or warning, lay it on his son’s neck. That was right then…
“This is wrong!”
…That a sharp voice cut through the thick air. Even though it shook a little, Tiona Rudolvon looked Abram straight in the eyes, her gaze unwavering and determined.
“All this talk about harsher punishments and tighter judgments because he’s family… That’s crazy!”
She had no right to speak. She didn’t have the duty or business to do that. She didn’t care, though. If she had something to say, she was going to say it, no matter what! It took a lot of nerve for Tiona to do what she did.
Wow, she’s not reading the room at all! I like it though! You go girl!
This was a problem with Sunkland at its core. Besides that, King Abram and his children were having a family problem. There was nothing at all to do with Mia or Tiona. People didn’t care about what Mia and her friends had to say. It was so heavy in the air that anyone who spoke out might have been scolded harshly and told to shut up and watch events unfold.
Not Tiona, though. Tiona didn’t care about the air in the room at all. She chose not to read it. She was aware of it, felt it, and refused to accept it. She chose to say what she thought was right instead of what she thought was acceptable.
It might have been bound to happen. This Tiona was the kind of person who was called the Saint of the Revolution in the old timeline. It was kind of her thing to break rules and traditions.
But her bravery wasn’t based on recklessness; it was based on commitment.
“Family is precious, and you would give your life to protect it.”
The words her father had said to her many times. Before he became an outcount, Rudolvon was a head farmer. He didn’t become a noble until much later in life. He taught her that as a noble, it was your job to make sure that the people who lived in your domain had a happy life. They were their own people. Their family.
Tiona thought of the people who lived in her area as her family. Was she then going to be stricter with all of her people? Should they have all been given heavier sentences? She couldn’t agree with the thinking that was being shown. She would give up anything, even her own life, to protect her family.
Her unwavering bravery, like an arrow of pure will, pierced through the thick wall of rejection that kept them from taking part. Mia saw hope through that hole. A breakthrough. It hit her. There was a wave that went through the hole. She would ride it even though it was still small and only reached her legs. That was the Way of the Seamoon. It doesn’t matter what shape or size the wave is; a recognized practitioner of the Flotsam would never let it drift alone.
So, Mia took a deep breath and opened her mouth, ready to be carried away by the small wave.
“Your Majesty, there is a flaw with your decision.”
“You say it has a flaw?”
Abram gave her a sharp look. She tensed a little.
That’s fine. I can handle it. It’s not as bad as when Dion Alaia looks at me meanly. Not quite as bad as it could have been…
She was able to keep her cool with that thought.
“Yes. It could also be called an injustice.”
“Injustice?”
Mia didn’t know who blurted that word out, and she didn’t want to find out. She only gave herself a second to breathe and gather her thoughts before she quickly remembered what had happened in the previous timeline.
Tiona Rudolvon was not the one who put Mia to death by guillotine. She was the leader of the revolution. It wasn’t even one of the rebels. He who chose Mia’s fate was Sion, prince of a different country. The reason was easy to understand: to keep the punisher away from the punished. People who had a personal grudge against her might have asked for a heavier punishment than was necessary. In this case, justice would turn into revenge.
That’s not like him to worry about things like that. He had to make sure that everyone, inside and outside of Tearmoon, thought the whole thing was righteous.
It didn’t help Mia, though, because her head still went flying! In any case…
Hey, Sion, thanks for the idea—I’m going to use it myself!
In other words, Mia stole someone else’s work without any shame. She made a fierce battle squeal and swung the sword of rhetoric at Abram. The sword of rhetoric had been used by her enemy Sion.
“Your Majesty, I need to remind you that you are the victim. You have suffered because of this. Would it not be possible to see your harsher judgment as an abuse of your power because you hold a personal grudge against the person who did wrong?”
She didn’t lie about it. It was “what if people think I’m being unfairly lenient because he’s family?” that got them. “What if people think you’re being unfairly harsh because you’re the victim?” she asked back. When she matched him, she did something unfair against something unfair. There were two possible lines of thinking, so she balanced one with its opposite and equal.
“By the ignorant at least,” she said. “But gossip is still gossip.”
Most likely, she meant that she didn’t think that, but other people might. It was Mia, after all. She wasn’t going to start a fight without being sure she had a way to avoid getting hurt. Of course, she was able to take the flag of justice away from Abram in the process.
After that, there was silence, and Abram closed his eyes. He broke it after some thought. “All right. Princess Mia, your case is strong, and I think it should be taken into account. So, what do you think I should do? What sentence do I need to say?”
“It’s easy. Nothing, Your Majesty,” Mia said. “You don’t need to say anything; your good son can do it instead.”
She looked at Sion. “I think Prince Sion is the best person to make a decision about this.”
He looked at her, and she held his gaze. Maybe… she had just found Sion guilty of killing his own brother. After putting a knife to his heart, maybe all that was left was for the skin to give way and a deep wound to form. Still, she had faith in him.
She had faith because she had seen him repent in Remno and determined at Saint-Noel.
He had sworn that he would make things right on his own. She trusted Sion Sol Sunkland because he was her friend.
I am counting on you, Sion!
She looked at him with hope…
I am leaving everything to you.
She then passed the whole problem to him!
