Chapter Thirty-Two

The Verdict

The bitterest defeat is when someone trumps you in your own game.

Aden

5L 15/15/1/16

"Yes, I accept the fact that this coverup was a wrongful action on my part, and I am ready to accept the punishment. But first, you all must understand why I chose that path."

Samuel was an ocean of calm amidst the raging storms. Samuel's grace in the face of adversity swayed public emotions in his favor. During the trial, Olivier and Malcolm repeatedly hinted that Henry committed all those crimes under extensive orders from Samuel, but he never slighted anyone. He drove home his points and very subtly reminded people about what he had done for them, but also made sure that it never felt as if he was boasting about his achievements. Many Adeners believed that this whole trial was a dirty political game to dethrone the king who had dared to empower the commoners.

A perfect example of this was his ingenious reply when one of the judges asked him that why he didn't notify the Council about the botched-up mission seven years ago and instead opted for the coverup?

"Irrespective of what honorable HighMinister thought about my intentions, he must have surely misunderstood me at some point, God knows that my sole intention of sending troops to Elisium was to defend Aden from any foreign threats. When I came to know that the mission had taken a violent turn, I decided to take its full responsibility and give up the throne at that very moment. But then I realized that if I recuse myself from my position, without a proper person present to take it over, it would lead to utter chaos. By God's grace, I also had some ambitious plans for the development of Aden, so I decided to hold on to this opportunity to serve the people of Aden for another seven years."

"But why did you keep the Council in dark?" One of the judges asked.

"Holy angels. Honorable minister, just tell honestly, if I had told you all the truth, would you have let me continue as the King? Would you all have let me do what I did in the last seven years? Just go and ask Adeners, and they will tell you what our regime achieved in the last mini-cycle. We brought remote parts of this world into the fray. We gave common people representation in the Council. We provided scientists and scholars a chance to have a say in the policy matters of this world. Yes, I am guilty of stealing seven years, but I didn't steal them to beef up my defenses and protect my throne, but I stole them for Aden. I stole those years to fulfill a dream. And Almighty is my witness that this dream was not to sit on the throne forever, but was to turn Aden into a much more united, developed, and prosperous world."

"That doesn't wash away your crimes." One of the judges tried to silence him but the crowds started jeering. Samuel's every word resonated with the masses. He was their messiah.

"They were no crimes, they were mistakes. Big mistakes, no doubt, but I want people to know that what I did, I did it with a clean heart and noble intentions. I have never even once said that I must be spared. If I had wanted to escape, I had seven years to do so. But here I am, in front of the people, ready to face my sentence."

King of the common men had wooed Adeners. A majority of them wanted him to continue. They were least bothered by what happened in Tenebra or who committed those massacres, all they cared about was what was best for their world. And Samuel was the best thing that had happened to Aden after Solomon. The administrative brilliance he had shown was unprecedented. What he had achieved in seven years hadn't been achieved in that many cycles.

***

It took Henry a few days to realize that he was the scapegoat that Olivier had prepared for sacrifice. All the bloodshed was pinned on him. Olivier and Malcolm kept repeating that Henry knowingly did all this on Samuel's orders. Most army officers from the mission testified against Henry. He vehemently denied all the allegations, but he had walked right into Olivier's trap and there was no escape.

On the other hand, Olivier's problems kept on compounding after Brendon's assault. Samuel had handpicked Brendon to the Council and Brendon had repaid his faith by tearing down Olivier's story and putting it on a burner. More Council members, scholars, and even some commoners, now began to question Olivier's actions and intentions. Cracks grew wider, not only in his watertight story but his impeccable demeanor as well. The ever calm and composed diplomat repeatedly got offended during the questioning. His frequent outbursts were in stark contrast to Samuel's flawless composure. Samuel's acceptance of his mistakes trounced Olivier's denial of his crimes. Adeners knew who amongst the two was more worthy of their trust. Although there was no substantial evidence against Olivier, the seeds of doubt had taken roots.

The nobles in the Council also felt the heat. Samuel was skillfully diverting people's attention away from him and focusing it on Olivier. His selfless image was growing on people's minds with each hearing. If the trial stretched for too long, the Adeners might just ask the Council to pardon him and let him continue on the throne. And that was the last thing the nobles wanted. They needed to act before the matter slipped out of their hands.

All the powerful nobles of Aden held a secret meeting. The fate of Aden was sealed.

***

On the seventh morning of the trial, Kalvin, the senior-most of the five judges, abruptly decided to conclude the trial.

"I think we have heard all that everyone had to say in this matter. We have heard the testimonies of all the prominent people who were present in Elisium, heard what the defendants had to say, and also listened to some bizarre theories. I assume no one has anything new to say and repeating the same points again and again from different perspectives is just a waste of time. What we, the judges, have heard in the last six days is enough for us to reach a judgment. Since there is no new development, I will read out the judgment, which we have reached with a majority of four to one."

Kalvin took out some papers and started to read from them.

"By the virtue of the powers vested in us by the Council of Aden, in the case against the former King Samuel Solomon, we the judges have reached the following verdict.

'King Samuel has, again and again, emphasized the fact, that his intention in doing what he did, was the betterment of this world. We found no reason to doubt his intentions, but his faulty decisions did cause the loss of thousands of lives. Hundreds of our families lost their sons and that certainly cannot be ignored. He committed another offense by trying to cover up this debacle. But he more than made up for the coverup by working tirelessly for the development of this world, and the people of this world will be forever indebted to him for his efforts."

A loud murmur of approval was heard around the arena. Kalvin, and the other judges with him, had made sure that the statements of the verdict did appease the sentiments of the people. They had to achieve their goal, but couldn't afford to rile up the masses. No one wanted a rebellion.

"However, since he approved that wretched mission, against the wishes of the Council by using the Right of the King, he must face its consequences. We must also remember, that although inadvertently, his hands are stained with the blood of thousands of innocent people and such a person cannot be deemed fit to hold the lofty position of a king. Since Samuel has already renounced the throne, he will continue to do so. Furthermore, this court sentences Samuel Solomon to fourteen years of Banishment in Tenebra, to repent for his mistakes."

There was an uproar amongst the crowd. What did Banishment mean? What were they going to do with their beloved king?

Kalvin shouted at the top of his voice and asked people to settle down. Once the order was restored Kalvin continued reading the judgment. "As per the laws of this land a person who has committed a crime, even if he is the king, must be punished. Since the horrors of Samuel's wretched decision were mostly suffered by the people of Tenebra, it seemed most appropriate to banish him to that world, so that he can see the aftermath of his ill-advised invasion. This will also give him a chance to redeem himself by working for the betterment of the world which he almost destroyed. Samuel and Commander Desmond will be Banished to Tenebra during the next Crossing, and till that time they will be held as prisoners in Aden. Once they reach Elisium, they must stay with its people and try and help them rebuild their world. That will be an apt redemption for their mistakes."

There was a mixed reaction from the crowd. Gasps, murmurs, and head-scratching. Some weren't happy that their king was getting banished but others felt that the judges had eventually given out a fair judgment. A person with blood on his hand cannot rule them and Samuel had already given up his throne to face the consequences of his decisions.

After a brief pause, Kalvin continued reading from his papers. "As for Commander Henry, it has been proved beyond doubt, that he was the main culprit behind this bloodbath. His motives remain unclear, but his despicable actions demand the strictest of punishments. Commander Henry is henceforth sentenced to Banishment for life. He will be sent to Tenebra during the next Crossing, and till that time he will be imprisoned in the darkest of our cells. Furthermore, he should receive twenty lashes every week as an additional punishment."

There was a roar of approval after this sentence. Henry was people's most loathed villain and he got what he deserved.

Kalvin put down his papers and addressed the crowd. "This trial leaves our world in a precarious situation. We are left without a King. The natural heir to the throne has vanished, and in such a scenario, the HighMinister is the obvious choice for the throne,.."

People started shouting as soon as they heard Olivier's mention. Some of the people used choicest of abuses for him. Olivier was the second most unpopular man in Aden after Henry. He hadn't helped his cause by trying to malign the beloved king. Kalvin requested the crowd to let him speak, but people kept screaming. He was only able to resume when things cooled down after a couple of minutes.

"After what has unfolded in the last few days the HighMinister's reputation has been severely damaged. Although nothing has been proved, yet a person with a tainted image doesn't inspire confidence to be deemed fit to rule our world. After much deliberation, the judges have selected a person who seems fit for this role. He is well known for his intellect and hard work. At a relatively young age, he has rapidly risen through the ranks to become a minister. Furthermore, he has the added advantage of having stayed in that other world. He has seen the mistakes the former regime had made from up-close and as a king, he will benefit from that experience to ensure that we don't end up making such debacles in the future. At present, he is the best option we have. We, the judges, propose the name of Minister Malcolm Lewis as our new King and I request the Council to take a vote on this matter."

***

Olivier couldn't believe his ears. He hid his face behind his palms. His body went numb. He couldn't even feel his heart beat. His world had been torn apart. All his wicked plans and all the innocent lives he had taken were going to count for nothing.

Olivier was a shrewd politician. He understood what happened behind his back. His falling popularity might have ruled him out in eyes of the Council. The nobles would have also considered that Malcolm being a more subdued person than Olivier would be much easier to manipulate. Olivier knew that everyone must have agreed on Malcolm's name a night before and this voting was just a show in front of the people.

Just as he had expected, the nobles stood one after another and voted for Malcolm. The commoners in the Council were clearly caught unaware. They hadn't expected the new king to be elected during the trial and had no plans to counter this move. Besides that, they were still in minority and their votes wouldn't have made any difference. In front of thousands of people, who had gathered inside the arena to witness the trial, Malcolm was elected the king of Aden.

Olivier saw the blank looks on people's faces. They didn't know whether this was good or bad. Or how should they react? But everything was done and dusted before they could realize the enormity of the verdict and this sudden development.

The trial was over and their King was banished. Out of nowhere, Malcolm Lewis had become Aden's new King.

Olivier was a forlorn figure. He looked at Malcolm who stared back with a triumphant smile. "You are too engrossed with yourself to look at the qualities of others. Someday this will come back to bite you. Someday, someone might trump you in your own game and then you will be left wondering." Malcolm's words, which he had said to him in Elisium, echoed in Olivier's mind.

The bitterest defeat is when someone trumps you in your own game.

Malcolm, the unassuming disciple, had trumped his master.

With one decisive blow, he had hijacked his plan and took over his dream.