*****CHAPTER 6

ALCOT'S POV
 
I turned to look at the elders now. "What are your takes, elders of the council?" If you would like to question the criminals, you are free to do that.
 
One of the elders, Elder Simone, got up from his seat and walked towards my throne until he was standing just beside the thieves.
 
"If I may speak, my Lord," he curtsied as he asked for permission.
 
"You may speak, Simone."
 
"Thank you, my Lord." He turned to face the thieves now. "Last week, information was passed to us that one of you was sighted sneakily crossing the borders to the White Wolf pack with contraband and some young women and men whom you had kidnapped and trafficked."
 
"It wasn't me, my lord." Elder Matthias immediately jumped in, his eyes hot with tears. "I have an alibi." I was at home all day. You can ask my wives and children. "I do not tell a lie, my Lord."
 
My eyes traveled to Elder Jacobson, who did not plead for himself this time. Instead, he sent Elder Matthias death stares. If looks could kill, elder Jacobson's stares could have sent elder Matthias firing lasers by now.
 
"Because elder Jacobson and elder Matthias have the same hair color and look similar from afar, it was quite hard to figure out who the culprit could be." So, we decided to lay an ambush with the army two days ago, and we invaded both houses of the men simultaneously to find this contraband with the so-called elders of the council. In Elder Matthias' barn were malnourished young women, young men, and children who were locked up again and prepared to be trafficked. It was the same with Elder Jacobson, but this time in a secret underground tunnel we never knew existed in his house.
 
"The secret tunnel was for safety, my Lord." Elder Matthias begged me with shaky hands. "I swear. Because of the war that occurred hundreds of years ago, my great-grandfather dug the tunnel as an escape plan for us if a war were to ever start again.
 
"Why were innocent people and contraband found in that tunnel, then?" Elder Simone fired at him, and elder Matthias yelled back an adamant answer.
 
"I do not know!"
 
"Do you claim you were framed just as your companion here claims too?" Elder Simone asked again.
 
"Obviously." Elder Matthias' nose flared, and he glared at Elder Jacobson again.
 
Elder Simone faced me again and gave another curtsy. "That would be all, my Lord."
 
"Thank you, elder Simone. You may go back to your seat now." I replied, and he walked back to his seat among the rest of the elders, who murmured and whispered amongst themselves.
 
"You have all listened to these men who have been accused of these heinous crimes." I announced. "And since both men pleaded not guilty, I shall allow room for a vote to be cast." "The one who would be voted guilty shall be punished without mercy."
 
I watched as the elders nodded their heads in agreement.
 
"We shall now start with the case of Elder Jacobson. "If you rule him not guilty of the crime, please have your hands up, and beta Jax shall count those hands lifted up."
 
One by one, a few of the elders raised their hands mid-air, and Jax immediately set out to count them.
 
"Five found him not guilty, my Lord." Jax announced, and I nodded at his words.
 
"Those of you who found elder Matthias not guilty of the crimes, please have your hands up." I ordered again, and the majority of the elders had their hands shot midair. I could hear Elder Jacobson sobbing quietly as they did. He could already see the results. He could already see his unfortunate fate right before his eyes.
 
"Thirteen, my Lord." Jax announced again, and Elder Jacobson's sobbing continued ceaselessly.
 
"Punish me, my Lord. But spare my family, please. "Have mercy, my Lord." "Please have mercy on my innocent family." He cried and begged.
 
"The elders of the council have made their rulings." I ignored his pleas and went ahead to announce the results to the gathering. "And according to the votes that have been cast, elder Jacobson has been found guilty of all the crimes he had been accused of, while elder Matthias has been found innocent of the offenses."
 
Immediately, elder Matthias dragged his knees to my feet and kissed them with gratitude; the tears in his eyes now disappeared nonetheless.
 
"Oh, thank you, my Lord. "I am indebted to your mercy."
 
Ignoring elder Matthias's dramatic show, I continued to speak.
 
"But I have my own ruling to make." Slowly, elder Matthias let go of my feet and stared at me with a puzzle written all over his face. The elders also whisper in confusion amongst themselves.
 
"Silence!" I ordered, such that my voice thundered across the large hall. Instantly, every living thing in the room kept quiet, and I took a deep breath before I continued speaking again.
 
"Elder Matthias." I called, and the man answered with a shaky voice now. The victory in his face and voice was completely gone and replaced by a great degree of fear.
 
"M–my L–ord."
 
"You promised to remain truthful and honest to the assembly gathering, didn't you?"
 
"You also swore by your life that if you told a lie, you would pay for it with your life."
 
The man hesitated for a few minutes before taking a dry lump down his throat and answering. "Y-yes, my Lord!"
 
I paused for a moment, letting my eyes pierce into his. He immediately throws his eyes away from mine, like I expected.
 
"And yet... you lied." My words were like breaking an iceberg. Elder Matthias's eyes flew open in fear, and the elders murmured again. Elder Jacobson's lips trembled and his eyes moved from me to elder Matthias, accusation held in them.
 
"You committed such terrible crimes, and, afraid of being caught, you took advantage of your resemblance to Elder Jacobson and framed him."
 
"My lo–rd…" Elder Matthias tried to speak, but I did not give him the chance to. He lost his chance to redeem himself once, and I would not give him that chance again.
 
"You sneaked to your fellow companion's house at late midnight and planted all the evidence that would frame him." You wanted him to be punished for your crimes so that you might walk free on the soil of our great nation. But luck wasn't so well on your side and you were caught before you could hide the evidence in your own house. Then, you cunning fellow went ahead to accuse elder Jacobson of trying to frame you."
 
Elder Matthias fell back from the gravity of my words, shock written all over his face. I understood just how he felt at that moment. Just when he thought he had escaped punishment, the truth came out, and he was caught again.
 
"M–my lord, how did you know about all these?" He asked, trembling greatly.
 
"Seize him!" I ordered the palace guards, and they immediately surrounded him, but before they could get their hands on him, elder Matthias ran towards elder Jacobson and tried to lynch the poor fellow, but he wasn't fast enough, at least not as fast as my sword. Before he could make a move and get his hands on the man, I flung my sword expertly in his direction, and in a split second, my sword did the perfect job of dismantling his head from his body, letting the bloody head roll over the floor. His body fell limp and lifeless on the floor with a thud, and everyone gasped in shock at the sight.
 
He had sworn with his life and paid dearly for it.