Chapter 161: Death Penalty

It took longer than he anticipated to get back to the capital city. The escort didn’t tell him anything and as he entered the city, he only grew more nervous. What could Laurel possibly want from him?
The knights escorted him into the castle with little fuss and straight to the throne room. Laurel was seated on her throne and practically glowing. Her stomach was larger than it had been when he’d left. For a moment, he regretted the sight of her.
Laura could have been glowing and pregnant with his child if he had been a good man.
His wolf growled, *Laura was not our mate.*
He still wasn’t sold that they had found their mate either, but he didn’t want to get into the argument with his wolf right now. After all, they’d had a marked mate bond with Laura. Then, there was Delia who was barely a marked mate, and now, his wolf was making such a fuss about a woman he barely knew.
His wolf grumbled, *If you had listened to me before, you wouldn’t be so wary about the possibility now.*
He could admit that he was right and that not listening to his wolf had gotten him into trouble in the first place, but his wolf hadn’t been drawn to Laura immediately either.
*Lies*, his wolf scoffed.
Basil huffed. They were just starting to get on speaking terms and getting along. It was more troublesome than he liked in some ways, but it was better than the silence. His wolf hadn’t forgiven him for ignoring him, enchantment or not, for all this time. He hadn’t forgiven him for letting his grandfather run his life with regards to his training and shifting, but Basil didn’t blame him.
He hadn’t forgiven himself for it either. If he had listened or at least tried to stand up for himself instead of letting Gavin lead him around, Laura would still be alive. Maybe things would have ended up like they were now, but at least he’d feel less guilty about it all.
“Welcome home, Prince Basil,” Laurel said. “I hope your journey was safe.”
“Yes…” he swallowed looking at Adolph’s empty throne. Where was his father? He should have been back to the capital by now. Had something happened to him? “What… Why was I called?”
Laurel gave him a gentle smile, “Your grandfather is on trial for several things, chief among them is treason.”
Basil’s eyes widened. Horror went through him.
“Was he… working with Delia?”
“No,” Laurel said, “As far as we can tell, he was operating within his sphere of influence in the kingdom.”
Basil lowered his gaze, “F-For how long?”
“Well, that is what I call you here to try and figure out. I am having your grandfather’s estate searched. As you would be his heir, I thought perhaps you may be able to help the search go a bit faster. Destroying the manor to find a few safes or hidden storerooms would be a waste of time and resources.”
Basil nodded, “That’s… understandable.”
“For now, you will be escorted to a parlor for the preliminary trial this afternoon.”
He wanted to protest, but he nodded. Treason was dangerous. He was Adolph’s son, but he was also Gavin’s grandson. If they even thought he had something to do with Gavin’s plans, he’d be on the chopping block. Maybe he would simply be incarcerated for the rest of his life, but that wasn’t much better than death.
He let the escort take him to the parlor. To his surprise, he wasn’t treated terribly. They had food set out for him and tea, but no one came to visit him. His mind turned to his father and the border. Did his father know about all of this, or was this something that Laurel planned to surprise him with? What had Gavin done to be charged with treason?
His father would be furious, and how could he blame him?
After all the embezzling and the audits that had to be done, he would have thought that his grandfather would have been smart enough to toe the line and be content with his position as a ceremonial minister. At least, he’d been able to retain all of his wealth, unlike the other ministers.
How could his grandfather be so stupid?
Basil had finished eating by the time they returned for him and led him to the throne room.
Gavin was there as was the full council. Adolph looked a bit conflicted, but resolute at Laurel’s side. The seat Basil usually occupied was empty. He wondered how long it would remain so.
“Basil!” Gavin cried, “Thank the moon. Tell them that everything is a lie! I was tricked!”
Basil frowned and looked around the room, “What happened?”
“Before we begin,” Adolph said, “I grant you, Basil, full pardon based on plausible ignorance.”
His eyes widened and Adolph smiled, “It would be hard to suspect your involvement while you were on the border.”
Basil frowned, “Involvement in what?”
“An attempt on the luna’s life.”
Basil’s blood ran cold and he looked at Gavin, “You… did what?”
“I haven’t done anything! I was tricked!”
“That’s not a defense!” Basil asked, “What… Why?”
Gavin turned bright red, “Who are you to question me like that? You stupid boy! You think you’ve learned anything while being on the border with those witches and—”
Basil darted towards him, growling furious and threatening as he loomed over Gavin. His thoughts turned hazy with fury. His wolf was howling for blood.
“Hold your tongue!” His voice thundered through the room and Gavin drew back, pale and shocked.
Laurel was surprised and impressed. She looked at Adolph who smiled proudly. Basil turned back to them, his eyes glowing red before flickering back to their normal blue.
“I… put myself at the disposal of the court,” Basil growled.
“What? Basil—”
“Her Majesty, Luna Laurel, mentioned searching the estate, if there is any aid I can give, you will have it.” He glared at Gavin, “And though I am not allowed to sit in judgment of his crimes. Should he or any other members of the Mirabelle family and pack be found guilty, I advocate for the standard procedures to be observed.”
Gavin drew in a deep gasp of horror.
Adolph stared at his son in shock and surprise. He hadn’t expected Basil to be able to say such a thing or even suggest it. The normal rules for treason were the eradication of the entire line and the absorption of all their property. The bodies of the executed were not to be buried.
Adolph’s father had put the man closest to the act of treason on display, impaled, and left to rot in public. Adolph had no wish to terrorize his people with such a sight, though he could see the appeal of the gruesome display. There was just the problem that such a thing would become more complicated with Basil’s tie to the Mirabelle line even with his pardon.
“I fully denounce any ties of blood or heirship to the Mirabelle line,” Basil said.
Adolph drew back in surprise. He couldn’t tell if Basil was just making a hasty decision out of pain and anger or if he truly felt that way.
Gavin grew paler and his voice turned soft a pleading, “Basil, you can’t—”
“You tried to kill her!” Basil growled, “I do not care how or what your reasoning is. You tried to kill her and you were caught.”
“I was tricked—”
“Into showing your hand,” Basil glared at him. “You would have done the same thing to Laura eventually!”
His eyes burned with grief, “Because she couldn’t be controlled the way you controlled me, but it’s all over, isn’t it?”
“Basil,” Gavin said, “You can’t… I’m your grandfather. What about—What would your mother think?”
He lifted his chin, “My mother died giving birth to me, Gavin. She died a good wife and luna.”
He sneered at him, “Stupid child! Your mother—”
“I will rip your throat out!” Basil growled, “Say another word.”
Laurel looked at Adolph who watched on in amusement. Gavin shut his mouth as Basil’s eyes flickered red. She looked at Raven who was shocked and Irene who looked as though she wanted to stand and applaud.
Basil turned back, “Should I accompany the search party?”
“Tomorrow,” Adolph said, “For now, we will ask you questions to ascertain anything you may have known about his actions over the years to guide the search… You mentioned the late luna, Laura. We can start there.”
Gavin stared up at Basil in horror and shock as Basil answered every question clearly and completely, revealing how much he did and didn’t know. It was the full shape of Gavin’s schemes over the years, but Basil knew enough that Gavin knew that as soon as Basil decoded the Mirabelle logbooks, he and most of the family would not escape execution.
His eyes burned. How had he raised Basil to resent him so much?
None of this would have happened if he’d managed to kill Laurel or if Delia had been able to do it.