Chapter 1:
It is the city of Chicago in 1866. An adept attorney named John Matthew is pacing restlessly across the smooth hardwood floor of the courtroom, analyzing how he will defend his clients: two thieves who have broken into a jewelry shop to steal a virtually priceless gem known as the Regal Sapphire. While they claim that they had good intentions, the jeweler believes otherwise. After John stops walking, he finally turns his head to look at his opponent, eyes narrowed and brows furrowed in disapproval.
''It is my understanding that we are gathered today upon your declaration. You claim that your store was invaded at exactly 11:34 P.M. on Tuesday night by these men,'' at which moment he made a swift point of the finger at two husky individuals.
''Your understanding is correct. I set up pen-like markers to dot the time above the clock's hands the instant the door was taken down or picked open, '' stated the poised opponent.
''And you say they stole the most expensive item in this store, the Regal Sapphire, which is an icy-blue gem that was found in the kingdom of Arendelle during the reign of King Agdar and Queen Idun. Is this not true?''
''It is true. The jewel was given to their eldest daughter, the former princess and current queen of Arendelle Elsa, as a birthday gift. She was too 'overwhelmed' to accept it, however, and it was instead given back to Idun by Elsa on her anniversary with the king. My uncle was one of the guards who accompanied them on their ill-fated expedition to the kingdom of Weselton. He recovered the Regal Sapphire before it became lost at sea. Once the storm cleared and help arrived to rescue the survivors of the sinking, he sent it to my parents here in America. My father left for the Civil War, and while he was away, my mother tried to rid of the gem because of a falling out with my uncle my family had. I refused to allow that value to go to waste, so I swam down into the river that she had thrown it into, recovered it from the water, and pocketed it to pawn. There is no law in place to keep me from allowing a customer willing to purchase the jewel,'' the adversary explained, ending on an arrogant, matter-of-fact tone.
The man who had the floor simply tightened his fists and further narrowed his eyes to the point that you thought the strain would shut them permanently. He was not a supporter of corrupt businessmen such as the one he stood before. Morals had become deteriorated by wealth and power achieved during America's period of slavery. Plantation owners forced African-American individuals to do sweaty labor for their own benefit. Many of these owners' offspring, such as the person before him, ''inherited'' the corruption, so to speak. The man he looked at had money practically delivered to him on a silver platter by his mother and father (a supporter of slavery and a plantation owner). Now he wanted more, and pawning such priceless jewelry such as the Regal Sapphire was the ideal way to get what he wanted.
Suddenly, one of the thieves pounded his fist upon the table and exclaimed, ''You are wrong about the law! King Agdar and Queen Idun drafted a document before they set sail to Weselton that stated no one could buy or sell the Regal Sapphire. If you're questioning how the law applies to America, the document was signed by international government officials agreeing to assist in protecting the diamond from smugglers. Many in this country wrote their signatures on the pact. It is and forever will be a legal part of their family.''
''How do you know that?'' inquired John.
There was a sudden hesitation of the thief, but then he answered, ''We are former guards of the kingdom of Arendelle. It was our responsibility to enforce protection upon the king and queen and their private property, including the Regal Sapphire''
He suddenly turned to the jeweler and proclaimed accusingly, 'Your uncle had been after the gem since the moment it was mined. Several times, he tried to get close to it while Idun was not wearing it, but he had to abort his mission each time in order to not get caught.''
With the end of that sentence, he turned to me, then to the judge, ''I can continue the story, if it is permitted.''
John, who felt that he might have still hope in winning the case, allowed it along with the judge.
''Thank you,'' the thief stated. ''His time finally came on the night of the sinking of the royal vessel. With the raging storm outside the boat, it was the ideal moment to take action. He believed that no one would notice his absence, but unfortunately for him, we did. With permission from the captain, we went below deck to search for him. What we found would change our opinion of him eternally: your uncle had the Regal Sapphire in his grasp. He threatened to use the document, which he had witnessed being signed, against us. We started to retaliate, but the ship overturned at that moment. It was every man for himself as the storm continued to rage, but many guards, including the captain, your uncle, and us survived. Unbeknownst to us, the true thief of the jewel planted it on us to make himself look innocent. After we were rescued and taken back to Arendelle, we were surprised to be called to a meeting with the captain. Sure enough, your uncle had reported that he saw us violate the document we witnessed signed and steal the gem, which was supported by the fact that we were currently in possession of it. We gave it to the captain, and while awaiting punishment, we escaped Arendelle and came to America. With the diamond in possession of a thief who planned to pawn it for money, we vowed to return it to Princesses Elsa and Anna, but we had no idea how until we came across the jewelry shop here in Chicago.''
Suddenly, John interrupted him, ''If the captain was the last person to have the Regal Sapphire in Arendelle as far as you know, then how did the true criminal get it back? Wouldn't it have already been returned to the royal sisters by the captain?''
The addressed thief simply shrugged, ''We have no idea how he got it back into his possession. We assume he had another chance to steal it and took that opportunity, but it is possible that the captain was promised part of the wealth exploited from the pawning and became an asset in the conspiracy.''
John simply stood caressing his chin, lost in thought. Suddenly, his head shot up, and he spoke, ''It has come to my attention who the potential criminal is here. Though it was foolish to attempt to steal the Regal Sapphire back for Elsa, your action, with proof of the pact, can be justified.''
With that conclusion, he turned again to the jeweler, ''How did your uncle claim to become possessive the gem?''
With a suave smirk, the latter replied, ''He said that he retrieved it from the water after the king and queen's boat overturned. Once he returned to Arendelle, he made an attempt to return it to the royal sisters, but they refused to accept an object that reminded them so much of their late parents. They instructed him to give it away, sell it, or destroy it, so he sent it to my family, like I said.''
As soon as he was finished with his statement, John retorted, ''According to these two, the jewel was mined, and a document was drafted to keep it strictly within the royal family. If what they claim is true, your uncle violated the agreement and possibly attempted to pawn the sapphire on the black market. However, I would like to see visual proof that one of these stories is true.''
The second thief was now the one to react. With an uneasy sigh, he spoke, ''We have the evidence you need.''
With that, he unfolded the paper within his grasp. What he did next wholly supported his account of the entire issue: the unfolded paper was a signed copy of the document's original draft.
A part of John's nervous system messaged him to seize what was within the guard's hand and wave it victoriously in the jeweler's face, but his decency restricted him from making this type of motion.
Suddenly, the guard began to explain, ''We were two of the highest ranking guards to witness the signing of the pact. The king and queen wished for select protectors to enforce the agreement if it were to be violated, so they had several copies of the document written out, signed, and given to certain members of the royal guard.''
The judge asked to examine what the guard had presented, and after carefully scanning it, he concluded, ''The draft is authentic.
Turning to the jeweler, he announced, ''You have no legal right to perform any kind of business concerning the Regal Sapphire, but you cannot be punished because of the fact that you had no way of knowing about the pact's existence. To compromise, we will act as if no issue ever arose concerning your jewelery business, and the gem will be returned to Queen Elsa and Princess Anna of Arendelle.''
The judge pounded his gavel against his sounding block to adjourn the courtroom session. As those in the room rose from their seats, John could not allow himself not to smirk at the hybrid expression of his opponent. The appearance of his face radiated awe at defeat and indignation at the sudden change of dominance in the case. Once an opportunity to make a rewarding bargain eludes any rich man or woman, it is easy to expect unhappiness once he or she realizes what has happened.
John, who had taken a temporary seat, rose from his chair and turned to leave. Then, he felt a tap on his shoulder. The people he met after turning were the judge and the two former guards.
''I apologize for our rash and unreasonable action against the jeweler, but we are eternally bound to that document. When we realized the opportunity to return what truly belonged to the royal family of Arendelle, it was our immediate notion to take action,'' stated the guard that had first spoken during the session.
The judge spoke up, ''It is in our best interest that you return the Regal Sapphire personally to Queen Elsa and Princess Anna. Your skills with negotiations are advanced and developed.''
In John's hands was dropped the gem. The expression he bore was one of surprise, fear, and complete shock. He did not expect for this to be the outcome of the situation.
At a loss for words, John simply nodded in acceptance.
With that, the guards smiled and thanked him. They parted ways with John and the judge. An intense drowsiness overtook John at that moment, so he decided to return home for rest. He would require it for the journey he was preparing to take.
