Hallo my dear readers! It's time for the new chappy.

Disclaimers: see chapter 1.

Chapter 28 The Hearing

Gilles Andre was all but sweating in the huge auditorium. The dreaded Monday of Count de Chagny's hearing had finally arrived and with it God only knows what disasters. Andre was sitting in one of the rows, surrounded by people. Count de Chagny was publicly liked man and the case had woken a huge interest. Andre nervously rubbed his hands together, praying they would allow him to smoke here.

Yesterday he had received a new email saying that everything will be revealed in the hearing. God, I truly hope so. If this thing blows to my face I'm as good as dead. I will be all but crucified. And tomorrow I would have to duel against Charles!

Andre made a careful glance to the direction he had seen the de Chagny family to come. Charles was looking everywhere but his direction. Countess Christine seemed to be calm, but who really knew how she felt.

Count Raoul de Chagny himself was sitting in a front row, with his assistants beside him. He was dressed in his blue uniform, his medals of honour shining for everyone to see. He was smiling and greeting everyone he knew without a worry in the world.

I'm fucked, Andre thought.

The right honourable judge finally spoke. "Monsieur le Comte de Chagny, we are all fully aware of your heroic and splendid record during the war. Therefore we wish to express to you that this committee is indeed shocked and outraged by these articles of Parisian Network. It is said in these accusations that you betrayed the confidence of Sultan of Mazandera by betraying him to Russians and thereby causing the slaughter of the entire royal family. It pains me to ask this but…how do you reply, Count de Chagny?"

Raoul de Chagny stood up. "There is no need for me to start giving fancy speeches of proving my innocence. The facts will do it for me" he said. His assistance gave him a file. "These documents were recorded during the war in Mazandera and it was witnessed by numerous people. In these documents the Sultan proved his absolute confidence in me by making me a General and allowing me, a foreigner to his country, to advice in the coming battle. Not only that, but in these documents the Sultan also leaves his family for me to take care of, should something happened to him" Raoul declared.

There was lots of whispering and gossiping in the audience.

"What happened then? During the time the Russians took over Mazandera?" judge asked.

"Because of my position in leading the battle I couldn't be anywhere near the royal palace when enemy took it over. The moment it was safe to lead our troops back it was already too late. Sultan and his family were dead" Raoul said, ending with a quieter voice.

Then he straightened himself. "And now my loyalty, my bravery and my honour have been put to question. By some article that even refuses to reveal its sources. I refuse to be mocked by something like this. If there really is someone who questions me, than let him come forward and face me himself!" he shouted.

There was applauds from the audience. Raoul de Chagny had always known how the charm the audience. While Raoul faced the people and gave a reassuring smile to his family, a messenger brought a letter to the judge who read it before speaking.

"Monsieur le Comte, this committee believes in your words and records. Therefore I think you will be happy to hear this message I have just received. It says as follows: I was present at the murder of Sultan and his family. I know how it happened. I wish to be heard by the committee. Do you have any objections of hearing this witness, Count?" judge asked.

For a moment Raoul had lost his smile but it regain quickly. "Let him in" he said.

A moment later the doors opened and a figure walked inside. The person was dressed in beautiful robes of green and gold, skin of hazel brown and a surprisingly silvery blonde hair.

"Ayesha?" Charles breathed in surprise.

Ayesha walked in front of the judge, so that everyone, the masses of people and Count de Chagny included, could see her. The silent woman Sasha walked behind her, carrying stack of files. Ayesha bowed to the judge.

"I thank the committee for hearing me" she said.

"Please, identified yourself and your business with this case" judge said.

"I am Princess Ayesha, the youngest child of Sultan of Mazandera" she said.

The whispering that had been heard before was nothing compared to the obvious gasps of shock coming everywhere from the audience. Sasha handed the files to the judge.

"When you examine these files you will find documents and certifications of my birth, my identity, finger prints and DNA tests done by experts. If you wish, you can how them to be done to me again by a doctor of your own choosing" Ayesha said.

Raoul looked at the young woman like she was some monster that had come to demand his soul. Judge was obviously very awkward.

"If you truly are who you say you are, then perhaps you can tell us what happened on the day Mazandera was invaded by Russians" he finally settled to say.

"Certainly. Everything is mainly as the so-called official statements say, except one important difference. The Russians did not invade in Mazandera, they were allowed to come" she said.

"What?!" Judge was unable to hide his surprise.

Ayesha turned around. For once her eyes, usually so calm or emotional, were burning. She extended her arm to the direction of Raoul. "This man, General de Chagny they called him then, was the most trusted diplomatic officer under my father's command. My father trusted him so much that he allowed de Chagny alone to plan the war and attacks. How often did my father call you his friend and reward you of the smallest things you did?" Ayesha asked, looking straight to Raoul.

"But you were not his friend. You betrayed him when it was most profitable to you. I heard rumours the Russians paid you pretty well. In fact wasn't your family in a danger of loosing their title till you suddenly returned victorious? You never had any fight against Russians. You let them in our city, in our palace. You traitor! You murderer!" she shouted. "Yes, murderer! It was you who pulled the trigger and send my father to his death!"

The entire room was in silence. Raoul de Chagny was as pale as a sheet and slightly shaking. Now Ayesha was looking at him with furious look, her eyes filling with tears. "After my father and my brothers were killed, you sold me and my mother to slaves. It was in slavery that I lost my mother and it was in slavery I had to live" she said.

"Do you have any proof?" shouted a voice and everyone turned to see Countess Christine standing, watching Ayesha.

Ayesha pulled her sleeve up and exposed the branded mark on her skin that declared her as nothing more than a property. Another numerous gasps were heard and Christine watched the mark with disbelief.

"Monsieur le Comte, what do you have to say for this?" judge asked.

Raoul snapped. "Lies! They're all lies! This woman is obviously an imposter, a skilled actress who has faked ids! And do you know how I'm sure of this? Because if Princess of Mazandera had survived and made a slave, she couldn't possibly have lived this far!" he shouted.

"Then it's a good thing I found her in time" said a new voice from the door. Everyone turned to look the tall masked man standing by the door.

COUNT?!! Charles looked at the man in shock.

"In that stack of files you will find a document that states that I, Count Paradise, bought Ayesha from her slavery. She is now a free woman with a right to speak" Count stated matter-of-factly.

Charles felt something cold wash over him. Count…did you know that she would…do something like this…If you did why…why did you allow it? Why won't you stop her?

"Count de Chagny, what do you have to say for yourself?" judge asked.

Raoul couldn't hear anything. He saw numerous people watching him, saw their eyes searching him, saw their mouths move. But he couldn't hear anything. He felt sweat running down his forehead and his hands shaking, no matter how hard he tried to control them. He looked around himself, frantically, trying to find a way out. And then his eyes met Christine's. Her eyes were watching him, asking from him if it was true, asking him to stand up again and tell it was a lie. Those eyes of hers. Those beautiful brown eyes he had always loved, always wanted to look at. He felt them piercing his very soul.

Raoul walked out of the room hurriedly.

An outburst broke and everyone was whispering to another. In the huge crowd Andre sighed in relief though he didn't feel that good, Christine looked after her husband with sunken feeling and Charles looked at the Count, who didn't even glance to his direction.

To be continued…

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