Note: Prologue + Chapters 1 through 7 Available through Request.

The Dancer Prince
Chapter 8

Written by Ambassador Yrishna Wolf.


The city was filled of voices announcing "Fresh terran grapes for sale!" or "Tholian silk for sale!" or "Groomed Segan unicorns for sale!" Everywhere left and right the ambience of an entire city filled with commercial streets, and large boulevards with towering skycrapers rang through a prosperous city. Being one of the largest cities in Chinon, this city had developed through a large spending of funds, and a large amount of crossed fingers the largest downtown district Segan people had ever seen of one of their own city. When the downtown district, slowly but surely developped more and more skyscrapers of metal and glass, this city was blessed and became well known as a tourist destination. Segans have a sense of uniformity to themselves, there are things which define them as a people and one of these things is their sense of architecture. Each city is defined by a clearly defined downtown district, which spans the length of that city. Often, the largest amounts of funds is spent on beautifying the heart of the city, downtown and often, downtown is characterized by beautiful boulevards that are lined with kilometers on end of parks. For Chinon's largest city, this wasn't any different.

Now the heart of the Segan Monarchy, Arnouville was for a time a burgeoning, yet sleepy metropolis with suburbs making the area bustling with 4,000,000 inhabitants. With the destruction of Segania Prime and the First City, plans were hastily made to make Arnouville the provincial center of a Monarchy that had lost its home. While the money to reconstruct Segania Prime had been secured from the Tholians, the Monarchy was not yet ready to reconstruct home. With the Civil War, it was much more easy to take up arms against one another and create further pain in the Selevenar Galaxy. Arnouville had proven itself to be the center of a Monarchy split at its core, and there was little time to mend the wounds. Past the flying personal shuttlecrafts, in the downtown district stood two palaces which had been converted in a rush to become the center of the political world of His Majesty the Crown Prince Vladimir Rosbourg's government. Deep within one of the palaces was the meeting chambers of the Royal Council.

The Royal Council was left cheering when Vladimir Rosbourg succeeded in defeating Youri Rosbourg. Vladimir Rosbourg had promised a much more liberal stance on the Royal Council's dealings, something which the Royal Council was waiting to hear. Youri, and the dynasty which had brought him to the crown were characterized with a harsh hand on the Royal Council. Never had the Royal Council been given so little power, and so little say in what went on in the government around them. The Royal Council, now given the power to pass and approve legislation offered by the sovereign ruler of the Monarchy, stared across the Vladimir Doctorate with great warmth. The Doctorate, on the surface, seemed to promise equality under the law. The Doctorate was a revolutionary idea in the realm of Segan judicial history, and it certainly came from a revolutionary person in the Royal Council's mind. When it was time to vote, the Royal Council was kind but not obliging when the Royal Council grudgingly approved of the Doctorate 170 to 130. Vladimir realized he still had work to do to fashion the Royal Council behind him.

"The Segan Monarchy under the former Rosbourgs has been a nation suffering under duality. The nobility has for many enjoyed illegal rights under law which ensured any crime they commit was not punishable by death. Even with the nobility there are some crimes which are unforgivable, and with this Vladimir Doctorate, we will ensure that both the nobility and the Segan people fall under equal justice in the criminal law system. Together, we will destroy the duality which has split our peoples!" Vladimir smiled as he waved goodbye to cheering crowds outside and retreated back into the palace. The message was aimed directly for Youri Rosbourg who had dared to stand in his way with securing the Crown. Had Youri held out any longer, the Styx would have secured the Segan Popular Union positions and that was something he could not accept. With Youri Rosbourg being tried as he gave out his speech, he knew it would only be time before S.P.N.N. would find out about it and begin coverage of the trial. He luckily had secured most of the S.P.N.N. connections, and with the media in favor of him, it would be more easy to secure control of the media.

"Your Majesty" One of Vladimir's aid walked into the room, carrying a parchment which seemed of important notice.

"Yes, Henry, what is it?" Vladimir turned to watch Henry walk the full length of the room.

"We've just recieved word from the Court that the Jury are beginning their deliberation," Henry nodded, handing the parchment as confirmation.

"I see, and S.P.N.N.?" Vladimir glanced outside, still hearing the crowds cheering.

"They're beginning to cover it. S.P.N.N. plans to break the news at their regular news hour."

"Understood, I'll be watching closely, you can go Henry," Vladimir glanced back, "Let me know when the news is on."

Cameras rolled from the Court Royal of Justice as S.P.N.N. and other major news agencies began to relay the news that had been able to get leaked to them. So far, news was skimpy but even the rumors of it was enough for this to make headlines. For the first time in history, a Prince had been placed on trial and the prosecution was seaking the death penalty. S.P.N.N. had sent its best reporter on the job, as the rumors began to get streamed into every subspace news channel in the galaxy. It wouldn't be long before the Milky Way Galaxy would hear the developping news events unfolding within the Segan Monarchy. Already Federation and Romulan news networks were sending reporters to check out the rumors. Finally, after much waiting, the prosecutors walked out of the Court Royal of Justice to take a rest for the day. They waved off the news reporters stating "No comments," and other nonsensical responses. Aside from them one could hear S.P.N.N.'s lead anchorwoman responding to the events.

"We are continuing our coverage of unfolding news here at the Court Royal of Justice in Arnouvilles. It has been confirmed that His Majesty Prince Youri Rosbourg is being placed on trial for crimes against the Segan Monarchy and that the prosecution is indeed seeking the death penalty for those crimes. This is a historical event, ladies and gentlemen for this is the first time that a judiciary body is actually following through with the allegation that Youri Rosbourg committed crimes against the Segan Monarchy, and it is also a historical first that the death penalty is being sought after for these crimes. Now James, the law states that crimes against the Segan Monarchy are usually crimes committed to destroy in someway the legitimate governing party at the time, what this is saying is that basically Vladimir Rosbourg was always the true leader of the Monarchy, a powerful statement indeed that sets the tone for Vladimir Rosbourg's believed eventual ascendance to the throne. With the approval of the Vladimir Doctorate, it seems more certain that the Court Royal of Justice's jury if they find Youri Rosbourg guilty of these crimes will have to proceed on the prosecution's advice," the anchorwoman stopped a second, as she looked outside of the screen, "James, it seems we have more developments, the prosecution team seems to be returning just as soon as it has left, it could be possible that the Court has decided on a verdict. The Defense and the Prosecution both rested their cases today, supposedly, of course we have very little to go on. We will continue to cover this incredible developping story, back to you James."

- - - - - - - - - - -


Youri glanced as his former servants and himself were being led out of the palace onto waiting shuttles. He made sure his face was covered, for he didn't want anyone to catch on to his true identity. The sacrifice which Edward was making had succeeded so far, but his heart ached for his cousin. The sacrifice for a nation he loved made him a true patriot, and Youri promised on the honor of his family and of Edward that he would never forget the actions of Edward. As he made a pact with himself, he was pushed onto the shuttle by the point of a phaser rifle, and he climbed onto the shuttle. He looked around, he hadn't seen his grandmother during the entire duration of these incredible events and he wasn't sure if he should be worried, or happy. He stared out of one of the shuttle windows as the guard stepped in menacingly, he didn't want to talk anymore and would shut himself out to the world. He turned as S.P.N.N. was turned on, he had barely heard of the trial that had been started and he only heard the worst in his mind as it kept repeating.

"James, well," the S.P.N.N. news anchorwoman began, "The historical first has occured. The Court Royal of Justice of Arnouville confirmed today the jury's finding that His Majesty Prince Youri Rosbourg had indeed committed crimes against the Segan Monarchy. The judge today decided to use the full extant of the law, and with the Vladimir Doctorate approved the judge found that Youri Rosbourg should be executed. The execution has been scheduled for tommorow, and we'll be there to cover it."

Youri could only whisper one word of shock under his mouth, "Edward." The shuttle doors slammed shut as the guards guarded the package of royal servants. The shuttle began its slow ascent towards space, it would only be time before they reached the prison ship Yritria, and from there, they would be sent to more permanent jailing facilities. The ordeal had only just begun.