It was just as bad as I feared! Each lawyer spent their time trying to pick me apart in front of the jury; but I think I held my own without showing any anger or malice. Gareth had warned both me and Ben that they probably would try to get under our skin so we would lose our cool and get the jury to see us all in a different light. But I wasn't going to give them that, me and Ben were acting as we normally would, and I just hated the fact that each lawyer spent their time trying to disparage me and ultimately blame me for everything that had happened. Thankfully Gareth jumped in a few times to get a question changed or jumped to my defence when he thought that a lawyer was pushing me too far. Especially when Michelle was claiming and getting me to say that I enjoyed having two men fight after me, which was very far from the case.
Each lawyer questioned me on each of my relationships with each member of the accused party, to this I didn't feel any difficulty in doing as I was expecting it. What I didn't expect (and I probably should have) was the fact that each defence lawyer tried to make the jury think that I was like a wild woman who liked to play with the hearts of many men. It started off with Bobby, and when it came to discussing how our relationship broke up Michelle questioned whether I relished in sleeping with someone else's boyfriend. To which I quickly told the court that if I knew Bobby had a girlfriend I wouldn't have gone anywhere near him. She didn't seem to like this answer, but I knew that in the past she had defended Queen Leah Beauty in the past so I put it down to that. I imagine that Queen Leah Beauty had slandered me to her, which in my opinion wasn't the best thing in my favour - the last thing I needed was one of Queen Leah's defence lawyers going against me in a trial.
When it came to discussing the photo that Bobby had sent me I had to hide my disgust at how Michelle was trying to treat the matter. She told the jury that I must have done something to cause Bobby to send the photo, which I thought was ludicrous! I hadn't seen Bobby for such a long time at this point, so I failed to see what I could have possibly done to warrant such texts and photos to be sent to me. Michelle still persisted that I had led Bobby on, but it was at this point when Gareth stood up and told the court that I hadn't seen Bobby for a long length of time so there were no actions on my part that would have caused such a reaction on Bobby's part. Thankfully this was enough for Michelle to move onto something else.
She questioned me on whether I had made this plot against the accused party. When I asked what grounds I would have done this on she stated that given my evil nature and history of the things that I had done on the Isle. It was at this point when I advised that my past on the Isle had nothing to do with this. She tried to push this matter further but Gareth quickly intervened and thankfully this matter was quickly dismissed at not being relevant to the case. But this only made Michelle try a different tact. She in turn then stressed that this could have been a plot against the accused party by accusing them of this crime and me and Ben would claim that we were both innocent. I dismissed this fact. I then added that me and Ben had more important things to do than to put a place such a heinous plot that would involve such pain towards my husband. We all then watched as Michelle nodded before she sat down, obviously unable to push her advances any further to try and discolour the jury's opinion of me.
Chad's lawyer, Brandon, took the same stance that I must have led Chad on in some degree for his relentless attempts to try and pursue me. I insisted that I never led him on in any way, even after my relationship with Ben I never wanted any type of relationship with Chad. I then told the court that nothing could have happened between me and Chad and that was due to Ben. Even if I hadn't got back together with Ben, I could never get together with one of his friends. As I couldn't do that to Ben, even though we were broken up at the time I still cared a great deal for him, and I didn't want to hurt him. I then told the court that Chad was always very forthcoming with his advances, it was even at the point that if I even smiled in his direction he would bound over the dance floor and talk to me. It would however end when he tried to kiss me or put his hands on me, something that I have never wanted. It was at this point when Brandon must have thought that this line of questioning was a dead end, as he started stuttering before he moved onto another line of questioning.
Just as expected Malcolm also attempted to tell the court that I must have led Kendal on in some way to cause his infatuation with me. Again I insisted that this wasn't the case; but unlike Brandon Malcolm was more forthcoming. He told the court that Kendal told him that I used to flirt openly with him, which made me laugh as I shook my head. I stressed that this wasn't the case. I urged that I was polite to Kendal, even smiled at him a couple of times. But I stressed that even a brief smile isn't enough to cause someone to be involved in a kidnap, killing and attempted rape scheme.
Malcolm then questioned my feelings on me finding Kendal in my walk in wardrobe. I told the court that I was shocked and then repulsed. I then quickly told the court that I didn't hold any malice or anger towards Kendal for what happened in my walk in wardrobe. I didn't hold malice or anger for him being involved in this plot. I told the court that my feelings for Kendal right now were that I hoped he got the help that he obviously needed, and that he and every other part of the accused party would never cause any more hurt to my family.
Each lawyer then tried to prove that I had an evil side by using my magic and physically assaulting each of their clients. I knew that this was going to come; but fighting against their accusations was more difficult that I initially thought. Each lawyer was trying to prove that I was just as evil as many people had called me in the past - especially Michelle. She stressed that what happened in the hotel room between me and Bobby showed the evil within me. She stressed that I manipulated Bobby by flirting and kissing him. And when that wasn't enough I used his vulnerable mental state against him to bind him for the next part of my plan. She then told the court that I happily tortured him, and even went to severe lengths to ensure I got what I wanted. I found this particular line of questioning extremely difficult. I kept saying no, until I finally snapped and I told the court:
"I would have done anything! ANYTHING! To ensure Ben's safety. That video footage shows that. I did not want to kiss him, but I knew that if I didn't he would have left the room. Gone back to Ben and he would have killed Ben. I couldn't have that! I can't lose Ben! That is not an option for me! Never! How dare you! How very dare you screw what happened in that hotel room into anything more than it was. Yes I hit Bobby. Yes I did use my magic to get the answers that I needed. But believe me I hate what I had to do, and not one of you will make me feel any worse about it. As I can assure you all that I do. I hate myself for what I had to do. But within connection to the magic that I have used, yes it is forbidden. I know that. But I would like the court to know that this is already getting addressed under the Fairy Council. But I want to ask you all a question, if you were in my shoes. If the love of your life was taken from you and beaten to an inch of their life. Can any one of you say that you wouldn't do anything and everything to ensure the safety of the one you love?"
The courtroom fell into a silence and I watched as all the lawyers nervously looked at the floor. I didn't expect for my last statement to have the effect that it did, but part of me was grateful that it had. I was glad that it had. I felt like I had shown that I had been driven to those actions, and even though I was driven to those actions it was for a good purpose. And it always would be, Ben would always be worth going through any fight that came my way.
It was at this point in which the Chief Justice called an end to the day; he told the court that he believed that everyone involved had gone through enough mental trauma today and that he felt it would be better to restart tomorrow. Part of me felt relief at the fact that he had done this; today had been hard on me and Ben. And due to ending the day at this point was going to allow me and Ben to have some breathing space, and when we left the courthouse with our family all I wanted to do was to go home. Where me and Ben couldn't be judged, where we could just be Ben and Mal. Instead of his Majesty and his wife - where everything was watched and scrutinized. Even though we were in the limelight anyway this trial pushed us further into the public eye, and I couldn't wait for this trial to be over. So me and Ben could then go back to what was important - preparing for the birth of our little one.
