A Change of Heart chapter 8
The throne room was radiant with the light of a hundred torches, burning in their sconces along the thick stone walls. The narrow windows high above every one's heads allowed the moon to be seen by the two prisoners, giving them a hint of what time their fate would be decided. Queen Liane Cartman sat high up in her throne, sneering at the two maids who were believed to have tried to murder her son.
She wore black silks, as if to symbolize her mourning and the grief in this trial. Her long dark hair, woven into a elaborate braid, fell delicately over her bare shoulders. The taller throne beside her was empty; No doubt the fat prince was off somewhere deep in the castle, shivering in his sick bed. Kyle was thankful for that much. The harsh stares from all around him were hard enough for him to bare, but he couldn't handle Cartman accusing him too.
"You two are accused of trying to kill my son!" The queen declared, raising her voice so it carried all the way down to the end of the hall, so all the lords and ladies could hear. Her biting tone ron off the stone walls and burned in Kyles ears. Beside him, Bebe was sobbing quietly. "You two have almost murdered the prince and future king of this mighty kingdom!"
"P-please, your highness we-" Bebe tried, her voice whiny and hysterical.
"Silence!" Queen Liane bellowed, her brown eyes flaring. "You will not talk back to me!"
Stanley Marsh, the palace's captain of the guard, back-handed Bebe. She fell forward on her knees with a cry of pain. Kyle bent down to her side to help her but the queen would not allow it. "On your feet both of you!" She barked an order to the guards to have both the prisoners dragged to their feet. Stan grabbed Bebe roughly by the arm and another guard pulled Kyle up by his hair.
"Girl," The queen addressed Bebe coldly."You have been a serving girl in my castle since you were little, and you have been head maid for years now. You've cared for my son since he was nothing more then a toddler and during his childhood I watched you play with him out in the courtyard. There was no doubt of your loyalty to our prince or our kingdom, until now."
She then turned her scornful gaze onto Kyle. "And you boy, you have only been here for a few months. What could my son have possibly done to make you hate him so in such a short time?"
"My lady, please!" Kyle begged. "You must listen, we've been set up! It was-" He wanted to tell the queen, and Cartman and everyone else judging him right now, that Wendy was the one to poison the prince's food. Kyle had no doubt in his mind that that evil harp was the one to do all this, just to frame Kyle for it. She was the guilty one, not him and Bebe, it was her!
"Silence! I will not hear another word from your traitorous mouth!" Queen Liane slumped back in her throne, her frown deepening. "I would have both your heads for this and mount them outside the castle walls, if not for my son's command." She growled. Low murmuring came from all around and Kyle could feel his heart in his throat. The queen had quieted everyone in the long hall before continuing.
"When prince Eric became conscious once more he gave me the order not to execute the traders, and to instead banish them from our kingdom and forbid them from ever returning." She sighed heavily before adding, "I can't see why my son would show such mercy to the two people that tried to murder him, perhaps being so close to death has sent him into a state of shock, but I will not disobey him."
Gathering up her skirts, queen Liane stood. "I, queen Liane Cartman, speaking of the will of my son, banish the both of you from my kingdom, never to be allowed to return. May the gods have mercy on your souls." She stormed out of the room then, most likely to go check on her ill son. Lucky for Kyle and Bebe that whatever poison Wendy used didn't kill the prince.
"Are you ready?" Bebe asked Kyle the next morning from atop her white horse. The queen was kind enough to mount them with two of her own horses so they would not have to leave the kingdom on foot. Riding up beside the blond girl, Kyle nodded and tried not to let his grief show. He had dreamed of leaving the castle since he got here, but as he was about to ride past those tall iron gates, he found that he did not want to go.
Not after all he's been through.
Hundreds of people, high lords and ladies, villagers, and poor commoners, have all gathered from miles around to watch the exiled leave forever. They all glared at Kyle and Bebe as they road past. Insults were called out, most of terchtory and being sinners, and even some rotted fruit was thrown at them. But despite all this and his heavy heart, Kyle kept his head up high, so at least he'd leave with his last shred of dignity.
But he could never hide from the ache in his throbbing chest.
All the other maids and working staff of the castle were there at the gates to see them off. Perhaps the queen brought them hear as a warning if they ever planned to go against the crown. But they all knew that if they ever did something like this their punishment would be much worse. The young maids seemed fairly sad to see their beloved head maid leave, but Wendy had a look of grim delight on her beautiful face.
Kyle was well aware of her mocking eyes watching his back as he road away, and of all the hateful glares from the rest of the angry crowd, but he had failed to notice the pair of sad, sunken dark eyes watching him go from his bedroom window, up in the humid west wing of the castle.
A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, but here it is! chapter 8! And the next chapter will be the last, so don't miss it! This fairy tail may not have such a happy ending...