EPOV Today was the first day of the trial for the man that tried to shoot me. I was nervous about attending the trial even though my mother and two security people were also attending the trial with me in case someone happened to get a gun through security or the courtroom and tried to take another shot at me.
"Edward we are here and the press is in full form." My mother said.
"Those people out there are not press. They are nothing more than rabid dogs trying to outdo each other by getting the highest payday." I replied. "They give Prince William more privacy than they do me."
There was a tap on the passenger window a few seconds before one of the security men opened it. The second man rushed me threw the crowed of 'press' people and in to the courthouse. My mother was brought in right behind me.
"That's probably because he has more pull than you." My mother said. "I can see why you call them rabid dogs."
I rolled my eyes and headed to the courtroom the trial was to be held in. My mother and I sat toward the front right behind the prosecutor. We could see the defense team shuffling papers around the other side of the courtroom.
"All rise for the honorable Judge Rollin B. Carter." The bailiff said.
The Judge walked in and sat down and started the trial and allowed the prosecutor and defense to make their opening statements. They called several witnesses to the stand long before I was even called.
"Councilor you may call your next witness." Judge Carter said.
"Your honor we call the Duke of Warwickshire Edward Cullen to the stand."
I stood up and buttoned my suit jacket and walked toward the witness stand. I remember standing as the bailiff walked over with a bible in his hand. I placed my right hand on the bible before he even had the chance to tell or ask me to do so.
"Do you promise to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you god?"
I told them I did and waited for the first question. I didn't have to wait long as the prosecutor had jumped right in to questioning me.
"What do you remember from the night you injured your head?"
"Barely anything. I remember something large hitting me and falling to the ground but not much after that."
"What about the defendant do you remember him at all?"
"I remember him from earlier in the night. I remember him because he didn't shake my hand or look me in the eye like everyone else had before and after him."
"Your honor the prosecution is through with this witness."
The defense waited for the prosecutor to sit down before standing up to start in on questioning me.
"Mr. Cullen you saw my client earlier in the evening on the night in question but not at the time you were injured or shot at?"
"That would be correct." I replied.
"Then why is my client here today?" He asked.
"I would not know why and can only say that the prosecution saw fit to charge him as a viable suspect."
"Now Mr. Cullen do you insist that you do not know my client Mr. Alec Varder or any member of his family?"
"To the most of my recollection I do not know Mr. Varder or his family."
"Your honor I would like to enter into evidence a series of sexually explicit emails between my client's wife and Mr. Cullen here."
"Objection your honor. The prosecution was not told about these emails. Nor have we been able to prove their validity." The prosecutor said. "And this is the first we've ever heard of this so called relationship."
"I am inclined to throw these emails out and they are pending their validity. I will have them investigated and if Mr. Cullen proves to be the author of the emails they will be allowed if not they will be excluded. The trial will have to continue on without them." Judge Carter said. "The emails are out pending review however the email addresses are in so tread carefully." Judge Carter ended with a bang of his gavel.
The two councilors returned to their tables. The defense lawyer (whose name I still did not know) left the stack of emails with the judge.
"Mr. Cullen…" He picked up a sheet of paper off the table. "…can you read the addresses at the top of this paper."
"Yes the first one is AndreaVarder2 and the second one is DukeEC ."
"Do you recognize either of them?" He asked.
"No I do not nor do I have an email through the army website. The DukeEC address is not mine." I said. "You should also know that I never use my title in my email address or anything else unless it deals with my title."
"And what do you mean by that Mr. Cullen?"
"I have a privet email set up through my med school and a public email set up and used by my grandfather before he passed. He requested that I continue to use it after he was gone so I didn't confuse the public on how to contact the Duke of Warwickshire."
"Why not create your own?"
"As I said before my grandfather requested that I use the one he created so as not to confuse the people trying to contact the Duke of Warwickshire and I did just that."
"Your honor I am through with this witness."
"You may step down Mr. Cullen. Next witness."
The next few hours were filled with more testimony from both sides. I was so boated that I almost fell asleep right there in the courtroom. A well placed poke to the side from my oh so loving mother kept me from doing so.
"I want to thank you all for coming for coming today. As both sides have yet come to a close and it is so late in the day we will take a recess at this moment and will reconvene at nine am. Have a good evening." The judge said quickly following up with a bang of his gavel.
The crowed quickly dissipated. My mother and I waited until the courtroom galley was mostly empty. We were allowed to leave out of the back to avoid the crowds that had amassed in the front. It wouldn't be the last time I would see them because I had to be back in the morning. Only I wouldn't be escorted by my mother. My father said that he would be coming in her place since she had a meeting to attend to and he had the day off from work.
"Sir your car is here."
"Thank you." I replied before my mother and I quickly slipped out the last door and into the car.
I sighed in relief once I was safely ensconced in the car.
"Are you staying with us tonight?" Mum asked.
"It would be easier than having my driver drop you off and then to pick Dad up in the morning."
"I get it." She replied.