A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

"Then, I withdraw from the floor," Hod decided. "Lady Blackthorn, Lord Idris, thank you both for your time. I feel you've shed a considerable amount of light on the happenings here today."

They both nodded, understanding their dismissal. They bowed, first to the minister, and then Verdant bowed to his Lord, whilst Lady Blackthorn gave a respectful nod to the one that had earned her praise from her father. Such things did not go unnoticed by the gathered nobles, but whether they were given the worth that they deserved, that was another question.

"Then, Ministers of Coin and of Information, the floor is once more yours," General Tavar announced, a Hod withdrew reluctantly back to his seat. He seemed like a wound-up dog, unwilling to sit in one place for very long, a complete contrast to the man who always seemed to be falling asleep on that tall throne of his.

Jolamire stood up with a swift stepping of feet, and Lazarus trailed after him more carefully, leaning heavily on that staff of his.

"Troubling assertions," Lazarus announced to the crowd, as though pained by what had happened. "I did not think I would see such conflict here, in the Minister's Halls. I do not recall a single past trial in which our competition has descended to such levels of… wrath."

Hod made no reaction to that comment. He looked like he wanted to, but he simply closed his mouth, and ignored the Minister of Information instead. It seemed to be the Minister of Information that he was particularly impatient for – the Minister of Coin he was at least willing to address.

"Indeed," Jolamire adjoined. "At times, a better man would express that people often have a certain difference in view… but there seem to be limits even to that. Some might even call it a stretching of the truth…"

At that, Hod's eyebrow twitched. Had he been allowed to speak – or had he dared to speak without Tavar's inevitable wrath descending down on him – he would have had a considerable amount to say about the two Minister's choice twisting of words.

"Well, no matter. We have several Lords here today, and there is good reason in that. It takes more than a few Lords to govern a kingdom, and each Lord has differing strengths. Together we're able to compensate for each other's weaknesses," Jolamire continued. "I'm sure you, Lord Gargon, do not take particularly kindly to the Minister of Logic's rather pointed words towards the testimony of your son."

A precedent had been established, and this time when addressed, Lord Gargon did speak, the large jowls of fat that hung under his jaw jiggling as he did so. "A most preposterous set of accusations, I must say."

"I would be inclined to agree," Jolamire said encouragingly. "They seem to label your son an outright liar, or merely so simple-minded that he can not keep up with the likes of the Idris boy, or the Blackthorn's child."

"Thoroughly ridiculous," Lord Gargon stated passionately, and his wife was nodding along with him, her eyes half-lidded as though she was about to drop off to sleep at any second. "Mills is within the top five in every class that he attends. The boy never seems to have a poor showing in anything that he tries his hand at."

"Indeed, from what I have seen of him, he seems to be quite the capable young man. An eye for coin, I've noted. He has quite the thriving business here within the Academy walls," Jolamire said, and Lord Gargon seemed to puff up at those words.

"Then we shall invite our next witness," Lazarus said. "As devious as the opposition's methods might be, we must continue to move things forward. We invite Miss Sophia of the Redborne to share with us her experience with Oliver Patrick."

At the old Minister's words, the recently closed doors to the Minister's Hall were reopened once more. This time, they made no pageantry in attempting to make them wait, because this witness was clearly arranged before the trial, just as the previous one was. Or perhaps that was simply a mistake on Lazarus' part, for Jolamire shot him quite the pointed glare as the young lady sauntered in.

She wasn't dressed in her Academy uniform – or at least, not her proper one. She was wearing a fully-fledged noble dress, despite wearing a blue noble jacket and blouse over the top of it.

Students typically tended to have closer fitting dresses, with fewer frills and extras… this girl defied all those pre-established rules, as her yellow dress trailed out behind her, and her curled red hair bounced with every step.

She walked with purpose, and a different sort of grace to that which most nobles possessed. This was a woman that seemed to have the utmost faith in her appearance.

Most noble ladies inclined their noses slightly upwards for a sense of balance and poise as they walked, but this girl took it the extreme, her nose was thoroughly pointed upwards, and she walked with such an air of pomposity that it was as though she was visiting a peasant's tavern rather than the ornate and prestigious Minister's Hall.

She drew herself up towards the spot where all the other witnesses had stood, and finally lowered her eyes to address the Ministers that stood in front of her. To their credit, none of them flinched, despite her inadvertent display of disrespect." Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire

"Thank you for coming, Miss Redborne," Jolamire said. "I understand you are… acquainted with Oliver Patrick."

She nodded deeply, and turned to look right at Oliver, before declaring that she indeed was. Oliver got a good chance to study her as she did so, and he did so with a thoroughness that he hadn't applied to anyone else that day.

"I understand it is a somewhat… unfortunate link that ties you together," Jolamire pressed.

"It is indeed," Sophia said, sniffing lightly, and putting on a remorseful look. "Would that I could keep it hidden away forever… but my conscience will not allow it. Yellow-shirted or blue-shirted, I cannot merely allow those that would so cruelly harm another individual to run free."

"Indeed, a most moral sentiment," Lazarus said, bobbing his head.