“Silence!” The King hadn’t even yelled, yet his voice carried such an authority that the Grand Duchess took a step back and stopped talking as if he had slapped her. “I allow the Blood Judgment. “House Verhen has hereby challenged Houses Lamonia, Turhat, and Cranst.
Lith was amazed as well. According to the customs, he could only challenge the Grand Duchess since the other two nobles had said too little to be held accountable for defamation. Yet Meron’s judgment superseded customs.
He was not only a witness of the events but also the King and he had ruled the Duchess and the Marquees guilty by association.
“Each one of you should pick their respective champion but since this is a Gala and I don’t want to waste time, I allow the three Households to pool their resources and determine their fate in a single fight if they agree.” Meron said.
“All three of us?” Duchess Turhat felt fear gripping her heart and wallet. “But I said just a few words and didn’t even talk with Baroness Verhen. I merely stated my opinion. Isn’t there freedom of speech in the Kingdom?”
“Freedom of speech, yes, dear Duchess. Slander, however, is a crime and what little you said qualifies aplenty.” The King towered over the smaller woman, exuding an aura that made every rumor about his poor health seem hot air.
“With all due respect, Your Majesty, this Gala is meant to celebrate the renewed peace. Is it really necessary to dirt these halls with blood on such an occasion?” The Grand Duchess said.
“This is indeed an extraordinary day. The King’s order has been defied not once, but thrice. Inside my home. In front of my Court.” Meron’s laugh was dry of humor and joy, sending a cold shiver down everyone’s spine.
His fury was palpable whereas his mercy seemed to have taken the day off.
“You should have thought about peace before running your mouth, Grand Duchess Cranst.” Meron lowered his voice to growl while also keeping it perfectly audible. “You dirtied these halls with your allegations against a hero of the Kingdom.
“Even if Supreme Magus Verhen hadn’t destroyed the Golden Griffon, which he did, I wouldn’t let your insults pass anyway. We won this war only thanks to our allies in the Council and those among the plant and the beast folk, yet here you are, sowing discord.
“I had enough of people mocking and hazing Headmaster Marth’s wife and child.” Meron slammed a thick pile of documents that came out of his dimensional amulet.
Ryssa did more than return in kind everything she suffered, she also submitted a formal complaint detailed with words, actions, and the names of the witnesses to the hazing every time.
“I’m sick and tired of hearing reports about the treatment that Duchess Vastor and Professor Vastor’s stepchildren have to endure.” Another pile of documents appeared. “You lot don’t like commoners, despise plant folk, and would put a leash on beasts.
“Yet when your homeland was in danger, when your Queen put her life on the line, you deserted us whereas they stood by our side. How dare you talk about peace when you did nothing to build it and even now work to destroy it?
“How dare you offend the heroes of this country in front of my Court? Be thankful that Supreme Magus Verhen called the Blood Judgment first because I was about to do the same and the Queen would have been my champion.” The King pointed at Sylpha who smiled with the grace of a maiden and the savagery of a predator.
The Queen caressed the hilt of the Saefel Sword, making the elemental crystals on the hilt hum with power in answer to her touch. Those on the blade shone so brightly that their light was visible even through the thick scabbard.
“You can pick me as your champion as well, Supreme Magus Verhen.”
At those words, the three nobles shuddered in horror.
Even if they were to somehow pick a god to fight for them and they won the trial by combat, harming the Queen would have meant becoming an enemy of the Royal Family.
They would survive the Blood Judgment just to die a few days later in an “accident”.
Money came and went whereas they had only one life.
“Thank you for your offer, Your Majesty, but this is personal.” Lith gave Sylpha a deep bow. “I pick myself as the champion. Your turn.”
“How can a human fight a Divine Beast? This is unfair!” Marquess Lamonia’s voice was high-pitched.
“A fair point.” Meron shrugged. “I’ll allow for the duel to be a contest of magic, like the one Supreme Magus Verhen and Archmage Kwart performed a year ago.”
Grand Duchess Cranst desperately looked around the room, but every Archmage and Headmaster in the room took a cautious step back, pretending to be busy in conversation.
Kwart made several hand signs that passed to every mage in the Banquet Hall a simple message.
“He got much stronger from the last time.”
No Archmage wanted to suffer a grievous defeat and make an enemy of Verhen. Not when he was about to disclose Void Magic, trains, and Tablets. Even on the off chance they won, they would lose much and gain nothing.
“I’m waiting.” Lith said after a few minutes had passed and none of the three nobles said a word.
The Grand Duchess turned toward Verhen, noticing that his wings were out and so were his seven eyes and horns. His stature grew to three meters (10′), then ten (33′), thirty (100′), and suddenly he was so big that he eclipsed the rest of the room.
Cranst found herself standing above a massive palm, gawking at the Tiamat’s seven eyes while the blackness of his body became filled with stars, nebulae, and comets. The Void of the cosmos swallowed her, making her skin freeze while the cosmic radiation seeped inside her body and burned her innards.
“Grand Duchess Cranst. You have one more minute before you lose by forfeit.” King Meron’s voice snapped her out of it and she found herself standing on the gold-veined white marble of the Banquet Hall covered in a cold sweat and her knees shaking.
Lith had never changed his size or form nor had he released any killing intent. What the Grand Duchess had experienced was simply the fear of a mouse who had woken up a Dragon and found itself staring into his eye.
“Marquess Lamonia, Duchess Turhat. We are still waiting.” Meron clapped his hands to have their attention, making the three nobles faint on the spot from the shock.
They still recovering from the hallucination and the sudden noise made them think that Verhen had struck. Their mind assumed they were dead and their bodies reacted accordingly.
“The Blood Judgment is over.” The King decreed. “House Verhen is the winner. Houses Lamonia, Turhat, and Cranst are found guilty of slander and will answer for their crime. Bring those three and every member of their Households out of the Royal Palace.”
No one said a word nor did any of the convicted nobles try to protest. In less than a minute they were all back at their respective houses and the Banquet Hall had a bit more free space.
