coldpyr0

Warning, the end of this chapter contains imagery that may be considered heavy and violent in nature.

I watched the various families of former slaves file into the room, many of them looking much more healthy and energetic now that they had several weeks of good food and plenty of rest. My gaze shifted from the murmuring crowd as they gawked at the art on display and found their seats in our large trial room, my attention roamed over the numerous foreign nobles seated on the balcony above the common crowd. All of these nobles were those who had a vested interest in today's trial since the crowd below them contained some former members of their territory. Roughly 65% of the people in this crowd would be returning to their homes or families with assistance from their government and the money taken from the former Empire's treasury. The remaining few either had no home or family they could or wanted to return to, or they choose to willingly stay and gain citizenship here in my kingdom. We would be restructuring the temporary relief buildings outside the mountain gates into a proper district of the city since the human races could not comfortably live underground all the time like us. The majority of them able-bodied had already found work in the job sectors that my people didn't care to work in. Our inns and other service buildings were running much more smoothly now that most of the staff actually worked when needed and not when they felt like doing so because nothing more interesting was happening.

I tilted my head slightly to stretch my somewhat sore shoulders and back. Even in a new body, you don't really lose any slouching habits you might have picked up from your old office job, I had learned. Though the habit could only give me a slight ache in this life, where before it was a little more of an annoyance in daily activities. Just as I finished considering how I might introduce spa resorts in our culture and where I might be able to build some hot springs for such a purpose the side doors to the chamber began swinging open. I didn't bother looking as I knew it was just the acting members of the former Imperial Family being walked to their seats before me. The crowd had finished filtering in and sitting down by this point, most of the room going silent at the sight with thick and angry tension settling over everyone gathered.

The doors on the opposite side of the room opened shortly after the accused had been seated to reveal a contingent of scholars from the various involved nations. These men and women made their way to stand before my throne for the traditional bows and greetings before they took their seats. My page reading out their name and their status as a representative of their nation, selected by their ruling parties before I politely greeted them and gave them authority within my court that was equal to the amount of damage their country had received from the party on trial. They would essentially be my prosecutors, leveling charges from their home nation that I would decide the validity of before delivering my sentence on the allegation in question.

The trial took a few hours, with roughly 379 charges being leveled against the Imperial Family from the various different countries represented here. Most of them were combined into a single charge that encompassed all the nations affected to reduce the overall number and remove the need to rule multiple times on the same complaint for each country. Some were dropped altogether as they were either too small to cause any significant change in the final ruling or were just extra provided to make sure at least some of the charges stuck. By the end of the presentation we had a list of 56 charges that encompassed all of the crimes committed by various members of the Gecuria family. The former Emperor carried most of the criminal burden, with his children carrying a varying amount. The eldest prince nearly matching his father in the number of misdeeds, but his were far more depraved than the former's. The Empress carried a few for aiding her husband in his cruel policies, while the sole Princess was never mentioned in even the original list of 379.

I stood slowly once the final concern had been addressed so I could render my verdict, this entire event had been a play for the public's benefit. Myself and the other rulers had already discussed the crimes and decided the outcome in the months following the empire's fall. I spoke slowly and loudly enough to make sure the entire hall could hear me.

"I, King Anwirn Gemmolder Brimstone, shall now render my verdict. Both as a member of the High Fey and as the presiding ruler of this international redress of abuses committed by the Gecuria family during their rule." I shifted my gaze to the Emperor and held the stare as I continued. "I find the main culprit, Aelfric Byron Gecuria, guilty on all counts of which he is accused and sentence him to be stripped of his Status prior to his public execution. To be carried out following all other sentences issued to those of his lineage. He shall be made to bear witness to all of these sentences and view the results of his misdeeds with his own eyes." My view shifted to his eldest son, causing the young man to cower under my glare. "I find the culprit, Verner Aelfric Gecuria, to be guilty on all counts of which he is accused and sentence him to be stripped of his Status prior to his stoning. Which is to be carried out in a private estate by any women of legal age who wish to take part, he shall be denied the release of death for an entire month through the use of alchemy and healing, after which time he shall be publicly burned at the stake."

The room took a collective gasp at this ruling as the imperial family paled and began shaking at my words. My eyes shifting back to the emperor as his face started changing from pale to red with his son collapsing next to him, having fainted on his feet.