The council members were taken aback by this unexpected outburst. They could tell that this was going to end badly no matter what the outcome of the impending votes.
'I have called the council here for the purpose of determining the guilt of your sister and her illegitimate husband. They are here today to hear the judgment of this just council. They will accept whatever punishment we deem appropriate and acknowledge their folly,' the king replied sharply. He did not think that Kishi would react with such anger. She should know that these two were doomed the moment they crossed the forbidden line and married. I cannot allow their treachery to go unpunished.
'Dearest sister, do not be concerned with these proceedings and the inevitable fallout. We are here of our own free will and have a full knowledge of what this council plans to do,' Princess Kira cut across her sister in a kind, yet airy tone. She had been secretly hoping that her elder sister would react with such intensity. Elven twins had a way of knowing what their other half would do before they would do something. They were powerful in magic and were equally rare amongst the immortals.
Silence swept through the hall as the chairman waited for King Ciel to indicate whether or not he was finished. Princess Kishi turned to the chair she had destroyed, and, with a wave of her hand, it repaired itself. Once the chair was in place once more, she dropped down sharply into her chair with a look of utmost contempt for what she had just heard. She could not believe that her father was not going to have a trial. This meeting was about sentencing. This should have been a private matter. Why did he have to take it this far? She did not bother to hide her feelings anymore and thought, more than once, to use her magic to shake the council members from the ludicrous course of action they were taking.
'Please continue, Chairman Aerasrril, with the reading of the charges,' King Ciel said with a slight nod. He did not want to lose control of this meeting; this sensitive situation had to be cleared up today. Any more delay would destabilize the king's already weakened control over the bureaucracy. If he mishandled this politically charged issue, then he would lose all creditability with the High Council and with his loyal subjects.
'General Yukio and Princess Kira did knowingly engage in an unlawful intimate relationship. They further violated our laws by marrying one another a fortnight ago. This was a direct violation of the marriage statute, which states that no elf shall marry a person from any of the lesser races. They did break these laws knowing full well the penalties and severity of what crimes they were committing,' Conary read aloud. He was doing his best to hide his severe disapproval of how this personal matter was being handled.
There was a buzz of excitement coming from the council members because the crimes were most egregious. They were all sitting on the edge of their seats now awaiting the opportunity to vote so they could convict these obviously guilty parties. The tension in the room was so high that it seemed like no one was going to take another breath until they voted. Many of them thought that this was truly a historic moment and a political victory for their king. The condemnation of the princess and this general of Nairi would reaffirm the supremacy of elven law and re- establish their superiority throughout all of Tuwa. They were not even taking into consideration the fallout that would occur with Queen Daria and her subjects if they executed the iconic Nairian general.
'Members of this most noble and honorable High Council of elves, it is time,' Conary Aerasrril proffered solemnly. As the High Councilman spoke these last words, a brilliant fire burst into life just above the surface of the Thraalillith.
'If you believe that the accused should be cleared of all charges or if they should be convicted on all counts, please vote now.' Every council member cast his or her vote into the cauldron of fate, and the fire burned bright blue as each piece of paper came into contact with the magical fire. There was not a single vote cast to clear either of the accused. They had been found guilty by the entire High Council. The chairman abstained from voting because of his mixed feelings. The general and the royal family were not permitted to vote because they were not members of the council.
Princess Kishi placed her hands on the table in anticipation of what was going to happen next. She was not happy at all with what had taken place thus far. How can the entire council vote against both of them? I understand why they convicted that idiot General Yukio, but why convict my sister? Is this what it has come to? The burning in her eyes turned cold as ice as she looked around at the council members. She made it clear that she was not pleased with what they had just done. Not one council member would return her icy glare. They were all determinedly looking elsewhere; they were terrified that she might unleash her venom on them.
'The voting has been unanimous in favor of conviction. Now we will have you cast votes to determine the appropriate punishment. If you want the punishment of lifetime banishment, your paper will burn blue. If you believe that they should be put to death, your paper will burn red. At this time, please vote for the fate of General Yukio Ibreshri.' The chairman gestured toward the burning Thraalillith. The cauldron burned bright red repeatedly, condemning the general to die for his crimes. The members had rather smug looks on their faces after casting their votes against him.
'Please vote now to determine the fate of Princess Kira Tiranidrol.' The fire burned bright blue as the papers hit the flames. They had chosen banishment for their fallen princess. It was clear that they believed she deserved a break. It was obvious that the council thought she had been beguiled by the treacherous general.
The debate was over now, and there was little that Princess Kira or General Yukio could do or say to alter the decision. This was the moment that the couple had planned for. This was what they had looked forward to for months now. While it appeared that the king had the upper hand and the council had all of the power, it would soon be clear that they were not taking one simple factor into consideration. Kira and Yukio would now have to show their hand before this perfect opportunity passed them by. Their announcement would render the decision of the council inconsequential and set things in motion that could not be stopped.
'It appears that the vote has been unanimous for the exile of Princess Kira Tiranidrol from the Forest of Renshaw. As for General Yukio Ibreshri, all votes were in favor of the death penalty. General, you will be executed by beheading in the morning. The penalty for returning to any part of our land by the princess will result in her immediate execution,' Conary explained coolly. He struggled to keep his feelings of regret in check while pronouncing the punishments. This will not benefit the elves; only death will come of this. He thought the king would have intervened and put an end to this travesty, but apparently Ciel was at the heart of this debacle.
There was an intense look of relief on all of the council members' faces after the punishments were announced. They thought that they were rid of this evil man and the king's gullible daughter. The council did not know that the new couple had anticipated this grim outcome. There was one person who did not expect their ruling at all, and that was Princess Kishi. She was so enraged by how things had developed that she was ready to explode.
'You imbeciles cannot be serious! You shall pay for what you have done this day! I promise you that!' Princess Kishi exclaimed. She kicked her chair out once again, and it shattered again as it hit the wall. She moved her hands in a complicated series of movements; this was the physical manifestation of her drawing power from non-sentient entities outside the hall, which shot a long dart of ice at the Thraalillith. The cauldron rocked back and forth from the force of the ice bolt hitting it. The pot quickly froze, and an instant later it exploded into tiny shards of gold and silver, which went flying off in every direction. Everyone in the room ducked in order to avoid these minuscule projectiles. She then turned toward the side door she had come in and sent a ball of fire at it. In a split second, the door burst into flames and was gone. She stormed from the room cursing each council member as she stalked past them.
Princess Kira and General Yukio stood to make their announcement after this violent outburst. They were not thrown off by what happened; instead they saw it as a perfect lead in to what they were about to announce. They smiled at one another in a way that unnerved the council members as they sat back in their chairs looking at the council. Many of the members thought that Kira was about to lose control like her sister. They had not expected a reaction so extreme from Kishi, so they did not know what to expect from the youngest Tiranidrol.
'We have come here to unveil our secret plans and not to hear your meaningless verdict,' General Yukio said with an edge to his voice. He was no longer smiling. He had such a hypnotic look in his eyes that no one could look away. He was about to use his hidden mental powers to get his way yet again. There was no turning back once he revealed his psychic abilities on these supposedly superior elves.
'The spirits of this ancient forest have shown us how the elves have become too entrenched in their archaic traditions and beliefs. An evolution of the elven race is the only way that the elves can be saved from utter ruin,' Kira stated succinctly. She was making reference to the Seda, which are spirit creatures that reside in the Black Forest. These spirits give glimpses of the future to travelers that enter their realm. They unfog the future to those that can manipulate relevant events to bring about the future they have predicted. It is not wise to trifle with these
