XXXI. The 10th of the second month was, despite the siege of Cigord, also of some fame for other reasons. Back in Ceor it was the first day of trial on the assassination of prince-elector Elreck. The accounts of this trial abound in number, some telling of the golden hue of the clouds and the aura of glory about the person of the prince, yet for the narration of these processes, I have considered passages from the diaries of Tulfric the clever, lord Elbrecht of Lauvr, sir Don Gurren (who was the personal escort of Elbracht during the trial) and of lead-chancellor Woodmot of Gwinx. The accounts of the latter convey that within the first hour since the sun's rise, the Major Auditorium was readied for the proceeding. On account of Elbreck, who had met with his kinsman the night before, the halls and chambers adjacent to the Auditorium were filled with eager souls; in his mind, he deemed, most of the present would not have access to to the chamber. On account of prince Tulfric, special note was made on the anxious mood of the crowds outside the palace and of the brothers' difficulties to cross the streets and forum; Memlafar thought, they would not make it to the hearings of the trial.

By far the most intriguing account for me and for most scholars and doctors of the Edoranic studies, was that of Sir Don Gurren, who found the prince naked in his chambers, praying citing verses from the book of Nahas (some of the holy scripts of the Sagrary), this sight baffled him, as it puzzles the sages to this day. Bearing witness to his religious side, a queer respect for Elbracht was born in the heart of the knight that day. The pages assisted in dressing him with the colours of his house, whereupon he followed his escort out of the residence. Sir Don also allowed a moment of privacy with his childhood mentor, Asadue, who slept and watched over his pupil's door day and night since his confinement. What they conversed was unknown to the knight, for they spoke in a foreign tongue unknown to him. To many it is adamant, that Elbracht was sharp in the common speech and Adenaic*(1) and learnt in Nólbic*(2) and at least one or two other languages of Neldor, yet it was known only to those who accompanied him in his campaigns and expeditions to the southern continent, later in his life, and to those who remained by his side since his younger days, that Elbracht was taught the speech of the Hazag during his early apprenticeship to Asadue, and since this tutor was himself a scholar from Thardys it is only safe to assume, they exchanged in that language.

Asadue's reckoning of this encounter corroborates sir Don's testimony, and gives us an insight as to what they might have conversed. The Hazagodian tutor had told the knight that words had come from his siblings, who wished to support Elbracht in the trials as his spokesmen, the knight permitted him to assess the captive prince on the matter, but either for respect for the young lord or curiosity for what those words might have been, sir Don forgot to inform his superiors of this meeting.

-"Your brothers have taken matters into their own hands, my pupil" said Asadue in his native tongue, "but I fear this might not be enough"

-"My cousin Elbreck slunk into my apartments yester eve," answered Elbracht likewise, "he informed me of my brother's machinations, he was looking for some letters in the Ealdorman's chambers, he told me Carédock and the others would use them against Corgann in the trials. But he did not mention you were involved in this." he looked at Asadue with disbelief.

-"I don't believe, he even knows of my existence" said Asadue, "and the last time I met with your brothers was in the feast, ere your retention, I have rarely left your door side ever since. It is from another man that I have learnt of this, and he begged me to tell you of what is to come."

-"who told you this?" asked Elbracht

-"some page of brownish hair," said Asadue "he had a stutter; I believe his name was Jarron. He told me that the Ealdorman had found some serious compromising documents, evidence against you and your lady mother. It might be too incriminating."

-"Jarron of Ieros?" said Elbracht, "I know that name, Elbreck told me, he is a page and right hand servant to Corgann, he is the one that helped my brothers escape the residence."

-"yes, he might have mentioned some of that" said Asadue "but he was not able to deprive his master from those papers. Jarron said that evidence was irrefutable."

-"Do we know the content of those documents?" asked Elbracht,

-"he would not say" said Asadue, "he mentioned something of the poison that was used to kill your father, I believe the venom's name is Quobicus, but he would tell me no more. Never mind that, he has given me something even more valuable"

-"what might that be?" asked Elbracht.

-"time" said Asadue, "enough time and chance for you to escape." Elbracht was intrigued, the prospect of fleeing the castle had already been present in his mind, and when his cousin Elbreck had offered him an escape, he refused. But now the chance was given to him once more, as if testing his conviction.

-"Jarron assured me the plan is already set in motion" said Asadue, "the man assures me that outside the palace on the way to the Major Auditorium—where your trial is to take place—a mob has assembled, by the sound of it thousands have been gathered. Large masses of people waiting to lay their eyes on you. The way 'cross the street to that chamber will be guarded by the city watch but Jarron assures me, he has bribed enough of them to let the masses rush to you, in the commotion you will have enough time to escape from your guards and mingle with the crowds. You must find your way to the city forum, most probably your brothers will find you there, Jarron is already looking for them to alert them of what is about to happen."

Elbracht in his mind did not know what to make of this. Fleeing the castle would only give Elder Corgann more credibility and in the eve of his own trial, his absence could raise many brows and prompt rumours that the Ealdorman's actions were justified. He was certain he had not killed his father, but if Corgann had forged evidences good enough to be presented to the court as veridical proof of Elbracht's supposed involvement in his father's murder then no man would be able to save him from the stake, besides the King, who had not taken lightly the incident of the coronation. Going to this trial, knowing that this would befall him, must have been the most difficult decision Elbracht would take so far,

-"Asadue," said Elbracht "I will not leave the castle."

-"but, pupil!" said Asadue distressed, "those wolves in court will eat you alive, I beg you, not to forth go with this. I will not bear it, to see you burn at the stake"

-"Then you will have to look away!" said Elbracht defiantly "I did not kill my father, but if the fates have arranged for me to meet my end today, I will welcome it any way. I shall be content to die knowing that I have stood up for truth. If the worst comes to pass tell my brothers to avenge me."

-“Are you not afraid?” asked Asadue with trearful eyes.

-“I am very much,” Edwald said, “But I have learnt that only against the face of fright, can one truly be brave.”

Asadue wept, and sir Don noticed this, he was both confused and moved by what he saw, though he did not understand a word, the sentiment between tutor and student felt too powerful to ignore. Elbracht embraced his Hazagodian teacher and told him,

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-"listen to me, tutor" said he, "you must hurry now, I need you to find Jarron and tell him to stop this madness. I want no commotion when I walk down those steps and cross the street to enter the trial hall. Find him wherever he is, you must find him before is too late."

The conversation went on for another while. It came to an end, when Elbracht said to Asadue, "yes, mentor." in the common speech. Sir Don took Elbracht back into custody and the Hazagodian man rushed away to find the page Jarron. He looked for him in the halls, in the barracks in the servant quarters until time drew near for the trials to begin. At last he found him in conversing with knights of the city watch. Asadue found him just in time to tell him of Elbracht's mind on the matter. Jarron kept talking to the men of city watch, presumable to inform them, he had changed his mind.

It is seems prudent to now explain, the trials of this kind, were often referred to as 'capital' trials, (less often the crown's trials), and usually lasted three days. One the first day the case is examined, hearings take place from both the accuser(s) and the accused and the first round of debating between the two parties involved commence; on the second day, evidence is presented to the chancery, on regards whereof, both parties deliberate; and finally on the third day, the last deliberation takes place, at the end, the jurors of the chancery decide on a verdict; simple, simple and boring, yet no ordinary man was to testify this day, all courtiers of the Southern Kingdom and various other gentries from across the Realm flanked the Major Auditorium like legions in a siege, people waiting like beasts wild and untamed to gaze upon the guise of Elbracht. Only a small fraction of all those present there made it inside the chamber, the rest accumulated at the doors and halls about the Auditorium.

A horn blew and in came the members of the chancery; the three chancellors, led by Lord Woodmot, and the other nine jurors among which four were sent by the Order, two of which were men of Gandor, and the other two belonged to the Ennard race. Woodmot noted on the length of the masses gathered outside, and of the anxious air he breathed among the courtiers who made it inside the room. Security was at its finest, employing a large fraction of the city guard to ensure the perimeters, forsaking entire districts of Ceor, and almost all of the palace guard to escort the judges, the accuser and the accused. the chancery met at the end of the hall; a jurybench was built on the dais where Elreck's throne usually stood, and behind it, a large statue, overseeing the mass stood tall, of Fauthur, dragonslayer, a famed ancestor of house clasthaur. Once all were in their places, the court called in the accuser, Elder Corgann commanded the respect of the chamber with solemn quietness, until he reached an upper bench by the stairs to the dais. Next to be summoned were Elbracht and her mother princess dowager Aveline. The crowds outside roared as they were escorted from the residence to the Auditorium, just across the guarded street. Among the throng were the young brothers, yet their voices were dwarfed by the loud clamour of the masses. Carédock convinced his brothers to follow him to the temple of Oenid next the Auditorium; they climbed its walls, and from roof to roof came to a window of the hall.

As Elbracht and his mother entered the hall, all spectators there present gave the young prince a kingly gesture and stood up as he walked in—much to the annoyance of Lord Woodmot, as he later noted. All at their post, the charges were read at loud and to the shock of all, even more than Elbracht, was his mother Aveline accused as complicit. Her dislike for her husband was not much discreet, but the weight of the accusation seemed at the time most inadequate and odd. Amidst the bewilderment, the brothers jumped in through witness-benches to the sight of the jury and demanded the right to speak for their mother and brother; they explained the chancery, the accused and themselves had been deprived, kept ignorant of the outer world, and confined in their palace and of the powers exercised by the Ealdorman in their name. All points of view were heard; with Corgann boasting about the security and welfare of the kingdom; the brothers denounced him for abuse of power and deceit, along with being responsable for the death of their father. After this turn of events, the capital trial became known as the 'court of truths',.

The first day of trial could be summarized as a contest of aspertions with most of Corgann's aimed at the princess-dowager. The second day of trial tested the temper and posture of the Ealdorman, who remained mostly resolute of convictions. At the beginning of the day, he requested a day extra or two, for the gathering of evidence, since his had been reputedly destroyed arousing suspicion of the brothers; they defended themselves by arguing they had escaped the palace for their own well-being. The chancery rejected the request and the brothers continued to present all the evidence they had collected. Regarding the ownership of the grocery establishment, they put forwards the patterns they had stolen, to verify these, they also called in the notary of the city, who gave proof of its truthfulness. Corgann parried by stating the grocery was aimed for the betterment of the city's sanity, yet the physicians employed there were brought in to testify on the true endeavours of the establishment. Lastly the correspondence was given to the jury; the chancery censored most of their content not regarding the case, for it involved the person of the King, by whose name the trial was held. Once read, Tulfric tallied the number of times prince Elbracht was mentioned and regarded as a thread; 63 was the total count. Last to testify, was Jarron of Ieros, so as to confirm the authenticity of these letters. Elder Corgann denied ever recalling that man, and refuted time and time again, these claims, sadly for him, to no avail. Many were summoned thereupon, declaring to have seen both men by each other, often conversing both at court and in public. Without further evidence to discuss, the second day of trial came to an end.

Regularly, the third day of trial would be the most agitated and fierce, yet since the Ealdorman had failed to bring forth tangible proof for his claims, the jury came to a resolution without much effort. Brenn Corgann of Casioryn was found guilty, and his eyes were tense and his face turned pale as chancellor Woodmot gave the verdict; "In the name of the Medrios II, King of the High and Lesser Men, I, Gens Woodmot, lord of Gwinx, high chancellor of this court, denounce lord Brenn Corgann of Casioryn, strip him of all honours and titles, confiscate all his lands and holdings, and sentence him to death on the charges of deceit, coercion, unlawful restraint, abuse of provisionary powers, and the assassination of the late Elreck of Clasthaur, lord of Ceor and prince-elector of Harador." After much pomp and ceremony, the Court of Truths finally came to closure, on the 12th day of the second month (1716). The jury concurred the day and hour of the Ealdorman's execution; on the morrow of the next day. He was granted a day of penance in the temples, and as last wish, he asked for a letter to be delivered to his sister, Merid of Tarron, wife to lord Tarron of Casioryn.

The noble house of Clasthaur at last reunited at the Principal Palace, they met in the residence and in the warmth of their homely company, to drink and eat in remembrance of their late sire and lord, Elreck.

XXXII. On the morrow of the 13th day of the second month, at the Forum of Oenid, lord Brenn Corgann burnt at the stake, the capital punishment for lairs and traitors to the Realm. His dying words would resonate on the halls of history; "I am innocent, I tell ye. I am innocent!" A plate of remembrance was placed on the site of his execution, mockingly marking on stone the words; 'an innocent deceiver'. On the same morrow, the lords of house Clasthaur were informed of general Caradon's victory at the battle of Cigord with special note on the general's pledge of fielty to lord Elbracht and the house Clasthaur of Ceor, yet the good mood did not hold the day long, since in the evening of that same day, post pigeons arrived at Ceor from the capital, carrying the King's Words*. On that sleepless night, house Clasthaur discussed the the King's 'preference' to name Carédock, lawful heir to the Haradthrone, much of ambition and legacy was therein spoken, that night. In spite thereof, no matter the quarrel, at the first hour of the sun on the 14th day, the heralds of the Clasthaur publicly announced at the city's forum, still fuming in smokes and partly carpeted by the ashes of Corgann's stake, that lord Carédock the younger, had been offered the titles and place of his father by the King, yet abdicated thereby in favour of his elder brother, lord Elbracht—the gentry at the forum cheered the prince's ascension and hailed him the day-long. Two days later a ceremony was held at the Major Auditorium; Elbracht was sat on his father's throne afore the statue of Fauthur Dragonslayer and proclaimed "Elbracht of Clasthaur, lord of Ceor and prince-elector of Harador". Three days later, in the temples of the city's high hill, he was consecrated to his office, anointed with oils and crowned with the coronet of Urme Elfbane; in both ceremonies lord Dundos, lord Helbroch and his son Elbreck, and general Caradon were present. The celebration feast was not note-worthy, remarked most witness, for Elreck's feast and two wars dried out the coffers of the kingdom.