“This is too much to take in at once,” he said, staring at the ceiling. “My father murdered by Harold Blakemore, his godson,” he muttered to himself. He then sat up and turned to Will, “Boy, will you be willing to stand in sight of God and men and swear that what you have said so is true in court?”
Will paled immediately. “I fear for my life,” he said in a shaking voice, “Lord Walder said–”
“Lord Walder’s threats will amount to nothing if you swear against him, my boy,” said the Lord kindly. “I shall give you protection. Would you be willing to do this? To restore balance to the kingdom and to give peace to my father’s restless soul?”
After a few moments of silence in which Will did nothing but stare at his feet, the boy looked up with tears brimming in his eyes. “Aye, My Lord, I will bear witness,” he said in a shaky voice.
After Will had left, Tobias quickly discussed the arrangements for a retrial with the Lord and left an hour later, rushing off to the stables to retrieve his horse and get the news to the Duke. He was unaware of the fact that a young boy had heard all that they had talked about and was rushing in the opposite direction to report back to Earl Harold.
Chapter 17
Samuel Cooper sat on an upturned barrel in a narrow alleyway in the city of London, a bottle of ale clutched in his hands. He intended to drain the bottle, rush it against the wall and slit his own throat with the glass shards. He had done something horrible, something that even the Devil could not forgive. He had committed murder. Every time Samuel looked up at the dark night sky, he could picture the face of the boy he had choked to death with his own hands. He could hear the boy’s gasps of breath. If only he had been any wiser, he thought as tears flowed down his face. It was only yesterday that he was a different man.
Samuel had smelt the city of London before he saw it. Entering the city on a horse being led by Sir Warren Landing was as humiliating as being struck by him in front of the whole Castle of Aldrich. He had been treated like a prisoner by the knight the whole way they had travelled. He had only been told that the Earl had specifically asked for him, and that they were to leave for London immediately.
Samuel had stayed silent, just as he had through the entirety of the trip, as the knight navigated through the narrow streets of the city. Sir Warren led him through alleyways and unpaved roads until they reached a far off, isolated inn on the southern side of the city. Over there, he was ordered to dismount, enter the inn, and get to room number seven. Samuel had done just that and had entered room number seven to find himself face to face with the Earl.
“Ah, Samuel,” said the Earl, “so good of you to join me.”
Samuel looked at the Earl silently, suspicion vivid in his eyes. “What do you need of me?”
“Ah, nothing much, Samuel,” said the Earl, smiling widely. “You are here to finally reap the rewards of your efforts.”
Hearing that, Samuel’s face lit up. “Rewards? What rewards?”
“Samuel, you must have heard that I have been granted the Castle of Northumberland?” asked the Earl.
“Aye, I heard,” said Samuel in an excited tone.
“Well, I shall need a trusted advisor to govern the castle for me, now will I not?” said the Earl, “That is where you step in, my friend.”
“Truly, my Lord Earl?” he asked with a giddy smile, “a castle?”
“Aye, Samuel, your own castle,” said the Earl. “However there is a small complication.”
“Complication?” asked Samuel, petrified, “What kind of a complication?”
“A boy, Samuel,” said the Earl. “A boy that can ruin everything. That can kill your dream of ruling over your own castle, Samuel. It is up to you to stop him, Samuel. To silence him before he gets a chance to speak. Kill him, Samuel.”
It was so that only a day after the boy had decided to bear witness against the Earl in Lord Stokeworth’s chambers did Samuel track him down to a secluded part of the Palace and choke him to death. Blinded by his greed, he rolled up the body in a rug and dumped it into the deep moat that ran around the castle. It was after that he had done the deed and was exiting the Palace that he heard tell of the fact that the Earl had in fact lost the Castle of Northumberland as quickly as he had acquired it.
Now, having finished the bottle of ale, Samuel broke the base of the bottle against the damp wall of the alley and raised the sharp glass shards to his throat. He stood there for a few moments, holding his breath, and then flung the bottle down the alley with a cry of rage. He was too cowardly to take his own life. Looking for ways to redeem his soul of the heinous crime that he had committed, he decided to lay down his life in the name of justice and confess his sins. Locating newfound strength within himself, Samuel tottered out the narrow alley and onto the main road.
Chapter 18
Duke Edmund sat in his parlour, looking at his trusted friend Tobias who stood before him in the dim lighting of a handful of candles. Tobias had tears running down his face as he looked out the window of the parlour. The atmosphere was gloomy. Tobias had just informed the Duke of the death of the boy Will Turner and how his body had been found floating in the moat around the Palace.
“Well, that’s that, then,” said the Duke, finally breaking the silence. “Our last chance at justice, gone.”
“A boy lost his life, Edmund,” said Tobias, turning towards him with a horrified expression on his face, “an innocent boy of not more than twelve years of age, and all you think about is the injustice against you?”
“A boy lost his life, Tobias,” said the Duke, looking up at his friend, “and hundreds more will to cover up for the treachery of the House and that Earl. If we do not stop this.”
“Whatever do you mean, Edmund?” asked Tobias, sitting down next to him.
“We must stop, Tobias,” said the Duke, “stop our daily visits to the palace, stop campaigning for justice. Just let it be, Tobias. Let it end. We can spend our lives here, as can our children. If we keep at this, a lot more will surely die.”
“Do you mean to abandon our struggle, Edmund,” asked Tobias, “is that how you honour the boy who died? Do you wish for his death to be in vain, Edmund? Shame on you.”
“I honour him by saving the lives of all those poor souls who might lose theirs if we keep at this foolish venture,” roared the Duke, “it ends now. I shall send a rider to the Palace first thing tomorrow morning with a message for Lord Stokeworth. I renounce every claim to Northumberland and withdraw my case.”
“Edmund,” said Tobias in a solemn tone, rising from his chair, “if your father were alive today, he would be ashamed of you. He did not raise a coward.”
As Tobias walked away, Edmund roared in anger, turning around to face him, “Why does this pain you so much, Tobias? Not having Northumberland? Are you afraid that you will end up in the same gutter that my father brought you out from?”
Tobias stopped dead in his tracks and without turning around, said, “No, My Lord. I am afraid that you will end up in the gutter that I pulled you out from.” With that, Tobias walked out of the parlour, stopping at the doors to put a small object on a wooden table. The Duke walked over to the table as he heard the front doors of the estate open and bang shut. Looking down upon it, he saw that Tobias had left his pipe.
The Duke raged back to his chair and sat down, looking out the window at the stars shining over the city. He sat there for hours until Abigail knocked on the doors and entered. “My Lord,” she began, but the Duke silenced her with a single raised hand. “Not right now, Abigail. Go to bed.” Abigail had left immediately as the Duke sat there, massaging his temples.
He did not know how long he sat there, staring at the heavens, but it was after a long while that he heard a knock on his estate’s doors. Looking down at the road from his window, he saw that it was some drunkard roaming the streets at night. He was about to turn his gaze back to the heavens when the drunkard spoke out, “Duke Edmund!” he called into the night. Edmund immediately ran down the stairs to the doors and
pulled them open. There on his doorstep, stood a man that he least expected to see.
“Samuel Cooper?” he asked, grasping the man by the shoulders, “What do you want?”
“Redemption,” said the Samuel in a broken voice as he collapsed into the Duke’s arms.
Chapter 19
Tobias had spent the night sitting at a tavern in Central London, drinking pint after pint of ale. Considerably light-headed, he had promptly put his head down on the wooden bar and conveniently passed out. It was only in the morning that he came to his senses and found himself in a makeshift bed of hay on the tavern’s wooden floor. Realising that the owner must have extended his hospitality to what he thought was a dejected and lonely man, Tobias left a handful of coins on the bar to express his gratitude and exited the building.
It was then that he walked through London back to the Duke’s estate. He had sworn loyalty to the House Arundel, and he would not let his loyalty waver over a single argument with Edmund. Walking through the city at such a young hour in the day was almost peaceful. A light breeze kept the temperature cool enough to be pleasant. He suddenly wished that he hadn’t abandoned his pipe.
Approaching the estate, he saw that the stable master stood outside the doors, holding two horses, saddled and bridled, ready to be ridden. One horse was Edmund’s, but the second was not his horse. It was the estate’s horse. Wondering if the Duke and Duchess had decided to spend the morning out, Tobias approached the stable master.
“Ah, Master Tobias,” said the man in greeting, “out on a morning stroll?”
“Looking at the state of my affairs, stable master, I am sure you know I was not on a morning stroll,” said Tobias irritably, “who is the second horse for?”
“Forgive me, Master Tobias,” said the man uncomfortably, “the Duke had a visitor in the night. I believe Samuel Cooper was his name. They are leaving for the Palace of Westminster together. Shall I saddle your horse too?”
“Aye, good man,” said Tobias, “you do that.”
He then walked into the estate, confused beyond measure. What was Samuel Cooper of all people visiting the Duke for; that too in the night? Entering the dining hall, he saw the Duke sitting at the head of the table, as usual, dressed immaculately as if he were headed for an audience with the king. Next to him sat none other than Samuel Cooper. But the man had changed since the last time Tobias had seen him. He had grown weaker and had bags under his eyes. His eyes were perpetually horrified as if he had seen something that haunted him and could not be unseen.
“Tobias!” called the Duke, standing up when he saw him, “My friend. Thank heavens you are here. Tobias! I must apologise for the rueful argument we got into last night.”
Tobias remained silent, staring at the odd pairing of the two men as Samuel looked up at him. “Good day to you, Master Tobias,” he said in a defeated voice.
“What is this, Edmund?” he asked, finally.
“Ah, but does Samuel have a tale for us, Tobias,” said the Duke sadly, sitting back down, “Have a seat, Tobias; we must put the matters of last evening behind us. Have a crumpet, and I shall surely explain.”
As Tobias sat in silence, the Duke told him of Samuel’s crime and his confession to the Duke. Samuel desired to redeem himself and was willing to swear against the Earl and bear witness to all his treachery in court. Thus, Edmund had immediately sent a message to Lord Stokeworth at the hands of a trusted messenger and had demanded an audience with the House. The House of Lords was currently assembling to hear what they had to say.
“And so, my friend,” said the Duke, “I believe that today, we shall finally have justice for Lord Stokeworth, Will Turner, and all the other treacherous acts and crimes that the Earl was involved in.”
Tobias had listened to what the Duke had to say silently, with his eyes closed. He now looked up at Samuel who sat across him. “What you have done is an unforgiveable sin. I knew the boy, Will Turner. He was a good lad, with a long and happy life ahead of him. And you took that from him. I cannot bring myself to forgive you, sir, but if you are to do what you say you are to do, then you should know of the consequences.”
Samuel looked at him as a tear flowed down his face. Tobias continued, “If you are to do this, you will be incriminated. You will be held accountable for your involvement. Are you prepared for that?”
“Aye, sir,” said Samuel. “I am. I may be incriminating myself in sights of men, but this is my last chance of redeeming myself in the sight of God.”
“I appreciate your bravery and honesty, sir,” said Tobias, standing up. He then turned to Edmund and said, “I shall go upstairs and change into attire more suitable for an audience with the House. We shall go together.”
The Duke nodded and stood up with him. Without a word, the two men embraced each other, and Tobias exited the room to head for his chambers upstairs.
Chapter 20
Lord Harold had been preparing to depart for his castle at Aldrich when a messenger boy knocked on his door. He had then been informed that he was being summoned to the House of Lords. To his annoyance, he was given no information as to what the House needed from him. The trial was over; there was no way that he was going to acquire Northumberland and its estates, so he had decided to go back to devise another plan to rule the castle.
Walking towards the Hall, he was astonished to find Duke Edmund and his trusted advisor, Tobias standing outside the doors. The two of them were in a deep conversation with Lord Stokeworth while Lord Walder stood to the side, staring into the distance, a distraught and worried expression on his face.
“My Lords, Edmund, and Tobias,” said the Earl in greeting as he approached the group, “would anyone care to inform me of the nature of this summons?”
“Ah, Harold,” said Lord Stokeworth, turning to him with a smile, “We have been waiting for you. Come on then, inside,” he said, ushering the lot towards the doors of the main hall. “As for the nature of the summons, you shall find that out very soon.”
Harold then walked into the hall, which was already occupied by the Lords of the House. Confused, he saw that the Duke and Tobias looked relaxed, even content. Lord Walder, on the other hand, had a very uncomfortable expression on his face. Suddenly, he felt very apprehensive and anxious. The two Lords then walked up to the rafters as the rest of them took their seats in the observer section of the hall. Harold noticed that Lord Stokeworth was the one acting as the speaker of the House.
“Without further ado,” called Lord Stokeworth in a powerful voice, “I call this House into session. The nature of this audience has been shrouded in mystery up till now. However, it is time that I reveal it to you. Just this morning, I received evidence in the form of a witness, which convicts the Earl of Aldrich, Harold Blakemore of crimes such as murder, corruption, and bribery. Here, in the sights of God and men, I present to you that witness.”
Harold looked around, a horrified expression on his face. He suddenly stood up. “This is preposterous!” he screamed, “I am guilty of no such crime! Who is this witness you speak of, My Lord?”
“Mr Samuel Cooper, if you could address the house and say what you have to say.”
Harold turned around to see Samuel, standing in one corner of the hall. He then stepped into the centre and prepared to address the gathering. Harold suddenly felt weak in the knees.
“Samuel!” he called, “Samuel! What is the meaning of this?”
“Introduce yourself, Samuel Cooper,” said Lord Stokeworth.
“My name is Samuel Cooper, My Lords. I am a murderer and a liar and a thief. But that is not all I am. I have sworn allegiance to House Blakemore, and all that I have done, all the crimes I have committed, I have done on the orders of the man called Harold Blakemore!”
It was then that the Lords of the House broke into murmurs, pointing at the Earl and whispering to each other. “Silence,” called the speaker. “Explain yourself, Samuel.”
Harold could do nothing but watch helplessly as Samuel spilled the d
arkest secrets about him and the House of Blakemore to the gathering. At the end of his monologue, the speaker of the House accused him of murder, plotting to murder and conspiring against the Crown and the Kingdom. Shaking at the thought of how he had lost everything in a matter of seconds, Harold allowed himself to be led off to the dungeons by the Royal guards to await trial.
Chapter 21
Abigail had heard of the whole affair at the House of Lords by none other than Tobias Harding who had ridden back to inform the Duchess of the sudden turn of events. He immediately rode away, back to the Palace of Westminster to aid the Duke in addressing the issues raised by Samuel’s confession. He had left Abigail with the promise that they would soon be returning to their home in Northumberland.
Now, a week later, Abigail packed up her belongings and had them loaded into a wagon. Her jubilance knew no ends as she hummed one of her favourite melodies as she prepared for departure. The trial was done, and Earl Harold had been convicted of all his crimes. In a desperate attempt to vindicate himself of some of his violations, he had surprisingly revealed that he had been colluding with Lord Walder and certain other Lords of the house for his own benefit. This had led to another trial of the Lords, thereby postponing their departure for their castle, as the Duke was required to be present for the trials.
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