GAME OF TRUST

INTERROGATING THE KING

After the incident was narrated to Tory, Fili who had been preparing to go in search of him came out from his chambers.

Seeing Tory, Fili said " Thank heavens you are here. I was about to come looking for you. Your father has arrested..."

"I already heard what happened." Tory said cutting Fili short.

"So tell me, what are you going to do about it?" Fili asked.

"I have to return immediately."

"Well I'm coming with you." Fili said.

"No you are not." Tory replied in disagreement. "You have to stay here and look after…"

"No, I'm coming with you, whereas my father can look after the ladies while we are gone." Fili opposed.

"I must warn you that it is dangerous to come with me to the palace. I know what my father is capable of doing." Tory said, advising Fili to stay back.

"Fili, you should listen to him. It would be better if he goes alone. The king can not harm his son." Nicolas said.

"I can't stay back and let you do this all by yourself. I believe there must be something I would help with. So my mind is made up and there is nothing you could say to change it." Fili replied with determination. "When shall we be leaving?"

"Since your mind is made up, then we shall be leaving immediately before my father does something to harm them." Tory replied.

"Please bring them back safely." Victoria said.

"I give you my word, they will be safe. Please take care of yourselves while we're gone." Tory replied as they both left for the palace in haste.

King Alonso had just returned to the palace with his prisoners and upon entering the throne room he saw the two queens, the commander and counsellors sited waiting for his arrival.

"Why have you brought these people captive?" Queen Kate asked as she saw the three on chains.

"I think the real question is why are you all gathered here?" Alonso asked in return instead of giving a reply to the question he was asked.

"That does not answer my question." Kate angrily replied.

"Well you did not answer mine either." Said Alonso. "Do you realize that I am the king of this kingdom?"

"Yes you are the king, but you also need to remember that I am the one who made you king and you must answer to me." Kate shouts.

"You lost your right over the throne since your son died." Said Alonso.

"I suggest you don't bring that up here for we are all standing by her." Said queen Halley, his wife.

"You also have been poisoned by the woman?" Alonso asked, referring to his wife.

"I won't sit here and watch you speak to the queen that way." Oakinshield reacts.

"I can see she has bribed you all but I'm willing to pay double of whatever she has promised you." Said Alonso.

"The queen has promised us nothing. Answer the question so we can proceed to the reason Why we are here." The first counsellors said.

"Since you want to know the reason behind their arrest, then let us discuss it together." Alonso said as he walked towards the throne to take his seat.

Merry, Clifford and Alvat were all surprised because of the manner in which the king was spoken to.

"You will need to answer my question before taking your seat." Kate said with annoyance while the commander blocked his way.

"You are obstructing my way." The king said as he referred to Oakinshield the he asked to queen Kate. "Can you explain to me the meaning of all this?"

"There is nothing to explain other than you answer my question before sitting down." She replied.

"As you all know the Prince had been missing for weeks and through my investigations, I have come to realize that these men you see before you are hiding him somewhere and must be punished for that." He responds.

"What evidence do you have for that?" She asked again.

"Can I have my seat first before answering any further questions?" He demands.

"No, not until I'm done." Kate answered.

"Since you insist, they had told me themselves that the Prince was with them."

"Is that true?" Asked the queen, referring to the prisoners.

"Yes my lady, Tory was with us for a while." Merry answered.

"Then where is he now?" She asked again.

"He left without a word just a day before the king arrived at our place." Replied Merry the second time.

"Are you sure of what you are saying, you had better tell us now if you are hiding him somewhere."

"My lady, we have spoken the truth and can not change our words." Said Clifford.

"Well your case shall be attended to later for we have more important matters to discuss about." Said late to them and then she gave an order. "Guards take them away!"

"How would you order my prisoners to be taken out when I did not give the order nor did you hear from me." Said king Alonso with anger.

But the queen did pay attention to his words, nor did she withdraw her order.

When they were finally taken out of the throne room, Halley said. "We have received words from Lebental king of Imladris telling us what you planned with them years ago and ever since the note got to us you have refused to talk about it, so the council had taken it upon themselves to first hear from you before revealing it to the public."

"You heard from your wife, so all we want to know is if this note is telling the truth or not." Kate added.

"Well I have to first see what the note says, then I shall know what to say." Alonso responds.

So queen Kate signaled Oakinshield to give him the note.

"My lady, lord Alonso does not need to see the content of this note." The commander said in objection to the queen.

"And why is that?" She asked.

Then Oakinshield instead of giving a response walked up to the place where the two queens were sited and showed them the note.

After seeing it, Kate said, "There is no need to see the content of the note but we can tell you what it says."

"And why can't I see it myself?" Alonso asked.

"The reason is best known to us." Halley answered.

"Then I will say this gathering is over till when you are ready." Said the king as he got up to leave.

"We advise you to sit down there." The second council member said.

"And who are you to give me such advice?" Alonso asked as he continued towards the exit.

"If you leave this room then you will lose all rights to the throne." Said Kate in an authoritative manner.

Hearing these words he stopped walking and turned as he asked. "Like I said earlier, you have no right over the throne again. Your son is dead and so is your husband. I am the only one worthy of that seat."

"And who says so?" The fourth counsellor asked.

"The law." Alonso replied.

"Well who made the law?" The third asked.

"It was made by our fathers."

"You are wrong, we made the law and we can change it." Oakinshield replied.

"Changing the law is bringing the kingdom down, for it has made us strong and if it is changed then we shall become like the other nations which Imladris had conquered." He replied.

"We are not changing the law nor am I going to ascend the throne but we have someone who is worthy of the throne except you." The Queen said and her words shocked them all.

"My lady, who is this that is worthy of the throne except from the king and yourself?" Asked the second counsellor.

"Prince Tory would ascend the throne in his place for he is not like his father." She answered.

"My lady, we all know that the Prince has a kind heart but how would he be king when his father is alive?" Oakinshield asked.

"I was able to go through the law book and there was no place which stated that he could not be king when his father is still alive." She answered.

"That is not true." Alonso said out of fear of losing the throne to his son while he was still alive then he continued. "The law states that the former king must die before his son can ascend the throne."

"Bring the law and read." She ordered.

So it was brought immediately and Oakinshield read it aloud:

"If the king dies leaving no heir to the throne then any member of his closest relative shall ascend the throne in his stead."

"This is not true… you have just added this to make me step down." Alonso said.

"Was it written by a different person?" Asked Halley to Oakinshield.

"No my lady, they are all written by the same person." He replied.

"The choice is your hands, leave and you lose your rights to your or sit down and tell us what you know." Kate said.

So Alonso walked back to his seat and said. "What does the note say since you won't have me see it."

So Oakinshield told him the content of the note but not in the same words which it was written in.