108 Verdic (1/2)
16th April 1574
”I'm not going to defend myself against false accusations! If you want to abuse your own power granted to you by the entire noble brotherhood, you should remember how our brothers will react when they learn about you bullying one of them!”
With his mind unable to accept the fact that his claims were simply ignored and refuted, Peter added the last straw to the fireplace below his feet, going as far as to openly threaten the governor!
While it was true that all the official positions were in theory granted by King but confirmed and passed to the picked nobles by the senate, just like in any other country of my new timeline, those high and profitable positions both in terms of pension and the possibilities granted by the power turned out to be inherited by the son after the father, with only a few cases of an excelling noble taking over a position of a fallen one!
”Since you refuse to acknowledge your crimes, I will have Mike of Tarnow to step up with his testimony. Mike, your turn.”
Unwilling to bother with Peter more than necessary, Jan simply went back to his seat, while gesturing me to take over from him. With no other choice, and actually unwilling to pass the opportunity to make myself, a face for all the investments that I would be doing, turn even more popular with a teary story about the love that just got fulfilled yesterday, I placed a gentle kiss on Elia's cheek and stood up.
”Dear brothers and sisters in the nobilityhood. This trial, this day, are the results of all the incredible efforts I had to put in order to prevent my dearest Elia, from meeting with any harm from the hand of both her step-family and this pesky little brute.”
Taking a moment with my story to reach the place just below the stage, I turned my back to the chained Peter, as if in an attempt to show him that he has fallen to the point when not even exposing my back to him would put me in any disadvantage.
”While I don't want to bore you with the long story, there are some things that I need to bring up. It all started when I was going back from the glorious coronation of our new, wise king, back to my lands in Tarnow.”
With these words, I started recounting the most important events that brought Elia and me close, while revealing just enough to point the listeners in the right direction. From how our meeting happened to coincide with the bandit raid on my entourage, through the haughty visit of Peter right on my castle, all the way to the preparations for the obvious attack, escape from Pilzno at the battle with his forces ending.
”Just like he accused me to base my strength of the devil's forces, I'm now going to point you all to the place where this strength of mine came from!”