“Let the guilty step forward.”

Chains hung from Cameron’s shackled wrists and ankles, clanging against each other as his body trembled. His formerly longer and well groomed blonde hair had been cropped to no more than a crew cut style, and his clothes were dirty and torn from his imprisonment. His face was also smudged with dirt and scrapes, which made his bright blue eyes stand out much more.

“Go on then,” The gruff guard behind him grunted, pushing him forward. “It’s time to face justice.”

Stepping out of the shadows and into the light of the courthouse, the young boy was immediately met with jeers and boos from the crowd awaiting his sentencing. Stones were thrown his way, most missing, but some finding its mark. A stone struck him square on the chest as he walked, knocking the air out of him, and another clipped his forehead as he tried to resume his approach, sending the boy sprawling to the ground as a gash appeared on his temple.

“Get up!” A guard yelled, yanking him up to his feet mercilessly and shoving him forward before Cameron had properly regained his balance. “Your King awaits you!”

Stumbling forward, Cameron groggily continued his approach as blood trickled down onto his eyes, blinding his vision in one eye. Managing to make it to the center of the courtroom without being pelted by more stones, Cameron stood before his accusers. Looking up at his judges seated at the high table, Cameron felt a wave of despair and hopelessness rushing over him. There was no way these men would go easy on him, even if he had committed no crimes.

“Lord Cameron Eveur,” King Edwin thundered with his bellowing voice. “You have been found guilty of treason and conspiring against your liege. The council has been gathered today to decide on the appropriate punishment for you.”

“I say we strip him of his lordship!” One of the eleven Dukes under King Edwin sneered. “House Eveur is a small and relatively new house. It does not have the history of older houses like ours and will not be missed. Strip him of his titles and grant it to another noble family.”

“It is done.” King Edwin’s loud voice came. “Lord Cameron Eveur, I hereby strip you and your family of all of your titles and lands, and any provision that may come upon you through your formerly noble name.”

Guards stepped forward as Cameron began to cry in despair. Unsympathetically, they roughly stripped him of his clothes, revealing the bruises that he had received from his captors over the past month. The shirt that bore the sigil of House Eveur and his trousers that bore the noble colors of his family were torn, stripped off the last surviving member of House Eveur. Left in only plain white undergarments, the young boy collapsed to his knees in tears and shame.

“House Eveur is no more.” King Edwin declared. “Let this be a warning to anyone who would dare think of raising their banners against their King.”

“My King,” Another Duke chimed in. “Raising banners against you is one thing, but the late Duke Eveur did align himself also with the loyalist faction under the Jade Empress.”

“That is beyond treason.” Agreed a fat Duke. “Not only did that action threaten our Kingdom, but also all the Kingdoms of Ellyria. If the Jade Empress is successful, hundreds of years of independence and sovereignty would be destroyed! The Eveur boy deserves punishment for his father’s dealings with that sorceress. Hang him or behead him, death is the only suitable punishment for treason.”

The crowd roared in approval at that suggestion, and Cameron whimpered. Death was not something the young boy was ready for. Not yet.

“This is a sentencing.” The King said. “Surely we have all gathered here today knowing that death is the punishment suitable for our Lord Eveur’s crimes. The question is, how should this boy die?”

“A quick death is too good for the son of a traitor.” One old Duke laughed. “Feed him to the wolves and lions, or let the elephants trample him!”

“Or even better,” The fat Duke looked pleased. “We could break little lord on the wheel. I’m sure many will enjoy hearing his brittle bones crack when we smash his small body.”

“Please…” Cameron begged, voice hoarse as he sniffled. “Have mercy.”

Hearing his pathetic cries for mercy, the crowd only cheered louder and became more frenzied. Cameron knew it was hopeless, and yet he pleaded. Neither the people nor the lords saw reason, and the only thing that would sate them was seeing the blood of the traitor’s son.

But suddenly, one of the eleven Dukes stood up, raising his hand to shush the screaming crowd. Cameron knew who he was right away, and watched as the tears flowed down his cheek as the shrewd and cunning Lord Remington cleared his throat.

“I think we should all calm down.” Lord Remington was an older gentleman, thin figured and cleanly shaven. “We cannot let blind rage obscure our vision, we must stay rational.”

Cameron felt suddenly that there was just a tiny glimmer of hope for him now, and he listened expectantly to every word that left Lord Remington’s mouth.

“The crimes of his father were horrendous , yes.” Lord Remington continued to say. He had quite a lot of influence and was revered as smart man, so the other Dukes did also listen. “But can we really blame a son for who his father was?”

Some of the other Dukes began nodding in agreement. “A son does not get to pick his father.”

“That is exactly right.” Lord Remington replied, looking straight into Cameron’s suddenly hopeful eyes. “Even if his father were the most vile and dishonorable man I have ever met, I can not place any blame on this young boy with a clear conscience.”

For as long as he had remembered, his father was the most upstanding and noble man Cameron had ever known. The other lords respected him and came to him for advice, until the day he decided to ally himself with the Jade Empress’s vision for a united and single Ellyria. Ever since then, his father had only been talked about as a lewd man who fell for the Jade Empress’s unnatural charms. And normally, the slights and attacks on his father would have made the young boy angry, but Cameron was too afraid now to feel anything but hopeful for his life.

“Lord Remington is wise and speaks the truth.” King Edwin noted. “The boy is still young, and throwing his life away would be a waste. Tell me boy, how old are you?”

Cameron let his gaze fall to the ground. “Thirteen years, your highness.” His birthday had come and gone during his days in the dungeon, very surely his worst birthday ever.

“Only thirteen.” King Edwin mused. “Lord Remington is right, we will not kill you.” He looked to the thin Duke and they exchanged nods. “But at the same time, we cannot simply allow treason to get off lightly.”

The large king hammered his fist onto the high table, shocking Cameron.

“With his lands and titles stripped off him,” King Edwin bellowed. “I proclaim you, Cameron, cast out from the Kingdom of Osailia! You must go into exile, no longer will you enjoy the hospitality of the Kingdom your family has betrayed. You will roam the land, with nothing to your name and not a penny to save you from thirst or hunger. Go now, and get out of my sight.”

Cameron was stunned. When he realized that he wouldn’t be executed, the young boy thought that he would at least be able to live a life similar to the one he has been living as a Duke’s only son, perhaps as a ward with another Lord or Count somewhere in the Kingdom. But exile, exile was a death sentence, though it would just take longer, much much longer.

Guards grabbed at his arms and dragged the boy away as the court was dismissed. Cameron had been too much in shock to pay any particular attention to anything, and everything around him seemed to go by in a blur. Soon however, Cameron quickly realized that he had not yet been dragged off in a caravan to be dropped off outside the Kingdom’s borders, but was alone in someone’s private chambers.

Observing his surroundings, Cameron realized that this had to have been one of the courthouse’s many fancy accommodations, as the Dukes often had to gather for more than one day to deliberate on certain matters. His father used to do that, and had he not been stripped of his titles, Cameron would have done it too.

“Hello, little Lord Eveur.