Misfit Trials

Chapter 12

 The clearing is silent. No one shifts in their seats or clears their throats. Many of the spectators have their heads bowed. Some cry.

Aegae sits cross legged in the middle of the dais. Her back is hunched forward and she stares in front of her without seeing. Tears stand in her eyes, but do not fall. The only movement she shows is the clenching and unclenching of her fists.

In the jury box, the Godmother holds a handkerchief to her eyes and cries silently. Maleficent's face is impassive but she clutches her staff so hard that her knuckles whiten. Tinkerbell pulls her knees to her chest and buries her face in them.

The Cat still leans at the podium and continues to smile his everlasting smile, though he seems quite sad. He walks around the podium and crouches at the edge of the dais. Eye level with Aegae, the Cat gestures for her to stand. Shakily, Aegae rises to her feet. Still crouching, the Cat looks up into her face. "We accept your pain," he says softly.

"We accept your pain," the assembly repeats.

Aegae lets out a short, choked sob, clutching her stomach. She covers her mouth and shakes her head. She swipes at her eyes, rolls her shoulders back, and looks at the Cat.

"Ready?" the Cat askes.

Aegae nods.

"Okay," the Cat says. He walks back to stand behind the podium. He turns his immense grin back to Aegae. "Do you truly believe that the entire mer-kingdom is gone?" the Cat asks.

"I do," Aegae says, shakily. "I have had many years to search for my family. They are not there. Eric killed them."

The crowd erupts in whispered conversations.

The Hatter walks to the front of the podium and rolls his shoulders back. All the whispers instantly stop. Many in the front rows pull back, trying to make themselves smaller targets.

The Cat clears his throat. "I know that this is difficult, but we must have some proof. It is hard to believe that Triton's entire kingdom is gone. Does anyone have anything to offer?"

"Aye, I can," comes a voice from the back. Everyone looks to the rear of the clearing to see a wind-burned and salt-spray covered man stand. He looks to be about thirty and wears an outfit of all black, including gloves and a mask.

"Step forward, friend," says the Cat, gesturing the stranger towards the dais.

The man moves to stand next to dais, slightly to the right of the podium. He walks as if the sea were rolling under his feet, swaying to the right and left. He stands with his feet wide apart, as if needing to balance against the movement of a boat. His right hand rests lightly on his sword.

"Tell us your name, sir," says the Cat.

"I am the Dread Pirate Roberts," the pirate replies.

"Ah, and so you are," says the Cat. "It is a pleasure to meet such an infamous character as yourself."

Roberts smiles and bows to the cat with a grand sweep of his left arm, keeping his right hand still on the pommel of his sword. "The pleasure is mine," he says.

"You have evidence to provide the court?" asks the Cat.

"Aye," Roberts says.

"Then tell us what you know," the Cat says.

"My crew and I were off the coast of Norway in 1840 when we heard of the Danish king's war," Roberts says. "He had learned of the existence of merfolk in the waters just off his coast and was livid. Eric could not have another monarch in his dominion and decided to wipe them out. He worked with the Dutch and created a submarine, a sort of enclosed boat that could dive into the depths. This queer boat was crewed by eight men and carried two spar torpedoes. Eric created a flotilla of submarines and went to war with Triton's people.

"The merfolk didn't stand a chance. With Eric's boats on top and under the water, they had no way to escape. He massacred the merfolk and completely destroyed the kingdom. I actually toured the 'battleground' in a submarine. The castle was destroyed, the homes torpedoed, and the bodies eaten by the creatures of the sea. Aegae tells the truth. They are all gone," Roberts said.

Aegae stands tall throughout Roberts' recitation, but her chin trembles and her eyes are closed.

"What say you?" the Cat asks the Godmother, Tinkerbell, and Maleficent. The jury speaks quietly amongst themselves. After a few minutes, they turn as one to the Cat. Tinkerbell nods and the Cat turns back to Aegae. "We accept your testimony. Thank you Dread Pirate. You may return to your seat."

Roberts once again bowed to the Cat. Before returning to his seat, he pulls a pearl necklace from his pocket. "I found this in the castle wreckage," he says, extending the necklace to Aegae. "I think it may have been your mother's."

Slowly raising her hand to take the necklace, Aegae looked in wonder at the pirate. "Thank you," she says, clutching her treasure to her chest.

The pirate smiles, then makes his way back to his seat.

Aegae stares at the necklace in her hands for several moments before the Cat clears his throat.

"Ready?' he asks.

Nodding, Aegae clears her throat, "Soon after, we heard footsteps running towards the house."