Betrayal of Trust (Roses & Rebels Book 2) by C.V. Lee

Author:C.V. Lee [Lee, C.V.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798987031926
Publisher: RnR Publishing
Published: 2023-07-29T16:00:00+00:00

The ensuing week passed quickly. From their seats on the dais, Philippe, Thomas, and Clement watched as two soldiers, dressed in blue tunics with a boar embroidered on the sleeve and knee-high boots, herded Roger into the chamber of the Royal Court. The attorney general hastened to his seat at the table before the dais.

Roger, his arms and feet shackled, his hair long and unkempt, dropped into the straight-backed wooden chair. In the three weeks since his trial had begun, his body had visibly weakened. His drooping eye looked lifeless, making him appear more forlorn.

Philippe stood. “We are here to determine the fate of the defendant, Roger Le Boutillier. Before we begin deliberations, I want to give him another opportunity to speak on his own behalf.”

Roger struggled to stand. “Let the record show my deep sorrow at the loss of my friend Raulin Payne. Would to God I could relive that day.” His body trembled, and he hung his head. “I am prepared to accept the consequence of my actions. May God forgive me for my sin.” Roger slumped back into the chair.

“Before we vote, I wish to make a statement.” Philippe’s stomach clenched as he picked up his notes. “This trial troubles my mind.” He glanced at Roger. “This man who sits before us cannot be called a perfect citizen. However, during the siege he proved himself a man of great courage, saving the lives of many. We all witnessed him retrieving the wounded from the battlefield amid flying arrows and gunfire, delivering them to the tents and churches for care.”

The attorney made to speak, but Philippe raised his hand. “Let me finish. Roger has confessed to killing Raulin. The evidence presented points to a tragic accident. What does God say about this? One of the Ten Commandments given to Moses is ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ The scripture states ‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’ By this standard, Roger deserves to die, a death for a death. But God carved out a special provision for those who accidentally killed another. He established sanctuary cities to protect them from retribution.”

Philippe paused and glanced at Clement, aware this argument would rouse old wounds. Clement’s temple pulsed, and his fists clenched.

“In searching the island’s records, I discovered a similar case from 150 years ago. A priest pulled a sword from under a man’s arm, and that man bled to death. The two were friends, so there was no ill intent. Fortunately for the priest, his vocation required his case be tried before the Ecclesiastical Court, which rejects the sentence of death. A few years later, the priest was acquitted.

“God declares Himself no respecter of persons. I suggest the justice accorded by the Ecclesiastical Court should apply to all men. Should a freeman suffer a harsher punishment than a priest? Our Lord Jesus Christ asked us to show mercy to those who are repentant. Roger Le Boutillier has shown remorse.”

From the corner of his eye, Philippe saw Thomas nodding.

“I cannot in good conscience vote to condemn Roger to the gallows for an accidental death.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.