Chapter 178: Breaking down a conspiracy...[1]
Lord Dresden took some water and called upon his first witness, Duke Thorin himself.
To the crowd he said, "I call the duke because this conspiracy was brewed long before the crown princess married the crown prince." He looked at the somber faced duke and asked, "Your grace, are you familiar with Lord Oliver Ye?"
"Yes, I am." The duke confirmed.
"Please elaborate for us how familiar you are with him and any other member of the Ye house."
Duke Thorin shot Oliver a sharp glare as he replied, "After I returned to the capital permanently, my wife the duchess was approached by her grace Lady Gretchen Ye and she proposed a union of our grandchildren in marriage. To be precise it was, Lady Sigrid, who was not the crown princess at the time and Lord Oliver Ye."
He confirmed a rumor that had never been substantiated before.
"Did you agree to the union?" Lord Dresden asked.
The duke nodded. "I rejected it twice initially but they were persistent. I was informed that Lord Oliver held affectionate feelings for the crown princess and he was desperate to marry her. The Ye family offered us two magic stone mines, two estates and one million in gold if we agreed to the marriage."
The crowd was set ablaze once again, both in the courtroom and outside they roared with surprise. It was quite the price to pay for a bride.