The Verdict
The Trial of A Monarch
Here in the city of Merovia, something unprecedented has been happening: the person of the law, in the shape of Martel XVII of Callisto, has been accused by the legislators of the law, in the shape of the relatively recently constituted National Assembly. Despite the king's proclamation that he is the law, there are still bars on his prison windows. He has been confined to the Fortress of the Templars ever since his attempt to flee to the border went disastrously wrong.
The trial has preoccupied much of the National Assembly's attention in these past few months. While public opinion was initially extremely prejudiced against the former monarch, the Moderate Society of Revolution has been advocating on the king's behalf. And in this, they have broad popular support. While the king is still quite unpopular within the city, the rest of the country regards him in a better light. Princess Margarete's relief efforts have helped keep the regard for the royal family high, and even in the city she is quite popular. It has also not escaped the notice of the public that there has been a constant vigil outside the king's prison; the popular label for these individuals is "The Witnesses in White", owing, no doubt, to the garments they wear. They have received material and moral support from much of the countryside, even from regions that have been throughly educated with the ideals of the Republic. That many already regarded the king as a martyr of sorts for his country was evident. An actual execution threatened to set off half the country.
The news that the National Assembly had nearly reached a verdict brought the arguments in the cafés to a fever pitch. The National Assembly had been deadlocked, with execution looking likely. The arrival of the Archbishop, dispatched to personally review the results of the trial served to heighten the drama.
Once the final votes were tallied, the outcome was clear: abdication but not execution. The verdict is that the former monarch be dethroned and removed from the Republic, but that his life shall be spared.