RESENTFUL CEREMONY

At the school's gates, a fleet of escort cars arrived. The arriving fleet was heard from afar by the idle camera crew who was sleeping the night away in the parking lot. They promptly turned on their cameras. One of the cars came to a standstill, and the back door opened a notch. Two young men dressed in casual clothing emerged and rolled out a red carpet across the pavement leading to the gates. The automobile then moved forward, making room for a limousine to enter the scene smoothly.

The camera team fought for a good view of the gorgeous vehicle from both sides of the spread carpet. It came to rest exactly on the carpet, and the front doors opened, revealing two bodyguards. They dashed to the back of the vehicle and cautiously opened the back door.

A lovely leg, adorned with pricey stilettos and a stunning gown, stepped out of the automobile. As she stepped out of the car and onto the carpet, the bodyguard extended his arm, and a feminine hand reached out and clutched it for support. The cameras began to click frantically, and murmurs began to emerge.

The lady got out of the car and ran her fingers through her thick brown hair. It bounced off her exposed shoulders and landed with a bang. She flashed a dazzling smile at the cameras, revealing her white teeth and attractive smile. Her eyes twinkled in the spotlight, and her gown accentuated her flawless body. She took a few steps forward, walking over the red carpet and closer to the cameras. The king himself was the next to exit the limousine.

He was dressed in valiant purple and black and wielded a valuable walking stick, all for a show because he was still young to require one.  He got out of the car and waved to the photographers. He approached the lovely lady, threw his arm around her waist, and the two of them began walking towards the school's gates.

Luciana waited by the gate, resentfully watching their every move. How can he bring his concubine instead of the queen to such a widely televised event! Her mother, to be precise. She wanted to leave her post and avoid having to speak with them, but it was too late; his father had already seen her.

“Ah-ha!   “There you are, everyone, look,” his father remarked as he walked over to her. " Say hi to Luciana Vonner, the next champion of Ithea, my own daughter! ” he said as he walked up to her and put his arm around her shoulder. The woman he was with started clapping enthusiastically, and several of the camera crew in the audience followed suit. The cheering grew louder as the camera shutter sounded louder.

Luciana was repulsed by the stench of alcohol coming from her father's mouth. How could he have made it to such an event while utterly inebriated?

She muttered under her breath, "Father, stop." The king, on the other hand, paid no attention to her since he enjoyed being the centre of attention. Luciana wrenched herself free from his grip with such force that the interaction turned unpleasant. His father, as clueless as he was, couldn't read the indications. The woman decided to interfere and drew the king back inside the school grounds, where they both entered.

The cameramen kept snapping images of Luciana until she gave them a death gaze, which caused them all to retreat. They returned to their vans and awaited the end of the event.

The king's arrival was greeted with cheers inside the school. Many of the meeting's noblemen and notable visitors crowded around him to greet him and welcome him to the event.

He expressed his gratitude by saying, "Thank you all; I am really privileged to be here today." He was plainly intoxicated, yet he kept his cool so effectively that it wasn't even evident unless you got near enough to smell the alcohol in his body. The crowd, on the other hand, seemed to embrace his zeal.

They walked past him one by one, shaking his hand and congratulating him on making it to the event as if it were a huge accomplishment. When he spoke, he walked over to the podium and took up the microphone, wanting everyone to hear him.

“Good morning, everyone. I'm very delighted you were all able to attend the ceremony. I'm glad to see so many of you here to offer your support and gratitude for our departed hero. Please, when a hero has left us, we must treat him with the respect he deserves, especially in Rhaizen Gale's case. He had greater promise because he was still young and had so much more to do in the name of the kingdom. As a result, we will do everything we can to honour him. Let us gather the rest of the students and gather in the school grounds to remember him and bid him farewell before he is laid to rest,” he said.

The audience erupted in graceful applause. But, to be honest, none of the noblemen gave a damn about Rhaizen Gale. They despised him for who he was more than what he accomplished. The post of champion of Ithea was seen by the kingdom's officials as a privilege reserved for noblemen. They felt the position's prestige had been soiled when they learned about Rhaizen Gale and his peasant family origins. That is why they were happy when they learned of his death.

That is why, rather than being a day of grief, the viewing of Rhaizen Gale's body was a display, a celebration. Locals and peasants on the opposite side of the venue, on the other hand, were visibly dejected and depressed. The atmospheres of the two places were diametrically opposed to one another. Rhaizen Gale's humanitarian disposition was well-liked by the villagers. They admired his outgoing attitude and the charity with which he treated the less fortunate members of society. The nobles were irritated because he made it a point to acknowledge them in everything he did.

The monarch instructed everyone to assemble at the school grounds, on an open field large enough to accommodate both factions, but the aristocratic men made sure there was no confusion between them and the locals. They didn't want to mix with them, so they created an invisible barrier between themselves and the peasant. The peasants and noblemen were quickly separated by bodyguards who stood across the field.

The king ascended the stairwell and onto the podium, which had been built for public speaking. He stood next to Rhaizen Gale's body, which was encased in a clear glass casket. Before starting to talk, he cleared his throat.

“My people. We've all gathered here today to remember the hero who embodied the kingdom's virtues. Rhaizen Gale was one of my closest friends. His death has left me heartbroken. The kingdom swears to see that he receives the justice he deserves. His killers are still on the loose, and we'll keep looking for them, day and night until we find them and bring them to justice. We all wish Rhaizen Gale's family a calm time, as we know how difficult times like this can be for the bereaved. Because they may still be in danger, the kingdom has provided them with the protection they require. That is why they were unable to attend the event today.”

“What a pitiful lie!” “Judy Ben Mor explained. She'd slithered her way into the spot where Luciana, Jalon, and Norval stood. They were taken aback and looked at her.

“The kingdom doesn't give a damn about his family; they're still in their hamlet, and they've turned down invites to attend this charade,” she continued.

The students finally remembered who she was after a long time.

“Why are you following us? ” Luciana inquired.

“I'm sorry if I scared you. “Hi, my name is...”

“Yeah, I'm aware of your identity. You are Judy Ben Mor, that nosy reporter everyone hates. Why do you keep following us, you know I can just call security on you this instant,” Luciana said.

“I wouldn't say everyone despises me; don't you think that's a little exaggerated? ”

“Listen, I'm giving you five minutes to get away from us or I'm going to call security,” she said.

Judy was deafeningly quiet for a few moments, exchanging looks with the candidates.

“Didn't something happen at this school? Something caused Nelanian and Cecily to withdraw from the trials.   “I'd like to know what that was,” 

“Listen, I urge you go if you are not here for Rhaizen Gale's funeral. We're simply trying to say our goodbyes to our master in peace, and we don't want the media in our way, so I advise you find your way out, or I'll contact security to assist you,” Luciana replied, her tone caustic. Judy knew when to back off if she felt she was being overly assertive, and she did so.

She sank back into the crowd, her trusty notepad in hand. She worked on it for a long time, and by the time she finished, the monarch had already finished his speech and people had formed a queue to examine the body at the stage.

The nobles were the first to take a stand. They walked past, some insulting the fallen hero and others not bothering to look. Nothing piqued Judy's interest like a good mystery. She was determined to get to the bottom of it no matter what it took. A fantastic insight occurred to her just as he was pondering. She knew of only one person who could communicate. Cecily Ethel.

She looked around the facility and realised there was only one place she could be...