A/N: ...I can't believe I'm doing an 8th one of these...what did I let y'all and the plot bunny talk me into? If I have my way, this will be the last one.
On an important note, the 'regular reviewers' have all done summaries for these stories in my profile. I know there are regular readers who don't review because I watch the traffic numbers. If you are interested in doing a summary for Hope, please PM me or leave a review. Really need someone to do this! Prefer someone who has not done it before!
If you missed them, go check out the Oneshot Collabs featuring Raider!
Disclaimer: I'm not John Flanagan.
Elizabet stood the main room of her apartment biting the nail on her thumb. Castle staff had scrambled to assemble a mourning wardrobe for her. Black and dark grays would be her only colors for a while. Her family joined her in wearing dark colors, but the rest of the city moved on from Neil's death quickly. Noah sat in a corner quietly playing with a wooden horse Neil had made for him on his last birthday.
"You're sure you want me?" Tammy whispered. "I'm nothing special, Lizzie. I'm not titled and I can't do what a properly trained woman could."
"I'm titling you," Elizabet assured her. "And Carissa will train you."
Carissa finished coiling Tammy's hair at the nape of her neck using jeweled pins. "There," she announced. "All finished."
"You're sure you have the time to train me?" Tammy asked as Carissa spun her to face Elizabet.
"For the twentieth time, yes. Scout's an easier mistress than Elizabet. I oversee her maids and Mara's tutors. Other than that Scout only needs me for formal events."
"Tammy, I want you as my lady-in-waiting," Elizabet assured her.
"I'm not suitable," Tammy continued to argue.
"Just relax. If someone more suitable comes along Elizabet can always demote you to maid and take on the new girl," Carissa assured her.
Elizabet left the two and joined Noah in the corner. Noah barely looked up at her.
"I miss him too," she whispered to him. Noah only responded with a heavy grunt. Elizabet sighed and turned back to the two ladies-in-waiting. Carissa had spent two days now giving Tammy a crash course in duties and showing her the ins and outs of servants' passages throughout the castle. She'd taught Tammy how to dress, do her hair, wash her face, and what to pack so she was always prepared. Tammy already proved herself a better fit than Alicia, but she lacked confidence. Elizabet knew that would come with time, as it had for herself when she abruptly became a princess.
The door opened and Warden joined them with Max on his heels. He crossed over and kissed Carissa's cheek before addressing the others.
"It's time," he said.
Tammy took deep breaths. Elizabet went to her side, giving her a light hug. "I'll be with you," she whispered.
"Come on Noah," Max urged him. "We've got lessons."
"Do I have to?" Noah moaned.
"Yes," Elizabet answered. "It'll be good for you."
Noah sighed and put his toy aside. He grumbled as he got his bag and left the apartment. Max looked to his parents with a dumbfounded expression. Both just waved for him to follow Noah. Elizabet rubbed her forehead. Dealing with Neil's death was hard enough without Noah throwing tantrums.
"Mason and Scout are already waiting," Warden pressed. The women nodded and followed him out. Elizabet motioned for Tammy to walk next to her rather than behind her.
"It's going to be alright," she assured her aunt.
"He's a good man, Lizzie," Tammy whispered as she had ever since Calvin was given a trial date. "He saved my life."
"He also made it miserable. He's not stable enough to be given any sort of authority right now," Elizabet reminded her.
"If it wasn't for him I would have hanged."
Warden glanced back at them before speaking. "He's a good man. Whatever is going on in that head of his needs to be addressed before he's allowed any kind of power again. If meets another woman in the position you were he may take advantage rather than save her. He's in a bad place right now."
Even as Carissa opened the doors to the court, Tammy began to tremble. Elizabet led her inside knowing she wouldn't be able to go herself. The two clutched one another's arms. Though Elizabet's resolve for today was greater than Tammy's, seeing Calvin in such a position wasn't easy for her. Compounded with her grief it actually made her sway on her feet.
Mason and Scout sat on their thrones at the front, as was their place. Hazen stood behind his mother's chair with his hands behind him. Warden went to stand in line with the guards while Carissa led Elizabet and Tammy to stand to the right of two guards standing with a prisoner between them. Last time Tammy stood here she'd told them Maggie was alone in the woods. When she stood here, the guards on hand had held her arms to keep her from falling down. Today, the same guards rested their hands on swords.
Calvin sat on his knees between them, completely humiliated before all the court. He'd been given no special treatment by royal guards as he may have if they did this back in Claymound. They'd brought him up with his feet and hands shackled together. Elizabet didn't realize how unprepared she was to see him that way. She felt herself sway just as Tammy swayed the opposite way. The two held on to one another for balance.
"Calvin Kerr, you are here to face the accusation of spousal abuse," Mason said after nodding to Elizabet and Tammy. "What is your response?"
Calvin clearly wasn't listening. He had started to cry at some point, something Elizabet had never seen him do before. He shook his head as though trying to wake himself from a nightmare.
"I'm sorry Tammy," he wept. "Please, I'm sorry. Lizzie…"
"Calvin, this has been a difficult time for our family," Scout continued. She put emphasis on 'our family', which brought Calvin's attention to her. "I've spoken to both Lady Tammy and Princess Elizabet. Lady Tammy is under our protection and will remain there as long as she wishes. We have already granted her a divorce from you and any attempt to invalidate or dishonor that divorce will be seen as treason against us. Is that understood?"
Calvin didn't answer. He only stared back down at the floor, tears rolling down his cheeks.
Mason reached for Scout's hand and squeezed it, letting everyone in the room know the couple stood together. "We don't plan to imprison you forever. However, we can't allow you to continue with any sort of authority in our service. You are relieved from your duties as Constable of Claymound."
Calvin shook his head, turning back to Tammy and Elizabet. "I'm so sorry," he repeated. "I never wanted to hurt either of you."
"Then why did you?" Elizabet demanded.
"I don't know. I…I didn't want to. I'm sorry."
Mason and Scout resumed the trial, again allowing Calvin the chance to defend himself. Elizabet felt the room slowly spin. This was too much. She needed Neil with her. He wasn't coming, though. He would never come to steady her again. Elizabet released Tammy's arm. She shut her eyes in attempt to get control back.
"Calvin, we are offering you a fresh start. As you know, our neighbor Araluen is a strong ally. Prince Reese is on hand and has agreed to take you there with the promise of a post in Seacliff. It's a small fief you should feel comfortable in after being in Claymound most your life. Prince Reese has agreed to send you with papers securing you an appropriate job pending what they have available. You will be given enough gold to secure accommodation in an inn until you can work something else out," Scout said.
"You're exiling me," Calvin sighed with a dismal tone.
"No," Mason said firmly. "We are giving you a chance to restart your life."
"I'm too old to restart my life. You're taking away what I've built."
This time it was Tammy's turn to interject. "Calvin, they're offering you a chance to start over where no one knows you. They're offering you enough money you can have a head start."
"Your other option is to continue your life here sacked from your career with no aid from us," Mason continued. "If you try to contact Tammy again, you will be arrested for treason and punished as such. The penalty would be exile or execution."
Execution.
Elizabet's legs gave out. She felt a pair of strong arms catch her before she hit the ground. Warden. Again. Of course.
"I've got you, Caterpillar," he assured her in a whisper as he lowered her the rest of the way gently, allowing her to lie flat. Carissa was at her side with a bottle of scented oil in no time. Elizabet waved the bottle away. The strong odor only made her head spin more.
"Elizabet?" Hazen asked as he came down to join them. There was a terrible scratching sound as Calvin attempted to go to her, followed by an even more terrible crunch of fist against flesh as the guards forced him back. Elizabet pushed herself up and found she had now strength to do so. Hazen and Warden each took a side and gently lifted her so she could lean on her younger cousin.
"She wasn't ready for this," Scout's voice said from somewhere far away. Elizabet could feel herself slipping again. "Hazen, carry her to her room. Carissa, go find Kineta and let her know what's happened."
Elizabet felt herself being lifted.
"Please don't cut me off from my niece!" Calvin begged as Elizabet was carried out. "Please, she's all I have!"
"That niece is grown now. She'll make her own decision as to contact with you when she comes to," Scout snapped back.
"And we will fully support whatever decision that is," Mason added.
The door to the courts shut behind Hazen. Elizabet fully blacked out.