Chapter Two
"Morgan, what are you doing out here?" he stared at the girl smiling back up, a head shorter than him.
"I've come to provide moral support!" she exclaimed dutifully.
"That's great, honey, but do you suppose there might be a better time for this sort of thing?" he looked around.
"Of course not, don't be silly, father! You're trying the case now, aren't you? When else could I help you win it?" she explained in a matter-of-fact voice.
"Did your mother put you up to this?" he stared straight into her eyes again.
"'Put me up to this?' Whatever do you mean?" she looked confused.
"Just tell me, did your mother tell you to come here?" he wondered.
"Well, yes and no. I asked if I could go see you even though you were working, and I believe her response was, 'Sure, maybe your father can answer all your questions for today.' I get the sense she was a little irritated," she put a finger on her temple.
Robin sighed, "All right, just don't go shouting in the courtroom, okay? You're expected to maintain a respectful silence."
"Yes!" she cheered, "No worries, respectful silences are, like, my specialty!"
Right, I'm sure the broken window panes would agree, Robin sighed again, taking his daughter's hand and leading her in to the courtroom.
Another bang of the gavel, "Court will now reconvene for the trial of Gaius. When last we left off, I do believe that—oh?" the judge found himself caught off guard. He stared intently toward Robin.
"Is something the matter, Your Honor?" the tactician inquired.
"Who is this little girl at your side, Sir Robin?" he asked, adjusting his glasses.
"Oh," Robin touched a hand to his neck, "My apologies, Your Honor, this is my daughter, Morgan. She insisted on seeing me at work this afternoon. You can consider her to be my co-counsel."
"I'm gonna help my daddy find the truth, and you're gonna help us, right Mr. Judge?" she pleaded sweetly, eyes sparkling.
The gray-bearded man smiled earnestly, "Of course, young lady. We'll accept nothing less than the absolute truth."
Morgan faced her father and lowered her voice, "How was that, father?"
"Laying the cutesy act on a bit thick, aren't you?" he gauged her incredulously.
"Oh, he's old, father. The cutesy act is all he wants to see, probably reminds him of his granddaughter or something," she tapped her index finger off her forehead knowingly.
"My, what a charming little lady, reminds me quite a bit of my granddaughter. She's a fine young girl, Sir Robin, you ought to be proud," the judge continued.
"Thank you, Your Honor, I am," Robin tried his best not to smile.
"While I will concede that Sir Robin's daughter is, indeed, darling, I would ask that attention not be diverted from the matter at hand," Maribelle cleared her throat.
The judge recovered, "Oh! Ahem, yes, indeed. When last we left off, I do believe the defense had put forth a claim that an impression in the dust on the Exalt's windowsill, as well as a nearby abrasion on the wall were evidence of a potential third party, a consideration that significantly lessens the weight of suspicion on the defendant. The members of the guard dispatched to verify Sir Robin's claims have done just that, so his point will be considered valid and acceptable for the purposes of this trial. At this point, I return the trial to you: what is the prosecution's next action, Magistrate Maribelle?"
"The prosecution…" Maribelle began, the trepidation in her voice evident, "intends to further pursue the defendant's declaration of guilt. Another witness to the crime has made her presence known, and she is prepared to testify as to seeing the defendant at the scene."
"Just as did Vaike?" Robin sneered.
"No," Maribelle's glare was as cutting as before, "Unfortunately for you, Sir Robin, our witness is far more reliable than that… imbecile."
"Father," Morgan looked to him sorrowfully, "I thought Maribelle and Gaius were married, why does she want to see him executed? Did they have a fight?"
"I don't know, honey," Robin shook his head, "they're both acting rather strange. I'm not aware of any prior issues or divorce, however."
"'Divorce?'" Morgan repeated.
"When a couple legally agrees to be separated and no longer considered to be married," Robin explained.
Morgan slapped her palm over her mouth in shock, "People can do that?! But how? Didn't they pledge to love each other forever?!"
"Some marriages aren't always happy. Some people can't stay together forever," Robin sighed.
"…You aren't going to divorce mom, are you?" Morgan looked up reluctantly, pursing her lips.
"What? No! When did this become about me?" Robin rolled his eyes.
"Hey, Robin! We're waiting on YOU!" a voice giggled from the front of the courtroom.
Robin turned his head quickly, "Oh, Lissa. My apologies, I was just answering a question for Morgan.
"I see her there," the exalt's sister smiled, "Hi, little Morgan! How are you and mommy doing, sweetheart?"
"Just fine, thank you, Mrs. Lissa," Morgan waved, smiling back.
Maribelle grasped at her blouse irritably, "Can we please get to the testimony, Lissa, dear?"
"Oh, right," Lissa nodded appreciatively, "Sure thing, Maribelle."
"Then, the witness will testify as to what she observed on the evening of the crime," Maribelle continued, "specifically, the person she witnessed, as I will allow her to explain."
"You got it!" Lissa cheered, "I don't think I have to tell anyone here, I'm Chrom's sister. I was in the castle that night, just getting a late-night snack before turning in, when all of a sudden, I heard thumping, like someone coming up a set of stairs. I went to check it out, and ended up following it all the way to the treasury, until I was bull rushed by someone darting out of it! Knocked me flat on my royal back, the jerk! I glanced up at him as he darted away: orange hair, dressed all in black, and he dropped one of the wrappers for those special sweets on the ground as he fled. If you ask me, there's only one possibility as to who that was: Gaius."
"But you never saw this man's face, then?" Robin asked as she finished.
"No… But, who else does that sound like to you, Robin?" she put her hands on her hips.
"Fair enough." Robin sighed, straightening his cloak, "but suppose it was someone wearing a disguise?"
"Proof, Robin," Maribelle reminded, "there would need to be something to suggest that were the case first if you wanted to press that line of thinking."
"Father," Morgan stared intently ahead.
"Is this important, Morgan?" he asked, not looking away.
"Maybe, what's Lissa got on her shirt there?" she asked, nodding her head in the direction.
Good question, Robin stared straight ahead, evaluating her shoulder. "Lissa?" he addressed.
"Yes?" she lifted her head.
"What's happened to your shoulder? Why is it covered like that?" he noted.
She grasped the fabric adorning her shoulder, "Just a little accessory; no big deal."
"The way you're guarding it leads me to believe otherwise," he surmised.
"Objection," Maribelle called, "irrelevant. I would ask the defense to remain focused on the task at hand."
"Suppose I could prove the witness's shoulder was related to the crime?" Robin challenged.
Maribelle's eyes narrowed, "Then I would be interested to hear how you might purport that to be."
"Lissa, could you please remove that fabric from your shoulder?" Robin asked.
Her eyes shifted, "I don't have to. N-No."
"Lissa, please—"
A bang of the gavel, "Sir Robin, the young lady has refused, and I'm inclined to be on her side in this instance. Unless you can prove to me that the condition of the witness's shoulder is relevant, I'll ask you to move on."
That's no good, Robin shook his head, Lissa's shoulder is the only leg I have to stand on so far.
"It's odd, isn't it, father?" Morgan noted, "Why is Lissa so uncomfortable about her shoulder. She's acting suspicious."
"Yes, but I'm afraid there's nothing I can do without proof," Robin lamented.
Morgan clenched her fists, "Well then, prove it, father!"
"Sir Robin? We are awaiting the continuation or completion of your cross examination," the judge beckoned.
"A moment to confer with my co-counsel, if you please, Your Honor," Robin reported. The judge shrugged his shoulders. Robin turned to his daughter, "Any ideas on how I might set about proving it?"
"Wha-? You're the lawyer," she cocked an eyebrow. After a moment, she pressed her index finger to the side of her head to think, "But, I guess, if it were me… I don't know, was there something that Lissa testified as happening that might have resulted in something happening to her shoulder?" She stared at her father as he considered, "I'm sorry, I guess that wasn't much help."
"No, no," he smiled, "you brought my focus back precisely where it needed to be." He faced Lissa, "Tell me, Lissa, you said your assailant knocked you 'flat on your royal back,' is that right?"
"Uh-huh," she nodded irritably, "jerk."
"Did you sustain any injuries as a result?"
"I-I," her eyes whipped around the room again, "N-No. Nothing. I'm fine. The picture of health."
"You're trying my patience, Sir Robin. I fail to see how Lissa's health impacts the innocence of your client," Maribelle tutted.
"I assume you were attended to by a physician after that ordeal regardless, yes?" Robin ignored her and pressed on.
"Y-Yeah. But I was fine, they let me go," she dismissed.
"I would like to have a look at that physician's records," Robin slapped a hand on his desk.
Maribelle rolled her eyes, "We're not getting anywhere here, Robin. Evidence. You need evidence before the court acts on any suggestion."
"Then it's a good thing I conducted my own investigation and picked up those exact records," Robin smirked.
"This had better be important, Sir Robin. You're on thin ice with so loose a relation to the crime," the judge sighed.
Robin read, "Patient suffered negligible, if any injuries, save for one: a rather strangely deep laceration on the shoulder."
"What now?" Maribelle scolded.
"And the relevance, Sir Robin?" the judge requested.
"Lissa claims to have been knocked on her back, which doesn't seem to be the sort of injury that would result in a laceration on the shoulder, and the report notes it as being 'strangely deep.' There was no blood found at the scene, despite the presence of this injury. Further, Lissa's conciliatory nature regarding the injury leads to the suggestion that Lissa was not where she claimed to be during the assault," Robin asserted, assuming a confident stance before his desk.
"Why… that does seem to make sense," the judge nodded vaguely, "Witness?"
She shuddered, her eyes blank, "N-No. There's no injury on my shoulder. T-There's nothing there. L-Leave me alone…"
"I'm sorry, Lissa," Robin consoled, "but we both know that's not true. Now, please, just tell me: why did you lie to the court, Lissa?"
"I-I… I didn't lie!" her lip quivered.
"Then where did the cut come from, and where is all the blood?" Robin insisted.
"T-The… The blood got soaked up by another one of my dresses, and the cut… the cut was from… Er, it was a cooking accident. Yep, silly me, I cut myself while preparing that snack I was talking about," she stammered.
"Now she's lying even more, father," Morgan lamented, hand to her chin.
"That's how it usually works: one lie begets another 'till there's none left to tell," he shook his head. "Can we see this bloodied dress, Lissa, or how about you tell us how you could accidentally deeply wound your shoulder while cooking?"
"I… I…" she grasped. Her gaze settled on Maribelle.
"How about you prove that Lissa's story was false, Robin? That would be your burden, given that you created the supposition," Maribelle remarked after a quick thought.
"B-But, it's so obvious Lissa's lying!" Morgan called.
Maribelle grasped her blouse again, "Think what you will, child, but evidence; pure, objective proof, is the only substance of merit here in the courts."
"Lissa's hurting," Robin determined, "Whatever this is about, the truth is very painful to her. I'm guessing that wound is just the surface of a whole slew of internal injuries."
"Like an illness?" his daughter supposed.
"More like a heartache," he replied.
"Oh," Morgan's face soured, "should we relent, then?"
Robin shook his head, "We can't; my job necessitates that we keep pressing until we figure out what really happened, no matter how much it may hurt."
She stared at the quivering woman at the stand, "Your job is hard." He nodded.
"Any response, Sir Robin?" inquired the judge.
"I should scarce need to respond to deny such obviously false claims. If Lissa tells us her dress is bloodied and that she cut herself, I would ask to see the dress and instrument upon which she cut herself. If she can provide neither, she is lying," Robin announced, his tone revealing he was none to pleased to report it.
"Robin…" she pleaded, "Don't do this…"
"Lissa, just tell me what's wrong. We're on the side of good, here. We can help you," he coerced, lowering his head to her level as he replied.
"You don't understand…" she cried.
"Then help me to," he extended a hand.
She gathered her vision, staring about the court for a moment. After she was satisfied, she returned to Robin and regarded him carefully, sighing, her eyes completely glassy with tears, which threatened to pour in buckets down her face. Her cheeks were red as she reported, "The truth… is… is that… I was attacked. A man attacked me, bound me up in the castle cellar. He… drove a blade into my shoulder, telling me that if I told anyone what happened… he would… he would…"
"It's okay, Lissa," Robin soothed, "No one is going to hurt you."
"It's not me I'm worried about," she sniffed, "Maribelle… I'm so sorry…"
"What is it, Lissa, dear?" Maribelle begged, her gentle face belying the stern clenching of her fist that crushed and mangled a small note in her hand.
"He said he was going to kill you if I talked, Maribelle," she admitted, collapsing into tears on the stand.
"And he used that threat to encourage you to bear false witness against Gaius. I see," Robin nodded, shutting his eyes.
"Oh, Lissa, darling," Maribelle sighed, breaking away from her desk and meeting her at the stand, "Thank you for trying to protect me. You're oh so very brave. But now the guard can take care of me. I'll be fine. Thank you so much for holding out this long."
The judge inhaled deeply, "This new testimony confirms the existence of a third party, and gives significant reason to doubt that Mr. Gaius is the perpetrator in this offense, giving new meaning to the entire case. I do not believe it is currently possible for me to consider the defendant guilty, given these revelations."
"Hear that, father?" Morgan smiled, "We did it!" He did not respond.
"Not so fast!" imparted a booming voice from afar. Robin turned his head distastefully as Frederick assumed Maribelle's position at the prosecutor's desk.
"Frederick," Robin wondered, "you too?"
"I know not of what you speak, Robin," the knight concluded without budging, "I simply feel as though Magistrate Maribelle has failed to deliver proper counsel on the side of the state in this case. It is with Chrom's blessing that I stand in her place and propose that Mistress Lissa has not borne false witness."
"Ridiculous!" Morgan slammed her small fist onto the desk, "We proved she was lying already."
"Indeed, about where she was assaulted, but not the details of the assault," he discerned.
"Objection!" Robin called, "How are we to believe the testimony of a witness who we are already aware has deceived this court?"
Frederick returned, "As I have just stated, the witness was not entirely deceitful in her account. The remainder of her testimony stands in accordance with the evidence presented thus far."
"Grr!" Morgan growled, "Frederick, how can you do this?! What did Gaius ever do to you?!"
"Silence!" he commanded, "Your Honor, this young lady does not belong in a courtroom."
"She's my co-counsel," Robin defended, placing a protective hand over his daughter's chest.
"Be that as it may, she's making extemporaneous outbursts, and I will not allow it in this court," he concluded with a snap of his fingers.
"You have no right," Robin gritted his teeth, "It's up to His Honor."
"Then I would petition His Honor to have the girl held in contempt," he insisted, slapping a hand onto the desk.
The judge stammered, watching the two men exchange glares from opposite desks. "S-Sir Robin, would you mind asking your daughter to remain silent? Otherwise, I suppose, there is no reason to hold her in contempt," he bleated. Frederick scoffed with his eyes shut.
"Yes, Your Honor," Robin nodded, grasping his daughter's shoulder and looking her in the eye.
"Very well, then," the judge sighed, stroking his beard, "If the State intends to change its counsel, there is a procedure to follow, and given that, this court will adjourn for a period of thirty minutes. It is the court's considered advice that the defense make certain to tighten up their case before proceedings resume."
"Your Honor," Robin bowed before making his exit from the room. He sat down in one of the old oak chairs in the small lobby outside the courtroom.
"I can't believe him!" his daughter screamed after him, "Why is Frederick trying to get Gaius convicted? I thought Frederick was a really good guy…" She put a finger to her lip and pouted.
"It's like I said," Robin raked a hand frustratedly through his hair, "there's something larger going on behind this case."
"Who do you suppose it was that threatened Lissa, father?" Morgan wondered.
"I don't know, but whoever he is, I'd stake my life on him being the keystone to this whole affair," he sighed, reclining.
"Hey, hey!" she called, "This is no time for repose! We've got to be working our tails off to figure out who that guy could be!"
Robin turned his head to the sound of footsteps emerging into the lobby, "Looks like we may just get the chance. How is she holding up, Maribelle?"
"Not well," the blonde magistrate sighed, helping her friend into another chair, "She's utterly distraught."
Robin inhaled and nodded, "I see." Lifting his head, he asked, "Maribelle, would it be possible for you to tell me why you were so dogged in prosecuting your husband?"
"It's… hard to explain," she evaded, looking away.
"Try me," Robin asserted, standing.
She shook her head, "I really appreciate what you're trying to do, Robin, but Gaius is the thief. This would be his third time."
"'Third?'" Robin repeated, "Why didn't you bring this up before?"
She bit her lip, "P-Prior bad acts are not admissible as evidence in courts of law."
"But was there something else to those two offenses?" he concluded.
She stared at him viciously, "No." She patted Lissa's shoulder and bid the princess rise as the two made for the door, "Now, I need to get dear Lissa some rest. …Best of luck, Robin."
"Adults are confusing," Morgan remarked simply, watching the noblewoman leave.
"You can say that again," Robin shook his head, grabbing his daughter's shoulder amicably.