Chapter 10
Judge Gordan stares at Marianne in shock of her objection. Calmly, the she-wolf walks in front of the bench as the wolf king watches her and ignores the cowering male before him.
"The court can not adjourn until this trial is finished," Marianne explains.
"You proved your client's innocence, therefore...," Judge Gordan starts.
"No, your honor," Marianne interrupts. "This trial is not about Sunny, this trial is about the murder of Mr Frisher. You can not adjourn this court until you convict the killer. Wolf law will not permit such an obstruction to justice."
"This is the human world, Miss Bane, and you will...," Judge Gordan tries again.
"Silence," Bane Dagda growls loudly, standing at full height and nearly brushing the fifteen-foot ceiling! "You will not disrespect Bane Marianne in such a way! You should be grateful she is trying to save your short life!"
"Bane," Bog murmurs through the shocked silence, a brown wolf ear turning back to him. "It might be a good idea to explain wolf law."
Marianne turns to him, a smirk upon her wolf snout, and nods before growling to Bane Dagda. The larger wolf snorts before returning to human form and walking to sit beside Dame Plum. Gabe takes that moment to exit the witness stand to return to his seat as well but stops for a short moment to rub noses with his mother.
"Since the time human authorities started to accept wolves on the same level as humans instead of mere animals, there has never been a case where the courts accused one wolf for a crime that another wolf did and at the same time, for a crime that is also against wolf law," Marianne explains, standing at full height. "Wolf law does not base their trials on the accused but the trial revolves around the crime. Just because the accused may turn innocent of the crime, the criminal must still be punished and therefore the trial cannot end until the true criminal is discovered. Anyone who attempts to stop or interfere with a trial is treated with the same punishment that is allotted to the crime."
Judge Gordan gulps as he stares at the stern face before him, her twelve-foot stature putting Marianne uncomfortably higher than him.
"When the human authorities agreed to create a court specifically to deal with wolves, they also agreed to abide by wolf law as long as it does not counteract human law," Marianne continues. "You have no law that states that you must adjourn the court to convict the true killer. You have all the evidence and all of it can convict without change, save for Mr Bryne's testimony which was obviously perjured. There is nothing stopping you from a definite conviction right now."
"The prosecution has no objections, your honor," Bog remarks, standing up next to Marianne. "The defense is correct. If it would please the court than we can recess while Mr Bryne's wolf DNA is tested for a positive identification but the prosecution feels his conduct during the last witness' testimony was clear evidence of guilt, as well as the resulting chaos. The prosecution moves for the conviction of the killer of Mr Brandon Frisher."
At a severe loss of what to do, Judge Gordan grabs the letters he received from other courts that have tried killer wolves. He's grateful that he thought to contact them when he was informed of the murder and re-reading them at the moment gives him some measure of peace. In all cases, the wolf was convicted then handed over to the wolf king for punishment. The letters neglected to say what he did with them but after the events of this hearing, he's pretty sure what happened.
"I am unsure how to proceed," Judge Gordan admits slowly. "The prosecution and defense are correct. I am confident in a guilty conviction for Mr Roland Bryne on the murder of Mr Brandon Frisher based on the evidence and his own conduct. I had taken the liberty to contact other judges who have tried wolves that committed murder and they had informed me of the proceedings that took place. However, as the defense pointed out, there is no basis for proper procedure for this particular case in the human world. If Bane Dagda feels justice has been served and is equally confident of Mr Bryne's guilt than I see no reason not to convict Mr Roland Bryne guilty of the murder of Mr Brandon Frisher AKA the Imp. He is sentenced to be given into the custody of Bane...,"
"I plead for human law," Roland screams frantically!
"Damn," Marianne mutters under her breath before sighing. "There is nowhere in wolf law that says that he can't."
"Would you explain to the courts what he means by that, Miss Bane," Judge Gordan asks?
"Roland Bryne is a human world born wolf, born to a human mother, and wolf law allows such offspring to choose which law they fall under. By him declaring for human law, he has indefinitely decided to go under human authority and that means human punishment," Marianne explains. "Translation, he's human's problem now."
"I was afraid you were going to say that," Judge Gordan groans. "But wouldn't him being a wolf be a problem for the court system?"
"He has already been partially punished by wolf law," Marianne remarks, her smirk unnerving to those watching. "If we were in the wolf world then what I did several minutes ago would have killed him but since a wolf's biology is so different in this world, I deliberately only killed his wolf half. Even though he is classified as a wolf, to the wolf world and all its inhabitants, he is dead. Roland Bryne is completely human, he can never transform again, and through his own choosing, has rejected wolf law to fall under human law until his death."
"Does that mean his sentencing is no longer connected to wolf court," Bog questions?
"I'm not sure but if Bane Dagda agrees then I will postpone the sentencing until I can discuss this with human court judges. Mr Roland Bryne is still convicted of murder and only the sentencing of punishment still remains," Judge Gordan comments. "Is this permissible to wolf law?"
"It is because the true criminal has been found," Marianne confirms. "There are times during a trial that an accused is not immediately punished and so they accused is placed in a secured area until they are punished. Both human law and wolf law hold the same punishment for murder, just different ways of carrying it out. He doesn't really have anything to gain by placing himself completely under human law other than His Majesty not being able to watch him slowly die after throwing him through the gateway."
"And you thought she didn't figure out what you were planning on doing," Dame Plum laughs out!
"Mr Roland Bryne will be placed into the custody of the county prison until such time is available to properly sentence him," Judge Gordan announces, ignoring the laughing she-wolf. "Court adjourned."
Marianne slumps down onto all fours to walk back to the defense table. Now that it's finished, all she can feel is how tired and hurt she is. Not even watching the bailiff remove Roland from the courtroom brings her any satisfaction, even with all his complaints of pain. Sunny being smothered in kisses by the other late arrival does bring a smile though, especially with Dame Dawn's insistence that he is never leaving her sight again.
"Bane, when you said that he has placed himself completely under human law, what does that entirely mean for any human law that he's broken previously," Bog asks, surprising her by his close proximity?
"Basically, it means that he is no longer protected from any crime he committed in the human world that is only a crime in the human world. If, for example, any wolf I defended chose to go under human law then you could re-open the cases where wolf law protected them from full human law punishment and get the courts to convict them for the full human law punishment," Marianne explains tiredly.
"Meaning that whatever human law crime Mr Bryne committed at any time in the human world can now be prosecuted against him even if it isn't a crime in wolf law," Bog mumbles. "Excuse me, I'll be back in a few minutes."
Marianne watches as Bog heads toward the judges' chamber and shutting the door behind him after gaining entrance. Apparently, she's even too tired for curiosity and with a shake, she continues her slow walk.
"I have a ton of questions, boss, but I think you better get some rest now," Stephanie suggests, eyeing the bloody wolf.
"I have a question," Dame Dawn pipes up, finally releasing her preferred male. "How could you not visit us in eleven years? I mean, seriously, Marianne, and just look at these cute puppies! How could you not tell us?"
"I thought Dame Plum said she was one-hundred-and-eighteen-years-old," Stephanie mutters to Marianne.
"My sister is excitable and has an extremely short attention span, much like Dame Plum," Marianne remarks, getting a sound of indignation from both blonde she-wolfs. "I'll answer everything later. First things first, though."
Everyone looks on in concern as Marianne growls in pain as she shifts her form. She's grateful for the strong arms that catch her as her human legs refuse to support her and that brings her up against a strong chest. Catching her breath, she breathes in a familiar scent, one that soothes her ache.
"Mommy," Gabe whines as he shifts his form as well?
"I'm okay, little pup," Marianne murmurs. "Just tired. Let's go home and get some rest, okay?"
"We going back with Granny and Mr Bog now that Daddy gone," Mikey asks excitedly, back in his human form?
"Well...," Marianne trails off.
"The cottage is still fully furnished, so all you have to do is move your personal things back in," Bog mentions, his voice rumbling against her. "What about it, Bane?"
"You still owe me dinner, Kingston," Marianne murmurs, smiling up at him before snuggling closer and letting herself fall asleep.
Bog chuckles before carrying her out through the courtroom, the boys back to their usual happy selves as they grab Griselda's hands. Though he's curious, he refrains from questions until they exit the courthouse, even as he notices known wolves bowing their heads as he passes. He could chalk it up to Bane Dagda but the wolf king had stayed behind to talk to the judge and he's never seen wolves do this to Dame Plum.
"I would like straight answers this time, Dame Plum," Bog remarks as Stephanie fishes out Marianne's car keys.
"If it's my right to tell then I might," Dame Plum answers.
"I can pretty much guess from Gabe's answer but was it really Marianne that you mentioned about being hurt," Bog asks? "Also, what about her injuries now? Should we take her to the hospital to fix her broken arm?"
"Yes, it was her I mentioned and no, she doesn't need to go to the hospital," Dame Plum reassures. "She would have been fully healed from last week's injuries in two days if she had just rested properly and even going at the pace she was, she would have only needed another day or two. Now that she's sleeping, her body will fix her arm without help but if she would have rested in the first place then he wouldn't have been able to break it again."
"How about why no one knew she was a wolf," Thadius questions, helping Mikey into his car seat?
"I think I know that one," Stephanie remarks. "For wolves to respect human world authority then human world authority must handle justice without the alphas interfering. Correct?"
"You were listening," Dame Plum beams happily! "And yes, that is the reason Bane Marianne chose to make it so that no wolf or human knew who she was. She told me that we had to get common wolves to understand without our butting in. It would have worked this time as well if my brother showed up on time."
"That's not Daddy's fault," Dame Dawn growls back. "We would have been here on time but Reggis came yesterday to say he couldn't find his son and we spent all day searching the wolf world, so we couldn't get to sleep and then overslept when we passed out."
"Isn't Reggis the sire of Roland," Sunny asks?
"Yeah," Dame Dawn confirms. "Now that we know that he's been here this whole time then that explains why we couldn't find him but Reggis insisted that his son never crosses."
"Oh, he crosses alright and he usually stays the whole year," Dame Plum comments. "Now that I think about it, Reggis crossed over a few days ago but he didn't stay long."
"That sounds far too coincidental," Bog mutters, placing Marianne in his car's back seat.
"Yes, it does," Dame Plum agrees. "Head on home and we'll be along in a few hours with Bane Marianne and the boys' things."
"Wait, about that," Bog mentions, as Griselda drives Marianne's car away. "Why do you call her Bane Marianne and why are all the wolves bowing to her?"
"You haven't figured it out," Dame Plum laughs. "You see but do not see and you hear but do not hear."