Chapter 25: Trial and punishment
Things moved fast once the Lord of Tirragen arrived in Corus, two days after Vania woke up. Given the accusation of treason, an emergency court had been assembled in the throne room, with only the monarchs and their council of advisors in attendance. The Lord Magistrate, Duke Turomot of Wellam, was to preside over the proceedings.
Vania was feeling much better, though her stamina was still not back, and she was out of breath after the walk to the throne room. She was glad for Lianne's support as they made their way into the throne room.
Other than the two thrones at the front of the room, Duke Turomot sat on a raised dais to the left of the thrones, while the council of advisors sat on a row of chairs in front of the dais, on two sides of the thrones themselves. There were two rows of chairs facing the thrones and the row of council members, separated by a red carpet in the middle that led to the throne. Two scribes sat at one end of the row of chairs, facing both the council and the empty row of chairs. Vania and Lianne sat down two of these chairs, the space reserved for witnesses.
Her parents shot her encouraging smiles, and she smiled back. Familiar faces on the opposite row of chairs nodded or smiled at her — Alanna, Raoul, Gary, Daine, and Numair were all part of the council. Though the remaining few had carefully blank expressions.
"If we may begin, your majesties?" Duke Turomot bowed from his seat. At her father's nod, he turned back to face the court. "Let us begin. This is a hearing on Darius of Tirragen's assassination attempt on her highness Princess Vania of Conté. As Darius of Tirragen had been killed in the attempt, the Lord of Tirragen, Alexander II of Tirragen, is summoned to answer for the crime. Admit the defendant."
The guards relayed the order, and the doors to the throne room swung open. A servant in Tirragen colours pushed Xander's wheelchair into the room, stopping in the space in between the two rows of chairs. The servant bowed deeply and retreated to the back of the room.
"Your majesties, my lord magistrate." Xander bowed deeply from his seat, his confident voice ringing clearly across the room. "I apologise for not being able to perform the normal courtesies, as my body does not allow me to do so."
"You're excused from that," Duke Turomot gave a curt nod, "However, you are not excused from Darius of Tirragen's crimes. What do you have to say to that?"
Vania watched Xander's face closely, recalling what Emmy had shared about his relationship with the Tirragen steward. For all that Darius gave Emmy a hard time, she was also clear that he had been a trusted advisor to Xander, the only adult to help him navigate the responsibilities that had fallen on his shoulders when he was but nine years old.
Vania saw Xander swallow, a hard look on his face. "His actions are despicable, my lord. I have cast him out of Tirragen, and there will be no place on Tirragen lands for his body."
Some gasps of surprise and outrage rose from the council's ranks, though not from the faces that Vania was familiar with.
"That seems rather convenient." Duke Turomot said coldly. "We will reserve more comments until the sequence of events had been laid out. Princess Vania, would you please come forward and relate what happened?"
Vania took a deep breath and stood up. She stepped into the middle of the room next to Xander, and bowed to her parents and the lord magistrate. Calmly, she spoke of the day she almost lost her life, leaving out Darius' remarks about the true heir of Tortall rising as her parents ordered.
She tried to ignore the barely-contained tension in the room. Both her parents sat stiffly, their hands linked tightly together. She could feel some of her adopted aunts and uncles shifting in their seats. She knew she was loved by many of those present, and it must be upsetting for them to hear of her account.
"… I saw Emmy starting to fight Darius of Tirragen, and after I lost consciousness. When I woke up three days later, I was already in the palace infirmary." She bowed when she finished her testimony.
Duke Turomot nodded, and gestured to her seat. "Thank you for your testimony, your highness. Please take a seat."
"To complete the account of the events, I summon our next witness, Emmeline of Tirragen." Duke Turomot said as Vania sat back down. Lianne gave her hand an encouraging squeeze.
Vania smiled distractedly at her, looking eagerly at the door. She had not seen Emmy since that day, and she missed her. She knew that Emmy had spent the time in the cells, and she had to see for herself that she was all right.
The door opened, revealing three figures. Vania frowned. Something was wrong. As the figures came into view, Vania gasped and stood up. She wasn't the only one to do so. Two guards dragged Emmy by her arms between them into the room.
Emmy was a mess. Her braid was messy with a few straws sticking to it, her face was bruised with dried blood trailing from her lips. She looked conscious, but her shirt and breeches were covered in dirt and blood stains, and if the guards dragged her she must had problems walking.
Vania wanted to rush to her side, but Lianne's firm hands stopped her and dragged her back to her seat. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Uncle Raoul restraining Aunt Alanna similarly.
The guards stopped next to Xander and let go. Emmy landed on her knees and fell forward, barely catching herself with her hands in time, coughing.
"Emmy!" Xander cried, lowering from his chair and trying to help Emmy up. He struggled, and it was heart-wrenching to watch one broken person trying to help another. Emmy grabbed the side of his wheelchair with hands that shook, and shook her head at him.
"My lord," Xander said quickly, his fury barely contained, "Why was my sister treated so badly? Even if she was under detention, the hearing had not been conducted, and she should have been accorded the respect worthy of a noble."
Duke Turomot's wrinkled face was flushed. "And she should have. Emmeline of Tirragen, did you sustain these injuries in your fight with Darius of Tirragen?"
Slowly, Emmy shook her head. "I was questioned …" she said weakly, pausing to catch her breath, "… by the guards."
There was a murmur in the room, and Vania felt her blood boil as she clenched her fists.
"There seemed to be some overzealous guards who need to be reminded of proper procedure." King Jonathan said lightly, turning a little. Only those who knew him well would recognise his pat on Thayet's arm as a warning. Seeing her mother's hard eyes and clenched jaw, Vania knew that her mother was as furious as she was, and hating that she could not do more right now.
"I will personally see to it that they are taught properly. Guards!" Duke Turomot thundered, his face red. He barely waited for the summoned guard to reach the middle of the room before bellowing, "I want the name of every guard that was posted near Lady Emmeline's cell, and tell them I want to question them personally. See to it that they do not leave the palace until I do."
"You may sit, Lady Emmeline." He added when the guard turned to leave.
Xander bowed stiffly from where he sat. "Thank you, my lord, your majesties."
The court waited uneasily as Emmy turned slowly. She put her hand on the nearest chair, and her arms shook when she tried to push herself up. It was clear to all that she couldn't do it on her own.
Vania couldn't stand it anymore. She stood up and rushed over, putting her hand around Emmy's shoulders and hauling her up onto the chair. Emmy flinched, and Vania worried that she had touched some bruise, but then Emmy smiled up at her.
"I'm glad… you're all right." She whispered, and Vania would have kissed her had Duke Turomot not spoken.
"Your highness, she is part of the defending —"
"She saved my life," Vania said loudly as she turned. She glared at the lord magistrate. "She saved my life, and was mistreated while under the care of the Crown. Is it too much for me to offer her a simple courtesy?"
For the first time, the lord magistrate was speechless.
"Enough," it was her father who spoke, "Sit down, Vania. We're all here to make this hearing as fair as it can be."
Vania swallowed and went back to her seat. Lianne gripped her hand the moment she did, and Vania knew it was partly to stop her from making any more rash moves.
Duke Turomot cleared his throat. "I do apologise, Lady Emmeline. But we must proceed. Could you relate the events of the assassination attempt?"
Emmy nodded. Haltingly, she recalled the events, from when she first met him at the shop in Corus, to the final fight with Darius of Tirragen and how she killed him. Her testimony was interrupted multiple times by her coughing, and Duke Turomot finally summoned a servant to bring her water.
"We have now heard full accounts of the event by all witnesses," Duke Turomot said as Emmy drained the cup of water. "Lord Tirragen, you said that you had cast out Darius of Tirragen, but it seems that his actions are premeditated. Were you aware of his plots?"
"No, my lord." Xander said swiftly, "Tirragen and her people are faithful servants to the Crown. We heed the lessons from two decades ago, and we would not dare think of committing treason. Darius — Darius is old." He swallowed, "He had been slowing losing his mind over the last couple of years. I am horrified and disgusted by his actions, and I do not condone it in any way."
"Young as you may be, I'm sure you know that as lord of your estate, you are responsible for the actions of your people," Duke Turomot said quietly. "Even if you cast Darius of Tirragen out, you must realise that the Crown cannot let you or your fief go unpunished. Otherwise, it opens up the door for others to do all manner of things, and to claim that the culprits were cast out when the act is done."
Xander hung his head. "I understand."
"The punishment for treason is death. Darius of Tirragen is dead, and that is accounted for. For the culprit's family, any titles and lands are typically stripped." Duke Turomot said, and Vania felt her breath catch, "But given the fact that Emmeline of Tirragen saved her highness' life, the punishment could be lessened. This court proposes that, in the light of the crime, the Crown tax on Tirragen be doubled for the next ten years."
Vania was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but Xander's head shot up in shock. "Doubled, my lord? My people would starve!"
Vania frowned as Duke Turomot raised his hand to silence Xander. "Be grateful that you are just being taxed, Lord of Tirragen. Think of the alternatives."
Xander's fists were clenched so tightly that Vania could see white on his knuckles. "The Crown tax on Tirragen is already high from the increase two decades ago, and surely your majesties would not care to see common folk suffer —"
"Do not play to their majesties' kindness," Duke Turomot warned, leaning forward with narrowed eyes, "I need not remind you that Darius of Tirragen tried to kill their majesties' daughter."
Xander opened his mouth, and Emmy reached out to grip his hand in warning. He glanced at her quickly and shook his head.
"But —"
Suddenly Emmy shot out of her seat, dropping to the floor on all fours. "My lord," She croaked, her face grimaced in pain. Only Lianne's firm hand stopped Vania from running to her.
"I have a proposal," Emmy said once she caught her breath, straightening up such that she was kneeling. "I am a knight-in-training. I offer to forfeit my claim to any royal purse for the ten years after achieving my knighthood," she paused to catch her breath, and gasps were heard around the room, "If only the tax increase could be reduced. I will do whatever the Crown wants me to do."
Vania covered her mouth with her hand. Knighthood was expensive, with lots of equipment to maintain and horses to feed. The royal purse given for knights' assignments was a vital source of income, especially for poorer fiefs that cannot provide funds for knighthood. It was clear that Tirragen would not be able to support Emmy financially. Emmy would practically be a slave to the Crown, with barely any funds to spend on herself. She would be noble in name only.
"Are you so sure that you will pass your Ordeal?" Duke Turomot asked with a frown.
"As sure as you are that harvests at Tirragen would bring in a purse, my lord." Emmy said, panting. "Even with a Crown tax, you would not be sure that no famine or disaster would destroy a year's income. You claim only a cut." She paused to catch her breath. "Likewise, you would not be sure that I will pass my Ordeal. But if I do, the Crown has my service."
Duke Turomot was silent, and mutterings were heard across the room. He shot a look at King Jonathan, and the king cleared his throat. The room silenced.
"This is an unusual proposal," her father said, "What do you say, council?"
"It is a good proposal," Uncle Gareth said immediately, "It creates an example that such a crime does not go unpunished, but it does not create additional suffering for the people in Tirragen."
"What if she flees Tortall?" An old lord Vania did not recognise said near the end of the row. "She could move freely once she becomes a knight. We should at least put a tracker on her, like those mages' rings on convicts —"
"She's not a convict!" Aunt Alanna snapped, beating Vania to it, "And can't you see that she's trying to save her people? Why would she plead so only to leave Tirragen in a lurch by leaving?"
"She may say so now," The lord continued to grumble, "but once she grows up and realise how long ten years of poverty can be, would she still care for her people?"
Aunt Alanna, Uncle Raoul and Daine spoke at the same time, and the other conservatives argued back, and Vania stopped making sense of the arguments.
"Enough!" Her father ordered after a few moments. The council got quiet.
"Emmeline of Tirragen," her father said, "Would you be willing to accept a mage's tracker on you for ten years, if it is not conspicuous?"
"Emmy," Queen Thayet spoke unexpectedly, and her father frowned at her, "You saved Vania's life. We do not want to punish you."
Emmy tried to smile, one hand clutching her ribs. "Thank you, your majesty. But I have a duty to the people in Tirragen. If the choice is between me or thousands of innocent people at Tirragen starving for ten years, then my choice is clear." She turned to the king, and nodded, "I will accept a mage's tracker, your majesty."
Xander reached out to grip Emmy's shoulder tightly, and Vania tried not to cry. It was humiliating, to be a slave to the Crown and to be branded like a common criminal.
At the king's nod, Duke Turomot continued, "Very well. Considering Emmeline of Tirragen's service to the Crown, the Crown tax on Tirragen would be increased by three-tenths of its current rate. I trust that is acceptable, Lord Tirragen."
Xander hung his head, his hands shaking. Emmy turned to him and whispered, loud enough that Vania could hear, "Take it, Xander! Don't be a fool! Think about our people!"
Xander took a shuddering breath. "I — I accept, my lord."
Duke Turomot nodded. "Very well. Then the matter is settled. Darius of Tirragen's body will be cast off at Traitor's Hill. Crown tax on Tirragen will increase by three-tenth of its current rate for the next ten years. Emmeline of Tirragen will forfeit her claim to any royal purse for ten years after her knighthood, and she is not to leave Tortall in those ten years, as enforced by a mage's tracker on her person. I will assign a Crown mage —"
"No," King Jonathan said, and everyone turned to him in surprise as he rose from his throne. "Let's not drag this longer than it should by waiting for a Crown mage assignment. I will do the honour myself."
Vania watched with bated breath as her father walked towards Emmy.
"Give me your hand, Lady Emmeline. Roll up your sleeves."
Obediently, Emmy rolled up the sleeves on her right arm. Vania winced at the red marks left by shackles on her wrists, and the large patches of black and blue bruises on her arm.
"This will not hurt," her father said gently, and rested his hand inches from Emmy's forearm. A blue glow flared on her skin for a few moments before fading. He straightened, and spoke loud enough that the room can hear. "The mark will not be visible, but if you ever step out of Tortall between now and the first ten years after your knighthood, it will start to sting. I will know exactly when it happens, and I will know exactly where you are. The sting will increase the further you travel out of Tortall, and the pain will only lessen when you come back. Do you understand?"
"Yes, your majesty," Emmy said, her head bowed.
Vania blinked away tears. It was done — Emmy would be a slave to the Crown to ten years after her knighthood. She knew that her father chose to do it himself because he could be the kindest about it, by making it invisible and painless, but it still hurt to know that it had been done.
"I believe we are done here, Turomot?" Her father asked, going back to the dais and lifting his arm for her mother instead of sitting back down.
"Yes, your majesty. The court can be dismissed."
Everyone but the two Tirragens stood up, and bowed as the monarchs left the room, followed by Duke Turomot. Some of the council members started filing out.
Vania rushed to crouch next to Emmy, who was trying to smile up at Xander. Tears were flowing unashamedly down Xander's cheeks.
"I'm so sorry, Emmy." Xander said, catching Emmy's hand in his.
"Don't be." Emmy croaked, "I'll be fine."
As if the gods had not have enough fun at her expense, her eyes rolled upwards immediately afterwards, and she slumped forward into a dead faint.
"Emmy!" Vania cried as she caught her, her own tears flowing freely now. She was barely aware of the blue glow that was Lianne's Gift flowing through Emmy, and Raoul had to call her name a few times for her to let go.
Raoul picked up Emmy and carried her in his arms like she weighted nothing, and Alanna was next to him as they walked hurriedly towards the infirmary. Xander wheeled his chair around to follow them.
"… Aunt Alanna will take care of her," Lianne was telling Vania as she helped her stand, "You know she will. She'll be fine."
Fine was a relative thing. Vania turned and buried her face into Lianne's shoulder, never hating as much as she did now for being a princess.
Emmy woke up to strange sight. To her left, Xander sat in his wheelchair, his face grim as he listened to the lord magistrate explain something. To her right, Lady Alanna and Queen Thayet sat on chairs next to her bed, also frowning at Duke Turomot.
Emmy tried to sit up when her brain registered that the Queen sat next to her.
"Your majesty!" She whispered, grimacing when her body complained. She didn't hurt as much as before, but her arm, ribs, and hips still throbbed painfully, and she couldn't sit up on her own.
"Hush," Queen Thayet said, her firm hands guiding her back down to her bed. She smiled tightly at her. "Don't get up. You just had a major healing, and I'm told that you still have a few more to go. Save your strength."
Emmy felt like she didn't have any. But she nodded anyway, because she couldn't really defy the queen even if she wanted to.
"Lady Emmeline," Duke Turomot said, giving her a quick nod. "I was just telling her majesty about the findings of my investigation into your mistreatment. Someone paid the guards to give you a beating, though the culprit could not be identified yet. I will continue the investigations. In the meantime, rest assured that the guards who accepted the bribe will be dealt with properly."
Emmy could only nod, her mind still thinking through the discovery. Who would want to see her suffer? Who would be bold enough to do it right under the Crown's noses? Was she really surprised?
"As I said earlier, I do apologise for the lapse, my lady," Duke Turomot said tightly, his cheeks flushed, "I despise people who interfere with matters of justice."
Emmy shook her head quickly, alarmed that such a distinguished man was apologising to her. "Please don't worry. There are too many guards, and you cannot possibly control them all."
The strange twitch at the duke's lips could almost be called a smile. "I was also telling your brother another matter, as I mentioned to her majesty earlier. Once you achieve knighthood, you have forfeited only your claim to the royal purse, and coin in particular. You need not forfeit other rewards in kind, such as jewellery or equipment."
Emmy blinked at the lord magistrate, and replayed his words in her mind. Did he just tell all of them about a big loop hole?
"Thank you," Emmy finally said, for the lack of any other words.
Duke Turomot gave a quick nod. "Not many nobles would have remembered the consequences on their own people, my lady. They would have thank the court profusely for getting away with a tax. For Lord Tirragen and yourself to remember your duties to your people, and to make the sacrifice that you did, you have my respect."
Now it was Emmy whose cheeks were flushed, and she looked to Xander for help, not knowing what to say.
Xander gave her a small smile before turning back to Duke Turomot. "The people of Tirragen have suffered greatly over the years, my lord, and it was due to the actions of a son of Tirragen. We owe them far too much to burden them further. I will spend the rest of my life making up for it."
Emmy knew he would. She knew that her brother's life was forever tied to that of his people. She reached out with her hand. Xander saw it from the corner of his eyes and met her halfway. She gave his hand a firm squeeze, hoping that he could see from her eyes that she would always support him. He nodded.
"If there's nothing else, your majesty?" Duke Turomot said.
Queen Thayet nodded. "Thank you for your quick work, Turomot."
He bowed to the queen, and paused to look at Emmy once again. "Gods all bless, Emmeline of Tirragen."
Emmy nodded and watched as he left, her brain still not making enough sense of what was happening. She felt a headache building in her temples.
"I'm sorry, Emmy," the queen said suddenly, and Emmy stared at her. "We should have checked in on you more when you were under custody."
Emmy shook her head and coughed when she tried to speak. It was too much, with so many important people apologising to her on the same day. "Please don't," She said hastily, "I know there are people who hate me, for being a girl and a Tirragen. They always find a way to make things difficult."
Seeing the sudden glint in the queen's eyes, Emmy regretted her words immediately. She should have thought before she opened her mouth!
"Who are these people?" The queen asked sharply.
"The same people who tried to kill you with a suit of armour in your first year?" Alanna asked, the same hard look in her eyes.
"Someone tried to kill you in your first year?" Xander repeated in disbelief, and turned to Emmy with a look of betrayal on his face that cut Emmy like a knife. "Why didn't you tell me, Emmy?"
It was too much. She shook her head as panic built up in her chest, and when she opened her mouth a coughing fit took over. Her chest and throat throbbed painfully as she coughed and coughed, pain and a lack of air taking over her senses.
Finally, a cool sensation settled on her chest and spread upwards towards her throat and her head. She relaxed, opening her eyes to look closer at the purple glow above her. Alanna was standing next to her now, her hand glowing with the purple Gift. Queen Thayet hovered behind her, looking at Emmy worriedly.
"Here, drink this," Alanna said as the purple glow faded, and she had a mug in one hand. Gently, she slid one hand under Emmy's shoulders and propped her up, and brought the mug to her lips with the other hand.
Emmy was too tired to be intimidated. She drank from the mug greedily, noting with pleasure that it was a sweet herbal tea that soothed her painful throat.
When she drained the mug, Alanna set her back down carefully. Emmy blinked wearily at the worried faces around her.
"Sorry." she muttered, embarrassed.
Queen Thayet patted her hand. "Don't be sorry. Vania wouldn't be alive without you. I'm sorry we couldn't take better care of you, and the trial didn't go the way we expected. If you need anything at all, just ask. You heard Turomot, there are ways around your sentence."
Exhaustion tugged at Emmy, and she shook her head slightly, her eyes already closing. "I would have served the Crown anyway…"
When Emmy woke up next, it seemed like the middle of the night. The infirmary was dark, with only two torches providing a dim light. Vania sat to the left of her bed. Her hair was in a messy ponytail, and her eyes were red-rimmed, as if she had been crying.
Emmy pushed herself up in alarm. She managed with some effort, feeling slightly stronger than the first time she woke up.
"Vania, what's wrong?"
Vania had leapt out of her seat, and she kissed Emmy quickly before wrapping her in a tight hug. She held on to Emmy for a long time. It was worth the complaints from some of the bruises Emmy still had.
"I'm so sorry, Emmy." Vania whispered in her ears.
It brought tears to her eyes. "I'm sorry, Vania. It's like you said, I take things too personally. I couldn't see that it was never me that he wanted, and you had to suffer —"
"Hush." Vania said, her voice as choked as Emmy's own. "It's not your fault. I fell for it too, remember? He was laughing at me, at what I fool I was…"
Emmy tightened her arms around Vania, even if it hurt. "No, he's a cunning old fox! Don't listen to him!"
"But he's right," Vania insisted softly, "I'm a fool. I thought I could protect you. But you had to save me instead. I couldn't even protect you from guards in my own palace. I'm a useless fool."
Vania sounded so convinced that Emmy pulled away to look at Vania properly. Her eyes and cheeks were wet, like Emmy's. Her eyes, usually so confident, were clouded with defeat.
Emmy touched her cheek softly, wiping Vania's tears with her fingers. "No, you're not a useless fool. I wouldn't even be here if not for you. You took care of me since my first day here, remember?"
A small smile formed on Vania's lips. Encouraged, Emmy kept going. "And it's not just me you helped, you led all our year mates and brought us together. You led us when wolves attacked in the middle of the night. You protected not just me but Patrine and —" Her throat gave up, and she started coughing. She coughed and coughed, her hand clutching her newly-healed ribs that still throb with every cough.
She put her hand up when she saw Vania's blue Gift glowing. She took a few deep breaths and tried to smile. "I'm fine. Don't waste your Gift. You've just recovered from a healing, too."
Vania looked like she was about to cry again. Silently, she went around Emmy to stack pillows up, and gently guided Emmy to lean back on them. She sat down as close as she could by the side of the bed.
"I should have asked you earlier." She said quietly. "How are you feeling?"
Emmy smiled reassuringly at her. "At lot better, I swear. I couldn't sit up the first time I woke up. I'm much better now."
Vania tucked a few stray hairs behind Emmy's ear. "I will find out who bribed the guards and did this to you. They'll pay for it."
Emmy looked down at her lap. "Maybe it's the gods' punishment for me."
Vania put a finger to Emmy's chin and nudged her face up. "Why would you say such a thing?"
"My eldest uncle committed treason. My youngest uncle tried to kill you. Isn't that enough reason?"
Vania's hand moved from Emmy's chin to her shoulder, and she gave it a squeeze. "Don't be silly."
Emmy shook her head and smiled bitterly. "I thought I could redeem the Tirragen name. But all I became was bait, for my uncle to commit treason by trying to kill you. I'm a joke." Her voice cracked. "My whole life's a joke."
She sobbed, and in a moment Vania was hugging her tightly, and Emmy sobbed into her shoulders openly. Vania was murmuring soothing things, telling her it would be all right. But how could it be? Tirragen was now twice-disgraced. How was Emmy ever going to redeem that name?
Vania was one solid presence the whole time she cried. When Emmy got tired, she felt Vania help lower her to the bed once more. She felt Vania kiss her forehead and lips, though her eyes were already closed.
Her last thought before sleep claimed her completely was that this could not continue. She didn't deserve Vania.