With our minds made up, we emerged from the room and took our places back in the trial.  Tenoan and Eleros were excused from the testifying seats and two burly jail guards showed them to two empty seats.  Now Aragorn called on Volus, whom he had just chastised last night about the pension.

"Volus," Aragorn began, his voice even and steady, showing no hint as to what he was about to do.  "Come take your place at the stand.  I have need to question you."

From the back of the room, where he had been sitting, a figure emerged.  It was Volus, dressed in garb fitting of a trusted palace employee, the tree and stars emblazoned across the chest.  I searched his face closely.  Though he tried to veil it, there was fear written upon it.  He was nearly caught; and he knew it.

"I am ready to answer what questions you have in truth," he said as he sat down.

Aragorn was angered, I could tell, from the way his body tensed next to my own.  Volus always had been arrogant, but now he had such nerve as to act thusly in front of Aragorn's subjects.  Protocol held that first the king was to speak and then the other.  Under no circumstance in a formal setting was another to answer the king before having been engaged in conversation.  Personally, I had never liked Volus for his arrogance and often wondered why Aragorn kept him on.  But the man was brilliant in handling the kingdom's finances and so he had been allowed to stay on as a worker.

But Aragorn kept his composure, continuing on as if Volus had never even spoken. 

"Volus, the story that Tenoan and Eleros told has left questions in my mind.  To be honest, it seems to me that you are the only one who fits the description of the hooded man that they spoke of.  I will ask you now if you will cooperate with me and tell me truthfully your side of the story."

Volus nodded saying, "I will, my lord."

"Good.  Now then, tell me, have you ever contacted these two boys before?"

"Assuredly not."

"You did not contact them regarding Legolas and his family?"

"No my lord, I would never."

"But it is true that you never gave the pension money that was owed to the family to them, isn't it?"

Volus hung his head.  "That is true, sire."

"And tell me, why is that?  I decreed that it should be so.  Why would you disobey such a command?"

"Their father…he was not worth it.  He was a descent warrior, I agree.  But the amount that you commanded, it bordered on absurd, or at least it did to me, and I have years of financial experience behind me."  

"And so you withheld the full amount?"

"A mistake on my part, but yes."

"Why?"

"I thought that the money could be put to better use."

"And what better use is there than human compassion?"

"The war and the restoration efforts took a heavy toll on the kingdom and the treasury.  I realize that that was a long time ago, but still, the damage was done.  By using the pension money, I was able to boost up several other programs.  Not by much of course, but every little bit helped."

Aragorn studied the other man's face hard.  "Volus," he said at length, "you knew that the pension money was greatly needed where I had commanded it.  I do not believe that you were innocent in contacting the boys either.  Legolas?"

I shook my head.  "I am in agreement with Aragorn.  Where I saw no lie in the eyes of the boys, I see it all in yours."

Volus almost imperceptibly sighed.  Now he truly was caught.

"Tell us the truth then, the whole story," Aragorn commanded.

"All right," Volus said, slumping his shoulders forward.  "You shall have it then.  What I told you already about the treasury, that is all true, but I admit, I knew that the boys' family needed the money.  So I devised a plan one night.  I would pay them the pension money if they in turn did some service to me.  But what that service was to be, I could not decide.  Then, it came to me.  It was finally time to see Gondor restored as a kingdom of men.  So I approached the boys and told them to kill the royal family in Ithilien.  When I had proof, they would receive their dues."

"And why would you want to see Legolas and his family dead?  What grievance do you bear against them? "

"Nothing personal, I assure you, but an inborn hatred of the elves.  I reasoned that if I could see the royal family dead, then the rest would leave our kingdom.  Gondor was built on the sweat and blood of men.  What reason do we have to share our land with them?"

"It was by the blood and sweat of Legolas as well as men who vouchsafed Gondor's survival in its darkest hours of the war," Aragorn said sharply, angered.  "And if you bear such disdain for the blood of the Firstborn, I may rightly assume that extends to my wife and your queen." 

"No, my lord.  She willingly gave up her immortal life to stay by your side in our city.  I bear no ill will towards her."

I gave a quick glance at Aragorn and Arwen, who both wore a look of shock and disgust.  Aragorn caught my glance and shot me a comforting look.  Volus would not be getting away with his words or deeds.

"I am ready to pass judgment," Aragorn said, rising.  "Guards, bring all of the accused forward."

The two guards tending to Tenoan and Eleros came forward, the boys between them.  A third guard bound Volus and brought him forward as well.

"Volus, under the laws of the White City as written and passed down by my forefathers, I find you guilty of conspiring murder and of treason.  Under or law, you are to be executed.  Tenoan, Eleros, I have a harder decision before me.  The laws clearly state that since you spilled blood that resulted in death, that you are to die as well, involuntary though it was."

Here there mother gasped and fell to her knees, tears streaming from her eyes.  I suspected that it would be a matter of moments before she would approach Aragorn and try to plead for the lives of her sons.  I was not about to let her do so.

"Aragorn, if I may," I said, rising to my own feet.  "I would like a word."

Aragorn turned, looking at me.  "Of course."

"Spill no more blood," I urged him.  "Enough has already been spilt.  Killing them will not bring Elen back, nor will it bring back Anoron or Aragorn.  And I…I will not sit idly by and watch more lives be lost."

A glint came into Aragorn's eyes and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.  He was glad that I had spoken up.  But now he had to play the part of a traditional king and challenge me without giving in right away.  I shot him and understanding look, which he acknowledged.

"My friend, I am afraid that the laws of the kingdom call for their deaths.  Would you have me break from that tradition?"

"I would," I replied.

"Listen to him," said Arwen, for the first time speaking her mind.  "We must respect his wishes.  They are noble and without fault."

"My dear," Aragorn began, "this is our law.  What would I do with them otherwise?  Certainly there must be punishment dealt."

"Not for the boys, no," I replied.  "They are innocent.  As for Volus, do what you will with him, only spare his life."

Aragorn looked at me in deep thought for a moment.  "I will do as you ask.  Tenoan, Eleros, by the grace of Lord Legolas you are hereby given pardon for your involvement in this crime.  Return to your home in peace.  Guards, you may release them."

Here the two broke from the guards and embraced the knees of myself and Aragorn, thanking us both.  Their mother, weeping, did the same.

"As for you, Volus, I hereby sentence you to life in prison," Aragorn said. "Sentence is effective immediately.  Guards, take him from my sight."

"Thank you," I said to Aragorn at last, hugging him once the last citizen had left the trial to return to their lives. 

He shook his head.  "No, thank you.  You saved the lives of three people today, though you had every right to sit by and let the traditions of the city punish them."

"Letting them die was never an option.  But why did you not tell me sooner what the law called for?"

"If I had, would you still have listened to them the same way?  Or would you have wanted them to be innocent to save them?" he asked, in his wise, knowing way. 

The trial was now over.  The culprits had been found and punished.  My family had been avenged.  A great weight seemed to lift itself from my shoulders and for the first time since I'd found my family murdered, I felt at peace.