Reunion 18
NOTICE!!!! The staff used by Duncan is not mine!! I borrowed it off Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic, Circle Opens, and The Will of the Empress!!!! The staff belongs to Daja, the Trader!!!
Galahad, Gawain, and Jols, took a step back from their position of Room Conductors so they could gaze about the old Round Table room with pride. What once had been an old, somewhat dusty room filled with mementos of their days as Knights in service to Rome, was now spotless and gleaming with the power and prestige of Arthur Pendragon's reign.
On the wall straight ahead of them, hung a large tapestry depicting the Pendragon Emblem; the golden dragon hovering protectively over the castle of Camelot, and in front of the castle, ensuring its position of power and Knighthood blazed Excalibur. The tapestry went from the ceiling to about two feet above the floor. The other two feet were camouflaged by the long rectangular oak table that spanned almost the entire length of the room where Connor, Tristan, the other Knights, Lancelot, and Arthur, whom would NOT be seated in the center, would sit during the duration of the trial.
Hanging loyally to the right of the Pendragon Family Banner, hung the Lyon Family banner. It was about half the size of Pendragon's but it was nonetheless important. The golden lion with emerald eyes with front paw claws stretched out ready for combat was ever a reminder that Lancelot was eternally loyal to Arthur. Moreover, his Twin Demon Blades that crossed behind the lion showed just how battle ready the House of Lyon truly was, should Arthur ever call upon Lancelot's blades once more.
Lastly, just to the right of the Lyon's family standard, a slightly smaller standard for the House of Bear was seen. It was cut into four pieces, but the upper left hand side of the shield was split again in half with the left side painted black and the right side painted white, the upper right hand side of the shield was painted bronze and the lower left hand side of the shield was painted bronze too. Lastly, the lower right hand side of the shield was again cut in half, the right side was painted white, and the left side was painted black. In the center of the shield was a golden man with his arms crossed.
On the left, where the Palðer (Panther) Family banner would normally hang, Marque Connor Arbitrator Truth's Family banner hanged prominently. The upper left hand side was painted a burnt orange; the upper right hand side was painted bronze, and the lower left side was painted bronze too. The lower right side was painted burnt orange as well. In the center of the shield was a golden set of balances. On the left balance was a square with bars down it. On the right side was a feather floating freely above the balance.
Lastly, just to the left of the House of Truth's standard was House Palðer's standard. It was cut into four pieces and painted a dark purple, nearly black color, and bronze. In the center of the shield was a golden panther with its claws extended and its sharp eyes piercing ahead of it. Behind the panther was a Sarmatian bow and arrow.
Gawain stared at the five colorful tapestries. Those five standards told the kingdom of Briton who held the judicial power in the kingdom: Arthur, Lancelot, Conner, Bors, and Tristran. It wasn't that their power wasn't as important, but when it came to judicial power, those five men held all the power. His power and influence was more heavily invested in war and foreign disputes, and he liked it that way.
He glanced to the right and saw that the right wall had been cleaned of all the stains that had marred it since its very first scar-twenty years ago. Beveidre coddled Lancelot too many times in a very short amount of time, and forced Lancelot to shove the older Knight away from him causing Beveidre to drop his wine goblet and stain the wall just to the right of where Lancelot's chain once stood.
Instead, a series of two rows with six chairs had been established for the twelve men Connor would entrust to judge Attila fairly. Behind the chairs were three paintings. The first one, the closest to Bors' standard, showed a warm summer day with flowing, emerald green hills, and a group of children, mostly all Bors' brood but Erlina, Mordwen, and Briana were there too, playing Lancelot's silly game of 'IT'.
The second painting, the middle one, showed all twelve of the first and foremost Knights of the Round Table: Arthur, Lancelot, Tristran, himself, Galahad, Bors, Dagonet, Connor, Sean, Dean, Jols, and Ganis all dressed in their finest royal finery. He had to wince as he remembered that day. It had been the hottest any of them had ever remembered experiencing in Briton, and it had made them all plead to the heavens for the normally cool, rainy, wet days, so their black heavy cotton finery wouldn't sweat them to nothing.
The last painting, the one closest to the main chamber doors, depicted Marque Connor sitting on his large throne-like oak chair with a golden scale in his right hand. It provided proof that HE and not Arthur, ruled in the courtroom. But, it was out of the way enough, that it downplayed his power-just the way Connor liked it.
On the opposite wall, hanged various weapons that were currently out of the training cycle; they were dull and useless, but worthy of praise nonetheless. Under the weapons, was a thick woven carpet about five feet wide and twenty feet long. It spanned the entire length of the room except for a foot on with side. Resting on the carpet were five desks: three for scribes to write down everything that was said during the trial, one desk for the Court Officer, and the last one for one of the Dukes, so they could act as a witness to make sure that none of the accused are treated unfairly.
Right in front of him, were two desks twice the size of the first five. They were made to seat two people comfortably together, so they could discuss the events of the trail privately, yet still be in plain sight. The one closest to the weapons wall was for the defense and the one closest to the paintings was for the prosecutor.
Lastly, behind him, his brother, and Jols were a series of five rows of chairs. Each row held twelve seats. It amazed him that they could fit so many people into this room, when the most he could ever remember being in this room was at most fifty-five people. Now, with all these seats, they could fit almost one-hundred people. He shook his head. This was going to be a circus of trouble-he just knew it.
"Well brother, this looks like a proper Court Chambers doesn't it?" asked Galahad as he lightly slapped his older brother's shoulder with a large grin.
Gawain sighed and answered with a proud air about him, "Yeah, it does. So, shall we harken the others to us, brother dear?"
Jols snorted at their antics and said with a dry air, "Come on you two, no time for playing now. We have to start this ugly business now. I can't believe Katheryne's dead. She was such a sweet girl…"
The brothers of House Wolf nodded sadly, as they remembered the shy, sweet lady that brought them their daily apples-daily fruits to more accurate. It didn't matter what type of fruit they wanted, she always brought them to their chambers, faithfully, everyday. Tristran especially liked her-she gave him his daily obsession-apples!
As they exited the chambers, they came upon their fellow Knights standing around with a group of Sarmatians being guarded by a group of ten heavily armed soldiers, most of whim had been trained by Galahad himself. The guards stood at attention as their teacher walked by, and nodded respectfully back at them with a small smile. He was proud of these men. They were like his own children at times. He had brought them from the scared, flighty men-to weak to stand up and fight for themselves, to the brave well-armed soldiers they were now, who were not afraid to spill another's blood in the name of Briton, Arthur, Lancelot, and the entire Round Table.
The three stopped in front of their friend and king and the younger Wolf brother said evenly, "It is ready, My King."
Arthur now sedated by Lancelot's calm reasoning, nodded and commanded, "Let us adjourn to the Court Chambers now. Sons and Daughter of Sarmatia, you are welcome to come and witness these proceedings as long as you do not interrupt them, understood?"
Habren, who had taken up to mantle of spokesperson for their people, stood tall and replied seriously, "We understand, thank you for this opportunity."
Arthur nodded and said as he waved the other Knights ahead of him, "Then shall we enter? Connor, this is your territory, you first My Lord."
Connor nodded, straightened his back and shoulders, and said regally, "Let's get this started."
The entire group of gathered men and women followed their hosts into the court chambers, and felt their jaws drop. The room was like nothing they had ever seen before. It surpassed all the other chambers they had seen whilst in Camelot, barring the Great Hall where the royal court presided in, in their throne-like chairs.
As the Knights of the Round Table sat down in their chairs, Tarkan, who couldn't help himself, blurted out in a questioning tone, "Why ain't the King in the center chair?"
Lancelot eyed his younger brother with an impatient air, and answered, "Because, My Lord, King Arthur, isn't the judge for this trial, Lord Connor is. That is why Connor is seated in the center chair, King Arthur is to his left, and Lord Tristran is seated to his right. Now please, quiet yourself."
Tarkan, suitably chastised, slumped down in his seat beside his sister, Habren, and grumbled, "It was only a question…besides it hasn't even started yet."
Lancelot cast a dark, agitated look towards his brother causing him and Habren to freeze up. The gleam in Lancelot's eyes reminded them eerily of their father, Babai.
Habren's eyes shot open as she realized just WHY Lancelot looked so much like their father just then that's the look father got when we irritated him as children. It was his parental warning look. It meant that if we continued to act as if we were, we'd be in for it at home!
Connor banged on the table and called for order, "Order! Order! Everyone be seated please!"
The Sarmatians did as they were told. They didn't want to aggravate their hosts anymore than they already had.
It didn't look good for Attila, Artur, and Tor-the Trial hadn't even started yet.
Connor turned towards one of the five desks and commanded, "Aldus! Bring in the accused!"
Aldus bowed with his right hand fisted over his heart and said, "Yes, My Lord."
As the Sarmatians started the murmur amongst themselves, Galahad who had been keeping a hard eye on his sister, rose from his chair, and bent down to speak softly in Connor's ear, "You might want to question Agrimpasa as well, Connor. Something tells me, she has got something planned."
Connor raised and eyebrow and tilted his head in concurrence.
Tristran interrupted, "As much as I wish we didn't have too, we need to bring in Duncan and the two solicitors."
Connor rolled his eyes and nodded as he called out, "Summon Duke Duncan for the proceedings and summon forth the solicitors!"
An otherwise unseen guard, that stood in the shadows of the large double doors, bowed and exited the chambers. The guard's exit startled many Sarmatians, as they hadn't any clue that she was there.
Ilona, who has mostly stayed in the background the entire time she had been in Briton, stood up and signed, "Who was that?"
Tristran looked to Arthur. His friend and King nodded.
Tristran answered, "That was Lady Chloe, Lady Knight of the Round Table, and Order of the Dragon. She is one of the first Lady Knights.
Just as he closed his mouth, Aldus returned with three men. One was older than everyone in the room and the other two were of average age.
As the three men walked confidently to their established seats, Duke Duncan, a man not quite advanced in his age-he looked at least a decade younger than Attila, had shoulder length dirty blond hair and snapping emerald eyes. His skin was sun beaten and weathered, but still noble in appearance. In his right hand, he carried a staff with two gold caps on either end. Even from a distance, the Sarmatians could see the elegant runes carved into the six feet long wooden staff.
When the other two men reached their desks, in the middle of the courtroom, the man with black, lanky hair, dull brown eyes, and a roguish smirk on lips announced without preamble, "My King, My Lords, I, Sir Owen, the Defense Solicitor is present!"
The other man, with wild, flaming red hair, and deep pools for eyes, glared sharply at his opponent, and said more calmly, more humbly, "My King, My Lords, I, Sir Ioan, the Prosecuting Solicitor is present as well!"
Arthur stood up and said gravely as a shadow emerged from the wall behind the Knights and whispered something in Connor's ear, "Then let the proceedings begin in all fairness."
Pappy, who was still defensive about the travel over from Camelot to the Wall, snorted and grumbled to himself, "Not likely…"
Connor stood up and said, "Bring forth the accused!"
The shadow detached itself from the wall, and the Sarmatians gasped.
It was Chloe!
Connor smirked at their faces and decided to have mercy on them-they looked so confused!
"I sent Chloe to summon the Duke and the Solicitors, and I sent Aldus to retrieve Attila. They switched whilst still in the hallways. Does that clear things up for you?" asked Connor with a sarcastic, mocking inflection in his voice.
Many of the Sarmatians, gasped as their oldest Elder-never minding the fact that he had been dishonored by them and removed from his Elders Position-was brought in, in chains, glared at Connor, but he ignored them in favor of eyeing Attila darkly.
Atilla, who was brought in, in irons around both his wrists and ankles, met Connor's glare in a clear challenge of wits, and Connor was glad to accommodate him. Connor flinched as two sharp elbows slammed into his gut on either side on his stomach at the same time.
"Oof!" he whooshed.
Arthur, who had been one of the people to gut Connor, spied Attila's superior look and said dryly to bring the sixty-two year old man down a few steps, "We gutted him, so we could get things started. You in no way defeated him in a battle wills, Attila. Stand down, now!"
Attila frowned, but remained silent. He was old enough to realize that this wasn't a good situation and he knew how to hold his tongue. Now he understood why Agrimpasa was so eager to please Tor, Artur, and himself not to long ago….
He and the other two, my own personal idiots, were chained to the dark, dank Roman prison cell, and chained to each other when they heard the sounds of someone walking through the empty halls, who carried a heavy key ring.
They sat up straighter, in hope, but when they saw who it was, they sighed and slumped down once more.
The person on the other side of the bars, smirked and said in a flirty tone, "Now, is that anyway to treat the woman who is about to give you your last wish?"
Tor rolled his eyes and asked exasperatedly, "What do you want, Agrimpasa?"
The curly blond smiled invitingly at them and said coyly as she twirled the keys around her pointer finger, "Now, now, the Knights are holding you all here because Attila here was stupid enough to drop his dagger in the same closet that he dumped the apple girl."
Attila groaned and said darkly, "I strangled that bitch! How'd my dagger get there?"
Agrimpasa looked him square in the eye and said, "It must have dropped."
Attila smiled sarcastically at her as Artur demanded, "Then why are we here for his folly?"
Agrimpasa smiled and answered, "Because, you two are his biggest supporters here, and the Knights want to question you about Attila. That's why I'm here, actually."
Tor raised an eyebrow and prodded her along, "And…"
Agrimpasa, opened the door, placed the keys on a hook just opposite of the bars, entered, dropped to her knees before them and said in a slightly panicked tone, "I cannot have you three telling them about me being one of your supporters, Attila. Name whatever it is you want from me, and I'll do is so long as you keep my name out of everything."
The three men eyed one another in an opportunistic way as Attila grinned nastily and said, "Very well…but first…help me with something."
Agrimpasa's head shot up as she demanded, "What?! Tell me!"
He stood up, thrust his hips forward, and commanded, "Suck me BITCH!!!"
Agrimpasa smirked knowingly, crawled up to him in a seductive manner, and said in a fake coy-like voice, "Of course, My Master, should I do it as I have always done, or shall I grow adventurous since we have company?"
Attila grinned evilly at her and commanded in a voice that totally proved to his two cellmates that he had no morals, whatsoever, "Suck me as I want it Bitch, or I'll name you as my first and greatest supporter, oh lover mine."
Attila groaned as Agrimpasa sighed lustfully at his tone. He knew that she loved it, craved it when he treated her like a slave. It gave her a rush to know that she could make him loose his steel-like control, and he knew that she had no problems with his age, as most others would think. Despite his advanced age, he was as willowy as ever and his age only increased his experience. He was her best and long lasting lover. In fact, she has been a frequent visitor to his bed over the past sixteen years. Moreover, he had been the one to find her, that very next day after her mother had sold her out to that damned village boy when she was ten. He had taken her in, cared for her, and gave her back her pride. In return, she offered her body to him whenever he wanted her. It was the bet arrangement, the best manipulation, he had ever participated in. And the dumb bitch doesn't even realize that I hate her…I only use her for the great sex!He thought victoriously as she expertly untied his breeches and started to tease his male-organ into life.
"ATTILA!!!!!!!!!!!" came a voice so loudly that it caused him jumped a good foot into the air and jolt himout of his thoughts.
"What?!" he demanded as he glared at the man seated in the center of the long rectangular table.
Lord Conner raised and unimpressed eyebrow, and drawled, "We are waiting for you to tell your Solicitor about your side of the story, so he can defend you against the Kingdom of Camelot."
Attila growled and said harshly, "I want no help from the likes of you! How do I know that he'll protect my interests?"
Connor smirked and said easily as he waved his hand aside, "That's a risk you are going to have to take."
Attila stared Owen down. He couldn't help but be impressed when the man who was to defend him simple smirked and returned the stare.
"Very well, it's like this…" muttered Attila as the two men leaned in close so no others could hear what they were discussing.
Maybe I can change this to my liking after all… Attila thought with a delightful smirk.