Part Thirty-Two:
"Fai, please come out," Lady Suwa called as she and Kurogane walked down the hallways of the main compound. Kurogane was rubbing his bruised jaw and was absolutely furious.
When he and Fai had passed through the front gate, Fai sucker-punched him and ran. Fortunately, the servants saw what happened and closed off the compound. Fai was trapped; they just had to find him. Lord Suwa and Kentaro were looking at the west end, while he and Lady Suwa looked at the east end.
"Fai! Get your spoiled, little ass out here!" His mother gasped at the vulgarity, and he blushed, because his mother was a proper lady. "Sorry, Mother. My mage angered me."
"I can see that, but it's not his fault. He just doesn't remember you."
"Obviously, or he'd know better than to punch me."
There was extreme howling coming from the end of the hallway of the main family house. They both took off running. Lord Suwa held Fai's wrists and Kentaro held his ankles as they moved him awkwardly down the hallway. Kurogane inwardly sighed, seeing the mage attempting to thrash around and bite. His father looked like he hadn't avoid Fai's fingernails; his face had scratches and he looked decidedly irritated.
"You just had to pick the wild one, didn't you?" Lord Suwa asked, giving Kurogane a glare.
"Yeah, sorry about that, Father. He just wasn't spanked enough when the ice king got him."
"Obviously. We'll put the little beast in the prayer room. Hitomi, you can deal with him when I have him firmly tied up. I'll call for you when I'm sure the little beast is secure. He isn't in his right mind," Lord Suwa said over Fai's screams, howls, and thrashing.
Lord Suwa and Kentaro hauled him towards the prayer room. He managed to bite Lord Suwa on the hand as they went down the hallway. "You little bastard! I swear if you weren't Kurogane's... Well, you'd regret that."
"I hate you... I hate you... I hate you! I hate you so much!" Fai shouted at Lord Suwa in between incoherent rambling, screeches, and bucking.
"Right now, I ain't fond of you either," Lord Suwa snarled back and continued dragging him down the hallway with Kentaro's help.
"Mother, I'll be with you as you cast the spell. He's just too messed up, because he still thinks he's five years old."
"Kurogane, you mentioned he suffered when he was a small child, but you didn't tell us details. Was it that horrible to make him so wild?"
"He's probably that wild because his twin is extremely mild; he probably was that way to protect Yuui. Forgive me for bring up horrible things, because you are a fine lady, but he and his twin were thrown in a pit where there was a pile of corpses, it was in hopes they'd starve to death. The pit with the corpses was a place they couldn't use their magic. Before that, they were beaten and abused by their own family. He's lucky to have a little bit of sanity. It's to the ice king's credit that he's a functional person."
"I know your arrangement with the mage is temporary, but having a relationship with someone who's been abused isn't easy."
"I know, Mother, but he's very worthy of my efforts. He makes me very happy."
She smiled at him and patted him on the arm. "Then I'll do everything I can to restore him."
"Mother, I can't thank you enough. I know this isn't what you wanted for me, and now Fai's fits make it worse."
Lady Suwa laid her hand on Kurogane's arm. "Does he make you happy?"
"He makes me miserably happy." It was an odd description, but accurate.
Lady Suwa chuckled and nodded. "I'll do everything I can to restore him."
"Thank you, Mother."
"And so, why did you assume Master Yuui's identity?" Aleksei asked.
"It was so Master Yuui could go help his father with the situation with the bandits," Zellen answered, loathing going over this again. He was in the witness chair, first thing. Zellen could tell the man was going to make him out to be some sort of creepy scum right off the bat.
"So... your best friend in all of Celes, who... by the way you know can't cast a hex to save his life... you send him on his way to confront bandits in the company of a convicted reanimator? You don't sound like too much of a friend."
"I didn't know Governor Boris was a reanimator at the time, or I wouldn't have let Yuui go! Besides, Yuui was really desperate to make sure the king was okay. I had to take his place."
"And while in that place, did you at any time reveal who you really were to anyone?"
"No, sir."
"Why was that?"
"To protect Yuui."
"And not any other reason? Like scamming Lady Drysi?"
"I wasn't scamming her. I really liked her and I knew the duchess wouldn't approve of me."
"Seems she was right," the old barrister said.
"You aren't getting in on this, Zash?" Vlad asked from the judge's chair.
"Why should I? Old Man Lexie is doing my work for me," the woman next to Drysi said in a gloating tone. She was absolutely relaxed.
"Not for long, woman," he snarled at her. He turned back to Zellen and tore into him with rude, prying questions. No matter which way he answered them, he looked really bad. What was worse was how he tried to get him to accuse Drysi for the drugging. But Zellen was quick witted; he had to be to pull off pranks. He didn't fall into too many verbal traps.
"Cross examine, Zash?" Vlad asked.
"One question? Who do you believe spiked your tea and why?"
"It had to be the duchess, because she brought in the tea and poured the cream in. She didn't pour any in Drysi's and she left us alone until the effect took."
"Wait a minute!" Aleksei hopped back up. "That would imply that Lady Drysi had arranged things with her grandmother beforehand so she wouldn't get the potion, just you."
"Not necessarily. There's no proof Lady Drysi had foreknowledge. If the duchess would have handed Drysi the cream, her psychometry would have picked up the plot. More than likely, the duchess was trying to avoid tipping her hand," Zasha argued back.
"You both make good points. We'll sort it out when the defendants get on the stand. Who's up next, Lexie?" Vlad asked.
"Reverend Romave, can you take the stand next?" Aleksei asked.
It came out that the man knew he'd married Drysi to the wrong groom and was going to keep it a secret. The man was torn apart on the stand, by both barristers. When asked if he'd perform the annulment counter spell, he agreed at the bat of the eye, wishing to avoid any more grief.
"Please take the annulment off the table, Vlad," Zasha asked.
"Nope, not a chance now. If I send her to prison, she'll be single once again. Any more, Lexie?" Vlad asked. Zellen's stomach sank when he looked over and saw tears roll down Drysi's cheeks, but seeing her cry also encouraged him. It mean she wanted to stay married to him.
"Just the duchess' testimony."
Vlad stretched and said, "We'll hear from her after lunch."
Kurogane was trying to pry open Fai's mouth with little success. His father and Kentaro were holding down Fai, even thought he was bound. He proved to be very slippery, even when tied up.
"Listen, you little hard-head! You'll take this medicine from my mother or I'll give you another smack."
"Not a bad idea, Kurogane," Lord Suwa said, and then poked Fai, hard, in the stomach.
Fai's mouth opened to shout in pain, but Kurogane grabbed his nose and dumped the liquid medicine down the mage's throat. He had to cover Fai's mouth and stroke his throat like a cat to make him swallow.
The mage held still, now, but glared at Kurogane. "You're a very mean, man. When I get loose, I'll hex you."
"Yeah, yeah, I heard that one before," Kurogane said, not phased by Fai's threats of hexing. He hoped his mother's magic would quickly set him straight, though. The mage just might do it this time.
"Hitomi, he's ready," Lord Suwa called out as he and Kentaro got off of Fai.
She came in with a ceremonial bell and stood by Fai's head. "Just try to relax, mage. It won't take long and you should get most of your memories back by the end of the week."
"No! Please don't! Don't do it! I don't want to remember."
"He's afraid I lied to him about having a good life," Kurogane explained to his mother.
"You'll see. My son told you the truth." She ignored Fai's screams and squirming; she shook the bell over his head. Then she recited a chant ten times. She then rung the bell again. Fai stilled himself. "You'll feel better after some rest."
"Yeah, but you stay tied up until you can behave yourself," Lord Suwa said. They all left the room except Kurogane.
"You didn't let me pick what I wanted!" Fai complained bitterly.
"It's a for your own good, bratty mage," Kurogane answered. "You'll thank me later."
"No I won't."
"Get some sleep. I'll stay here and watch over you."
Fai started pouting and wearing a moody expression. Kurogane found that even more irritating then the temper tantrums, but at least his ears had a rest.
"I'm afraid I'm an overindulgent grandmother." Ashura felt a smile come to his lips at the duchess' claim. She knew nothing of being overindulgent.
"Didn't King Ashura specifically tell you Masters Fai and Yuui were off limits?" Aleksei asked.
"Yes, but Drysi, and what I thought was Yuui, seemed so in love, and I just didn't think it was fair. Plus, my nephew never did explain why he refused to let them marry any of my granddaughters. I thought he was being foolish, because the matches would be ideal."
"Duchess, may I remind you he is the king and needs to be afforded respect?" Vlad said.
"And he is my nephew. I think that gives me some latitude," she said in that haughty way that made Ashura's skin crawl. He wanted to see her dead now, but he couldn't quite yet. He needed a villain to cover his tracks, and she fit that bill. He was very popular, so he knew people in the south would have no choice to turn back to him.
Also, he needed Zellen indebted to him to ensure he wouldn't tell his secret. The best way to do that was threaten Zellen's bride and then swoop in at the last moment and grant her clemency. Of course, he'd make sure Zellen understood the clemency could be revoked. That was really Drysi's whole role in this game of Ashura's.
Vlad sighed and said, "Lex, remind your client this is a formal court."
After some whispers between Naidra and Aleksei, she seemed a little less arrogant. "Okay, so you were aware of the king's wishes?"
"Yes, and I decided to bring my girls so that he could see they were an ideal choice for his backwater orphans. They need some culture. Yuui is antisocial and Fai is... well... Fai is totally incorrigible and needs someone to control his terrible behavior." The gasps around the courtroom were audible. Even Aleksei cringed when she insulted the twins. "I figured the girls could improve their behavior."
Ashura only leaned back in his chair. His twins were so beloved among his people; her nastiness was only one more way to make her into a villain.
"Improve? You think they are hopeless?"
"Well, Yuui has does have some class, but he's antisocial. Fai is very immature, almost killing his brother last year. Remember?"
Ashura's fury was boiling under the surface. His thoughts were starting to spin out of control. He clamped his hands together and took a deep breath. His craving for blood was tickling his thoughts, causing him to lose concentration.
He refocused on the duchess' testimony. "...and I was out of the room when it happened. I have no clue what went on, but I know Drysi was scared of going back home without a promise from Yuui. I believe she was well intentioned."
"And it was your suggestion they elope?"
"I didn't see any harm, and I was sure Ashura would get used to the idea. I shouldn't have done it, I know, but I really wanted to make Drysi happy," the duchess claimed. Ashura was disgusted with the woman. He'd see she got her just desserts.
Kurogane jolted awake, realizing he'd fallen asleep in the corner. He looked over to Fai; it had been the mage's crying that woke him up. Kurogane moved over to Fai's side and put a hand on his shoulder. Fai tried to flinch away, but he was stilled tied up.
"What's wrong?"
"I remembered I ruined a book of King Ashura's with ink. I was so scared he was going to hurt me. I hid from him, and Yuui hid with me. He found us though, and he was so kind. He held us until we stopped crying and then explained that we could come and talk with him, even when we made a mistake. He promised to never harm us."
"Now do you trust me?" Kurogane asked. Fai blushed horribly, and nodded. "I'll untie you, if you promise to behave."
Fai held still as a statue as Kurogane untied him. He sat up slowly, rubbed his eyes, and settled his breathing.
"I also remembered something else. I remember us in a tower. We had to get out of the cold. I cooked stew and you wouldn't tell me how it tasted." Fai's lips trembled. He looked very troubled.
Kurogane felt heat come to his face. "What is it, mage?"
"I remembered that we slept by the fireplace. I mean... I liked you, but you didn't like me."
"I liked you then, but some of your habits annoyed me."
Fai got a sly smile. "Like what habits, Kuro-gi?"
Kurogane sighed and shook his head. "Yeah, that I was hoping you wouldn't remember, calling me those stupid nick-names."
"Aww... I'll have think of some new ones."
"Don't you dare!"
Zellen started getting a tight chest, seeing Drysi's distress at being on the stand. He hated this more than anything. The trial had stretched on for days, now. He was exhausted, and she was, too. Unfortunately, he wasn't allowed to talk with her in private, and he sorely missed her friendship.
He'd unleashed some of his frustration by slipping dragon peppers in Aleksei Hammer's dinner last night. The man had choked and his face turned red; Aleksei snotted and grossed everyone out at the king's dinner table. The cook was baffled and apologetic. He knew it was childish, but he needed to get rid of his stress somehow. Ashura didn't call Zellen out, but he gave him a stern look, warning him not to play any more pranks.
"So what did you know about the bandits and the deal your grandmother made?" Zasha asked.
"Not anything. I had no idea she did such a thing," Drysi said, barely above a whisper.
"Speak up! I'm going deaf, girl," Aleksei snarled. She flinched. Zellen started wondering if he could get away with putting glue in the man's chair or something else even more malicious.
"I didn't know she bribed bandits," Drysi said a little louder.
Zasha presented the fluorite coin to Vlad. "This coin was found beside a dead bandit. I want to submit it into evidence that any money used to bribe bandits came directly from Duchess Naidra. The Harvoan family crest is on it."
"And do you have any direct testimony it was from the duchess?" Vlad asked.
"No, but when the spell is cast, it proves the duchess released the coin from her possession," Zasha pointed out.
"So could her family," Aleksei said. "And it could be one of the many she gave to her granddaughters as gifts."
"But Lady Drysi doesn't have magic and can't release the coin from its spell," Zasha said back. "Remember, old man, the simplest explanation is true."
"Still, she could have received it as gift," Aleksei insisted. The two barristers glowered at each other.
"It'll be for the jury to decide," Vlad said.
"Lady Drysi, before your came to stay at Luval, or during the time you were courted by who you thought was Master Yuui, did you know at any time King Ashura was deliberately lured from the castle."
"No, ma'am," Drysi said, holding her head up. "I just thought it was something the king had to go handle."
"Good. I think I'd like to ask King Ashura a question or two about how he came to get the coin," Zasha said.
"Good. Lady Drysi, step out of the witness chair. Now we call Ashura Gavrill D Tvardovsky to the stand," Vlad announced, rubbing at his lazy, green eye. Zellen put his hopes on King Ashura's testimony. His wife and the king traded places. King Ashura was sworn in and then Zasha approached.
"Highness, please tell the story of how you came to find out about the coin and the treason."
"I was traveling out west to check a complaint I'd received about bandits. I cornered one in the Vlostoke oak tree forest. He confessed to me that there was a meeting between the duchess and a loose conclave of bandits. She told them that she wanted me out of the castle so she should have one of her granddaughters seduce my meek, little Yuui. He gave me the coin as his proof. He told me that it was Duchess Naidra's plot."
"So Drysi wasn't mentioned?"
"No, not directly," Ashura said, almost looking pained. Zellen didn't like the implication in Ashura's words. He knew them to be inadvertent and the king had to testify truthfully, like any of his subjects, or face parliament.
Celes was a constitutional monarchy, after all, but the monarchy still held considerable sway on their society. Besides, Zellen knew the king to be a kind and just man, except when it came to an occasionally bought of viciousness towards criminals that severely harmed innocent citizens.
Zellen shivered as he remembered when he was fourteen and he was spending the day with Yuui. A court case was going on where the man accused had maimed a child, permanently blinding the poor little thing. Ashura summoned Zellen, since Fai was out for the day with Captain Demetri, and asked that he take Yuui from Luval and walk him around the lake. Yuui, thankfully, was far enough away from the castle to feel when Ashura blinded the man in return. To this day, Yuui still didn't know why Zellen suddenly wanted to go ice-skating.
"Is there any way we can talk to the bandit?"
"Sadly, no. He ran towards the Gavs river and threw himself in, rather than face trial. I wasn't able to save him," Ashura said full of remorse. "The bandit's body was brought to the morgue, cremated, and then set free on Celes' winds last month, but there are records to verify what I just told you."
"Thank you, Highness," Zasha said.
Aleksei then stood and said, "Highness, with all respect, are you sure that your aunt was at this meeting with bandits? I mean, it seems ridiculous that such a noble woman would stoop so low as to engage bandits."
"Positive. The man named her. After all, why would a low-life thug name a noble?" Ashura said, in a matter of fact tone. "I wish it wasn't so. Who could imagine their own, beloved aunt, betraying them?" Zellen shivered when Ashura looked up at the duchess. His gaze was as icy as anything Celes' climate could produce. "Who could image harming the son of their sister just for power? How horrible and miserable that person has to be. So I was shocked to learn it. And to attempt to harm my sons is beyond the Pale."
Zellen had a sneaking suspicion something didn't ring true about anything Ashura had just said. He'd had plenty of sleepovers with the twins where they bitched endlessly about the duchess. The king knew there were the challenges to the line of succession that she had lost. It seemed Ashura was playing it too naive, and Zellen knew him to be a very intelligent man. Something wasn't right, and he had to figure it out, or else his Drysi would become a victim of this whole farce.
To be continued.
