Clapped in irons, Baugdȋr was firmly held by the two guards that stood next to him. There were more guards surrounding Lothíriel to ensure her safety. Éomer was nearby gritting his teeth as he stared at Baugdȋr in irons. He certainly was not going to allow this wretched man to get near Lothíriel again.
Lothíriel was reading the letter that was in her hand. Having finished reading the letter, she let her hand fall to her side with the letter held firmly in her grasp. Baugdȋr was straining to make out the seal on the outside of the letter. Just as he caught a glimpse of it, Lothíriel moved the letter out of view.
Facing Baugdȋr she said, "I have proof that you planned to kill Lady Glìneth, wife of Elphir, and their son, Alphros. And just a few moments ago, you tried to kill me."
Baugdȋr opened his mouth to speak only to find a sword at his throat.
Lothíriel continued, "You underestimated your loyal servant when you sent him here to the castle over a year ago. He is loyal, but not to you. To be quite honest, he's terrified of you. Thankfully, he's more terrified of what might've happened and decided to speak up."
"He told my father every scheme you had planned and that he didn't want to be a part of it. He also spoke about how you terrorized your own servants, including him. Most of them are scared to come near you."
Baugdȋr wanted desperately to speak but the sword was still at his throat. Lothíriel motioned for the guard to lower the sword.
"I will allow you this one chance to speak, to defend yourself", she said.
With a smirk he said, "How can you trust the word of just one servant? That's not enough to convict me."
"Maybe not, but your letters don't lie", Lothíriel said.
Lothíriel held up the letter that was in her hand. Baugdȋr now recognized the seal on the outside of the letter, it was his seal.
Holding the letter, Lothíriel said, "You wrote this to your servant here in the castle, and he in turn gave it to my father. It says here, 'once Glìneth and her son are disposed of, we will be ready for the next stage.' You did write this, because your signature is on it."
Baugdȋr's face turned stark white and he fell silent, there was no hiding his involvement now.
Lothíriel continued, "You have betrayed us by sharing information with the enemy. Because of your actions, my mother along with four other people died. Now, those same enemies are at our doorstep. And I have your letters that confirms your dealings with the Corsairs."
Baugdȋr, still in irons, struggled to get free and the guards immediately encircled him with their spears. Unsheathing his sword, Éomer rushed to Lothíriel's side. Baugdȋr slunk back and remained still. Lothíriel raised her hand in front of Éomer's sword. She looked to him and nodded, he backed away with his sword still in hand.
Turning to Baugdȋr she said, "My father and the counsel agree that you have been found guilty of all crimes stated, and you will be punished according to our laws."
She paused as one of the counselors approached with a sealed scroll. Lothíriel broke the seal and unrolled it.
Holding the scroll she said, "This scroll was signed and sealed by my father and I will read it thus,
'I, Imrahil, Prince of Dol Amroth hereby pass judgment on the accused, formerly known as Lord Baugdȋr. For his crimes, he is stripped of all positions, titles, and lands which will be given to someone more deserving. For the crime of treason, he is sentenced to death. The execution shall be carried out by my eldest son upon his arrival at Dol Amroth.' This was delivered by a messenger a few days ago."
She rolled up the scroll and handed it back to the counselor. As the guards began to drag Baugdȋr away, he twisted and turned in their grasp. He dug his heels in the floor causing the guards to strain in their efforts. More guards appeared, one of them was carrying another set of iron chains.
Even with several guards restraining him, Baugdȋr was still flopping around like a fish out of water. They lifted him up slightly so the chains could be slid on his ankles. Once the chains were secured, they set him upright and continued to drag him away.
With his chains jangling, he said, "I will get free and when I do, I will kill all those who stood in my way. And I will start with the swan-princess first."
Enraged, Lothíriel drew her sword and stood within a foot of Baugdȋr. She raised and placed it near his throat.
Narrowing her eyes she said, "Swan-princess I may be, but I am no mere woman. I am the daughter of Imrahil, and I do not take threats lightly. If we do meet in battle, I can assure you that I will not go down without a fight."
Speaking to the guards, she said, "Get him out of my sight!"
Lothíriel put away her sword as the guards began to drag Baugȋr out of the room. She turned her back to him, ignoring the threats that he was still yelling. She was trying very hard to hide the fear that spread through her body. Lothíriel's right hand began to shake again and she quickly crossed her arms to hide it. Éomer noticed and walked over to stand beside her. Baugdȋr was dragged out of the room and the door was slammed shut. Lothíriel shut her eyes hard and only jumped a little at the sound of the door.
"Put away your sword, my lord, there is no use for it here", Lothíriel said softly.
Putting away his sword Éomer said, "Do you really think he is capable of escaping?"
She chuckled, "He is capable of anything."
Smiling slightly he said, "I do not doubt that."
"It's only a matter of time before he does escape. If he is true to his word, he will leave Lady Glìneth and my nephew alone and come straight for me. But, I've taken certain precautions just in case his plan changes."
She motioned for Captain Harrick to approach.
"I have told my sister-in-law to remain under guard when I leave. I have also asked her to bar the door with her son inside of their room. I have given the guards instructions not to open the door unless under my authority or one my brothers", she said.
Standing before her Captain Harrick said, "Remember, my lady, what you promised your nephew. He will not soon forget."
Sighing deeply she said, "Yes of course. Once Baugdȋr is safely out of the way, I will see them. I can only hope the battle goes well, but I must be prepared for the worst."
Éomer watched as tears ran down her face. She quickly pulled a handkerchief that was tucked into her right sleeve and began wiping them away.
"I do not want Alphros to see that I've been crying. He was crying when his father and uncles left, and he will be upset that I am leaving."
Éomer placed a reassuring hand on Lothíriel's shoulder and gently squeezed her arm. As she looked at him, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly. He let go of her shoulder and she looked away. Lothíriel would have a lot of goodbyes to say before the evening was out.