Clarke
"Today we will see to our prisoners," Elody said, patting the chair next to her throne and smiling at Clarke.
She was used to sitting at the queen's right, and took the seat immediately, and Yana took her now-customary place standing just behind her chair. Clarke touched her hair, feeling what kind of intricate braids Yana had put into it today. Part of it curled over her ears while other bits hung down past her shoulders in messy braids, and the whole thing was pulled tight at her scalp. She wished for a mirror, that she could see what she looked like- her hair was so different, her clothes so different, would she even recognise herself?
"Prisoners?" she asked Elody.
"Yes," the queen said with a nod. "Once a month, I review all the prisoners and assign punishments. Today you can help me."
Clarke frowned a little, a bit uncomfortable with the idea, but she nodded slowly and said, "Okay."
The first man that was brought in front of them was shackled at the wrists and ankles, and knelt on the floor in front of the dais with his head bowed.
The guard who'd brought him in now introduced him to the queen, and the two began to speak in Trigedasleng to each other. Softly, Yana translated the conversation for Clarke.
"Here stands Niko, from Skowhegan, who took his neighbour's dogsled without permission, leading to the deaths of the sled dogs."
Niko was given a chance to defend himself, and said, "My daughter was sick with fever and I needed to get help quickly. I knew my neighbour was ice fishing on the river, and I couldn't wait for him to return. The snowstorm took me by surprise, and I nearly lost my life. I had to walk home the next morning, and by the time I returned, my daughter was dead."
"Is there any victim who would like to speak?" Elody asked the assembled crowd.
A man stepped forward and said, "I am Yutu, the man whose dogs were lost."
"And what punishment do you feel is fair?" the queen asked him.
"I expect to be compensated for the loss of my dogs, but this man acted out of desperation to save his child. I do not wish to see him suffer further." He gave the queen a respectful nod before stepping back.
Elody turned to Clarke and said, "When deciding punishment, we must always take into account the seriousness of the crime, the extent of the damage to property and life, and also we must consider the desires of those wronged when deciding on a sentence. What penalty would you recommend?"
Clarke was completely taken aback by that. After a moment of shock she managed to say, "With all due respect, I have no idea. I don't know enough about your justice system to recommend anything."
The queen shook her head and said firmly, "That is exactly why I wish to hear your opinion. You are not coloured by the laws of our land, and I am curious to hear what punishment you feel is fair. We have both heard the same testimony, and therefore you are just as qualified as me to pass judgment. This is part of why you are here."
Clarke swallowed and looked back at the two men. If they seemed disturbed by this outsider deciding their fate, they gave no indication of it. After a long moment of thought she said carefully, "I'm sure that the loss of Yutu's dogs was very difficult for him. But Niko didn't steal his dogsled out of malice, and he didn't mean for the dogs to die in that blizzard. His daughter's death was a horrific consequence of that bad luck. I believe he's lost enough. He should ensure that Yutu receives the same number of dogs that he's lost- either by giving some of his own, or getting some from somewhere else, and they should be as good as the ones that were lost."
"Anything else?" the queen asked.
Clarke met her eyes, and slowly shook her head. "No. That's good enough."
Elody seemed pleased with Clarke's assessment. "I agree completely." She relayed this plan in Trigedasleng, and both men seemed pleased with the answer. They bowed to their queen and then, to Clarke's surprise, they bowed to her as well.
"Have confidence in yourself, Clarke," Elody said to her as the shackles were removed from the prisoner and the men moved away together. "Leadership is your calling."
Clarke couldn't help but smile a little, and she felt herself straightening up with interest as the next prisoner was led in, a girl a little younger than she herself was. She looked scared as she knelt before them, and their eyes met. Clarke couldn't help but give her a gentle smile, trying to reassure her.
"Here stands Lux," the guard said, and Yana continued translating. "She is from Tawa, and she murdered a man, a friend of her father's and a blacksmith."
Clarke couldn't hide her surprise. Lux spoke next, and her voice was barely above a whisper as she murmured, "I have nothing to say in my defence."
"Victims?" Elody asked.
A man and woman stepped forward together; the woman's face was streaked with tears, and the man looked furious. They almost spoke over one other, but Yana was able to relay what was said to Clarke, "It is their son that she killed. The two had been lovers. She stabbed him in his bed. We want blood! This girl must die."
Again, Elody looked to Clarke to determine punishment, but she had no idea where to begin. "Why won't she speak for herself?"
The queen shook her head. "It is her right to do so, but she does not have to."
Clarke looked to Lux and asked, "Why? Why did you kill him?"
Lux'sLux's eyes met Clarke's again. She was shaking. Then her gaze slid sideways, towards the victim's parents, then back to the floor. She shook her head. "I have nothing to say," she repeated.
"What is your decision?" Elody prodded Clarke. "She has killed. You have heard what the family wishes as punishment. Do you agree that this girl should be put to death?"
Clarke couldn't help but look again into Lux'sLux's eyes. She couldn't help but feel a nagging hesitation, telling her not to answer that question, that she didn't have enough information. She looked at the queen and said, "I want to speak to her alone- without the victims."
Elody frowned. "That is most unusual."
"But it's what I want, if I'm the one to decide her punishment," Clarke insisted.
An amused smile passed across the queen's lips. "Very well," she said. She motioned to the guard, who led the victim's parents from the room. They seemed angry about it, but they had little choice but to follow.
Clarke stepped off the dais and went to Lux, crouching down in front of her. "I need to know why you did this," she said softly. "You don't look like a killer."
When Lux'sLux's eyes met Clarke's this time, they were filled with tears. "And what does a killer look like?" she whispered. Instantly Clarke thought of Charlotte, but she pushed that away.
"You and this man, you were lovers?" she asked, careful to use the same language that the victim's parents had.
Lux'sLux's lip curled in anger and her fists clenched, rattling her chains. "No! We were not. I would never have loved a man like him."
"What kind of man was he?" Clarke pressed. Lux'sLux's eyes flickered towards the door where the victim's parents had gone, but Clarke shook her head, drawing her attention back. "No, don't worry about them. Don't even worry about the queen. It's just you and me. They said you killed him in his bed?"
Such a long silence passed that Clarke was sure the girl wasn't going to answer, but then, finally, Lux whispered, "Yes. After he forced himself on me. I do not even remember grabbing the knife. I just wanted to get away." Tears slipped down her cheeks as she added, "I did not want him to die… and now I want to die. You should just do as they say and sentence me to death."
Clarke's heart broke as she shook her head. "No," she said softly, her own eyes prickling with tears. "What you did was justified." She stood up and faced Elody, saying in a louder voice, "She should go free."
"Free?" the queen asked, arching an eyebrow in obvious surprise. "For murder?"
"No. For self-defence," she answered firmly. "He raped her. She was only trying to get him to stop."
Elody looked at Lux. "Is this true?"
"It is," the girl said, her voice a little stronger now.
"And what about the victims?" the queen asked.
"Lux is a victim too," Clarke answered. "She's suffered enough."
"Come back here," Elody said, and when Clarke had sat down again in her chair the queen nodded to her guards and the parents were brought back in. "Explain your decision to them."
Clarke felt her face flame a little at being put on the spot like that, but she managed to keep her composure as she said carefully, "Lux killed your son in self-defence. He forced himself on her, and she was only trying to save herself."
"Lies!" the father exploded. The mother broke down sobbing, dropping to her knees on the floor. "Who is this girl, to decide this case? How dare you!"
"Enough!" Elody bellowed, silencing them both. She had gotten to her feet, and her black eyes were full of anger. That, together with her glittering gown and antler headdress, created a very imposing image. "Clarke of the Sky People is an honoured guest here. Her people and ours are allied, and her judgment carries the same weight as my own."
"So there will be nothing done?" the father demanded. "This girl will simply go free, despite her crime? She took our son from us!"
"And if your son was alive, he would be put to death for what he did," Elody answered evenly. "Let this matter be over."
Without another word, the man grabbed his wife off the floor and dragged her from the room, seething with fury. Clarke let out a long breath of relief as they left and the guards removed Lux'sLux's shackles.
"Thank you," she said to Clarke, clasping her hands in front of her and bowing in obvious gratitude. "Thank you so much, Skaikruheda… Azgedakwin. I will never forget this."
"Go and live a good life," Elody said gently. The girl nodded her head, and left. Turning to Clarke, the queen said, "You are very intuitive. I should have involved you in this much sooner."
Clarke smiled. "If I hadn't been here, what would you have done?" she asked her curiously.
Elody considered the question, and then shrugged. "I would have put her to death."
The smile faded from Clarke's face and she frowned. "But it wasn't her fault."
"She said nothing in her defence," the queen said. "That was her choice. I don't have time to force the truth from the lips of those who would benefit from its telling."
Clarke shook her head. "But the most important thing has to be justice," she said. "You can't just kill people you think are guilty. You have to be sure. It has to be fair."
"Fair?" Elody asked, as though the word was almost foreign to her. "There is nothing fair about justice. Even if the punishment is selected perfectly, there will always be someone who feels wronged in the process."
Clarke let out a long breath, face flaming. She thought about all those floated by the Chancellor, the hundreds of people killed to save oxygen on the Ark, the hundreds she burned alive at the drop ship, and all the people she and Bellamy had irradiated inside Mount Weather. She knew that Elody was right- Clarke herself had come to that realisation herself, weeks ago, when she was alone in the woods with nothing to do but reflect on everything that had happened. No matter what, no matter how hard she tried to be righteous, to be reasonable, it was pointless. Somebody always had to lose.