In which the truth's revealed, Kono and Adam get to go home, Kensi is off the hook, and Granger get his true punishment from the fiasco in DiNozzo castle. Don't miss next week when this story's final installment is posted.

This chapter has Kono getting called 'sis' by Chin. I know that's not a normal thing for siblings to do (believe me, I have two brothers of my own), but as they call each other 'cuz' in the show I thought it fit.

-owl

Kono

Kono was overjoyed when a servant notified her that Adam had arrived in the courtyard. She rushed through the palace, almost running. Luckily the Operacje palace was a lot more straightforward than the castle in DiNozzo.

Adam had barely gotten halfway across the courtyard when Kono reached him, throwing herself into his arms.

He kissed her before pulling back. "How did everything go here?" he asked.

Kono shrugged. "Everything went fine, we didn't really come up with any true suggestion of a trade agreement, but Empress Hetty did write a letter for us to give to Steve when we returned home. What all happened in Nodian?"

"It seems Blat witnessed a noble woman having an affair. She hired an assassin to stop him from telling her husband."

"So now we would just need to find the assassin?"

"Yes."

Kono smiled. "Good news for you, I already found him. He isn't talking, but I figure Empress Hetty will make him change his tune."

They walked inside and made their way to the throne room. Empress Hetty was there, along with Nell and Eric. Granger was there, too, in the middle of a heated discussion with the empress.

"...Need to find Duchess Kensi. Even if she didn't kill Donald, she might have some information."

"That won't be necessary," Adam interrupted.

Granger whipped around to look at the newcomers. "And why is that?"

"Because we know that he was killed by a hitman."

He scoffed. "Why would someone hire a hitman for my head of household? And I don't suppose you have this hitman in custody?"

Kono glared at him. "We do, actually. I found him a week ago and he's been in the dungeons since then."

Empress Hetty scheduled the trial to be the next day at noon. Kono and Adam were going to leave as soon as it was over, both eager to be going home. Duke Deeks would also be leaving as soon as the trial was over, to get Kensi and bring her home.

Empress Hetty, Nell, and Eric were all sitting in their thrones. Sir Callen stood directly to the left of Empress Hetty's throne. Duke Deeks was standing to the right and a little farther forward than Eric's throne. Granger was mirroring that on the other side, relative to Sir Callen. Kono and Adam were standing side by side along the wall. The assassin was standing, chained, a yard or two in front of the empress. On the opposite wall that Kono and Adam were on stood a scribe.

"I call this trial to order," Empress Hetty said. Though she didn't yell, the way her voice permeated the room was intense. "This being the trial of ArchDuke Granger of Nodian against Jerrory Haslip in the matter of the murder of the former's previous head of household. How do you plead?"

"I think you got the wrong man, Your Majesty," Jerrory declared, a self-righteous look on his face.

Empress Hetty huffed out a laugh as she grinned. "I don't think so. You admitted to it. I call Countess Kono of Noshimuri forward."

Kono stepped forward and Jerrory had a look of shock on his face.

"I thought you needed my help, Lovely, and instead you threw me to the wolves?" he asked in outrage.

Adam stepped forward as well. "That is my wife you're talking to, I would suggest you quit calling her by that name."

Kono gently placed her hand on Adam's chest in warning, then cleared her throat. "I approached Jerrory pretending to ask him to complete a hit for me in the palace. When I implied that I didn't think he would be able to pull it off he boasted about completing a hit on a head of household in the early hours of the new year."

Empress Hetty nodded and Kono stepped back against the wall.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"I'll give up the person who hired me if it'll save me from the noose."

The empress nodded again. "Go ahead."

"Duchess Rose Getz hired me."

"The Empire of Operacje finds Jerrory Haslip guilty of killing Donald Blat, the previous head of household at the archduchy of Nodian. In exchange for the name of his employer, he is sentenced to life in prison."

Kono watched in satisfaction as Jerrory was dragged out of the throne room.

"There is one more thing to discuss," Empress Hetty said, before anyone could begin to disperse. "In response to ArchDuke Granger being banned from the country of DiNozzo because of his actions at the castle therein, after the DiNozzo Summer Tournament, he will be stripped of being an archduke and governing an archduchy. Instead he will be simply a duke, governing a duchy.

"In lieu of that, I will raise the Duke and Duchess Deeks and Kensi of Bly to be the ArchDuke and ArchDuchess Deeks and Kensi of Bly. This matter is now resolved and will not be opened again."

Kono and Adam left at the same time as Duke Deeks. It was likely that they would reach their destinations about the same day, as the time to travel between the capital of Operacje and either the capital or Buidheann or DiNozzo was the same.

It wasn't until they were crossing to the island that the Buidheann capital called home that Kono began to feel like she was actually going home. The salty ocean breeze welcomed her, and only then did she realize how much she missed it.

When they rode into the courtyard, they were greeted by Steve, Catherine, Chin, Quinn, Junior, and Tani. They all looked pleased to see them. Chin was the first to pull Kono into a hug when she dismounted the horse she had been riding since they made port on the Isle of Williams.

"I'm glad you're home safe, Sis," Chin said as he pulled away.

Kono smiled. "Me too. And I think I'm done traveling for a while, that's for sure."

"How did everything go?" Steve asked, drawing her attention away from her brother.

Adam offered the letter from Empress Hetty to Steve. "It went well, as far as I could tell, I was helping with the 'prove Duchess Kensi innocent' more than the diplomatic goal."

"ArchDuchess!" Kono corrected him.

Adam grinned at her. "You're right! How could I forget?" he turned to look at Steve and the others again. "Former ArchDuke Granger got in trouble with King Tony and apparently got himself banned from the country for life. As such Empress Hetty stripped him down to a duke, and raised Duke Deeks and Duchess Kensi to ArchDuke and ArchDuchess."

Steve laughed. "I never even got to meet the guy, but I agree whole-heartedly with the Empress' decision. Now, it's just about time to eat, so why don't we all go inside?"

It was as they were heading inside that another horse and rider came into the courtyard. It was one of the knights, and as Kono didn't recognize him, likely one that was stationed on the mainland.

"Your Majesty!" he called as he dismounted from his horse and approached the group. "I hope I'm not intruding too much…"

Steve shook his head. "Go ahead."

"I am Sir Katsumoto, I'm stationed on the mainland and I'm one of three that keep tabs on the group known as Fann Fjolskyldu."

"You guys go on ahead," Steve said. "I'll meet you all inside when I'm done."

Kono followed the group inside, catching a snippet of the conversation they were leaving.

"They were gone for like, a month and a half! They returned around the same time we estimate your delegation returned from DiNozzo."

Kono hummed to herself. Odd.