by Amanda Fleet
His fingers fidgeted against mine. “No one else saw anything.”
I thought of the incidents Outside where ‘no one saw anything’, either because they supported the people on trial or because they were terrified of revenge. “Plus ça change.”
Faran frowned. I shook my head. “How many on the Council support Lord Balwen?”
He smiled thinly. “Excellent question. About a third of them.”
Next to us, Lady Morgan laughed and Faran turned to look at her. She winked at him and he looked away sharply.
“Can you hurry up and finish?” he said, his face drawn. “I want to go.”
I crammed the last of my breakfast into my mouth and washed it down with a gulp of water. As soon as I’d swallowed, Faran was on his feet, and I scrambled after him.
***
Back in our rooms, I found a bundle of newspapers on the desk at the side of the room and started to skim-read them.
“Don’t get settled. We need to change,” said Faran.
“Change?”
He cocked a brow at me. “Dress leathers for court.”
“What? I know my new clothes have only just arrived, but you didn’t change for any of the other times we were there.”
“They were Council meetings. This is a trial. You need to wear dress leathers for court. Were there some?”
“Yes, but for fuck’s sake, Aegyir could attack The Realm any moment, and this is what’s important?”
“The Scouts say all is well. Both the Senior Librarian and Mathas say there’s time.”
I scanned the dates on the newspapers. A few days old already “And you trust the Scouts? After yesterday’s revelations?”
“I trust the Senior Seer. Read them in a minute. Go and change.”
The dress leathers fitted as closely as the combat ones but were equally comfortable. The trousers were essentially the same as the combat-wear version, though softer and of a finer grain. The jacket was longer and flared, ending mid-thigh, but fitted through the body. I waited on the sofa for Faran, skim-reading the national and local papers. To my relief, little in them related to Aegyir as far as I could tell. If he’d reformed and was trying to build enough strength to storm the portal, he was doing it quietly, or slowly, or not in the UK.
Faran emerged from the bedroom, teasing his fingers through his hair. He’d swapped his usual black jacket for the one that perfectly matched the colour of my dress leathers, with finer leather black trousers and shiny black boots beneath. A black undershirt showed in the open neck of his jacket. I realised that I was standing with my mouth open like a fool and blushed fiercely. His eyes sparkled as he smirked but he said nothing, merely offering me the crook of his arm.
“Shall we?”
We’d almost reached the Great Hall when Faran stopped and faced me. “I suspect their defence will be that they’re patriots and were defending The Realm against a known threat. This might not go well.”
A pool of nausea formed in my core.
“Just answer any questions simply and honestly,” he added. “And don’t back-chat anyone!”
A low hum of voices filled the Great Hall and the pool of nausea threatened to become a lake. The Council sat as they had in both of the Council meetings. Lord Eredan sprawled in his customary seat in the centre of the front row, his face stern. The three attackers stood in a line behind the bench opposite the Council. A row of chairs sat at right angles to both the accused and the Council, with a simple bar facing it. The witness stand? Faran ushered me to the row of seats and sat.
Two of the other three witnesses were already there. They looked up as Faran and I sat, their faces hard. I racked my brain. They hadn’t been on the same path as us when Lord Elwen stopped Faran, they’d been on the far side, well out of range. They’d caught my attention because one of them had a shock of pure white hair, rather than the usual jet black, and the other limped badly. What injury did he carry that salve couldn’t heal? I bowed uneasily at them, surprised that all of us seemed to be allowed to hear the others’ evidence. A moment after we’d taken our seats, the final witness appeared. She gave me a cold look and sat at the far end of the bench. I plucked at Faran’s sleeve.
“She wasn’t in the Courtyard,” I breathed into his ear as he bent to me.
He glanced down the bench but said nothing. Lord Eredan cleared his throat and called the trial to order. The three men were named and their charge sheets read. Each one was accused of attempted assassination.
All three were called to the stand and sworn in.
Lord Eredan faced them. “You have been accused of attempted assassination of Lady Aeron of the house of Wymond. How do you plead?”
All three of them said, “Not guilty,” their voices ringing across the room.
I gasped. Faran rested his thigh against mine as if to reassure me.
“On what grounds?” said Lord Eredan, looking utterly unsurprised at the plea.
“Defence of The Realm.”
As Faran had thought.
The three moved back to their seats and Faran was called. He was asked to confirm his name and position and to swear that his testimony was true. Lord Eredan asked what had happened and Faran gave succinct and accurate answers, outlining the bald facts in a clear, crisp voice, standing tall, legs slightly apart, looking straight at the accused.
His father thanked him for his evidence and Faran sat next to me again. A russet-clad clerk ushered me to the witness stand, and I turned towards the Council, expecting the questions to come from Lord Eredan again. He did indeed ask me to confirm my name and rank – something I still wasn’t entirely convinced about – but I agreed that yes, I was Lady Aeron, head of the house of Wymond. I swore that my testimony would be true and waited for the first question.
It didn’t come from Lord Eredan but from Lord Rehan, an older man who sat on the second row of the Council. His greying hair was cropped shorter than most other men’s. Given how tight his curls were, it would probably grow in ringlets if it wasn’t. I couldn’t remember if he supported Lord Balwen or Faran.
“Lady Aeron. You were banished by Lord Eredan. Why have you returned?”
I hesitated. Why was I being asked about this again? Didn’t they want my evidence over the attack?
“Lady Aeron?”
My eyes shot to Faran who sat impassively, his lips slightly pinched, eyes dead ahead.
“Don’t look to him for your answer,” said Lord Rehan. “You’ve sworn to give a true and honest testimony. So I ask you again. You were banished from this Realm for high treason. Why have you returned?”
I frowned. “I escaped from Aegyir, and was thrown at the rock face,” I said, trying to sound respectful.
“The rock face? Do you mean Traitors’ Gate?”
I forced myself not to look at Faran again, sensing that that wouldn’t go down well. “I believe it’s known by that name, yes.”
Lord Rehan smiled nastily. Faran had told me that it had only been renamed Traitors’ Gate after I’d been banished and in honour of my deeds.
“Could you explain to the Council why you were at Traitors’ Gate with Aegyir? Are you in league with him? Were you about to bring him into The Realm again?”
“The Council has already heard my testimony on this. I was forced by Aegyir against my will to the rock face. I never had any intention of bringing him anywhere near The Realm.”
He pounced on my words and I cursed myself.
“Never? I’m not sure that you could say that honestly and truthfully. You brought Aegyir here before in an attempt to overthrow Lord Eredan and rule The Realm with Aegyir as your husband.”
I really didn’t dare look at Faran. A muscle would be ticking away in his jaw as he clenched and unclenched his teeth. I stayed silent awaiting another question.
“You told the Council that Aegyir wanted you to invite him in. Did you?” asked Lord Rehan.
Sweat slicked my palms, and I breathed steadily, now knowing why Faran had been so wound up
. Lord Eredan glowered at me.
“No. I did not,” I said.
“Do you have any witnesses to support you?”
My patience thinned to vanishing. “Lord Eredan, I’m sorry, but I thought I was here as a witness to the attempted assassination.”
Lord Eredan’s eyes snapped to me, blazing. “There’s little doubt that the accused tried to harm you. We’re exploring their defence. They may well end up applauded for their attempts to rid The Realm of a true traitor. Answer the question. Do you have any witnesses to support your claim that you did not invite Aegyir in?”
“No, Lord Eredan, I do not.” I didn’t like the way this was going.
Lord Rehan’s eyes crawled all over me. “Isn’t it actually the case that you brought Aegyir to The Realm, invited him in and then claimed to be escaping from him? Isn’t it actually the case that you’re here spying on The Realm and feeding intelligence back to Aegyir, in preparation for another assault?”
“No! That is not the case! I was forced to the rock face. I refused to invite him in. He tried to hack my hand off, I was thrown at the rock face and I ended up here.”
Lord Eredan turned to one of the clerks, snapping his fingers. The young man scurried forward and handed Lord Eredan a wad of papers. The maps Cerewen had ripped from my notebook. My heart sank.
Lord Eredan stalked over to me, holding the maps up. “What are these?”
My legs trembled. “Maps, Lord Eredan.”
Mutters ran around the room and most of the Council members sat up straight. Lady Morgan smirked, leaning forward as if to relish the moment. The three on trial lounged back in their seats, manspreading with confidence.
“Did you draw them for Aegyir?” asked Lord Eredan.
“No. I drew them for me, so I wouldn’t get lost. I don’t remember my way around.”
“You don’t deny that you made them?”
“No.” I swallowed, trying to wet my mouth.
“How did you lose them?”
“Cerewen took them from me.”
Lord Eredan handed the maps back to the clerk, his lips thin. “Thank you, Lady Aeron. You may now sit. You may be called again.”
I made my way back to the seat next to Faran, desperate for a crumb of comfort from him but he looked straight ahead, breathing deeply.
Cerewen was called to the stand.
“Describe how you came by these maps,” said Lord Eredan, his posture relaxed and loose.
Cerewen smiled at me and rubbed the cleft in his chin. “Lord Elwen, Valgan and I were returning from dinner two nights ago. We found Lady Aeron creeping about, spying, in the residential areas and drawing these maps. For the security of The Realm, we took them from her and gave them to you.”
So Lord Eredan knew about the maps two days ago. Was he behind the attempt on me?
Lord Eredan thanked Cerewen, and he returned to sit between Valgan and Lord Elwen.
The three other ‘witnesses’ turned out not to be witnesses for the attempted assassination, but there to give evidence that I was a traitor and a threat to The Realm and that the three accused were acting out of loyalty to The Realm in trying to kill me. The catalogue of claims they brought forward against me damned me, and although I knew I’d never spoken to any of them, I couldn’t have denied any of what they said. I’d returned without permission. Tick. I hadn’t shown the proper respect to most of the people I’d met in The Realm and certainly not to Lord Eredan. Tick. I hadn’t made the appropriate pleas for forgiveness. Tick. I’d admitted to having been at Traitors’ Gate with the demon. Tick. No one could vouch for me that I hadn’t invited him in. The list went on and by the end, even I thought I was guilty of treason. Faran was recalled.
“You and Lady Aeron are training together at the moment?” asked Lord Eredan.
“We are, Lord Father.”
“Based on what you’ve experienced whilst you’ve been training together, do you think that she would be able to escape from a demon who is a similar height to Lord Sondan?”
Faran hesitated for the first time that day and everyone noticed. “In training, Lady Aeron has both bloodied me and bruised me, which Lord Sondan has not been able to do. Her skills are not inconsiderable.”
A scowl crept over Lord Eredan’s face before he dismissed his son from the witness bench. Faran re-joined me, still keeping his eyes straight ahead. I wanted to know why he’d hesitated.
“Council members,” said Lord Eredan. “There is no doubt that Lord Elwen, Cerewen and Valgan attempted to assassinate Lady Aeron yesterday. What the Council must decide, is whether they were right to try to kill her. They have claimed that Lady Aeron is a traitor and a spy and that they acted in defence of The Realm. We will retire to decide our verdict. Lord Elwen, Faran, you will remain here, despite being Council members.”
Lord Eredan nodded to a guard to stand closer to the accused. I noted that also brought them closer to me. We waited in absolute silence while the Council withdrew through a door at the back that took them to the State Rooms. Faran folded his arms across his chest, riled. I wondered what was running through his head.
A few minutes later, the Council returned and the three men at the bench stood to hear the verdict.
Lord Eredan marched to the centre of the space. The three accused wore half smiles, their posture easy.
“Lord Elwen, Cerewen, Valgan. You have been found guilty of attempted assassination. However, your grounds of defence of The Realm were accepted.” He paused, looking at me for a moment before turning back to the three. “You are each sentenced to thirty days of hard labour, stone-breaking in the quarries.”
The faces of the three switched from smug confidence to horror in a flash, and Cerewen shot a look at his father, Lord Balwen.
“The sentence has been suspended for fifty days,” said Lord Eredan.
The smug looks returned as fast as they’d gone.
Lord Eredan gave them an admonishing stare. “You may stand down.” He turned back to the Council. “Mathas has asked to address the Council. Remain in your seats.”
I got up to leave and Lord Eredan stalked towards me.
“Watch your step. No one wants you here.” He glanced at Faran. “Almost no one. You need to stay for the Council meeting. It concerns you.”
He moved away, and I breathed deeply.
Lord Elwen took his seat on the Council, sneering at me. Cerewen and Valgan swaggered out of the Great Hall, turning to me and tapping a finger against their temple as they passed me. Before I had time to worry about what they might be planning, Council reconvened.
Mathas got to his feet. “Yesterday, the Council agreed that Lord Sondan, Faran, Cerewen and Lady Aeron would go Outside to find and hopefully trap Aegyir. I must give my testimony. I have seen things that will influence that decision.” He gave me an odd look and made his way to the front of the rows of Council members. “Lord Eredan. Council members. Lady Aeron will be a traitor if she leaves The Realm.”
Gasps rang around the room, not least from me. I opened my mouth to speak, but Lord Eredan held up his hand to silence me. “Mathas, is this the opinion of all the Seers?”
He glanced at me and I tried to spot any sign of the regard he claimed to have for me. There was none.
“No. The Seers have seen a number of things and there is not necessarily a confluence of opinion. But the clearest vision that I have had is that Lady Aeron will become Aegyir’s pawn if she goes Outside.”
“What are the other opinions?” I asked, ignoring Lord Eredan’s outstretched hand.
Lord Eredan whirled around to face me. “You are not a member of this Council. You may speak only if invited.”
My eyes sought Faran. Black storms raged across his face.
“What else do the Seers see about this mission?” asked Lord Eredan.
Again, Mathas studied me. The twinkle in his eyes and the dimples in his cheeks were notably absent. Had his visions erased any friendship we’d once had? What the hell had he seen?
“Is the battle in The Realm what happens if the Guardians do not go Outside?” asked Lord Eredan.
“It isn’t clear. However, if Aegyir is dealt with Outside, I can’t see how he’d be able to attack The Realm.”
“Thank you. Do you see difficulties arising for the Guardians because of the different language used Outside?”
“I have no visions of them Outside encountering the local population.”
“Is there anything else that the Council should know?”
Mathas took a long hard look at me before answering. “No. I see other things, but am not yet sure of them. I wouldn’t wish to speak about them until I’m sure of their meaning. Some of the more junior Seers also see other things, but again, I don’t wish to speak of them at present.”
Lord Eredan raised his hand, palm up, requesting the information, but Mathas shook his head. “They are only potential outcomes, from junior Seers.”
Lord Eredan stared at him, but Mathas was resolute.
“Thank you,” ground out Lord Eredan.
Mathas bowed and returned to his seat at the back.
“Council members, we must decide what to do. Those still in favour of Faran, Lord Sondan and Cerewen going Outside to trap Aegyir?”
A mixed response came back, but the motion was passed.
“Regarding Lady Aeron joining the mission, those in favour?”
There was utter silence in the room. Not even Faran spoke. The vote against was loud and unanimous.
A third motion of waiting for Aegyir to attack The Realm was proposed. The majority voted against it. I shook my head, despairing. With the best will in the world, I couldn’t teach them enough English to cope on their own.
Faran moved to stand next to me as soon as the meeting broke up.
“I am no traitor!”
His eyes scanned everyone in the room but me.
“Faran!”
“I hear you, my lady. But I’m also aware that the chief adviser to the Council and most senior Seer has denounced you, publicly, as a potential traitor. Yesterday, three people tried to kill you and have received no punishment, even though they were found guilty. Stay alert.”