Ilanna gave the King a half-bow. "And no matter how many claim to be Serenii-born, the claim itself does not make it true. Truth is proven through evidence, through facts." She turned to the Duke. "Prove to me, Duke Phonnis, that the Night Guild exists. Until you do, you cannot simply accuse me of crimes by virtue of my association with them."
The Duke's jaw muscles worked, his eyes narrowing. Uncertainty mixed with the anger in his expression.
"I put it to you, King Ohilmos, lords of the Royal Council, that there are no documents to back up the claims of the Night Guild's existence." Her eyes fell on the bespectacled figure seated beside and slightly behind the King’s throne. "With your permission, my King, might I address the Royal Scribe?"
Surprise showed on the faces of both Duke and King, but none looked more shocked than Ellara.
"You may." King Ohilmos gave a magnanimous wave.
"Thank you, your Highness." She turned to the woman. "I ask you, Mistress Ellara, how would one prove the existence of, say, a silversmith's guild?"
Ellara blushed, her eyes dropping, and shuffled the papers in her lap. "I-I…" She cleared her throat, clearly discomfited by the attention. "I would search the Royal Records for the guild's application and the certifications granting them royal approval to operate as a guild within the city of Praamis. And, of course, the official charter and bylaws governing said guild."
"And do any such documents exist for the Night Guild?" she asked.
Ellara's redness deepened. "I would need to…er…search the Royal Archives."
"To the best of your knowledge, as the Royal Scribe officially tasked with keeping records on everything that occurs in the city, do such documents exist?"
Ellara hesitated and, with a nervous glance at the Duke, shook her head. "They do not."
"Thank you, Mistress Ellara." She nodded and bowed to hide her relief. She'd gambled that a criminal organization wouldn't bother with royal documents, no matter its origins. She'd had to take the chance that no such documents would exist.
Swallowing a triumphant grin, she turned back to the Duke. "I ask you again, Duke Phonnis, where is your proof of the Night Guild's existence?"
The Duke uttered a low growl. "You play with words well, little thief, but your deceit will not absolve you of your crimes."
"And what crimes are those, Duke?" Despite the quaking in her gut, Ilanna met the Duke's gaze with no sign of hesitation.
"Too many to count!" Triumph shone in the Duke's eyes as he stalked around the Throne Room, counting off her crimes on his fingers. "Grand larceny and theft. Breaking into and stealing from the noble houses of Praamis, including my own mansion. Grave robbery and the desecration of sanctified remains. Absconding with the remains of Lady Auslan from the vaults of Lord Auslan's home in Old Praamis, along with the gold and gemstone-encrusted sarcophagus that served as a repository for those remains. The brutal murder of four of my Arbitors."
The King frowned, his expression growing somber. "Serious accusations, each and every one."
"Men have been executed for even one of those crimes," the Duke snarled. "Put them all together, and you have a truly heinous criminal, worthy of the harshest punishment the Crown can devise." His face grew smug. "Fortunately, the Watcher is a merciful god. His justice is swift and sure. She will join her fellow—"
"It's a beautiful list, I'll admit." Ilanna folded her arms, wincing at the pain in her chest. "But you've yet to prove any of it."
Her words seemed to catch the Duke off-guard. "We have more than enough proof of your wrongdoings."
"Then bring them forward," she replied simply.
Confusion twisted the Duke's face. "Them?"
"The witnesses." Ilanna raised an eyebrow. "The people who watched me committing all those crimes. The ones who will swear before the King and the Watcher in the Dark that I was the one who broke into all the mansions of Praamis and stole your valuables. That my hands are stained with the blood of your Arbitors, and"--she gave a little chuckle—"that I lifted the golden sarcophagus of Lady Auslan from this vault in Lord Auslan's manor and carried it away." She flexed her biceps. "Quite the feat of strength, even for a dangerous cutthroat and criminal like myself."
Smiles tugged at the lips of Lord Ralston and Lord Ulimar. Lord Vorrel actually gave a little chuckle.
The Duke flushed with anger. "I have the testimony of dozens of nobles accusing you of theft."
"Me personally?" Ilanna's eyebrows shot up. "Indeed?" She turned to regard the men sitting in their plush seats. "What of you? Do any of you recognize me?"
A few of the noblemen bristled, but none of them spoke.
She continued. "If I were to tell you that I had broken into four of your homes, which of you would believe yourselves to be the victims?"
Eight hands shot up. Only the dozing Lord Athir failed to raise his hand.
"You see? None of you can identify me, yet every one of you believes I have stolen from them." Ilanna met the eyes of each nobleman in turn. "Perhaps you are victims of the Night Guild, but you have no proof beyond the fact that you are missing items of value."
"Aha!" The Duke smiled, triumphant. "You admit to stealing their valuables!"
"Not in the slightest." Ilanna shook her head. "Thieves wouldn't steal worthless items, so it stands to reason that those who truly are victims of theft have been relieved of their valuables. But your answers serve to illustrate my point. You all accuse me of stealing from you, yet you have no proof that I am the thief. I'd dare say you have no proof that the Night Guild is even behind the thefts."
"What of this?" Lord Ulimar drew out the skull-headed dagger and held it up. The ruby eyes glistened in the bright sunlight. "I found this beside my bed. A message from the Night Guild."
Ilanna hesitated. She had delivered the dagger. But Lord Ulimar had no way of proving it. "A dagger? Beautiful, but how can you be certain it is from the Night Guild?"
"Everyone knows the meaning of the dagger." Lord Ulimar toyed with the blade. "It means the Night Guild has marked you for death."
"So anything that is 'common knowledge' must be true?" Ilanna stared at the nobleman. "Common knowledge once held that rubbing mud on a burn would cause it to heal faster. Now, ask any physicker or herbalist, and they'll tell you such foolishness only leads to worse infections."
Lord Ulimar glared, but had no words to counter.
"Common knowledge is not proof, Duke," Ilanna said, her voice level and calm. "Unless you have the one who delivered the dagger or a witness to verify the identity of its messenger, it is not true evidence."
King Ohilmos leaned back in his chair. "She's not wrong, Brother." He rubbed at his gaunt cheeks, his fingers toying over the thick, circular bands of scar tissue. "Without an eyewitness…" He shrugged.
"So be it." The Duke's face hardened, his voice going flat. "You demand a witness?" He turned to the Praamian Guards who stood beside him. "Bring in the blacksmith."
Ilanna stiffened. Fear brushed icy fingers across the nape of her neck. She knew only one blacksmith in Praamis. If the Duke really has called her…
Duke Phonnis radiated smugness as he spoke. "Presenting, Master Lorilain of the Smith's Guild."
Ilanna's heart stopped. Dread writhing in her gut, she turned to see the huge blacksmith stride into the Throne Room. Master Lorilain's eyes widened slightly at the sight of Ilanna. Her massive shoulders hunched, tense and stiff, as she came to stand beside Ilanna.
King Ohilmos spoke in his rasping whisper. "Master Lorilain, do you understand why you have been brought here?"
The blacksmith bowed to the King. "I do, your Majesty."
Duke Phonnis gave an impatient wave. "Then speak, good smith."
Master Lorilain turned. Ilanna caught a hint of regret and sorrow in her eyes, but the smith spoke in her strong, unwavering voice. "This is the woman who hired me to construct a facsimile of the door guarding Lord Auslan's vault."
A boulder settled in the pit of Ilanna's stomach.
&
nbsp; "You are certain?" The Duke's voice rang with a note of triumph. "You are sure she is the one who paid you?"
"I am." Master Lorilain nodded. "I spoke with her at length on the subject of how to get through the door, the construction of the vault itself, the differences between Odarian and high-carbon Voramian steel, and the tools she would need to get through."
Ilanna clenched her fists, anger flaring in her chest. Jarl had told her she could trust Master Lorilain. She should have known better. The blacksmith had taken the Night Guild's coin and betrayed them without hesitation.
"And this door," the Duke went on, "you built it for her?"
Master Lorilain nodded, her face impassive. "I was paid to build a door according to the specifications given to me by this woman. I had no way of knowing it would be used to commit such a heinous crime." The smith shot a sideways glance at Ilanna.
Ilanna was taken aback. Was that an apology in her eyes? Perhaps the smith wasn't here because of her duty as a citizen to Praamis. Had the Duke forced her to turn on the Guild? The tension in the smith's huge shoulders and the worry on her face told Ilanna something more was going on, something she couldn't see.
Duke Phonnis nodded. "Thank you, Master Lorilain, for your honesty."
"Of course, Duke." With a bow to the King and Duke, the massive blacksmith allowed the Praamian Guards to escort her from the Throne Room.
Ilanna's mind raced. The smith's testimony had connected her to the theft. The smug look on the Duke's face told her exactly what he would say next.
"As you can see, my King, noblemen of the Royal Council, there is ample proof that this thief is the one responsible for the theft of Lady Auslan's sarcophagus. Between the theft and the desecration of the noble lady's resting place—"
"One question, Duke Phonnis," she interrupted.
The Duke scowled at her. "What?" he snapped.
"If the smith's testimony is to be believed, I am the one who hired her to build a replica of Lord Auslan's vault door, correct?"
The Duke nodded. "Your guilt is—"
"Tell me, my lord, what is the crime in building a door?" Ilanna feigned confusion. "Surely Praamian law doesn't forbid its citizens from constructing doors."
The Duke's jaw dropped and his eyebrows shot toward the roof. "Are you serious?" he roared. "You know full well the door you built was an exact reproduction of Lord Auslan's vault door. It is a clear connection between you and the break-in of the vault."
"A connection, perhaps." Ilanna inclined her head. "Much the same way a raindrop is connected to the tidal wave that destroys a village."
The Duke spluttered, unable to find words.
"I am guilty of building a door, yes," she continued. "Perhaps that door was identical to the door to Lord Auslan's vault, the same door you claim was penetrated by thieves. Yet can you prove that I was the one to break into Lord Auslan's vault?"
Lord Ralston bristled. "But the door—"
"Is precisely that: a door." Ilanna turned to the Duke. "Can any of your Arbitors claim to have seen me in Lord Auslan's mansion on the day of this theft?"
The Duke's face darkened.
"What about your Praamian Guards?" she asked. "Surely if one of them spotted me breaking into Lord Auslan's vault, they would come forward to see the King's justice carried out."
Duke Phonnis scowled and refused to answer.
She turned her attention to the nobles. "And what of you? Can any of you provide witnesses to support your claims of my guilt?"
Silence hung thick and heavy in the Throne Room.
Triumph surged within Ilanna's breast. She'd stood trial twice in her short life: after the deaths of Sabat and Master Gold. The first trial had taught her the value of a lack of evidence. It was for that reason she had been so cautious every time she broke into a nobleman's home. The second trial had taught her that any and all proof could be called into question. The traitor had been forced to fabricate evidence to assure her conviction. Even with the bloody knife from Master Gold's chest, she had swayed the verdict in her favor. The trials had taught her one simple fact: a clever tongue could repudiate all, even ironclad arguments.
"Your Majesty." Ilanna directed her words to the King. "I stand here accused of crimes against the nobles of Praamis, against the Chief Justiciar himself. Yet the evidence presented against me is tenuous at best."
She regarded Duke Phonnis and the seated nobles. "You lay these crimes at my feet, call me thief and murderer, but can bring no proof to back up your claims. You have no eyewitnesses to swear testimony of my guilt. You have nothing but a door to link me to any of these crimes. In the eyes of the Watcher and all the gods, can you truly say that is sufficient evidence to sentence me to death?"
Her eyes met the Duke's. Hatred seethed in his expression. She knew he wanted nothing more than to see her dead. Had they stood alone in the chamber, he would have ordered her execution on the spot. But his position as Chief Justiciar put him in an impossible situation. He had to be seen by the nobles to uphold the laws of Praamis.
She'd counted on that. That was why she'd demanded a trial before the King. The Duke could have her imprisoned and murdered quietly, but he would never subvert Praamian law just for the sake of killing one thief. By riling up the crowd, she'd made herself a public figure—too public for the Duke to simply make her disappear. Now he had no choice but to accede to the King’s decision.
The King’s rasping whisper drifted through the Throne Room. "Journeyman Ilanna of the Night Guild, you have been accused of the crimes of theft, grand larceny, desecration, and murder. Crimes deserving of execution."
He stood and strode down the stairs of his throne. His robes hung from shoulders as gaunt as his hollow cheeks, but his step never faltered.
"Yet without evidence to prove your guilt, the throne has no choice but to dismiss the charges. I declare you innocent."
The Duke leapt to his feet, eyes blazing. The King’s upraised hand forestalled any argument. "This is my judgement as rightful King of Praamis. It will not be disputed."
Anger stained every line of the Duke's face as he gave a curt nod. "As you say, my King." His words came out tight, clipped by his barely-restrained fury. He waved away the guards beside Ilanna. "Release her."
The Praamian Guards obeyed. At the King’s pronouncement, Ilanna felt as if an immense weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She'd always known the Duke would try to convict her of her crimes; she hadn't truly been confident she could evade the King’s justice. Yet to hear the proclamation of her innocence came as a relief.
"Thank you, your Majesty." Ilanna's words rang with genuine sincerity. "I give thanks to the gods for a King as wise and just as you."
King Ohilmos’ lips twitched, as if fighting off a smile.
"But now, your Majesty," she said, holding her head high, "I would bargain for the lives of the rest of the Night Guild."
Chapter Forty-Three
Every man in the room leapt to their feet, shouting at her, at the King, at the Duke. Even the sleeping Lord Athir stood, albeit more out of solidarity with his fellow lords than any genuine understanding of what was happening.
Duke Phonnis' face had turned an intriguing shade of dark purple, and a fire of fury smoldered in his eyes. King Ohilmos, however, showed no sign of surprise. He returned to his throne, sat forward in his chair and studied her with an impassive stare.
Ilanna weathered the angry shouts and the King’s scrutiny with the implacable calm of a mountain in a storm.
"My lord!" Lord Ralston's voice echoed loudest in the Throne Room. "Surely you cannot be considering—"
"Do not presume to tell me my thoughts!" The rough edge to the King’s rasping whisper made it all the harsher.
"Of course, my King," Lord Ralston backpedaled. "I simply mean to say that—"
Duke Phonnis cut the nobleman off with a glare. "What Lord Ralston means to say, Brother, is that sentence has already been passed, the executions begun. Our city will soon be free
of the scourge of the Night Guild once and for all."
"Once you hear what I have to say, my lord King, I believe you will reconsider."
King Ohilmos raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
Ilanna nodded.
A tense silence hung in the Throne Room for the space of a heartbeat.
"Well?" snapped Lord Ralston. "What could you possibly say to change the outcome in this matter?"
Ilanna's eyes never left the King. "Perhaps this is a matter best discussed in private, lord King. Some things are meant for the Crown alone."
The nobles spluttered and protested, but the King held up a hand. "You are certain this will be worth my time?"
Ilanna gave the King a sweet smile, and now she turned her gaze to the Duke. "I believe this the sort of information men would kill for."
The Duke responded with a snarl. "My King, this is madness. She is a thief, and every word from her mouth is a filthy lie. You cannot—"
"I will." King Ohilmos’ tone brooked no argument. "I will hear what she has to say." He raised his eyes to the nine noblemen. "My lords, the Council will adjourn for the day." He held up a hand to forestall Lord Ulimar's protests. "I understand your worries and will take them with the utmost consideration. However, if this is truly valuable information, it behooves me—behooves us all—to give her a chance to speak. Now if you would kindly leave us." The edge in his rasping whisper made it a command.
With dark looks for Ilanna and muttered words to each other, the noblemen trooped from the room.
The King raised an eyebrow at the Duke. "And you, Brother?"
"I'm going nowhere." Duke Phonnis' jaw set. "I will not leave you alone with this insidious thief to have your ears twisted by her clever words."
"You believe me such a fool, Brother?"
Duke Phonnis flushed. "O-Of course not, but—"
Ilanna spoke up. "What I have to say ought to be heard by his ears as well."
King Ohilmos gave a dismissive wave. "So be it." He turned to Ilanna with a curious expression. "You have my attention. Though I find myself curious as to why you felt the need for this façade, given the deal we struck."
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