Gerald looked down from the balcony. The cathedral was packed with commoners, all eager to see the display of the queen's justice. He looked across at the balcony on the other side, noticing the nobles of the realm watching the events below with eager anticipation.
To his side sat Anna, along with Aubrey, Sophie, and of course, Tempus. Revi had declined the offer to join them, while Beverly and Hayley's duties kept them busy elsewhere, securing the cathedral.
The trial began with introductions, a suggestion that Anna had made, along with the reading of the charges. Gerald knew his time here, with Anna would be limited, for he was to form part of the jury that would decide the earl's fate.
He saw Fitz moving along the balcony towards them and stood.
"It's time," said the baron.
"Thank you," said Gerald, freeing his seat.
Baron Fitzwilliam bowed to Anna. "Your Majesty," he said, "you do me a great honour."
"Please be seated," said the queen, "the trial will soon start in earnest."
Gerald made his way along, exiting by the far stairs. He passed several guards as he went, members of the Guard Cavalry and each a face he recognized. He reached the floor where Hayley waited to guide him to his place at the table where the jury would sit in judgement.
He nodded to the Duke of Kingsford as he joined them, while the others mostly ignored him.
Arnim was just beginning his opening speech, though Gerald had already heard it. Lord George Montrose, the Earl of Shrewesdale, was charged with treason. He had ordered the death of a Knight of the Sword, an act that was only permitted by the reigning monarch. Arnim was well-spoken, his opening speech rehearsed, and once done, he sat down with confidence.
It was now the turn of Lord Montgomery Harwood to stand, he being the chosen defender of the earl. Lord Harwood was a distant cousin of Montrose’s, though Gerald couldn't remember exactly how they were related. He was said to be an eloquent speaker, no doubt the reason he was chosen for this task.
Lord Harwood stood, waiting for the booing of the commoners to subside before speaking.
"My lords," he said, addressing the panel of jurors, "before we begin, I should like to bring up a point of order."
"Which is?" asked the Duke of Kingsford, Lord Somerset.
"I propose that since the alleged offence took part under the rule of King Andred the Fourth, our present queen cannot bring these charges forward. It simply wasn't during her reign."
"I object," said Arnim, standing. "The queen is of the Royal Line and can act on behalf of any previous monarch."
"And by what right do you claim such a thing?" enquired Harwood.
"Down through the centuries there have been examples of such behaviour," defended Arnim.
"Have there, now?" said the defence. "Then I think it necessary to provide evidence of such examples."
"This is outrageous," complained Arnim. "His lordship is merely trying to delay the inevitable."
Lord Stanton, the Earl of Tewsbury, turned to his fellow jury members, "He may have a point."
"What are you saying?" asked Lord Somerset.
"I'm saying," the old man continued, "that as a point of law, we must establish if this is true. Ruling hastily in this manner could have long-lasting repercussions."
"You can't be serious!" accused Gerald.
"I'm afraid I must agree," added Lord Anglesley, the young Duke of Colbridge. "If we are to do this properly, we must address the earl's concerns." He turned to Lord Somerset. "You're the head of this jury," he continued, "if we are to reach a consensus on innocence or guilt, we must allow the earl to use all possible methods in his defence. To do otherwise would not be considered a fair trial."
"Very well," said Lord Somerset. He rose, waiting as the murmurings of the crowd quieted. "It is the decision of this jury that this line of enquiry is allowed. We, therefore, call on the court to recess until tomorrow. Will that be enough time for the crown to gather the information it requires?"
"Yes, your lordship," said Arnim.
"Then, the court is adjourned. We shall gather again tomorrow morning."
The Master of Heralds, the host of the proceedings, called on the visitors to stand as the jury exited the chamber.
Anna watched with interest, still seated.
"That was a surprise," said Fitz.
"We should have anticipated it," said Anna.
"What do we do now?" asked Aubrey.
"We return to the Palace. Aubrey, I want you to give Arnim a hand. He'll need all the information you can find on historical precedents. I'll give you full access to my office. I think you'll find what you need there."
"What will you do, Majesty?" asked the Life Mage.
"I'm going to look into something else," Anna said. "I have a feeling this won't be the only obstacle he's going to throw up."
"Shall we announce you're leaving?" asked the baron.
"No," said Anna, "we'll let the commoners file out without interruption. I want to talk to Arnim before I leave."
"Shall I fetch him?" asked Aubrey.
Anna was looking down at Arnim even as the mage spoke. The Viscount of Haverston was talking to Nikki, collecting his notes as he did so. When he briefly looked up towards the balcony, the queen beckoned him. He nodded his head, passing his notes to his wife, then made his way to the stairs.
A short while later, Arnim stood before the queen.
"Your Majesty," he said, bowing.
"He caught you off guard today," said Anna, "you should have expected that."
"I apologize, Your Majesty, if I failed in my duty."
"This is not a game, Lord Caster," said Anna, her voice tight. "If we lose this, the crown will lose face. I need you at your best. If you cannot perform satisfactorily, then I will have to relieve you of your duties."
Arnim's stance grew more rigid, "Understood, Your Majesty."
"Good," said Anna. "Now, you'd best get to work, you've a lot to do before this trial continues, and very little time in which to do it. I'm sending Aubrey to help you."
"Thank you, Majesty," the Viscount uttered. He backed away from the queen, bowing again, then turned, fleeing the encounter.
"He's trying his best," offered Fitz.
"I know he is," said Anna, "but he must anticipate the earl's tactics."
"This is not a battlefield," protested the baron.
"Isn't it?" she replied. "It may not involve armies, but don't believe for a moment that this isn't a test of resolve. We must win this, or all our future plans will be in doubt."
"Time to go, Your Majesty," Sophie interjected quietly.
Anna turned to her servant. "You're right, of course," she said. "Thank you, Sophie."
The queen rose, moving towards the stairs, Tempus following. The baron watched her leave the balcony, and then looked to Aubrey.
"She's under a lot of pressure," the Life Mage explained.
"So I see," said Fitz, "but she must learn to control her temper if she is to continue to rule."
"She will, Uncle," said Aubrey, "but she doesn't have Gerald here as a calming influence. I don't expect it will lessen until the trial is over."
"I hope you're wrong, Aubrey, for both our sakes."
Gerald's eyes struggled to remain open. Arnim was presenting documents to the court, a seemingly endless stream of examples wherein choices made by previous rulers were upheld by their successors.
He felt a nudge and turned to see Lord Somerset looking at him.
"I think we've seen enough," the Duke of Kingsford said, "don't you?"
"I would agree," said Gerald.
Somerset turned to the others, "Are we in agreement, gentlemen?"
They all nodded, prompting Sommerset to stand. "The jury finds that the crown has presented enough evidence on this matter. It is the opinion of the court that the queen is quite within her rights to carry out this prosecution. We entreat the representatives of both sides to continue on with more pressing matters and let the trial resume."
Lord Harwood stood, bowing, as did Arnim, but when the viscount made to speak, he was cut off.
"If I may," Lord Harwood began, "there is another matter which has come to my attention that deserves the consideration of the jury."
"And what might that be?" asked Lord Stanton.
"That Her Majesty, Queen Anna, is not the legitimate ruler of Merceria."
The audience erupted in a furor, causing the Master of Heralds to call for silence. He even had to threaten to empty the room before the noise finally subsided.
"I do not make this accusation lightly," Harwood continued, "but recent information has come to my attention that casts our sovereign in a new light."
"This is preposterous," burst out Gerald, "of course she's the queen."
"I beg to differ," said Lord Harwood. "To be the rightful ruler of Merceria, she would have to be the offspring of King Andred IV."
Gerald's blood ran cold, and he sat in stunned silence as Lord Harwood continued.
"I have here," he said, producing some documents, "a journal of the king's activities in the time prior to Queen Anna's birth." He placed the papers on the juror's table. "I think you'll see it plainly shows that not only was he not present at the birth, but didn't in fact, spend any time with Queen Elenor for the entire year before. There is no way that King Andred could be Queen Anna's father."
Once again, noise erupted, and the Master of Heralds struck his staff repeatedly to calm things down.
"In addition," Harwood continued, "I have affidavits here that detail significant, some would even say controversial matters about Queen Elenor."
He placed another piece of paper on the table. "This document details those present at the birth of our sovereign, at the Royal Estate outside of Hawksburg. You'll notice that only one man of significance was present, that of the queen's confessor. This same man," he dropped another page, "had been in the company of the queen for a significant amount of time, almost three years, to be exact."
He waited for the crowd, using their shouts of indignation to his advantage. "And this," Harwood produced another page, "is a description we have compiled of all the rulers of Merceria. You'll note they all had black hair, a trait which, I believe, is dominant amongst the men of the Royal Line, daughters, as well. I need not mention the blonde hair that adorns our queen, but also, let me read the description of the queen's confessor, shall I?"
Gerald heard the words flow from the Lord's mouth, condemning the heritage of Anna. He wanted to lash out at the man and strike the sense of victory he wore but knew it would do no good. He felt the public revelation of Anna's past like a crushing weight and looked to the balcony. She sat, stone-faced, her eyes boring into Lord Harwood.
Finished, Shrewesdale's defender sat down in triumph, the crowd afire with indignation. Did they hate the queen, wondered Gerald, or were they outraged with Harwood's actions? He couldn't tell.
Arnim stood, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. "If it pleases you, my lords," he started, "it is not our place here to answer such scurrilous accusations but to address the matter of the legitimacy of Queen Anna's rule. We are a warrior culture. Many generations ago, our ancestors fought for this land, establishing a dynasty that continues to this day. While it's true that there has always been an unbroken line of succession, I might remind you that our own history has multiple examples of illegitimate children that were accepted as heirs, and even, in at least two cases, kings."
He paused, taking a deep breath, "But let's say, for the sake of argument, that you find this accusation of interest, are we to believe that the entire rule of our young queen is illegal? No, of course not."
"Then how do you counter it?" said Lord Harwood, still wearing a smile.
"I don't have to," said Arnim, keeping his tone even. "For you see, we have always had laws that do so for us."
"Nonsense," said Harwood, "what are these laws?"
"It's called Force of Arms," explained Arnim. "An ancient law, to be sure, and one that was formulated in the days of our mercenary ancestors. It allows that a sufficient force of arms will determine the rule of the country in times of strife. Or perhaps his lordship will try to tell us the recent civil war was not a time of strife?"
"A ridiculous law," said Harwood, in his defence, "and too old to be of consequence."
"In that you are wrong," said Arnim, "for it has been used twice in our history, though public accounts only talk of one."
He moved to his own desk, where Nikki handed him a sheaf of papers. These he deposited before the jury.
Somerset glanced over the writings, "I think the jury will require time to examine these in detail. We shall adjourn to do so."
The room was called to attention, and once again, the jurors left, making their way to more private offices while the crowd burst into conversation.
Gerald sat while a servant handed him a cup of wine.
"What do you make of it?" asked Somerset.
Lord Stanton, who was examining the documents, looked up from a page. "The queen's case is solid," he said, a note of defeat to his voice. "We shall have to acknowledge that her rule is legitimate."
"You sound disappointed," accused Gerald.
"Nonsense," said the earl, "I'm merely disappointed at all the documents we've had to read, my eyesight's not what it used to be."
"And what of you, Lord Anglesley, do you concur?"
The young duke looked back at him, blushing slightly, "Yes, I suppose I must."
"Good," said Lord Spencer, the new Earl of Eastwood, "then we can put this behind us and move on."
"How much more of these ridiculous arguments must Shrewesdale present?" asked Somerset.
"As many as he likes," said Stanton, "or do you not wish a fair trial?"
"A fair trial is one thing," said Somerset, "but this is getting carried away. All he's doing is delaying the inevitable."
"Then you're saying it's inevitable that the earl will be found guilty?" remarked Stanton. "And here I was, thinking it a fair trial."
"That's not what I meant," argued Somerset, "and well you know it. We need to get to the crux of the matter and weigh the trial on the merits of the case, not waste our time on matters of the court."
"It's all of consequence!” defended Lord Stanton.
"Yes," said Gerald, "but perhaps now that the games are over, we'll get back to the meat of it."
"Well said," offered Anglesley, "this trial has been wearing on me."
Stanton looked at him in surprise. "Wearing? Saxnor's sake man, you're the youngest one here!"
"Shall we resume the court?" asked Lord Spencer.
"No," surrendered Somerset, "it's too late now, we'll resume tomorrow morning."
"How long is this going to go on?" asked Anglesley.
"As long as it needs," said Stanton.
Somerset moved to the door, sending a message to the Master of Heralds.
"Very well then, gentlemen," he said, "I suggest you all get a good rest. If today was any indication, it'll be a long one tomorrow, and we must be at our best."
They began filtering out of the room, one by one. Somerset lingered until just he and Gerald remained.
"Lord Matheson," the duke began, "if I may have a word?"
"Of course," said Gerald. "What is it?"
"The evidence presented today was likely quite distressing to Her Majesty. Please convey my deepest apologies to her on behalf of the jurors."
"I will," Gerald promised, "though I doubt all the members of the jury would be in agreement on that note."
"Even so," said Somerset, "it wounds my heart to see her so callously mistreated. Regardless of her ancestry, I have the deepest respect for Her Majesty."
"I'll make sure she knows," said Gerald.
The crowd watched eagerly as Sir Arnim rose, beginning this day's activities.
"The crown contends," he started, "that Lord George Montrose, the Earl of Shrewesdale, ordered the death of Dame Olivia Jacobson, a Knight of the Sword."
"I must object," said Lord Harwood, "the Earl is within his rights to administer justice throughout his earldom."
"On the contrary," injected Arnim, “his powers have limits, and he overstepped his authority by ordering the death of a representative of the crown."
"I would argue," said Harwood, "that he was quite within his rights, since they were due, in no small part, to his position, which was granted by the then King of Merceria."
"So you contend that there are no limits to the earl's powers?"
"In this case," said Lord Harwood, "it is precisely what we are saying. What do you offer in the way of proof?"
"I should like to call an expert in such matters," said Arnim, "if the court would permit?"
"Of course," said Lord Somerset.
"I call Lord Richard Fitzwilliam, Baron of Bodden," said Arnim.
Fitz made his way forward, having been warned ahead of time that his presence might be required. He took a seat, then recited the oath that he would tell the truth. Finished, he waited while Arnim organized his thoughts.
"Lord Fitzwilliam," the viscount began, "can you tell us your responsibilities as they pertain to Bodden?"
"I am lord of the land, responsible for keeping the people safe and guarding the northwest frontier of the realm."
"And in that capacity, what limitations do you operate under?"
"I am not allowed to cross the border into Norland," Fitz replied, "nor am I to take offensive action of any kind outside of the borders of Bodden."
"Are you allowed to make a declaration of war?" asked Arnim.
"No, I am not," the baron replied.
"And are you allowed to execute prisoners in the queen's name?"
"Only if they are commoners," Fitz replied, "though we have not executed anyone in my time as baron."
"And if a noble were, shall we say, caught in the act of a crime?"
"Then he would be remanded into the custody of Royal Troops, to face the queen's justice."
"And, if I may ask, where did you get this information from?"
"I beg your pardon?" asked the baron.
"How do you know the limitations of your position?"
"They are laid out in the laws of the land or by Royal Proclamation when there is a change," explained Fitz. "During King Andred's reign, each noble presented themselves at court once a year for the sole purpose of receiving the king's orders."
"And was the Earl of Shrewesdale present on any of those occasions?"
"He was," said the baron. "In fact, all the nobles were present."
"Thank you," said Arnim, "I just have one more question. Please take your time before answering."
"Of course."
"Who is allowed to create a knight?"
"Only the king or a member of the Royal Family. Though in truth, it's been only the king until Queen Anna created the Knights of the Hound, back when she was still a princess."
"So, the Order of the Sword is a Royal Appointment?"
"It is, exclusively," said Fitz.
"And as such, the power of life and death is the exclusive domain of the sovereign?"
"Yes," said Fitz, "on that, there can be no doubt."
"Thank you," said Arnim, "I believe that's all we need you for."
"Not so fast," called out Lord Harwood, "I have a few questions of my own."
"By all means," said Arnim, relinquishing the floor.
Lord Harwood moved slowly towards the baron, carefully considering his words before he spoke.
"Baron, are you familiar with the rules governing female knights?"
"Of course," said Fitz.
"And would you explain to the court how you gained that knowledge?"
"My daughter is Dame Beverly Fitzwilliam," he replied, "Knight Commander of the Order of the Hound."
"But not a Knight of the Sword?" asked Harwood.
"No," said Fitz, looking rather uncomfortable.
"Can you tell us why?"
"She was dismissed from the order by King Andred after the Battle of Eastwood," the baron confessed.
"Did the king give a reason?"
The baron's face turned red, "The king felt she let the Orcs escape, and he wanted them destroyed. But I was there-"
"I'm not concerned with your experience at Eastwood," interrupted Lord Harwood, "but if not for the fact that she is a Knight of the Hound-"
"Knight Commander," clarified Fitz.
"Yes, I stand corrected, Knight Commander of the Hound. If not for her position with this new order, she would no longer be considered a knight, is that not true?"
"She was dismissed from the order," said Fitz, "so no, she would no longer be a knight."
"And therefore no longer under the king's protection," said Lord Harwood, his face smiling in triumph."
"No, but-"
"That is all for now, Lord Fitzwilliam."
"One moment," objected Arnim, "there are still some unanswered questions." He rose, making his way back to the baron.
"Lord Fitzwilliam," Arnim began, "can you explain the differences between knights and dames for us? Aside from the obvious that is. How are the rules different?"
"A knighthood is an honour granted for life," said Fitz. "Female knights trace their history back to the founding of the kingdom. A few of the mercenaries that came here originally were women. When the Knightly Order of the Sword was first created, it was decided that men and women could both receive that honour. The principal difference is merely title, dame being used for women instead of sir, but there are a few other differences, chief amongst them the ability of women to leave the order to bear children."
"And are they allowed to return to the order in the future, say after their children are grown?"
"They are," said Fitz, "though it is seldom done."
"Can a male knight leave the order?"
"He can," said Fitz, "though once again, it's rare."
"And what are the repercussions of such an act?" asked Arnim.
"He would not be liable for military service except in times of war."
"So you're saying that if a war broke out, the knight could be called on to serve again?”
"Exactly," said Fitz.
"And what of the women? Do they have the same obligation?"
"They do," said Fitz, "unless they have children, in which case the obligation is waived."
"So, just to be clear, if a woman leaves the order and has no children, she can be recalled in times of war. Is that correct?"
"It is," said Fitz.
"So that would mean," continued Arnim, "that Dame Olivia, even though she left the order, could still be called to service?"
"As long as she had no children, yes," the baron agreed.
"I would like to inform your lordships," said Arnim, turning to the jury, "that it is on record that Dame Olivia bore no children, nor was responsible for any child. In other words, she was subject to service at the king's discretion, making her a Royal Representative."
Lord Montrose whispered something to Lord Harwood, who then rose. "We agree to this interpretation," he said, "but the fact is that the earl did not order the death of Dame Olivia."
"I beg your pardon?" said Lord Somerset. "If that's true, why are we here?"
"Would you care to clarify?" asked Lord Spencer.
"Gladly," Lord Stanton replied. "You see, Lord Montague ordered the woman to be locked up, nothing more. Her death was caused by others."
"That's not true!" yelled out Beverly from the audience.
The entire cathedral was suddenly flooded with shouts of angry commoners. The Master of Heralds tried to calm them to little effect. It was finally Anna that succeeded by standing in the balcony, drawing everyone's attention. She waited till they quieted, then sat back down.
"You claim that he ordered her locked up," said Arnim, "but we have multiple sworn statements that he ordered her placed in a cage, suspended outside of the city."
"What of it?" said Harwood. "The cage is a typical punishment for her crime, it need not be a death sentence. In fact, it was Dame Beverly that killed her, using a sword."
The audience gasped, then went so silent you could hear a pin drop.
Lord Somerset looked to Gerald, "Is this true?"
"I have no knowledge of this," Gerald replied. "I had heard of some difficulties that she faced, but this is the first time I've heard this accusation."
Somerset whispered briefly to the other jurors and then stood. "The court shall recess until tomorrow. When the day commences, we expect Dame Beverly Fitzwilliam here to be questioned over this matter."
The Master of Heralds brought the room to attention as the jurors filed out.