Theft Of Swords: The Riyria Revelations (30 page)

“This hearing of the High Court of Melengar has been assembled in good order to review allegations made against the princess Arista Essendon by the Lord Chancellor, the Archduke of Melengar, Percy Braga.” The strong voice of the chief magistrate boomed across the chamber. “Princess Arista stands duly accused of treason against the crown, the murder of her father and brother, and the practicing of witchcraft.”

The largest room in the castle, the Court of Melengar had a cathedral ceiling, stained-glass windows, and walls rimmed in emblems and shields of the noble houses of the kingdom. Bench seats and balconies were overflowing with spectators. The nobles and the city’s affluent merchants pressed in to see the royal trial of the princess. Outside, many common people had been gathering since dawn and waited in the snow as runners reported the proceedings. A wall of armor-clad soldiers held them at bay.

The court itself was a boxed set of bleachers composed of
tiered armchairs, where the ranking nobles of the kingdom sat. Several of the seats were vacant but enough had arrived to serve Braga’s purpose. Still frosty with the morning chill, most of the court wore fur wraps as they waited for the fire in the great hearth to warm the room. At the front stood the empty throne, its vacancy looming like an ominous specter before the court. Its presence was a stark reminder of the gravity and scope of the trial. The verdict could decide who would sit there next and control the reins of the kingdom.

“This judicial court, comprised of men of good standing and sound wisdom, will now hear the allegations and the evidence. May Maribor grant them wisdom.”

The chief magistrate took his seat and a heavyset man with a short beard wreathing his small mouth stood up. He was dressed in expensive-looking robes that flowed behind him as he paced before the jury, eyeing each man carefully.

“Lords of the Court,” the lawyer said, addressing the bleachers with a dramatic sweep of his arm. “Your noble personages have by now learned that our good king Amrath was murdered seven days past in this very castle. You may also be aware Prince Alric is missing, presumed abducted and murdered. But how could such things as these happen within a king’s own castle walls? A king
might
be murdered. A prince
might
be abducted. But both in the same night and one after the other? How is this possible?”

The crowd quieted as they struggled to hear.

“How is it possible that two killers slipped inside the castle unnoticed, stabbed the king to death, and, despite being caught and locked in the dungeon, were able to escape? This in itself is incredible, because the cell in which they were locked was heavily guarded by skilled soldiers. Not only were they imprisoned, they were also chained by their wrists and ankles to the wall. But what is beyond amazing, what is
beyond belief, is that after managing their miraculous escape, the two did not flee! No, indeed! Informed while in captivity that they would be drawn and quartered at dawn—a most painful and gruesome death, to be certain—for their most heinous crime, these two killers remained in a castle filled with hundreds of soldiers ready to thrust them back into their cell. Rather than flee for their lives, instead they sought out the prince, the most heavily guarded and high-profile personage in the castle, and kidnapped him! I ask you again, how is this possible? Were the castle guards asleep? Were they so totally incompetent as to let the killers of the king walk out? Or could it be that the assassins had help?

“Could a guard have done this? A foreign spy? Even a trusted baron or earl? No! None of them would have the authority to enter the dungeon to
see
the killers of the king, much less free them. Nay, gracious lords, no person in the castle that night had the authority to enter those jails so easily, save one—Princess Arista! Being the daughter of the victim, who could deny her the right to spit in the faces of the men who murdered her father so brutally? Only she wasn’t there to defile the killers; she came to help them finish the job she started!”

The crowd murmured.

“This is an outrage!” an elderly man protested from the bleachers. “To accuse the poor girl of her father’s death … You should be ashamed! Where is she? Why is she not present to dispute these claims?”

“Lord Valin,” the lawyer addressed him, “we are honored to have you with us today. This court will call the princess forth shortly. She is not here for the presenting of facts, as it is a tedious and unpleasant matter, and this court does not want the princess to endure it. Likewise, those called to testify can speak freely, without the presence of their future queen,
should she be found innocent. And there are still other, more unpleasant reasons, upon which I will elaborate in due time.”

This did not appear to change Lord Valin’s mood, but he made no further protest and sat back down.

“The court of Melengar calls Reuben Hilfred to testify.”

The lawyer paused as the big soldier, still dressed in ring mail and the tabard of the falcon, stood before the court. His stance was proud and straight, but his expression was anything but pleased.

“Hilfred,” the lawyer addressed him, “what is your position here at Essendon Castle?”

“I am personal bodyguard to Princess Arista,” he told the court in a loud clear voice.

“Tell us, Reuben, what is your rank?”

“I am sergeant-at-arms.”

“That’s a fairly high rank, isn’t it?”

“It is a respected position.”

“How did you attain this rank?”

“I was singled out for some reason.”

“For some reason? For some reason?” the lawyer repeated, laughing gaily. “Is it not true you were recommended for promotion by Captain Wylin for your years of consistent and unwavering loyalty to the crown? Moreover, is it not true that the
king himself
appointed you to be his daughter’s personal bodyguard after you risked your life and saved Arista from the fire that killed the queen mother? Were you not also presented with a commendation for bravery by the king? Are not all these things true?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I sense in you a reluctance to be here, Reuben. Am I correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“It is because you are loyal to your princess, and you do
not wish to be a part of anything which might harm her. That is an admirable quality. Still, you are also an honorable man, and as such, you must speak truthfully in your testimony before this court. So tell us, Reuben, what happened the night the king was murdered?”

Hilfred shifted his weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other and then took a breath and spoke. “It was late, and the princess was asleep in her bed. I was on post at the tower stairs when the king was found. Captain Wylin ordered me to check on Princess Arista. Before I reached her door, she came out, startled by the noise.”

“How was she dressed?” the lawyer asked.

“In a gown, I am not sure which.”

“But she was dressed? Was she not? Not in a robe or nightclothes?”

“Yes, she was dressed.”

“You have spent years guarding Arista. Have you ever known her to sleep in her gowns?”

“No.”

“Never?”

“Never.”

“But I assume you have no doubt stood outside her door when she went to dress for meals or to change after traveling. Does she have servants to help her dress?”

“Yes.”

“How many?”

“Three.”

“And how long is the fastest you recall her dressing?”

“I am not certain.”

“Make a guess; the court will not hold you to the exact time.”

“Perhaps twenty minutes.”

“Twenty minutes with three servants. That is actually quite
fast, considering all the ties and toggles that require lacing for most ladies’ clothing. Now how long would you say it was between the discovery of the king’s body and the time the princess came out of her room?”

Hilfred hesitated.

“How long?” the lawyer persisted.

“Perhaps ten minutes.”

“Ten minutes, you say? And when she came out of her room, how many servants were with her?”

“None that I saw.”

“Amazing! The princess woke up unexpectedly in the dark and managed to dress herself fully in a lavish gown in ten minutes without the help of a single servant!”

The lawyer paced the floor, his head down in thought, a finger tapping his lips. He paused with his back to Hilfred. Then, as if a sudden thought occurred to him, he spun abruptly.

“Tell us, how did she take the news of the king’s death?”

“She was shocked.”

“Did she weep?”

“I am sure she did.”

“But did you
see
her?”

“No.”

“Then what happened?”

“She went to Prince Alric’s chambers to find him and was surprised he was not there. She then—”

“Please stop there just a minute. She went to
Alric’s
chambers? She learns her father is murdered and her first inclination is to go to her brother’s room? Did you not find it odd she did not immediately rush to her father’s side? After all, no one had suggested any harm had come to Alric, had they?”

“No.”

“What happened next?”

“She went to view her father’s body, and Alric arrived.”

“After the prince sentenced the prisoners to death, what did the princess do?”

“I do not understand what you mean,” Hilfred replied.

“Is it true she went to visit them?” the lawyer questioned.

“Yes, she did.”

“And were you with her?”

“I was asked to wait outside the cell.”

“Why?”

“I do not know.”

“Has she often asked you to wait outside when she is speaking with people?”

“Sometimes.”

“Often?”

“Not often.”

“Then what happened?”

“She called for monks to give last rites to the murderers.”

“She called for monks?” the lawyer repeated with a clear note of skepticism in his voice. “Her father is murdered and she is concerned about the
murderers’
souls? Why did she call for two monks? Was one not sufficient to do the job for both? For that matter, why not call the castle priest?”

“I do not know.”

“And did she also order the murderers unchained?”

“Yes, to be able to kneel.”

“And when the monks entered the cell, did you go with them?”

“No, again she asked me to remain outside.”

“So the monks could enter but not her trusted bodyguard? Not even when the known killers of her father were unchained and free? Then what?”

“She came out of the cell. She wanted me to stay behind and escort the monks to the kitchens after they were done giving last rites.”

“Why?”

“She did not say.”

“Did you ask?”

“No, sir. As a man-at-arms, it is not my place to question the orders from a member of the royal family.”

“I see, but were you pleased with these orders?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“I was fearful more assassins might be in the castle, and I did not wish the princess to be out of my sight.”

“In point of fact, wasn’t Captain Wylin in the process of searching the castle for additional threats, and didn’t he make everyone aware he felt the castle was unsafe?”

“He did.”

“Did the princess explain to you where she was going so you could find her after performing your duty to the monks?”

“No.”

“I see. And how do you know the two you escorted to the kitchens were the monks? Did you see their faces?”

“Their hoods were up.”

“Did they have their hoods up when they entered the cell?” Hilfred thought a moment and then shook his head. “I do not think so.”

“So, on a night when her father is killed, she orders her personal bodyguard to leave her unprotected and to escort two monks down to the empty kitchens—two monks who decided suddenly to pull their hoods up inside the castle, hiding their faces? And what about the murderers’ possessions? Where were they?”

“They were in the custody of the cell warden.”

“And what did she say to the warden concerning them?”

“She told him she was going to have the monks take them for the poor.”

“And did they take them?”

“Yes.”

The lawyer softened his address. “Reuben, you do not strike me as a fool. Fools don’t rise to the rank and position you have achieved. When you heard the killers escaped, and the monks were found chained in their place, did it cross your mind that maybe the princess had arranged it?”

“I assumed the killers attacked the monks after the princess left the cell.”

“You did not answer my question,” the lawyer said. “I asked if it crossed your mind.”

Reuben said nothing.

“Did it?”

“Perhaps, but only briefly.”

“Let us turn our attention to more recent events. Were you present during the conversation between Arista and her uncle in his study?”