Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

Alina dismounted and started to remove the saddle from her steed when she was startled by the voice of her father.

            ‘Alina,’ he said.

            She turned and saw King Andrian walking toward her from the stable.

            ‘Hello, Papa,’ she replied, cheerfully.

            ‘Where have you been?’ he inquired.

            ‘Just out riding,’ she said, feigning innocence.

            ‘I can see that,’ Andrian said sternly. ‘Where were you riding?’

            Alina went up to her father and wrapped her arms around his waist. ‘Nowhere.’

            ‘Hmm,’ he said, looking down at her. He gently took her head between his hands and tilted her face toward him, making her look him in the eyes. ‘Nowhere is somewhere, and if that somewhere was the Plains then you are in trouble, young lady.’

            Alina stepped away from her father, looking up at him confidently. ‘You shouldn’t worry about me, Papa. I’m a good rider.’

            Andrian kneeled down and smiled in that way that indicates the end of a conversation. ‘Grown men have died on those plains. I love you too much to let you put yourself in danger in the name of adventure. Now, I don’t want you to leave the Castle Grounds for a fortnight.’

            ‘But, Papa!’ she protested.

            ‘Ah,’ he said sternly.

            Alina sighed heavily, realizing she had lost. ‘Yes, Papa,’ she mumbled.

            He pulled her to him and kissed her on the forehead. ‘Go change.’

            As she trudged off toward the castle, Cassius walked up behind him.

            ‘Out riding on the Plains again?’ he inquired.

            Andrian stood slowly and nodded. ‘Her stubbornness will be the death of me.’

            ‘So much like her mother,’ Cassius said quietly.

            ‘She would have been proud.’ The king said, still looking off after Alina. He then sighed and turned to Cassius. ‘Are you ready for me?’

            ‘Yes, Sire,’ Cassius replied. “The defendant is in the court now.’

            Andrian nodded and the two men walked toward the castle.

The Court Room was a large hall with stained glass windows letting in ample light so that the massive chandeliers were more for decoration than to illuminate. The walls were lined with busts of past kings and various symbols of justice, intended to remind each king of their responsibility to rule fairly.

           

            King Andrian and Cassius entered from a side door and Andrian sat in his chair as Cassius stood close by. Before them stood a young knight with a guard on each side of him. Two other knights stood close by. The king looked around the room, studying each of the knights for a few moments before beginning. He then addressed the knight being charged.

            ‘You are being accused of starting multiple petty squabbles with your fellow knights. Fighting among yourselves is forbidden by the Knight’s Code of Conduct, the consequence of which would be losing your title. What do you have to say in your defense?’

            ‘Your Majesty,’ the knight said, bowing low. ‘These men have taken it upon themselves to mire my future and malign my reputation for no reason.’

            ‘No action is without cause,’ Andrian said, already growing impatient. ‘What led up to these charges?’

            ‘We would often jest among ourselves, and some find my humor more coarse than others.’

            ‘So you are being falsely accused because of your jokes?’ the king asked, glancing at the other two knights who were shaking their heads. ‘What say you of this?’ he asked them.

            One of the two knights stepped forward and bowed. ‘Your Majesty, he is right in saying that his humor is coarse. What he is neglecting to mention is that he would often jest about our mothers and sisters in an offensive manner, and when we would insist that he stop, he would become confrontational and mock us.’

            The king turned back to the accused. ‘What say you of this charge?’ he asked.

            ‘It is simply not true, Your Majesty,’ the knight replied.

            ‘Do you have any witnesses to support your claim?’ Andrian inquired.

            ‘Alas,’ said the knight. ‘All my friends have abandoned me in this injustice and-‘

            ‘I will be the one to determine what is just,’ interrupted the king. ‘Insinuating that the law or court has somehow failed you will not help your case.’

            The knight did not respond, shaken by the king’s annoyance. Andrian leaned back in his chair. ‘Your inability to produce a witness willing to defend you is more a testament to your guilt than it is to some unexplained bias. So, I ask you now, were you initiating quarrels with your fellow knights?’

            ‘No, Your Majesty,’ the knight replied.

            ‘You have two accusers who say otherwise,’ Andrian said, a hint of warning in his voice.

            ‘I insist that I am innocent,’ the knight said, clenching his jaw.

            ‘Then this hearing is adjourned,’ said the king as he stood. ‘I will consult with my advisor before declaring the verdict.’

            King Andrian and Cassius left the Court Room and entered a small study with a bare wooden table and a candelabrum lighting the room. The walls were decorated with paintings of the same symbols from the court, and the words “Peace and Justice” had been elegantly carved into the table’s surface.

            The king sat at the table, taking a deep breath as he rested his face in his hands. Cassius stood by, quietly watching the king as he pondered.

            ‘I have no choice but to convict him as guilty,’ Andrian said after some time.

            ‘Yes,’ Cassius said. ‘But the question is of what?’

            The king looked at him, confused. ‘Of the charges made him against him,’ he said.

            ‘The charges are grave,’ said Cassius. ‘However, a far greater offense is the fact that he lied to his king.’

            ‘I cannot fault him for defending himself,’ Andrian countered.

            ‘True,’ Cassius said. ‘But it is one thing to defend oneself, and quite another to commit perjury in the Royal Courts. By declaring him guilty of the charges, you are also convicting him of intentionally misleading the king he has sworn to honor and protect.’

            King Andrian nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. ‘What is your council?’

            ‘I propose that he be sentenced to the mines.’

            The king looked at him in surprise. ‘The mines are an alternative to death.’

            ‘He needs to be an example,’ Cassius insisted.

            ‘I do not believe in making one man’s sentence more severe in order to influence others,’ said the king firmly.

            ‘Sire,’ Cassius said cautiously. ‘You look too kindly on a man who intentionally tried to deceive you.’

            Andrian leaned his forehead against his hand, trying to clear his thoughts.

            ‘I will pass a law stating that perjury is punishable by banishment to the mines, however, I cannot in good conscience sentence this man based on a law that did not exist during his trial. I will strip him of his knighthood, but that is all.’ Andrian stood and they headed for the door.

            ‘Very well, Your Majesty,’ said Cassius, suppressing his disappointment.