335 Interceder
As expected, grumbles and groans could be heard from more than just a few of the cloth covered cavities. Len's decision was undoubtedly an unpopular one, and the gleeful grin on Rishtahn's face showed his pleasure at the development. Obviously he wanted this, there was no doubt in Len's mind the Prime Minister's son was a vindictive man at heart, though he probably would have liked Len accepting the plea as well. All things considered, Len really wasn't someone of importance. Given his vanity and the nature of high society, earning social currency by saving everyone some time would be worth letting a little fish get away.
Len would have been subject to house arrest anyways, so it wasn't like he would be a recurring headache at the academy.
"If the defense will not accept the plea deal presented by the prosecution, then I must ask the defendant to return to the stand."
"Yes sir." Len put some pep in his step, though he retained a composed stride. There was little point in prolonging this torture. "Must I face the judge, sir?"
"As you are no longer presenting a deposition to the court, you may face your accuser."
"Thank you, sir." Len once more assumed the uncomfortable posture on his knees, pointed the other way this time. The break may have done more harm than good though, his legs had only just been relieved so they were none too thankful to be subjected to the pain again. In that respect he was once again very thankful for the hell Donovan put him through - this level of discomfort was tolerable.
"The prosecution may continue with their interrogation." The slight irritation present in the judge's voice didn't bode well for Len, but his decision was made. He was going to put his faith in 'Madam Linarin'.
"If I may be so rude as to ask, Mister Kerr, why have you elected to reject the deal in spite of the clear evidence against you? I know five years of house arrest is less than desirable, but surely that would be better than death, no?" Len looked into the eyes of the lawyer, not finding any malice therein. If anything he seemed to pity Len, which lent some credence to his assertion of a good-faith negotiation with the person he represented.
"I do so for multiple reasons. For one, I believe I am innocent. I do not think my actions, taken in defense of another, constitute assault." Len had considered dropping the revelation about his 'real' parentage sooner. Donovan said the impact might be bigger if he led with it, but then he might come off as someone desperately clinging to a hastily manufactured lie. There was a better way of doing playing that card. "Additionally, the event took place inside the Sanctum, away from the jurisdiction of the Empire. If I remember correctly, the prosecution took the individual who injured him during this incident to court under the pretense of attempted murder and lost, subsequently being countercharged with assault. I believe that is the reason he had to return to the capital early."
"The court would like to warn the defendant not to resort to personal attacks or bring forth details irrelevant to the case." The man at his back reprimanded Len before Rishtahn could make a retort. Such a development pleased the prosecution as not having to point this fact out to the judge meant Len's fault was quite blatant and therefore made him look bad. After all, this was more or less a court of public opinion.
"The findings of a neutral third party in relation to this case are hardly irrelevant, your honor. My client attaching this fact as reasoning for the prosecution's absence abroad does not constitute slander." Unfortunately for Rishtahn, Len was not alone here. He had backup in the form of a rather competent lawyer, and on the basis of their hired guns' skills Len looked to be ahead.
"It was a baseless remark!" Rishtahn could not hold himself back in the face of this, seeking to maintain his honor. "That charge was made on the grounds of my own mistake! In my anger at the insolence displayed before me, I struck out at the cretin who maimed me so. It was not in relation to the altercation with this cur, and I left the Sanctum to receive adequate treatment for those wounds. The punishment for my crime is to be carried out upon my return."
"Thank you for the clarification, now if you would please resume the interrogation . . ."
Evidently the judge was not pleased with the outbursts from either party, however he could do nothing to reprimand either as they were not out of line. Just as Len had guessed, this man was a diligent one.
"In that case I shall return to my original line of questioning. Mister Kerr, knowing now that the trial at the Sanctum will not serve as evidence in your favor, do you still maintain your innocence?"
"Yes."
"And you have further reasoning for this?" He was fishing for something to make Len look bad, a loose thread in his defense that he could yank on to make further openings.
"I apologize, but I feel the need to ask what crime I've committed here." Now should be a good time, right? "I mean, technically I know it's 'assault', but does slapping one's readied hand away warrant all of this? Especially when not doing so could have sparked a diplomatic incident?"
Donovan had been adamant that Len shouldn't be bringing up the matter of lineage of his own accord, or at the very least making sure he did so in a manner that introduced doubt in the prosecution. Len was working off a set of 'openings' Diana prepared for this move so he wasn't entirely certain how convincing his act would be, but it seemed the strategy was to avoid presenting yourself as desperate for an out while painting the Rishtahn and company as a gaggle of incompetents who didn't even do their research right. His lawyer signed off on it though, which meant it shouldn't be a detriment.
"You are a low born, the mere act of physical resistance to the will of a nobleman is grounds for prosecution." Rishtahn scoffed from his seat at the mention of Len's birth, completely unaware that his lawyer had played into a trap Len barely understood. "I mean no disrespect to the court, but this trial was performed mostly out of respect for Marshall Arrelois. Were your parents any lesser my client might not have requested this courtesy."
That line of reasoning was bullshit, actually, and Len knew it. The truth of the matter was that Rishtahn was the son of the Prime Minister, a title that held no land and therefore possessed no jurisdiction. Even if he possessed the ability to mete out punishments on the peasantry and low nobility thanks to his inherited status, it could only be done with the assent of a lord whose jurisdiction they fell under. In this case there were only two possibilities, Arrelois - who was more than likely to sock Rishtahn for the mere suggestion - and the Emperor. It was the entire reason they were here in the first place.
"I'm sorry, but since when have I been a low-born?" Everyone who had discussed this plan with him, from Donovan to his own brother, stressed the importance of confidence. This was not a field Len was blessed in, however he had been preparing himself for this performance for a while now. He had even gone so far as to justify a 'real' fraternal connection with Donovan in his mind, envisioning Donovan as an adopted brother in much the same fashion as Arrewiz. "I understand that I am not the son of Grand Marshall Arrelois, but that does not mean I am not of the peasant or merchantry."
"What do you mean?" There was a hint of confusion on the lawyer's face.
"I am saying that my bloodline is noble beyond the borders of the Bulsarzian Empire." Keep it vague for as long as possible without being intentionally misleading. Make it sound like someone 'in the know' would get Len's meaning without elaboration. "Must I be of Bulsarzian nobility to avoid persecution?"
"Your honor, that is a blatant lie!"
Well, that was the hard part out of the way. Now he just needed to sell it to the jury.
". . . does the defense have any proof of this relationship?"
"I would not have been accepted into the academy had I not been related to someone." Diana had prepared him for this, believing honest self-degradation to be the most optimal approach when asked to prove his relationship to Donovan. Many would likely see this as revealing a weakness while at the same time being a way they got things done - nepotism and dynastic positions going hand in hand. It would be perfectly reasonable for someone with a small amount of power to favor their own family just a little bit in situations like this. "I would be lying if I said I was the first pick for anyone at the Sanctum, my weapon being unsuited for single combat against other noblemen. My brother inducted me partially out of pity, but mostly because he hadn't seen me in so long."
Len had a sob story prepared, but judged it would be a bad move given the current state of the room. He needed to act quickly before Rishtahn had enough leeway to interject again.
"Of course I had never seen him before. He's a fair bit older than I am, and I was taken away from home by my father because of an imminent rebellion led by an Aunt, but he said my weapon was one used exclusively by our people due to its incredible weight, so it was easy to spot. We've got different mothers though. I'm pretty sure he said my mother was a concubine for a political alliance of sorts - meaning I wasn't in line for the title." Getting the easy explanations out of the way - differences in age, appearance, and build - was first. Everything else could build off of that. "Still, that doesn't make me lowborn."
"LIAR!!!" The seeds had been sown. All Len and his lawyer needed to do was keep watering until the rain came. What form that rain might take wasn't something Len was privy to, but his lawyer might be.
"I have not lied. You may ask him if you so choose, though I can't imagine he'll be willing to make the trip on such short notice."
"Why did you not bring him with you, then?" The lawyer, still appearing peeved at the sudden revelation, maintained his composure.
"I didn't think my status was in question." Plausible deniability established, doubt enabled to the fullest extent. Now, any attempt at proving or disproving the claim will inevitably incur some claim of bias from the other side. The jury was still the deciding factor though, and-
riiiiiiiiiip
"Detestable thing." All eyes turned towards the sudden source of commotion, one of the veils masking the identities of the audience ripped apart by a sheathed sword. "Both guilty and innocent alike should be able to face their jurors, don't you think?"
The figure responsible for the interruption stepped out into the main chamber, dropping a few tens of feet to the cold stone floor. Len himself felt the impact, though the excellent acoustics of the chamber no doubt played a part in amplifying the intensity. Regardless, he didn't display any of the distress that might otherwise be typical to show after such a fall, controlled or otherwise. Given that, Len thought he would at least have an idea of who this person was. His father frequently treatised with those with a mind for combat, so Len felt like he had maybe seen him on the estate at some point . . . but he looked way too young.
". . . would it kill you to use the entryway?" The judge, annoyed at the interloper, did not erupt in anger or voice an objection. This fed Len's impression that this was an important individual, not that it narrowed anything down. As much as Len might have remembered faces, he wasn't at all familiar with names or statuses.
"My time is worth more than mere fabric. Besides, this room is in need of a touchup - I'll pay for it." Len had been too absorbed in trying to figure out the identity of this person that he hadn't noticed everyone else taking a knee. "I would like to act as the interceder for this case, if the prosecution doesn't mind."
"W-what?"
"I'd like to be the interceder, Rishtahn. If there are damages being pursued, I will front them. If there is a punishment to be meted, I will receive it. Is this acceptable to you?" Given the tone he was familiar with Rishtahn, but the deference shown made their relationship clear.
"O-of course it is, Prince Erzyl." Any confidence and rage from earlier had dissipated completely by now, Len's own stomach sinking to the floor. "May I be granted the honor of knowing why?"
"Hm? Simple, I feel like it would be a waste of everyone's time to continue." The person Len now registered as the third son of the Emperor, Erzyl Bulsa, reattached his sheath to the belt. "The status of his birth is irrelevant to me, mind you. Whether or not he is truly related to some foreign monarch is beyond my concern. What matters to me is that we would be wasting months of our time trying to call him in, time I don't think any of us want to lose. If it will save everyone the headache I'd much rather take the punishment in his stead, so go ahead."
"Go ahead and what, my lord?" Rishtahn's voice wavered a little as Prince Erzyl vaulted the little fence around his enclosure, ignoring the gate a few feet away.
"I need a punishment, Rishtahn." He didn't increase his pace at all, yet Len felt him close in on the dais faster than if he had walked normally. "I am merely assuming his burden, not absolving him of wrongdoing."
"I wouldn't dare confer a punishment on someone such as you."
"So you won't accept my decision to act as the interceder?"
"N-no, I recognize your will, I just-"
"Don't tell me you'll be dropping the charges."
"That's not it, I just can't bear to-"
"Give me a punishment, Rishtahn. It's not that difficult. You said you'd accept a few years of house arrest from him if he plead guilty, and I'm sure my time is more valuable than that . . . so just give me a number."
"But my lord-"
"Rishtahn."
Len remained frozen on his knees as the prince moved behind him, the veneer of confidence he had built stripped away in an instant as he placed his hand on Len's shoulder. This person was barely older than he was, almost nineteen years of age, and yet the confidence and charisma he exuded naturally exceeded anything Len could hope to muster.
"O-one month. I cannot ask you to suffer anything more than that."
"A reasonable punishment." A pat on the shoulder was probably meant to reassure Len. It did nothing of the sort. "I believe that adjourns the session, correct?"
". . . it would seem so, Prince Erzyl." The judge was likely choking back a sigh, taking this development as a sign his time had been wasted. "The court recognizes the Prince's authority to intercede on behalf of the involved parties and assume the burden of punishment himself. The sentence to be served is a one month period of house arrest following the traditional royal isolation rules. Are there any objections from the jury?" Silence. Nobody, not even a malicious actor, would go against the right of a royal to mediate these conflicts. If he accepted the punishment, there was nothing to be done about it. "In that case there will be no further proceedings. The defendant is now free of custody."
- - - - -
"What was that?" Len had been patiently seated in his box while he waited for his lawyer. The halls of this palace were far too complex for him to navigate alone, and considering his somewhat hostile relationship with someone influential here it didn't feel like a good idea to 'get lost'.
"What was what?" His lawyer had returned to the room with a maid in tow. She carried refreshments - nothing more than cold water - and a few slices of fruit and cheese.
"The prince. What did he do?" The mind of the poor boy had shut off at some point during the Prince's approach, forgetting most of what happened and working on autopilot until the hall once more descended into the lonely silence it seemed accustomed to.
"He exercised the right of royalty to mediate conflicts between vassals. More specifically, he accepted the punishment desired by the offended without convicting the offender."
"He can do that?"
"As the Emperor has not stripped him of that right, there is nothing to be done to stop him." The lawyer shrugged. "I won't say its the best outcome for you as he can still claim you to be guilty, but it saves the headache in the now."
". . . why though?"
"Who knows? He's always been a clever boy, so it wouldn't surprise me if he had a plethora of reasons. I'm sure getting his retainer out of a bind was one of them, though."
"His retainer?"
"It's an open secret that Rishtahn is pledged to Prince Erzyl." A hand beckoned Len follow him out of the room, the maid silently following them with the tray. "Technically he isn't supposed to do such a thing, you know? Proclaiming fealty to one other than the Emperor or his declared successor as a bureaucrat is the greatest of faux pas' they can make, however nobody can really say that the Third Prince won't be selected. In truth, the First Prince being the 'Crown' Prince is nothing more than a formality out of respect for tradition. The only action the Emperor has taken regarding succession was removing Prince Rashtvice from the race."
"Prince Merndil isn't already the successor?"
"Many think he will be, but there is no denying Prince Erzyl is a cut above Prince Merndil in terms of physical prowess and mental acumen. That's not to say Prince Merndil is incompetent, far from it, however it is also true that the strength to enforce one's will and the intelligence to know when its necessary are important factors for an Emperor."
"Oh, I guess that makes sense." Len had heard of houses that gave the right of succession to the youngest child of the patriarch instead of the oldest, children conceived later in a person's life when they are more powerful tending to develop a slightly stronger proclivity for split. On that note House Arre technically had a succession determined by three contests of martial prowess - dueling, command, and strategy - where prevailing in all three would grant the winner the right to succeed the position effective immediately, though this right was restricted to the brothers of the current head and their male children. Arrelois - an only child, had but a single eligible son to succeed him at the moment - Arrewiz.
"We can only hope the issue is resolved without bloodshed."