Suliel didn’t have a proper audience chamber, the castle wasn’t big enough. Instead, the feasting hall was repurposed. The long table was removed, chairs were set to the sides for the audience and the big chair was brought out.
Not a throne, though she’d called it that as a child. It was just a large chair, with a high back and elaborate armrests. The seat was a little too high for her to get on it easily. It was imposing enough, especially when mounted on its special dias. Only one step high, as befitted her rank as a Baron. One step more for counts, another for dukes, and only the King got to stand four steps higher than his supplicants.
Sitting on her chair, looking down at the room, she made sure everything was in place. Her people, her prisoner and the lighting were all as she had requested.
The lighting was one of Kelsey’s innovations. The men trained by her had fastened cables to the walls, leading from a large, squat, battery to the lights that ran along wall cornices. The illumination that they gave off was unique. Not the warm flickering of lanterns or torches, nor the cool blue glow of magic stones. It was bright and unchanging, but it was warm and the multiple sources lit everything from more than one direction, almost eliminating shadows.
It wasn’t entirely flattering to have everything exposed under this glare. But Suliel wasn’t trying to seduce anyone. There are no secrets here, was, she hoped, the impression it gave. If nothing else, the unfamiliarity of it should put the Judge off his game. She would need every edge she could get without her own support network being present.
Anton, Aris, Kelsey, and the two prisoners had left on their quest two days ago. They had delayed for a few days, picking up another level and a better understanding of Elitran, but Kelsey had advised against waiting for longer, as Anton was getting close to Tiering up.
“You don’t get a fancy new class for planning an epic quest,” she had said at the time. “Ideally, you’d want to have finished it, but starting it has got to be worth something.”
They had also hoped that delaying would mean that Anton was around when the judge arrived, which would have made things a little easier for Suliel. However, the judge had decided to take his time, pausing for almost a week at a village on the edge of Suliel’s territory. Suliel’s suspicions as to why were confirmed when he showed up with Suliel’s mother.
After one last look around the room, she gave the nod for the Judge’s party to enter. They trooped in, the Judge himself coming last as befitted his status.
Everything had been arranged in advance, of course. Suliel knew who was entering and what their roles were. Seats had been provided according to status. The Judge was no supplicant to stand before her. He spoke for the King, and while he could not order her, his words had weight.
Three seats had been provided, one with a small desk for the scribe. Suliel had her own scribe recording the proceedings, but the judge's account would be the one that was reviewed by the King. The second seat was for Suliel’s mother, she tested it for sturdiness before sitting down.
Suliel carefully did not let her annoyance show. It had been a thought only, and a petty one at that, to rig her mother's chair to collapse. Whatever satisfaction she would have gained would be more than made up for by the risk of the proceedings ending in a debacle.
The judge’s apprentice and guards would stand behind him. He had arrived with two other servants. By mutual agreement, they would stay in the kitchen.
Finally, the judge himself took his seat. Suliel had seen him when he arrived. Then, he had appeared to be no more than an old man in plain black robes. Now, his plain robe had been replaced by an elaborately embroidered one, jet black with silver decorations. The cap that covered his head lent him an air of dignity and his long grey beard was combed and shaped to look patriarchal.
Suliel inclined her head. “Welcome to my court, Judge Vadistock.”
“Greetings to you as well, Baroness Anat. Shall we get started by elucidating the issues that bring us here today?”
Without waiting for her to reply, he rolled on, his words coming slowly but inexorably.
“One. The matter of your new Class and the status of your rank. Two. The breach of hospitality that occurred between you and Lord Kinn. Three. The rift of trust between you and your mother, who sits beside me.”
Suliel took a deep breath. “My Class is not a legal matter, Lord Judge.”
“Not as such, but it does lie at the heart of all the matters at hand, does it not?” the judge said. “I must say that I didn’t believe it when they told me, but it turned out to be true. Whatever possessed you to take such a ridiculous class? Sovereign of the Crypts?”
Suliel looked at him like he was mad. “It’s an epic Class,” she said scornfully. “A Tier Two epic Class.”
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The judge sighed. “Ah, the foolishness of youth. Grasping for power without a thought towards the consequences.”
Suliel bristled but managed to hold back from saying anything that would prejudice her case. The judge's class was simply Judge. It was rare, but if he had made the effort while an Advocate, he could have qualified for a Unique variant like Impartial Judge or Fearless Judge.
“Of course, I thought about the consequences, but the King has no reason to be concerned,” she said. “My title lays claim only to a crypt.”
“And what crypt might that be, my Lady? Could it refer to the nearby dungeon?”
Suliel hesitated before answering. There was no lying to a judge, she reminded herself. Not at her tier.
“It does,” she admitted.
“You may have forgotten,” the man said condescendingly, “But the dungeons are only managed by the local nobles. Ownership is held by his majesty, in trust for the people of this nation.”
“The dungeon acknowledged me, not the King.” Suliel snapped.
Vadistock looked at her steadily. “That is quite the claim.”
“Look at my class if you don’t believe me. How do you think I came by it? The dungeon recognised me as the ruler of the territory it resides in. It is paying reparation for the deaths it has caused. It is a part of Kirido now.”
Vadistock sighed. “Fortunately, I don’t have to decide on this matter. It has been taken out of my hands.”
He snapped his fingers, and his apprentice came forward, bearing a sealed document. He stepped up to the edge of the dias and offered it to Suliel, his head bowed.
Suliel had to get off her chair to accept it. She did so reluctantly. Even from where she sat, she could see the seal on it was that of the King.
It’s my first time breaking one of these, she thought as she cracked the wax seal to open the document. Detaching it would have looked like she was hoping to use it for later, which wasn’t a good look in front of a judge.
“You’re being summoned to court, to answer for the unusual circumstances of your Class,” the Judge said, saving her the trouble of reading it.
“I— Kirido is still recovering from the attack. I can’t leave it right now.”
“That has been accounted for. You have an entire month to finish matters here before presenting yourself.”
Suliel’s mind raced, looking for a way out, but there wasn’t one. “Then… I would be glad to present myself to his majesty.”
“Of course. As to the status of your rank, I had heard that you married against your mother's will.”
“As is my right, now that I have reached my second tier.”
“It is a sad thing when a mother cannot attend her child’s wedding,” the judge said. “I understand the rest of your family was not invited also.”
“Circumstances dictated that we abandon tradition,” Suilel said blandly. “The legal formalities were followed, of course.” She gestured for the documentation to be brought forward.
“I… see.” Vadistock started perusing the documents. “And where is Baron Nos?”
“Anton is on a quest to save those taken from the raid.”
“A quest?”
“His Class is Adventurer,” Suliel said fondly.
“I see. Is he expected back before the month is up?”
“He only just left, so it isn’t likely.” Suliel sent a thought Kelsey’s way anyway.
“Very well,” the judge said. “If he should return, let him know that he is expected to present himself as well.”
“Of course, I should be glad of his support.”
“Hmm. My apologies for addressing you incorrectly Baroness Nos. Now, I see that he has left you with his full authority in his absence, so we can proceed with the other matters. The breach of hospitality with Lord Kinn—”
“We can hasten this if we hear from Lord Kinn at this time,” Suliel interrupted.
“Oh? By all means.”
Riadan stood up from his chair by the wall and stepped forward, placing himself between Suliel and the Judge, but off to the side, so they formed a triangle. He bowed to both of them.
“I was entirely at fault,” he said. “I take full responsibility for the events that occurred and have made a full and sincere apology to Baroness Nos for my actions.”
“Riadan! You can’t—” Lady Anat jumped to her feet, protesting, but she was quelled by an icy glare from the judge.
“How unusual,” he said. “Has Baroness Nos demanded reparations of you?”
“Remembering the long relationship between our families, she was most forgiving. Some small payments must be made, trivial in scope compared to the severity of my crime. In addition, if Captain Oldaw feels that the impact on the Glimmered Lancers requires reparation, I would be glad to make it right.”
“How noble,” Vadistock said, with only the slightest touch of sarcasm. “If only all disputes could be settled so easily.”
Suliel kept her face expressionless. It hadn’t been at all easy.
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“I’ve had a chance to go through the papers in Father’s office,” she said through the cell door. She’d sent the guards away and she was feeling a little nervous. The door was all that was standing between her and the man who had already imprisoned her once. Her chamberlain had assured her that it would stand up to the strength of a Tier Three.
“If I show them to the Judge, then you will hang as a traitor… just as soon as they can get you back to the capital,” she continued.
“You wouldn’t vilify your own father that way.” Riadan rumbled through the door. “You can’t condemn me without implicating him.”
“You think I won’t?” Suliel said, her voice rising in both pitch and volume. “You might have noticed I have some problems at the moment! What better way to prove my loyalty to the King than to hand over my father and uncle as traitors? It takes care of two of my problems with one stroke!”
“You can’t trust the King. If you’ve read your father’s papers, then you know he’s an imposter. He can’t afford to have anyone around who suspects him.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Suliel said tiredly. “I have only the word of Tikin that he’s an imposter and Tikin is not someone I feel a lot of trust for.”
“I can confirm it’s true.”
“You’re not on my list of trusted people either, Uncle!” Suliel cried.
“You’re still not going to do it. You wouldn’t have told me if you were.”
“I don’t want to do it, but I will. It’s time for the Rose Circle to make me an offer.”
“The Circle doesn’t take well to blackmail, little Sue.”
“The Circle will have to get used to it. It still wants the guns, right? Well, without me, there are no guns, so make me an offer Uncle. Help me get out from under at least some of my problems.”
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“Well, this is good news. Should I understand that rapprochement includes the actions taken by your mother?”
“Indeed. She only took the actions she did because of encouragement from me,” Riadan said smoothly.
“If Mother is willing to put the past behind us, then so am I,” Suliel said.
The judge looked at Lady Anat, who was not looking pleased.
“I think… that Lady Anat will require a little time to process this turn of events,” he said. “Perhaps it would be best if she was to return with me to the capital. Some time apart might seem in order, and you can meet again when you present yourself. Then mother and daughter can renew their bond under the watchful gaze of the King.”
“As you say, Lord Judge,” Suliel agreed.