9.3

Paul found himself in a position strangely in mirror to the very one he had originally been raised to perform.

Before his late mother’s whim had declared Jewel Heir to the House Bathory and the county of Viznove it was assumed that he would one day stand in the place his wife and countess now held.

Although it had been expected he would be more a count of war like his father it was as his tutors often told him just as important to know how to manage the realm in times of peace.

“Make yourself a relief from the oversight of your wife and countess instead of a burden which causes your subjects and court to yearn for your absence in war.”

Which was a lesson he really needed to discuss more deeply with Jewel.

When both of them had time.

But here he was presiding over a court of law.

Although in this case it was technically over ‘common law’. But with the entire apparatus of lawmen either fled from the city or accursed and dishonored, someone had to fill the void until the damage to the city garrison and administration could be repaired.

And with Jewel obviously strained with still needing to see to the negotiations with the most itinerant half of her yet to be sworn vassals that responsibility fell to him.

Although he was thankfully not entirely alone.

Kraok was barely an elevated peasant of a provincial manor. But he had a sense of fairness to him.

Muriel was a trained and knowledgeable martial lady who was even more skilled in history and law than the sword. She’d spent long years working as a governess and made a decent if improvisational dispenser of justice.

Bromthil was worse than Muriel in matters of justice and common law, himself mostly a mere captain of war, but he had an eye for discipline as pertained to the army on the march and knew common folk’s temperament by his position among the levies during war.

Smithson was surprisingly the most valuable after Muriel in assisting Paul in these matters. He’d been attending with Jewel in the courtly dinners and learning with the passion of the truly loyal in spite of his extended responsibilities seeing to little Gem. He was where he lacked knowledge of history and legality, the closest out of any of them in knowing what Jewel would have wanted.

And so between the five of them there are almost enough to form a rotating council for justice over common law in Kaeketeh.

That did not in fact mean that there were enough of them to manage all the churning appeals, judgements or even scheduling and clerical work required for the hundreds of people in need of them.

And every less trained or able individual that was put between trouble and Paul or his nascent council was an opportunity for the very injustice he knew Jewel needed to avoid.

It was seizing the courts terribly.

Furthermore, of the captains and Kraok their time was even more precious as they also were overseeing the training and education of a new Kaeketeh Guard! With heraldry in the city’s colors and new oaths to the City and then the Countess!

Jewel and Paul had discussed the burgeoning force and given the already rampant unrest decided declaring the new footmen for the city itself instead of a ruling family seemed best. Especially given that the populace that were suffering the most in the chaos were in the common families that predominantly inhabited Gate Town and the immediate surroundings.

Which was its own sort of trouble. All his tutors had insisted Guilds grew all the more dangerous when armed. But it was the Guilds and lesser members of the noble houses and families among Jewel’s vassals that were currently assuring the peace in Middletown.

That was probably a headache waiting to break free.

But he had nothing for this future trouble yet. Paul lacked the hours in his own day, or the trusted men to delegate too for even gate town! He and the rest of the council barely had the time to hear and resolve the judgment on common law matters that they did. Leaving Jewel to handle her vassals with little but brief counsel from him each evening!

Yet he did what he could. And what he could was act as judge for common law until such matters could be better delegated.

Paul waved for the next case to be presented.

“The Court of Common Law in Kaeketeh will now see Villiam De Ros, Merchant, Residing from the corner of Wharf and Peckling street. As well as the primary accused Waif Bered of no residence, Presided by the Lord Count and Consort Paul Nádasdy ”

The crier was one of the younger sons of a guildmaster.

A favor to said guild of butchers and sopers for them resolving a few matters of secured delivery of their goods to the keep and taking up pikes for peace in their side of the tanner’s district.

Paul sat on the common law stool. As would normally be suited one of significantly lower station then the husband and consort of the Countess of Visnove. Thankful that a scribe was at least available untouched by Jewel’s curse to record the judgements and appeals.

He had already done it himself too many days!

Small mercies.

This was liable to be a bad one, as there was a waif involved. And his fear was not calmed when he saw how this one garbed herself. Dressed up in shortened leathers, trousers and mouth obscuring veil that had become custom for a good portion of the once men.

Beside her a full man with dark hair, clothes on the finer side and a black eye fumed. There were bruises and bandages as well. He had brought a boy that was probably his son by the apparent age. The boy really was hardly younger looking than Paul himself but was equally roughed up. Although maybe not favoring an elbow as gingerly. He made the gesture for the bruised man to speak first.

“I-, er, that is, I am Villiam De Ros my lord count sir, I’m here to a-appeal for punishment of the crimes of burglary, trespass and kidnapping sir.”

Paul nodded.

“The accused and the specifics of the crime?”

The man, who was almost assuredly a better off merchant of some means, cleared his throat and shook himself. Throwing a finger at the mostly still waif just a few paces away from him.

“It was that accursed waif Bere! Along with her cronies, the bald pissant Roger and that cheater and shortchanger down the street from me, Robert is his name! Him along with his buddy Nicholas the tailor! They all broke into my home and cellar in the night, stole up my bondsman villein from the cellar and then furthermore stole from my wife a coffer with a full knight’s mark weight in silver and some dozen Pfennig besides!”

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Paul wanted to sigh and rub his brow. Despite Jewel’s mercy there were far too many of the former guards that had sunk immediately into banditry or worse upon their release.

But for every one of them that took to unlawful malfeasance three more were suffering for the ire of those seeking revenge for those acts or ones done before in their role as his mother’s footmen!

Hopefully this matter would be relatively simple.

It was a blessing so many of the accursed waifs insisted on proclaiming their names and being known by them. It would have been trivial with their penchant for masks, similar builds and veils to vanish among the rest.

Paul was pretty sure some already had and more would in future.

“That charge is serious.”

Villiam scowled and shook his finger in fury.

“Damn fortune’s right it is! Robert and Nicholas are still sitting fine and pretty after their theft! That cheap-whore thighcut waif is spreading for both of them too! Was a right bastard as one of the bloody guards Bered was and she’s even worse of a shrewish slut now without the cock and balls!”

The insulted figure refused to even look at her accuser. Staring straight ahead at the wall, but there was a hint of motion around her eyes, without the veil Paul was sure he’d see every pained grimace that the jabs inspired. But with it you could almost imagine they weren’t there with the distance from his judge’s seat.

One of the precious few law educated footmen that Jewel could spare struck the butt of his spear into the old boards of the court’s floor.

“Respect the proceedings of this court and chambers or you will be dismissed and fined for contempt and dishonor of the noble lord and count Nádasdy.”

The man who had let his anger run away from him paled from the bright red that had flushed his face and dropped fully to his knees. Which was a bit excessive but the intent was something that Paul could appreciate. He winced hard when one knee landed, aggravating where he was obviously injured.

Jewel would want kindness and mercy here, so Paul gave it.

“I will allow that the trespass on home and hearth have left tempers strained, Kaeketeh is in a difficult time for us all. But please keep your words civil. Now continue.”

Villiam took a steadying breath and then continued, gesturing to the boy next to him before he began struggling back to his feet.

“My oldest son Róbert De Ros was there when they broke into the store and made to shout alarm and defend our home and property, rousing me and my wife as well! He saw most all of it, whiIe I only was seeing the cowards as they left with my and my wife’s property!”

Paul nodded, a witness of the wrongdoing at least simplified the matters.

“Proceed with your witnessing of the events, Róbert De Ros.”

The boy threw worried glances at the waif that was half his own height, and Paul saw a crinkle around the eyes and a shift of the face behind the veil that was probably a particularly vicious grin.

Paul tried not to hold that against the accused, a waif’s curse very obviously prevented them from even a modicum of restraint in their expressions.

It made them surprisingly good witnesses for court proceedings actually.

“They stole into the shop in the night, broke the door and then tore open the cellar and free’d the villein from ‘ere shackles where we been holding them for they been trying to flee from just duties if not watched. When I rushed from my room on the first floor they were already tearing into the door to ma’s room and so I fought them with a knife but they beaten me back and then were away in the night with the villein and ma’s coffer of silver.”

Paul raised a brow at the mention of restraints, and when he looked at the waif Bere he spotted the crinkled eye from a grin of satisfaction. It inspired a desire to groan he had to suppress, In the long days of his role as judge Paul had learned whenever a waif was involved and they began to smile like that it was before they dropped some infuriating counter point.

It was best for all to get whatever pain over and done with there. He gestured to the until now silent accursed.

“The common court has heard the appeal of Villiam De Ros, now in defense I will hear the word of waif Bere.”

And then the figure lowered their veil, a smile tinged with obvious hints of mirth and shining glad eyes.

But by the scowl that was fighting to stay hidden on William’s face he already knew the word that was going around. A waif unmasked could no more successfully lie than a man under vows to a dozen gods.

“The Villein mentioned is no bondsman to the good, Villiam de Ros!”

There was nothing but a sneer that Bere did not even try to prevent when she spoke her accuser’s name. It was a nasty trick some of the former footmen had learned to lean into.

If your face could not lie, why not let every word be brutally honest in tone?

“Not a Bondsman at all in fact! I’ll speak plain-faced to you the truth but also do I have the oath from twelve good men of Kaeketeh willing to take a vow on this matter before three gods assured by temple to hold no favor with I or the de Ros family. ”

There was a sputter from Villiam but the two footmen that could be spared for Paul’s defense in court shifted their grips on their spears.

The glance from Bere at the footmen did not stop her speech.

“I learned of this from a witness of the boasting by the good de Ros, words heard by an associate of his on Peckling street that shared a tavern with him that night in fact.”

The grin got all the wider, inhumanly so for how small a waif’s mouth normally appeared.

“Well first of all I informed the good de Ros they were trespassing on the subjects and property of our Countess and Shining Wyrm and should release the villein to his labors in the fields outside Kaeketeh. But when such failed well-”

Villiam apparently had enough.

“That’s the lies of traitors and scoundrels! This slut of a waif was accursed by the lady Jewel herself for dishonor! Her words are shit on this court’s honor!”

Paul really wanted to rub his face but he had to hold the decorum of these proceedings even half of those appealing his judgment were not going too. Still the word of a publicly declared traitor was poorer evidence. Even given the nature of their guileless faces.

There was only one choice.

He yearned to sigh but held the proper decorum for his position. It was going to cost silver (which he was already planning to fine at least one of these parties for) but worst of all it would cost time.

“The order of the court of common law in Kaeketeh is that vows before neutral gods for truth will be made by Villiam De Ros, Róbert De Ros, Waif Bere and her chosen twelve witnesses to ascertain the veracity of this matter in court tomorrow.”

And for a moment at least the matter was if not settled, at least forestalled, the appealing parties were directed to the scribe so they could set down both their names and places of residence as well as those of the others that would need to be called forth tomorrow.

Then in the brief respite after they were gone Paul brought his hands up to his face and ground his fingers and knuckles up and down his brow, cheeks and eye sockets.

He needed the break from this madness, to breath and let the facade fall from his face.

Just a moment though.

There were still more cases he had to see to, and now there was a return he would have to meet later after a temple could secure the assured vows of truth for the matter in court!

Paul signaled to the crier to announce the next case.

“The Court of Common Law in Kaeketeh will now see Serlo of Plodin-hounds alley and his accused in Osbert of Dimiliock square as well as Jordan and Waltersson of no residence.”

He wondered if this was how his father got those streaks of gray hairs he saw in the paintings.