The Adventure continues...
Jul. 24th, 2009 07:40 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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fandomaniaPlease click and view our eggs and hatchlings. I do the same for you. Thanks!
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A minute later the lawyers came in and sat down. Chief Justice Zinovas told the bailiff to bring the prisoner in.
Several burly guards dragged Dashal in. He was resisting them tremendously. He was shouting and screaming. “I am innocent! I am not a citizen of this country! I don’t recognize your authority over me! I am innocent! Keep you hands off of me! Let me go! I am innocent!” But the guards managed to take him to the prisoner’s dock and then shackle him to the chair inside it. Dashal continued to scream and curse.
Once immobilized, I could see that he was still wearing the remnents of the clothes that he wore to the funeral. They were now very dirty, blood stained and torn. Dashal himself showed signs of abuse. He was filthy. One of his eyes was swollen shut and looked bruised. He had several cuts and burn marks on his face and body, the parts that showed anyway. I couldn’t tell, but several of his teeth appeared to be missing. For once in my life, signs of abuse didn’t fill me with compassion. I looked on Dashal and I felt pleased by his suffering. And as soon as I realized that, I felt appalled by my behavior. I must have paled a bit, because Tru noticed and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, “If this is too much for you, you don’t have to stay.”
I looked back at him and whispered back. “Yes, I do have to stay. For Donal’s sake, I need to know that justice has been done.”
Before Tru could answer me, Chief Justice Zinovas loudly rebuked Dashal and said, “Sir, you are under the jurisdiction of Alfaria because you have allegedly committed a crime within our borders. If you do not shut up and show respect for this court, we will immediately find you guilty. If that is what you want, then continue as you are. If, however, you wish for a fair trial, then keep quiet.”
Dashal heard the justice and stopped his ranting; although he still appeared angry.
Justice Zinovas turned to the lawyer’s table. “Who is representing the Crown in this matter?”
The lawyer on the left side of the table stood up and said, “I, Tazor finLindo, represent the Crown.”
Zinovas wrote something down and then continued, “Who is representing the defendant in this matter?”
The lawyer on the right side of the table stood up and said, “I, Quenson finTuro, represent the accused.”
“Very well. Is the Crown ready to present its case?”
“Yes, your Honor, we are.”
“Then proceed.”
“The Crown calls forth Captain Sabian to come and testify.”
A tall, middle-aged man, very military looking in his aspect, came forward amd stood in front of the bench.
“State your name and occupation.”
“Captain Sabian finCorma. Captain general to the Royal Guards of Alfaria. Personal bodyguard to his Majesty, King Torval.”
“Did you attend the funeral of one Donal conAgri?”
“Yes, sir, I did.”
“Why? Did you know the man?”
“No. I did not know the deceased. I went to his funeral to protect his Majesty, who was acquainted with the deceased’s grandfather and granduncle.”
“Are you acquainted with Archprelate Haral or Master Piatrus conDylar?”
“No. Not really. I have seen them and I can identify them, but I have never had any personal contact or conversations with either man.”
“Tell the court what happened during the funeral.”
Captain Sabian gave an accurate account of what happened from the moment that he arrived to the moment that they arrested Dashal.
“Thank you Captain.” Tazor turned to his opponent. “Your witness.”
“Captain Sabian, do you know Lady Patra, the deceased’s wife?” asked Quenson.
“No. I have never formally met her. I saw her for the first time at the funeral.”
“How would you describe Lady Patra’s actions during the funeral?”
“Up until the pyre was lit, she seemed calm but tearful. I don’t know the lady, so I don’t know what is normal for her.”
“And after the pyre was lit?”
“Emotional and distraught. It is hard to watch a loved ones body be cremated.”
“So you have seen other women react this way?”
“Yes, but not often.”
“Did Lady Patra have to be restrained from throwing herself onto the pyre?”
“Um… yes. But I have seen other women try to do this also.”
“Often?”
“No. But others have tried this also. I have even seen one instance where a wife succeeding in joining her husband in death.”
“How did Lady Patra appear when her family took her away from the funeral?”
“Distressed and overwrought.”
“Did you fear she might do something to herself?”
“No. I don’t know the lady and I don’t know what she is capable of doing.”
“When did you see her next?”
“About half an hour later.”
“How did she appear?”
“Calm. Very calm.”
“Anything unusual about her appearance?
”Yes, she was wearing a crown on her head. She had not been wearing it before.”
“What did she do?”
“She approached the defendant and asked him why he killed her husband.”
“What was his reaction to this?”
“He called her crazy. I thought he was going to attack her, but he didn’t.”
“What then did she do?”
“She pointed her finger at him and told him to tell the truth.”
“Nothing else?”
“No. Not that I saw.”
“No golden rays or magical lights?”
“No. Not that I saw.”
“How did the defendant react to her finger pointing?”
“He seamed upset, but then he confessed.”
“Did he appear to be coersed?”
“No. Not that I saw.”
“Nothing further, your Honor.”
“The witness may go. Does the Crown have more witnesses?” asked Justice Zinovas.
“Yes, your Honor. The Crown calls forth Captain Quinton finLahti to give testimony.”
Captain Quinton approached the bench.
“State your name and occupation.”
“I am Captain Quinton finLahti. I am the chief of security for the conDylar estate.”
“How long have you worked for the family?”
“Almost three years.”
“So you knew the deceased and his family?”
“Yes, sir, I see them on a daily basis.”
“Are you acquainted with the defendant?”
“Yes. But only since he arrived for his visit, several weeks ago.”
“How did the family treat the defendant when he arrived?”
“Mostly with hostility. With the exception of Lady Patra. She appeared to be the peacekeeper in the family and tried to get them to accept him more graciously.”
“Really? How did she act when he was around?”
“From what I saw, civilly, fairly.”
“Would you say affectionately?”
“No. She kept her distance from him, whenever I saw them together.”
“How did he behave when he stayed there?”
“He was always given to wandering around the grounds. I had to warn him quite a few times not to go into buildings that were not open to the public. I have also witnessed several confrontations with him and Donal. He was always belittling Donal and upsetting him.”
“Did you think that this was unusual?”
“Yes. Donal was a very good man. The kind of man a father would be proud of, in my opinion.”
“Who found the deceased’s body?”
“His wife, Lady Patra. You could hear her screaming a mile away.”
“Had you seen Lady Patra that morning?”
“Yes, she came out to the practice field, early that morning. She had been searching for him because he hadn’t come to bed the night before.”
“How long was it between the time she left the field and the time you heard her screams?”
“About a minute. The studio was right next to the practice field.”
“So that there would have been no time for her to have killed her husband?”
“Lady Patra? Absolutely not! The body was already stiff by the time we found it. Besides Lady Patra was so in love with her husband, she couldn’t see straight. Even a blind man would have been able to see how much in love they were. There is no way that she would have harmed her husband!”
“Thank you. Your witness.”
Quenson shuffled his papers a bit and then asked, “How mentally stable do you think Lady Patra is?”
“How should I know? I am not a counselor!”
“But in your opinion as someone who has to assess people in the course of your duties.”
“She is a kind, warm-hearted, loving woman. Remarkably unaware of her beauty and certainly has little vanity. She is not capable of hurting anyone or being unkind.”
“Did she not attempt to commit suicide a couple of years ago?”
“No. She took an accidental overdose of some medication. That is all.”
“Really? Or is that what your employer wants you to say?”
Justice Zenovas interrupted, “I am aware of the incident that you are referring to, Quenson. I don’t think it is relavent to this case. Do not further smear this lady’s reputation. Move on to another line of questioning.”
Quenson looked confounded and had to take a few minutes to gather his thoughts.
“Captain Quinton, as the chief of security for the estate, are you aware of all of the valuables kept on the estate?”
“Yes.”
“Have you ever seen Lady Patra with a crown?”
“Yes. Several times.”
“Really? So she was in the habit of wandering around wearing a crown?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Why would a sculptor’s wife possess such a valuable item? Was she given to pretense or play acting that she was royalty?”
“The crown is an heirloom from Lady Patra’s family. And as for pretending to be royalty, why would she have to pretend? She is royalty. She is heir apparent to the throne of Freedonia, should it become a free nation once more.”
The courtroom became abuzz with murmuring. The look of shock on Quenson’s face, showed that this wasn’t the answer that he was expecting.
It took him a few more minutes to compose himself. Finally, he asked, “Did you see my client entering the deceased’s studio?”
“Yes. During the afternoon prior to the murder, I did. He and the deceased were having an argument.”
“But you didn’t see him anywhere near the studio at the time of the murder, did you?”
“No. If I had, I can assure you that your client would not be alive now to stand trial.”
“Nothing further, your Honor.”
“The witness may go. Does the Crown have more witnesses?” asked Justice Zinovas.
“One final witness, your Honor,” declared Tazor. “The Crown calls forward Lady Patra conAgri to give testimony.”
Tru immediately jumped to his feet. “Your Honor, I protest! We were given no previous notice of this! Lady Patra has been very ill lately and is not up to such stress, as well as being in a family way.”
Justice Zenovas looked concerned. He looked at Tazor. “Are you sure you want to put the widow through such an ordeal?”
“Yes, your Honor. The Crown wishes to prove that Lady Patra is not a mentally ill or deranged woman. That her actions were not of malice or spite, but out of concern for justice for her husband.”
“We will allow this, but I warn the both of you, that you are not to browbeat or overwhelm this delicate lady. Lady Patra, will you come forward please?”
“Your Honor!” cried Tru, “At least allow her to testify while seated. She has not yet recovered her strength.”
Zenovas spoke to his bailiff for a moment and the bailiff brought out a chair for me to sit on.
Our eggs:
§ § § § Our hatchlings:
§ § § A minute later the lawyers came in and sat down. Chief Justice Zinovas told the bailiff to bring the prisoner in.
Several burly guards dragged Dashal in. He was resisting them tremendously. He was shouting and screaming. “I am innocent! I am not a citizen of this country! I don’t recognize your authority over me! I am innocent! Keep you hands off of me! Let me go! I am innocent!” But the guards managed to take him to the prisoner’s dock and then shackle him to the chair inside it. Dashal continued to scream and curse.
Once immobilized, I could see that he was still wearing the remnents of the clothes that he wore to the funeral. They were now very dirty, blood stained and torn. Dashal himself showed signs of abuse. He was filthy. One of his eyes was swollen shut and looked bruised. He had several cuts and burn marks on his face and body, the parts that showed anyway. I couldn’t tell, but several of his teeth appeared to be missing. For once in my life, signs of abuse didn’t fill me with compassion. I looked on Dashal and I felt pleased by his suffering. And as soon as I realized that, I felt appalled by my behavior. I must have paled a bit, because Tru noticed and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, “If this is too much for you, you don’t have to stay.”
I looked back at him and whispered back. “Yes, I do have to stay. For Donal’s sake, I need to know that justice has been done.”
Before Tru could answer me, Chief Justice Zinovas loudly rebuked Dashal and said, “Sir, you are under the jurisdiction of Alfaria because you have allegedly committed a crime within our borders. If you do not shut up and show respect for this court, we will immediately find you guilty. If that is what you want, then continue as you are. If, however, you wish for a fair trial, then keep quiet.”
Dashal heard the justice and stopped his ranting; although he still appeared angry.
Justice Zinovas turned to the lawyer’s table. “Who is representing the Crown in this matter?”
The lawyer on the left side of the table stood up and said, “I, Tazor finLindo, represent the Crown.”
Zinovas wrote something down and then continued, “Who is representing the defendant in this matter?”
The lawyer on the right side of the table stood up and said, “I, Quenson finTuro, represent the accused.”
“Very well. Is the Crown ready to present its case?”
“Yes, your Honor, we are.”
“Then proceed.”
“The Crown calls forth Captain Sabian to come and testify.”
A tall, middle-aged man, very military looking in his aspect, came forward amd stood in front of the bench.
“State your name and occupation.”
“Captain Sabian finCorma. Captain general to the Royal Guards of Alfaria. Personal bodyguard to his Majesty, King Torval.”
“Did you attend the funeral of one Donal conAgri?”
“Yes, sir, I did.”
“Why? Did you know the man?”
“No. I did not know the deceased. I went to his funeral to protect his Majesty, who was acquainted with the deceased’s grandfather and granduncle.”
“Are you acquainted with Archprelate Haral or Master Piatrus conDylar?”
“No. Not really. I have seen them and I can identify them, but I have never had any personal contact or conversations with either man.”
“Tell the court what happened during the funeral.”
Captain Sabian gave an accurate account of what happened from the moment that he arrived to the moment that they arrested Dashal.
“Thank you Captain.” Tazor turned to his opponent. “Your witness.”
“Captain Sabian, do you know Lady Patra, the deceased’s wife?” asked Quenson.
“No. I have never formally met her. I saw her for the first time at the funeral.”
“How would you describe Lady Patra’s actions during the funeral?”
“Up until the pyre was lit, she seemed calm but tearful. I don’t know the lady, so I don’t know what is normal for her.”
“And after the pyre was lit?”
“Emotional and distraught. It is hard to watch a loved ones body be cremated.”
“So you have seen other women react this way?”
“Yes, but not often.”
“Did Lady Patra have to be restrained from throwing herself onto the pyre?”
“Um… yes. But I have seen other women try to do this also.”
“Often?”
“No. But others have tried this also. I have even seen one instance where a wife succeeding in joining her husband in death.”
“How did Lady Patra appear when her family took her away from the funeral?”
“Distressed and overwrought.”
“Did you fear she might do something to herself?”
“No. I don’t know the lady and I don’t know what she is capable of doing.”
“When did you see her next?”
“About half an hour later.”
“How did she appear?”
“Calm. Very calm.”
“Anything unusual about her appearance?
”Yes, she was wearing a crown on her head. She had not been wearing it before.”
“What did she do?”
“She approached the defendant and asked him why he killed her husband.”
“What was his reaction to this?”
“He called her crazy. I thought he was going to attack her, but he didn’t.”
“What then did she do?”
“She pointed her finger at him and told him to tell the truth.”
“Nothing else?”
“No. Not that I saw.”
“No golden rays or magical lights?”
“No. Not that I saw.”
“How did the defendant react to her finger pointing?”
“He seamed upset, but then he confessed.”
“Did he appear to be coersed?”
“No. Not that I saw.”
“Nothing further, your Honor.”
“The witness may go. Does the Crown have more witnesses?” asked Justice Zinovas.
“Yes, your Honor. The Crown calls forth Captain Quinton finLahti to give testimony.”
Captain Quinton approached the bench.
“State your name and occupation.”
“I am Captain Quinton finLahti. I am the chief of security for the conDylar estate.”
“How long have you worked for the family?”
“Almost three years.”
“So you knew the deceased and his family?”
“Yes, sir, I see them on a daily basis.”
“Are you acquainted with the defendant?”
“Yes. But only since he arrived for his visit, several weeks ago.”
“How did the family treat the defendant when he arrived?”
“Mostly with hostility. With the exception of Lady Patra. She appeared to be the peacekeeper in the family and tried to get them to accept him more graciously.”
“Really? How did she act when he was around?”
“From what I saw, civilly, fairly.”
“Would you say affectionately?”
“No. She kept her distance from him, whenever I saw them together.”
“How did he behave when he stayed there?”
“He was always given to wandering around the grounds. I had to warn him quite a few times not to go into buildings that were not open to the public. I have also witnessed several confrontations with him and Donal. He was always belittling Donal and upsetting him.”
“Did you think that this was unusual?”
“Yes. Donal was a very good man. The kind of man a father would be proud of, in my opinion.”
“Who found the deceased’s body?”
“His wife, Lady Patra. You could hear her screaming a mile away.”
“Had you seen Lady Patra that morning?”
“Yes, she came out to the practice field, early that morning. She had been searching for him because he hadn’t come to bed the night before.”
“How long was it between the time she left the field and the time you heard her screams?”
“About a minute. The studio was right next to the practice field.”
“So that there would have been no time for her to have killed her husband?”
“Lady Patra? Absolutely not! The body was already stiff by the time we found it. Besides Lady Patra was so in love with her husband, she couldn’t see straight. Even a blind man would have been able to see how much in love they were. There is no way that she would have harmed her husband!”
“Thank you. Your witness.”
Quenson shuffled his papers a bit and then asked, “How mentally stable do you think Lady Patra is?”
“How should I know? I am not a counselor!”
“But in your opinion as someone who has to assess people in the course of your duties.”
“She is a kind, warm-hearted, loving woman. Remarkably unaware of her beauty and certainly has little vanity. She is not capable of hurting anyone or being unkind.”
“Did she not attempt to commit suicide a couple of years ago?”
“No. She took an accidental overdose of some medication. That is all.”
“Really? Or is that what your employer wants you to say?”
Justice Zenovas interrupted, “I am aware of the incident that you are referring to, Quenson. I don’t think it is relavent to this case. Do not further smear this lady’s reputation. Move on to another line of questioning.”
Quenson looked confounded and had to take a few minutes to gather his thoughts.
“Captain Quinton, as the chief of security for the estate, are you aware of all of the valuables kept on the estate?”
“Yes.”
“Have you ever seen Lady Patra with a crown?”
“Yes. Several times.”
“Really? So she was in the habit of wandering around wearing a crown?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Why would a sculptor’s wife possess such a valuable item? Was she given to pretense or play acting that she was royalty?”
“The crown is an heirloom from Lady Patra’s family. And as for pretending to be royalty, why would she have to pretend? She is royalty. She is heir apparent to the throne of Freedonia, should it become a free nation once more.”
The courtroom became abuzz with murmuring. The look of shock on Quenson’s face, showed that this wasn’t the answer that he was expecting.
It took him a few more minutes to compose himself. Finally, he asked, “Did you see my client entering the deceased’s studio?”
“Yes. During the afternoon prior to the murder, I did. He and the deceased were having an argument.”
“But you didn’t see him anywhere near the studio at the time of the murder, did you?”
“No. If I had, I can assure you that your client would not be alive now to stand trial.”
“Nothing further, your Honor.”
“The witness may go. Does the Crown have more witnesses?” asked Justice Zinovas.
“One final witness, your Honor,” declared Tazor. “The Crown calls forward Lady Patra conAgri to give testimony.”
Tru immediately jumped to his feet. “Your Honor, I protest! We were given no previous notice of this! Lady Patra has been very ill lately and is not up to such stress, as well as being in a family way.”
Justice Zenovas looked concerned. He looked at Tazor. “Are you sure you want to put the widow through such an ordeal?”
“Yes, your Honor. The Crown wishes to prove that Lady Patra is not a mentally ill or deranged woman. That her actions were not of malice or spite, but out of concern for justice for her husband.”
“We will allow this, but I warn the both of you, that you are not to browbeat or overwhelm this delicate lady. Lady Patra, will you come forward please?”
“Your Honor!” cried Tru, “At least allow her to testify while seated. She has not yet recovered her strength.”
Zenovas spoke to his bailiff for a moment and the bailiff brought out a chair for me to sit on.
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Date: 2009-07-25 04:04 am (UTC)