The Gray Tower
© 2014 by Walter Reimer
(This is a sequel to The Black Chapel. Reading the earlier story isn’t really necessary, but you may find it useful. Just saying.)

Art by  whitearabmare


11.

The prince waved a paw irritably. “The Court will excuse me if I do not stand,” he grumbled.

The Duchess nodded. “Please, go ahead.”

“Very well. I charge that that attacked me with magic. Her attack left me injured, and I demand that she be punished.” He glared at Halvrika, strong fists clenching.

The elderly canine nodded. “Elaborate.”

“As my allegation describes, I accused her – and still accuse her - of seducing my sister, Princess Trasta.”

The baroness, an otter, gasped at this and turned to look at Duchess Rolna. The canine remained imperturbable. “Peace, Baroness Vodha. That is a serious charge, Meki. It is a capital offense to seduce any member of the High House.”

“I know.” He sneered at the raccoon, visibly cresting. “My allegations include a list of dates and times they were seen going into a room together – a room that was warded to block anyone from witnessing what went on in there. The Order’s reputation as a hive of godsless perverts and degenerates – “

“Silence,” one of the earls said. The jaguar scowled at the elk. “The Order is not on trial, nor is its reputation an issue in this case. This woman is accused, not the organization she represents.” He looked at the Duchess.

Rolna nodded. “I concur, Earl Xochi. Meki, are you certain of the accuracy of your information?”

“I am,” he snapped.

The canine cocked a brow. “Maintain a level tone, Meki.” She turned to Halvrika. “Halvrika, what have you to say to these allegations?”

“May I stand, Your Grace?” She just succeeded in keeping a nervous quaver out of her voice.

“No. Meki cannot stand, therefore you will not. You are present on equal terms.”

“Yes, Your Grace. Princess Trasta and I have been friends for many years, and since the events at Engery she has relied upon me for information about our enemy.” She guessed that the members had been informed of the plot; several were nodding. “The Princess was concerned about people listening in on what was being said and what was being planned. At her order, I placed wards.”

It was the truth, to a certain extent.

The Duchess gave her a searching look as she asked, “And have you, in fact, seduced the Princess Trasta?”

“No, Your Grace, I have not.” Again, the truth; it had been largely mutual. Her ears flattened as Meki snorted contemptuously.

“Do you love her?” the buck snarled.

“Meki!” Rolna said. “Do not interrupt. However, the question is a valid one.” She glanced at Halvrika, her eyebrows raised as her head cocked slightly in a questioning pose.

Halvrika’s banded tail swished a bit across the marble floor.

“Yes - ”

“HAH!” Meki exclaimed exultantly as the members of the panel muttered to themselves, quieting only as Halvrika raised a paw.

“You have something to add?” Earl Xochi asked.

“Yes, sir. I love Princess Trasta, as all loyal Shugans love the High House,” the raccoon said simply. “I serve the High House as a loyal citizen and as a daughter of a noble family. How can I not love them? They have kept the peace in the realm for centuries. We prosper as they prosper.”

Rolna cupped her chin with a paw, two fingertips stroking the russet fur. “So do you love Prince Meki as you love Princess Trasta?” she asked after a moment.

Halvrika nodded. “Yes.”

The Duchess closed her eyes and sat back, weighing what the two had said. “I judge that you speak the truth. Meki, what of your other allegation?”

“Just like that?”

“Pardon?”

“Just like that? You take her words as truth?” The buck ground his teeth in anger. “I say whip the truth out of her! You won’t get anything but lies unless you beat – “

“Silence,” Rolna said in an authoritative tone. The two guards tensed, their paws on the whips coiled at their belts. “It is for this Court to judge what is truth and what is not in this chamber. You know that, Meki. Halvrika?”

“Your Grace?”

“We turn now to the other allegation,” she said as the Prince fumed silently. “Meki alleges that you used magic to strike him.”

The sow looked down at her paws. “I – I did, Your Grace.”

“Tell us why.”

“Prince Meki confronted me, and accused me and his sister. He threatened me with burning, and I felt afraid for my safety.” She looked at him. “He’s much stronger and larger than I am.”

“So you struck him.”

“Yes.”

The thegn asked, “How?”

“Um . . . Your Grace?”

“Yes, Halvrika?”

“May I be allowed to demonstrate?” The Duchess gave her a sharp, warning look, then nodded slowly. “Thank you, Your Grace. It is a simple application of magic, sir.” Her gray-green eyes closed partway before glowing silver. Her paws also began to glow softly.

There was a gasp and one or two chuckles as one of the court guards looked around confusedly. His right paw was patting his own head while his left paw rubbed his stomach in a circular motion. She released him after a few seconds, and the canine gathered what was left of his dignity as Halvrika said, “I would not have stood a chance against Prince Meki in a fight. I regretted what I did immediately afterward.”

The thegn blinked. “You did?” the feline asked.

“Yes, sir. It was a misuse of my abilities. I wish to apologize, if Prince Meki will accept it.”

Meki ground his teeth for a moment, then spat on the floor. “Never.”

“Nevertheless, I apologize for my actions.”

“Dator take your shit apology and ram it up – “

“Meki.” Rolna’s face was stern. “Do not blaspheme.” The buck ground his teeth again, seething. Halvrika was certain that had he had a bow in his paws, she’d be sporting an arrow in her chest by now. The prohibition against weapons and the search she’d undergone now made perfect sense. "My next question is directed to both of you: Were there any witnesses to Halvrika’s assault on Meki?”

“No, Your Grace,” Halvrika replied.

There was a tense silence before Meki sullenly muttered, “No.”

The other earl, a burly wolf, sat back and glowered at the Prince, who glowered back. The lupine asked Rolna, “If there are no witnesses, why are we sitting in this Court, Your Grace? It seems like a waste of our time.”

Meki looked up sharply with an indignant expression. “A complaint had been lodged, Earl Brasi,” Rolna explained. “It had to be investigated as required by the compact between the nobility and the High House.” Brasi looked unconvinced, but nodded as the Duchess said, “Guards, attend the litigants. The Court will adjourn to deliberate this matter, and during this time the two parties are not to speak to each other, or to engage in any contact.” She stood, and she and the other four nobles left the room as the guards moved to block Meki’s view of Halvrika and vice versa.

Good, the raccoon sow thought. He’s sour enough to turn fresh milk into cheese without any aid from magic.

A servant entered and set out small ewers of water and plates of fruit for the buck and the sow, and Halvrika could hear him noisily chewing. Very unlike someone who was raised in a royal court, she supposed.

After perhaps half an hour the members of the Nobles’ Court filed back in and took their seats. Duchess Rolna adjusted her coiffure before reading from a piece of paper before her. “Inasmuch as there are no witnesses, and taking into account the facts presented, among them the fact that Prince Meki is larger physically than Adept Hringurhali and she states that she was in fear for her physical safety, the Nobles’ Court finds both litigants at fault.”

“What?” Meki grated.

Halvrika just blinked.

Rolna pressed on, ignoring the outburst. “Prince Meki is at fault for making threats, either real or implied, while Adept Hringurhali is at fault for a defensive use of magic when she had not been directly physically assaulted.” The canine looked over her paper at Halvrika. “Is it so, Adept, that the Prince did not raise a paw toward you?”

“It’s so, Your Grace.”

“Your Highness, you are of the nobility, a scion of the High House.” Rolna tapped a finger against the paper. “Of all people, you should know the value – and the practice – of manners, and – “

She was interrupted by a loud whistling snort from the Prince, and continued after the echo died away. “And, with your education and your good analytical mind, Your Highness, you should know better than to make such scurrilous accusations without proofs.”

Meki’s fists clenched.

“No penalty shall accrue to either party. The issue is rendered moot by the fact that there are no corroborating witnesses.” She stood up. “These proceedings are at an end.” She and the other four nobles filed out, and attendants entered to carry Prince Meki from the chamber.

As his chair was lifted, he spared Halvrika a hateful glare. The attendants, sensing the atmosphere in the room, hurried just a bit in removing the Prince from the room. The door closed as the buck began to shout for his leg brace.

Halvrika was left alone in the room. One thing she was certain of; he’d try again. After a few minutes of reflection she stood, smoothed out the robe she wore, and returned to the room where she had left her clothes.

She was picking up her cloak when her ears perked at a knock on the door. “Come in, please.”

An attendant in royal livery entered and bowed. “Adept, the King requires your presence in the Throne Room.”

Halvrika blinked. “The King? Why?”

“I don’t know, Adept.” The mouse bowed and walked off, leaving Halvrika blinking for a moment.

Trasta had hinted that she might encourage her father to grant her a reward for her services in hunting down and killing Amb Tokarv. Perhaps this was it. She traced a quick spell to clear away the wrinkles in her clothes and left the room.

Sure enough, Trasta was there, gowned in a light tan that contrasted with her fur, and with her hair kept in order by the golden circlet of her rank. She stood to the right of her father, who sat upon the throne and acknowledged the raccoon’s deep bow with a solemn nod. “Come closer, Adept,” King Aroki said quietly, and she stepped forward to stop at the base of the dais.

“Her Highness Princess Trasta has reported on your accomplishments,” the buck said, “and has been an earnest advocate on your behalf to persuade me to reward you for your efforts.” He glanced at his daughter and she blushed. “A very earnest advocate,” he added dryly. “Now, Adept, I ask you to name a boon, and by Azos, if it is within my power as King of Shuga, it will be granted.”

“My thanks, Your Majesty,” the sow managed to say after a breathless moment. “P-permit me a moment to consider.”

The elk buck sat back in his seat with a broad smile on his muzzle. “Granted.” Trasta looked as if she was about to say something, but kept her muzzle shut as her father glanced at her.

Halvrika thought furiously. What could she ask for? Riches? The Order looked after her needs, and there wasn’t anything she really wanted . . . well . . .

Your Majesty, I request the paw of your daughter in marriage ran an errant, mischievous thought before she wrestled it down and silenced it harshly.

Wait. There was one thing.

“Majesty,” and Halvrika went down on one knee, “what I request of your largesse is not for me, but for another.” She saw Trasta’s eyes go wide, and the sow guessed that she’d had the same thought about marriage that she had.

The King raised one expressive eyebrow. “Go on.”

The raccoon gathered her confidence. Thegn’s daughter, Trasta reminded her when she had been despondent over Meki’s accusations. “I am proclaimed as Halvrika, daughter of Ber, but all here know that is not my name.” Aroki sat up, a concerned look on his face mingling with surprise. “The boon I claim is the right and honor to be proclaimed according to my birth: Halvrika, daughter of Ranol, Thegn’s daughter of the Hringurhali.” She gazed up at the King.

“I request that my father be readmitted to the Court.”