The old knight was the first to speak. They made it a habit to make their thoughts known to all within the room, especially for matters of this nature.
"They speak true. All three of them. Though the lad lied at the very end, as this lassy here Gwin has so helpfully informed us." Nehim's hawkish eyes narrowed at the three defendants, his tone ambiguous enough to leave people guessing whether he was being frank or snide. "Each of you have tried to be a hero today. If you're expecting to be commended, wipe the very hope from your youthful little hearts. Green as grass, the lot of you, to think good intentions deserve just ends, however large of a mess those good intentions caused."
The old knight leaned forward in his chair, calloused, weather worn hands pressing against the table before him. "Listen well, youngins. Lying is a crime unto itself. You lie again to a member of the Order, you pay with your lives. We are decidedly done with playing audience to your attempts at heroism. Your one redeeming factor here is that the blame for the original crime lies with another. Otherwise we would have finished with this childish farce long ago."
Then he withdrew his hands and leaned back, signaling that he was doing speaking. With almost seamless efficiency, the younger knight on the opposite side began where his elder left off, his posture the very image of discipline and harsh practicality.
"Your first crime is lying," Fredir intoned, not an ounce of compassion to be found in his tone. "Your second is wasting our time. Do you realize that in lying, you have not only taken up a slot before the Council that might have benefited someone with a more dire situation, but also granted the true thieves time to hide their tracks and escape? For these transgressions I see no room for mercy. A lesson needs to be learned. As Sir Nehim has stated, lying to the Order is an unforgivable offense, no matter what the reasons. And we have wasted valuable time in sorting what otherwise could have been a simple interrogation at the scene of the crime. Instead, we had on our hands a convoluted story mixed with lies and veritable nonsense. We are not caretakers. We are the Law, and are not responsible for re-educating every miscreant that arrives at our doorsteps."
Once his piece was said, Fredir leaned back in his chair as well, though his posture relaxed nary an inch.
For the final verdict, Grace Njimi herself rose to her feet to speak. The effect was instantaneous. The guards on duty stood a little straighter, her peers on either side grew grimmer, and even the very air in the room felt more official.
"A boy who tells the truth and then decides to lie. A young man who speaks a lie and then comes forth with the truth. An Akvatari compelled by compassion to assist a lad she hardly even knows. And then, there is the cup that was stolen, the real culprits still at large." The High Councilor looked about the room, her cool expression unchanging. "Truly, these are complicated, messy times we live in."
There was a moment of perfect quiet and stillness, then, "Timothy Mered. For your crime of lying before the Council, we hereby sentence you to serve the Welcome Home of Syliras for an indefinite amount of time. You will receive neither pay nor room and board. You will assist the orphanage's matron, Aenysa Tieran, until she believes you are a worthy and productive member of this community. You will report to her on the morrow."
She looked to the Kelvic next. "Jeremy Casing. For your crime of lying to Knights of the Order on behalf of Timothy Mered, you are hereby held accountable for all of this child's actions until he is deemed rehabilitated by Aenysa Tieran. Should he be found guilty of any further crimes, you will both receive identical punishment. Serve your goddess and our laws well and you may survive the coming Winter yet."
Her calm, authoritative gaze fell on the Akvatari last. "Gwin. You have committed no crimes on this day, but you will be required to accompany both Timothy Mered and Jeremy Casing in the interrogation to follow. They will be bound by law to give accurate, truthful record of everything they witnessed during the incident of the stolen cup. Failure to do so will result in death. As both Sir Nehim and Sir Fredir have so graciously explained, a second attempt to lie to the Order will not be forgiven. We have shown much lenience today, so you would do well not to test the severity with which we uphold our rules."
Grace then motioned for all people present within the Council Chamber to rise. "Guards, you will escort these three individuals back to the Tank, where both Mered and Casing will be questioned thoroughly on the events leading to their arrest. Gwin is to accompany them without need for interrogation. Once the matter is settled, they are free to leave, but all three will henceforth be held accountable for the accuracy of the compiled account. Should any discrepancies be discovered, they are to be found and executed without trial." With the barest of movements, the High Councilor leaned over her table to sign a piece of parchment. Her peers on either side did the same. A bit of sand was then poured over the ink, left to sit for a few ticks, then blown off before the paper was rolled into a scroll.
"Mered and Casing, your sentences will be sent to the Welcome Home and you will be expected to fulfill them, to the letter. You know what failure entails."
Grace handed the scroll to a nervous looking Page and sat back down smoothly into her seat.
"Case closed. You are all dismissed."
Moderation Note :
Have fun, and good luck!
