Chapter Forty-Seven
FORTY-SEVEN
ASPETH
The moment we step out of the Everbelow, I’m immediately arrested. Even Hawk’s protests can’t save me, and I’m politely but firmly dragged to the guild jail.
I didn’t even know the guild had a jail. But apparently there’s a tower with small, uncomfortable rooms that are guarded by more guild employees—repeaters. Mine has a small window that looks out upon the city, far too high up for me to jump out and try to escape. There’s a narrow cot along the wall and a small stool and a bucket to serve as a chamber pot.
Not unexpected.
I crawl into bed and sleep for what feels like days. When I wake up, there are three trays of food, untouched, sitting by the door. I’m ravenous and eat everything, and then collapse back into bed again. I wake up when someone brings me more food and water, but this time I use the water to clean up. Once I’m reasonably tidy—as reasonably as one can be in a jail cell—I sit on the stool and look out the window.
They’ve confiscated my rings, the rings I fought so hard for in order to save my father’s keep.
I knew they would, but the realization still depresses me. All of that work, all of the striving, and I still have nothing to show for it. Barnabus could be conquering my father’s keep even now. Hawk had mentioned he turned both Barnabus and Magpie over to the guild, but the fact that I’m imprisoned tells me whose side they’ve taken.
So I stare out the window and mope.
There’s nothing else to do, after all. Worrying about my cat, or my Five, or my husband or my father or my people or my own neck won’t help things, so I admire the clouds and watch people scuttle along the streets below and imagine stories for them.
Someone brings me food and water twice a day. I ask for a book to read—even if it’s just guild pamphlets about the proper binding of documentation, just something—and they ignore me. I sleep a lot, too, because when it’s dark outside, even the window provides no entertainment.
I wonder if Hawk is relieved that I’m gone, now that his rut is over. I wonder if he still feels the same.
I wonder if they’re sending him into the tunnels even now to pick clean the crypt we spent so much time in.
I wonder what stories Barnabus and Magpie are telling about me. I’m sure they’re painting me as the villain of the tale. In a way, it does look bad, and without me there to explain properly the reasons behind my theft, I seem spoiled and greedy. No one is going to take my side, especially if they don’t hear my half of the tale.
Time passes. Eighteen days in agonizing slowness. There is no boredom quite like sitting and staring out a window, waiting for your fate. At times, I just want them to get on with it. To sentence me and be done.
Or perhaps I’ve already been judged and this is the punishment? Death by boredom?
On the morning of the nineteenth day, the door to my small room opens. I jump to my feet, hoping against hope that it’s Hawk. That he’s come to free me. That love shines in his eyes and I haven’t been forgotten.
I’m a little disappointed when Lark, Kipp, Mereden, and Gwenna come through. But only a little. Then I squeal with happiness and fling myself forward, hugging each one of them. “What are you guys doing here?”
“Gods, you smell,” Lark says after she hugs me. She fans her face, grimacing. “Don’t they bathe you up here?”
“No luxury baths for prisoners, I’m afraid,” I tease, not hurt by her words. Lark has always been the first to say exactly what she’s thinking. And I’m positive I do smell. I’ve been washing myself with bits of extra water to keep the grime off my skin, but my hair is filthy and I’m wearing the same tattered clothing I wore prior to the cave-in, and there’s been no washing for them. A terrible thought occurs to me. “Have you all been arrested, too?”
Mereden shakes her head. “No, we’re to be tried together as a Five. That’s why we’re here. We’re meeting before the guild masters shortly.”
We are? Oh gods. I touch my messy hair and torn clothing and grimace. “Someone help me clean up?”
Kipp slithers free of his house—a new one, I see, with the piece of old shell affixed to the back with leather stitching through a few purposeful holes—and holds out a comb. A moment later, he pulls a fresh chemise from his shell and a bundled guild coat.
“You are a wonder,” I tell him, and he gives me a lizard-like wink. I think.
They help me get ready, with Gwenna braiding my wrecked hair into a tight bun at the base of my neck. The new jacket fits a little tight but it’s clean and I don’t feel like a gutter-goblin at least. I straighten and put on my best lord-holder’s-daughter demeanor. If nothing else, I did what I did out of duty. No holder would find me guilty. They would understand.
We’re marched down the tower stairs and across the great, sweeping halls of the guild’s network of buildings. Everyone seems to be in their best livery, and the halls are crawling with people. It’s strange to see, though I don’t let my confusion show on my face. When another guild master rushes by with his sash heavy and clinking with pins, Mereden links her arm with mine and leans in, as if we’re two ladies on a jaunt instead of a prisoner and her co-conspirator. “The king is here.”
I lose my composure and jerk to stare at her. “What? He is?”
She nods, her expression serene. “Guild law apparently states that a dispute with holder nobility requires a royal decision.”
Gods. This is worse than I thought.
“Courage,” Mereden tells me, and gives my arm a squeeze. “I’ve sent a letter to my father stating that if we’re all kicked out of the guild, I will insist you go with me to the Convent of Divine Silence. No one will touch you on holy ground.”
I manage a weak smile. So I won’t die instantly. I’ll just die slowly at the convent. Lovely. But I appreciate that Mereden is trying to save me. I just don’t know what I’ll do without Hawk. At some point in all of this, he’s become more important than the guild. More important than anything.
And Magpie is his boss. Ugh.
We’re led into what looks like a courtroom, with several benches along the walls. Instead of the judge’s seat, there’s a large throne, and upon it sits a middle-aged blob in colorful clothing. I squint to see that the king is balding and has a sour expression on his face. Goody. He wears a thin circlet over his brow and his sleeves are encrusted with jewels, showing both fashion and wealth. His heavy necklace has three thick medallions upon it, and something tells me that if I could see more than blobs, they’d probably have Prellian runes on them.
I’ve only met the king once or twice in my life, but the look on his face doesn’t bode well.
Our Five are shuffled to a bench at the corner of the room, with guards on both sides. Lark and Mereden sit together on one side of me, with Gwenna and Kipp on my other side. I can’t help but notice that Lark’s and Mereden’s pinky fingers are locked together as they sit. I’m glad they’ve got each other.
I keep squinting as I glance around the room, looking for familiar faces. Across from us, Magpie sits on one bench wearing her guild regalia, and a bench ahead of her, Barnabus sits with his retainers, his clothing as colorful as the king’s. Today he’s got three feathers in his stupid hat. I squint on past him and look for a dark reddish face and horns. Hawk is near the door, close to another Taurian. The Taurians must be returning to the city, then.
“Are all present?” The king demands when the room settles.
Rooster steps forward, wearing his guild sashes and awards as well. For all his short, squatty height, his sash is so decorated that it trails on the ground after him, tinkling with metal. Perhaps he was once a very successful tunnel diver before he found a love of bureaucracy. He approaches the king’s throne and bows deeply, then nods. “All accused are present, Your Majesty.”
“Good.” He gazes around the room, and I could swear his attention locks onto me briefly before he pulls out a scroll he has in his lap. “I have read the charges against Lord Barnabus Chatworth of Chatworth Hold, Magpie of the Royal Artifactual Guild, and Lady Aspeth Honori of Honori Hold. I have conferred with my advisors and with the guild leaders and have come to a decision upon all three parties. Magpie of the Royal Artifactual Guild, please stand.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. A decision has already been made? But no one’s talked to me or asked me anything. Panicked, I clutch Gwenna’s hand, but hers feels sweaty and trembles in my grip. If no one spoke on my behalf, how can they possibly make a decision for me? How—
Magpie stands. “I am here, Your Majesty.”
“Do you abide by the king’s ruling?” Rooster focuses his gaze on her.
The question is a formality only. Everyone knows that you don’t cross the king. That’s the quickest way to make an enemy for the entire guild.
“Of course I do,” Magpie says, and I can’t tell if she’s sober or not. I do notice that no one is seated upon her bench with her in support, not even Hawk. I hope that’s a good sign.
“Magpie of the Royal Artifactual Guild, you have been accused of conspiracy to overthrow Honori Hold and of conspiring to withhold artifacts from the guild. I find you guilty on both charges.”
The king reads from his scroll in a bored voice, and I suck in a breath. She’s guilty.
“You will be stripped of your rank as guild master and all such benefits have been revoked. You will no longer be able to teach classes and receive a tithe from students. Such monies will be diverted to the guild’s coffers. Furthermore, you have been stripped of guild status entirely. You will now be referred to by your given name, Mary Turner, and are ineligible to return to guild employment. Please surrender your sash and jacket.”
I squint hard, but I can’t see Magpie’s reaction. Being stripped of her guild honors isn’t unexpected, but it means that possibly someone believes my side of things. I clutch Mereden’s hand tightly, and Gwenna grips my other one.
Magpie moves forward and slaps her guild sash down onto Rooster’s hand. She shrugs off her jacket and pushes it into his grip, too, and then spits at his feet.
“That was a long time coming,” Rooster says in a bland voice. “You’ve been a piss-poor guild master for years now. You have until tonight to clear out your rooms in your nest.”
She scowls at him and says nothing.
“Dismissed,” the king says with a flick of his hand.
Magpie—Mary—gives a jerky nod and then slams out of the room, pushing past everyone in guild uniform.
“Lord Barnabus Chatworth,” the king says, “you are accused of conspiracy to overthrow Honori Hold.”
I don’t dare breathe as Barnabus gets to his feet. “It is a misunderstanding, Your Majesty,” he says in an unctuous voice. “Lady Aspeth is paranoid and seeking revenge after I spurned her.”
The nerve! I clamp my jaw shut to keep from yelling out about his lies.
The king holds a hand up. “You have left a paper trail of your intentions with the guild, I’m afraid. The time for claiming innocence is long past. I find you guilty of conspiring to take over a hold, though whether or not it is Honori Hold is questionable. The Chatworth Hold must donate no less than eight artifacts of the guild’s choosing, four major and four minor. These artifacts will be split between the guild and the throne as penance for your crimes.”
That…that’s it?
That’s a slap on the wrist.
It’ll hurt Barnabus’s family in their trove, of course, but considering that he just had a bunch of artifacts dug up, I’m not thrilled. They’ll easily acquire comparable artifacts again, and I love how the king was sure to specify that the artifacts are going to go to the guild and to him. Nothing for my poor family’s hold, which was on the verge of being wiped out.
Even so, I know this is how the game is played. The king is always careful with the holder families, because he doesn’t want them rising up against him. He’s also careful with the guild for the same reason. It’s all a game of power, and Magpie is nobody to him, whereas Barnabus might be an ally in the future. Hence, the slap on the wrist.
It’s ironic that if Barnabus had succeeded in taking over my father’s keep, we’d have been murdered and there would be no repercussions because there would be no family left to protest to the king. But caught in the act? Caught in the act, you pay the price.
Barnabus isn’t happy with the king’s ruling, though. “Your Majesty,” he protests, “this has all been a misunderstanding. I’ve never tried to take over Honori Hold. To do so would be foolishness, as I’m to marry into the family.”
“The lady is already married,” a familiar voice calls out, and Hawk strides forward. My heart flutters and I clutch my friends’ hands tightly as the big Taurian approaches the king. Even though I’m squinting, he looks amazing. Handsome. Powerful. Strong. “Aspeth is my wife.”
Swoon.
Barnabus flicks a dismissive look over at Hawk. “A marriage in secret to a Taurian commoner doesn’t count.”
“The lady is married to a guild master,” Rooster corrects, “and a highly respected one. Do not disparage him.”
I gasp. Guild master? When…?
Sure enough, Hawk’s sash is the bright, vivacious red of the guild masters, and sprinkled with many pins. They must have seen his brilliance and finally given him the rank he deserved all along. He should have been the master all this time instead of Magpie. Elated, I sniff back tears of joy. If nothing else, Hawk will be fine. He will teach students to succeed and then he’ll make enough from their tithes that he’ll be able to pay back his hand. More than anything, he’ll get the respect from the guild that he deserves.
“Silence, all of you,” the king says in a bored voice. He raises a hand in the air, waiting for the courtroom to quiet. When it does, he eyes Barnabus. “You have heard my verdict. Do you have a problem with it?”
Barnabus’s expression grows sulky. “I just—”
“Do you have a problem with it?” the king repeats, his tone flat.
“Of course not, Your Majesty.” He bows and backs away. “Chatworth Hold will comply with your decision. I will inform my father’s men at once so they can prepare the treasury.”
And I’d be willing to bet that his father won’t be thrilled.
“Let us continue,” the king says. “Bring up Magpie’s students.”
Hands linked, we get to our feet. Kipp leads the way as we head to stand in front of the king. I keep my chin up, because I don’t want to look guilty. I know what I did. I accept responsibility for it.
“Magpie’s students, you have been accused of attempting to steal from the guild. You—”
“It was me,” I blurt out, stepping forward. “I was the one behind everything. The others are innocent.”
“No, Aspeth—” Lark protests. Gwenna takes my hand and Mereden steps forward to my side, Kipp next to her.
The king sighs heavily and then raises his hand, silencing us. “Let me speak, or it’s going to go badly for you.”
Chastised, I duck my head. Can’t piss off the king or we’re just going to make things worse.
“I have been told that while Aspeth was the mastermind, she could not possibly work on her own. Seeing you now, I agree.”
Ouch.
“Therefore, I find the Five of Magpie’s students guilty of attempted theft and breaking guild law. Guild law states that you should be expelled from the guild entirely.”
My heart sinks. I’ve doomed the others.
“I’ve also been told that in the crypt you found, multiple Greater Artifacts have been discovered. And that the discovery of a Greater Artifact automatically gives a student full membership into the guild.”
I ache all over again, because I have mixed emotions. Part of me is devastated that the crypt has been robbed of its treasures, but at the same time, I’m grateful that something was found to help our cause. I’m just as bad as any other tomb robber. Does this mean that we’re safe?
“I can’t let the two cancel each other out,” the king continues. “Because then you would be left with no punishment at all. So my punishment is thus: You will be rejected from this year’s schooling. You will be repeaters, or you can leave. Should you wish to stay and repeat your lessons, you will work for the guild in whatever capacity any rejected students provide work to the guild, and then you will be allowed to enroll again next year. I don’t approve of your actions, but your teacher was Magpie. A corrupted pool poisons all that drink from it. Next year, when you rejoin the guild as students again, keep this in mind and stay out of trouble, hmm?”
I’m crushed to hear his answer. No more school for us. We’re to work for the guild and try again next year. I’ve caused the others so much trouble, and again, it was all for nothing.
“Lady Aspeth Honori, I would speak to you in private,” the king says. He gets to his feet and flicks his hand again. “The rest of you are dismissed.”
Uneasy, I look at the others. Mereden has tears in her eyes, and Gwenna is stoic. Lark looks as if she wants to punch something, and Kipp licks his eyeball over and over again, a nervous tic. I squeeze Gwenna’s hand and let it go, then turn to the others. “We’ll meet up after this and talk. I’m so sorry.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry over,” Lark tells me.
“We knew what we were getting into” is all Gwenna says. “Now, go mind the king.”
She’s got a fear of nobility and their reprisals, I remember. I nod and follow after the king, his guards moving to flank me. I don’t know what he has to say in private, but I’m sure it’s nothing that’s going to make me happy. If he was exonerating me, he’d do so in front of everyone.
And there’s no reason to exonerate me, truly. I am guilty.