18 #2
“No, what is excessive is the amount of crimes your client committed and wasn’t punished for way before this.
Refusing to leave the queen’s home after attempting to assault her.
Threatening war with his family’s power.
All of this is beyond excessive and cannot go unpunished or our nation could spiral into chaos.
“This is bigger than one entitled man who abused a lover, Counselor. It’s bigger than one father lying through his teeth that he understood that his son had done wrong and then bailing him out of jail and paying for you.
I looked you up and your hourly billable is what the average citizen makes in a week.
How does all of that reflect on our ruler?
“How vulnerable can that make our nation later when the next person tries because this time was laughed off? And everyone here knows I’m right.
Everyone here knows Kole Conley isn’t sorry and doesn’t realize the error of his ways or won’t pay any real consequences for what he has done unless someone else makes him.
” She gestured to herself. “I am the person who will make him.”
“I understand your position, Your Honor, but you know we will appeal this decision,” he said firmly.
“You have no grounds to do so,” she said, not hiding her amusement.
“You would need to find fault with anything I’ve said or some sort of conflict.
I’ve never met any of the Conleys before, and I was assigned this case—woken from bed by the head magistrate last night when he was informed the former judge was retiring.
I received several of his cases as did other judges.
“Your only other option is to take this to trial.” She sat back and snorted.
“But go ahead and try to appeal it.” She nodded towards me.
“There is the person who will decide to uphold my ruling in the end or not.” She focused on Kole then.
“I think you overplayed your hand on all of this and it’s time to come back to reality, Mr. Conley. ”
“I’m not sure what you mean by that, Your Honor?” his attorney hedged.
“She could still take his head, Counselor, and I would after learning that he had no intention of settling the lawsuit like was promised and was bragging he trained her—knew he abused her. And once she sees what the proposed plea agreement was as she was supposed to—there is no world where I would let someone who threatened my life serve no prison time.”
“None?” I breathed, not able to keep that reaction to myself even with all my royal training. I leaned forward and forced the prosecutor to turn around and face me. “None? Are you mad? How—none?”
“The previous judge wouldn’t hear of it,” he told me. “Said prison for a text was insanity.”
“He’s lucky he’s retiring before I find him,” Maple seethed, steam about coming out of her ears.
Yeah, I felt the same.
“I’m sorry the legal system failed you as the victim, Your Majesty,” the judge said gently. “I promise you it won’t while this is my case. That being said, it is your right to withdraw your allowance for a plea agreement.”
“Don’t you dare, Sagan,” Kole hissed.
“Shut up, fool,” Vex snapped.
“May I have time to consider it, Your Honor? I wasn’t ready for any of this,” I said quietly, feeling shocky again.
“Of course. You are supposed to be allowed to change your mind at any time before the plea agreement is signed and it is to be shown to you before it is confirmed viable by the prosecution. I am disappointed it wasn’t this time.”
“I will take the reprimand for that, but it was solely the complications of her being the queen not—this isn’t a typical case, Your Honor,” he defended.
“It should be,” she snapped. “Everyone cannot have it whatever way for their narrative. Either she’s the ruler or she’s a woman or she’s the victim.
She can wear many hats as we all do. Get it together because you’re the chief prosecutor of Nerthus, not some tiny town in a remote nation.
I expect something to me by Monday that is reasonable.
“Something that shows this man can be reformed because I don’t see that as possible, and I think he should be locked up for good so he isn’t a danger to society.
” She snorted when people couldn’t hide their shock.
“He did this without remorse to the queen. For years to the Heir of Thovudin. You all understand that, yes?”
“Thank you,” I whispered, flinching when I realized I’d spoken out of turn and stood.
“I apologize, Your Honor, but you’re saying what I have been trying to get everyone to hear me on and no one would listen.
It was that I was being petty or taking it too personally.
That I should—what I was saying was never about me. ”
She gave me an understanding look and nodded. “Well, here is your chance to speak, Your Majesty. Here is the proper forum, and it’s a shame you were denied the rights every other citizen has.”
I let out a slow breath and faced Kole. “If you would do this to me, the most powerful woman in Thovudin… What will you do to every other woman who cannot stop you or fight back? You show no remorse which means you will do it again. And people will let you.” I gestured to his parents.
“Enable you. Forgive you. Defend you. And that means my citizens aren’t safe. ”
“Well said, Your Majesty, and I could not agree more,” the judge said gently.
Then she looked to Kole. “I could not agree more, Mr. Conley.
You are to be held to a higher standard when you have privilege, not abuse it.
You were next in line to be Alpha, and that means the lives of millions would depend on you.
That is something to appreciate and respect, not take advantage of.
“You were an Alpha’s heir trying to upgrade to the second most powerful position in Thovudin as the queen’s mate, and I thank the gods that she found out the truth and was not only freed of your abuse, but we citizens won’t suffer that since the ruler cannot divorce.
Though I hope that law could be waived in the case of abuse. ”
It hit me hard that she was pushing Kole’s buttons intentionally when he started chuffing and she kept going.
“Your uncle is a self-made man who just helped mend our relationship with a foreign nation and saved a tribe of undines. He’s a world-renowned professor and specialist in several fields while—”
Kole slammed the table and stood. “My uncle is—”
“You do not interrupt the judge in court, Mr. Conley,” she snapped. “That is a ten-thousand-dollar fine for contempt. It doubles every time you talk out of turn, and after five, it’s days in jail. Try me.”
His attorney pushed him to sit down and cleared his throat. “Forgive me, Your Honor, but you speak of being fair, but you didn’t fine the queen.”
The judge sat back and raised an eyebrow.
“You’re testing my legendary patience, counselor.
It’s a longstanding rule in my court that everyone gets one.
One pass, and your client already received his.
Stop trying to persecute the victim of your client’s crimes in my court or you will end up in jail for the night to think about the mistake of upsetting me, understood? ”
“Yes, Your Honor,” he mumbled and sat back down.
She locked back on the prosecutor. “Nothing about this is a normal case, but you focused on the wrong part of that. He needed to be held to a higher standard given his position, not a pass because he’s young or whatever other excuses people make for grown men that his life would be ruined. He ruined it by his choices.
“That was his fault. Pay the price for that or lose his head like others would.” She waited until he nodded before focusing on Kole, the back and forth honestly making my head spin a bit.
“You are a danger to Thovudin, and you will finally be held accountable for something you have done. Court adjourned.”
She banged the gavel and somehow I kept it together even with everything swirling around me. I flinched when Treena rubbed my back in support and then took my hand to lead me out of there, acting like it wasn’t anything but being friendly.
The chief prosecutor caught up with me in the hall. “I really was trying my best, Your Majesty. I don’t know what happened with the judge switch-up and—I was the one who—”
“I know,” I whispered. “But she is completely right. I hope you learn from this and we can move forward to do better. All of us.”
And I truly meant that for myself as well, locking gazes with Hanna Conley in the hallway and deciding not to let go of what she’d done. Queen Rani’s words echoed through my mind.
“Boldness is how you will make it through your challenges. Remember that.”
Yeah, I really should.