Chapter Twenty-Seven #5
The duke spun and entered the waiting room. Unable to face Elliot and Ursuline, Maxi squeezed her eyes shut. She was ashamed of her abhorrent father, of her powerlessness, and, above all, of dragging Riftan into this ditch with her. She hung her head and trudged down the dark corridor.
The king spoke privately to the Duke of Croyso after his audience with Riftan. Then, with both of them present, the mediation carried on late into the night.
Maxi paced around the waiting room and fervently prayed for a miracle.
Judging by the occasional shouts that filtered all the way down the corridor, it did not seem her prayers would be answered.
Anxiously gnawing her lip, she imagined countless ways her father might use absurd sophistry to frame Riftan.
It set her nerves on edge just thinking about it.
She cracked the door open and peeked down the dark corridor.
They were in the farthest room from the assembly room where the mediation was being held.
Since King Reuben had prohibited third parties from participating in the mediation, there was no way of knowing how it was progressing.
Maxi was still stewing in anxiety and pacing the length of the room when Ursuline spoke.
Until then, the knight had been quietly leaning against the wall.
“I don’t think they will be calling you for further testimony, my lady,” he murmured. “Why don’t you return to your chambers to rest?”
Ruth jerked his head up from where he had been dozing before the fireplace. “Yes. Let us return to our rooms. Sitting here won’t help anyone.”
Ursuline shot him a disapproving frown. “At least a shred of concern from you would be nice….” He heaved a sigh. “But the sorcerer has a point. The talks won’t end anytime soon, so I suggest you get some sleep, my lady. They might go on through the night at this rate.”
“D-Do you mean all night long?”
When Maxi’s eyes grew wide in surprise, the knight gave her a bitter smile.
“It is a tactic the king frequently uses to bring unruly subjects to heel. His Majesty is as robust as any knight. He is able to tire most opponents into submission.”
“Don’t worry too much, my lady,” Elliot chipped in optimistically. “The king is fully capable of dragging out this mediation for two whole nights, and so is our commander. The Duke of Croyso will be forced to give in soon.”
Maxi sighed at their naivety. They clearly knew nothing about the duke.
Her father’s tenacity was second to none.
Two nights? He would scream obscenities until he coughed up blood if he had to.
It occurred to Maxi that the king might have given her father the opportunity to do just that.
It was obvious that the duke would be eagerly vilifying Riftan, letting loose a deluge of slander against him with every breath.
Maxi rubbed her throbbing temples. Seeing this, Ursuline grabbed the cloak hanging on the wall.
“Let me escort you to your chambers, my lady.” He opened the door with a determined look that said he would make sure she rested regardless of her answer.
Although she was certain that she would not be able to sleep, she was still exhausted from being on edge the whole day. Thinking that she ought to lie down even for a short while, Maxi resignedly agreed.
She was about to leave when she saw a faint light flickering at the end of the corridor.
Maxi paused at the door. Princess Agnes was heading toward them with the royal mage, Simon.
Realizing who they were, Ruth slunk into the corner as if fleeing from a plague.
Ursuline watched him with a disparaging look before stepping forward to address the princess.
“Your Highness, what brings you here at this hour?”
“There is something I wish to discuss,” said Princess Agnes, her anxious gaze flying to Maxi. “Could you spare me a moment of your time?”
Maxi hesitated before stepping back into the room. The princess let out a sigh of relief at Maxi’s silent invitation and entered with Simon.
Maxi nervously studied the princess’s grim expression. A fire crackled on one side of the waiting room, while Ruth, Elliot, Ursuline, and two other members of the Remdragon Knights stood at the other end.
Princess Agnes’s gaze swept over their faces before landing on Maxi. In all the time Maxi had known her, she had never seen the princess look so exhausted. Her blue eyes appeared conflicted.
When the princess showed no sign that she would speak first, Maxi ventured to ask, “H-Has…something happened?”
Agnes sighed. “This might take a while. Can we sit?”
The hairs on Maxi’s nape stood on end at the hesitation in the princess’s voice. Managing to calm her nerves, she led the princess to the table. The knights waiting on the sidelines promptly pulled chairs out for them.
“Thank you.” The princess gave them a strained smile and sat down.
Maxi clenched her skirt as she took the seat opposite. She glanced at Simon, silently standing behind the princess, and wondered why he was here.
“I apologize for being unable to stop things from getting this far,” said Princess Agnes.
“I did everything I could, but the duke’s influence is truly formidable.
Every noble who held any position at court took his side.
” She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, then heaved a sigh.
“I think he’s already managed to bribe most of them.
We won’t be able to do anything if this goes to trial. ”
“Y-You promised to…support Riftan i-if the duke put pressure on Anatol,” Maxi desperately reminded the princess.
The princess’s expression grew troubled, and there was a touch of a plea in her voice as she spoke.
“I understand how it must look to you, but I assure you, His Majesty and I are doing our best to protect Riftan. The royal family must always stay impartial. We cannot ignore the nobles’ demands and take Riftan’s side without sufficient justification.
It’s why we called this mediation so urgently before it goes to a formal trial. ”
“The commander’s actions were justifiable,” Ursuline interjected. “The Duke of Croyso harmed the commander’s wife. If I may put it plainly, shouldn’t he be grateful that we didn’t demand retribution?”
“That is a knight’s logic. The nobles do not see it that way.”
The princess placed her hands on the table and clasped them together. She took a moment to find the right words before she spoke again.
“I’m sure you are aware that a woman does not have all that much legal standing,” she said grimly.
“Practically none, in fact. A daughter is her father’s property, and a wife is her husband’s.
Even if the duke physically harmed you…if you are unable to prove that the abuse was life threatening, the duke would only be required to pay a measly compensation.
On the other hand, a knight breaking into a castle and attempting to murder its lord is a much more serious crime. ”
“That’s preposterous!” exclaimed Elliot, his voice sharp with uncharacteristic exasperation. “None of this would have happened if it weren’t for the duke! Are you saying that we should have done nothing after witnessing such an atrocity?”
Princess Agnes bobbed her head to show that she understood.
“I don’t think that Riftan has done anything wrong, either, but a trial is a battle of who is more right.
Even if we scoured the laws of Wedon and Roem combined, the facts are not in Riftan’s favor.
Moreover, the duke has gathered more witnesses and has a legion of nobles backing him.
If we fail to stop this trial, we won’t be able to prevent the nobles from stripping Riftan of his knighthood. ”
Maxi reeled as the room seemed to spin around her. Her ears ringing, she hung her head in despair. Elliot’s agitated voice sounded distant in her dazed state.
“Then why did you stop us from waging war against the duke?” he demanded. “Dealing with him with force would have been better! How could the royal family treat the commander like—”
“Elliot! That’s enough,” Ursuline reprimanded with a stern look. “Did you not hear Her Highness? The royal family is doing their best!”
Unable to contain his anger, Elliot glared back defiantly.
“Whose side are you on, Sir Ursuline?! This whole thing is ludicrous. Why should our commander lose his knighthood because of that snake? You know as well as anyone how dedicated Sir Riftan is to Anatol. We cannot allow them to snatch away the lands he has poured his blood, sweat, and tears into for the past decade. We should go ahead with the war as we originally intended!”
Elliot’s face was flushed with anger. Before Ursuline could say anything, the princess spoke with an imploring tone.
“I understand your anger, but I ask that you spare a moment to listen to what I have to say.”
Grasping at a shred of hope, Maxi looked at the princess. “D-Do you…have a s-solution in mind?”
“We must make the duke withdraw his case. That is the only possible solution,” the princess replied, her eyes glinting with determination.
Her resolute demeanor sent a chill down Maxi’s spine. The princess held Maxi’s gaze for a long time, as if peering into her innermost thoughts, before continuing.
“We can only win by overturning the crux of the duke’s defense. And to do so, we need you to make a decision, Maximilian.”
Maxi looked baffled. Was the princess asking her to testify for Riftan during the trial? Had she not just explained that it would not be enough to point to the duke’s violence as a justification for his assault?
Maxi urged the princess to continue. “If there is anything I can do…I would be happy to. Please tell me exactly wh-what I must do.”
The princess hesitated before she answered.
“I intend to get the Mage Tower involved.”
Maxi’s eyes widened.