The Trial

By the evening of the third day, enough nobles had arrived that it was determined that the trial could proceed the next morning.

Anna slowly climbed the wedge-shaped stairs in front of her, terribly sore from being confined in a small space for so long. Her heels clacked against the stone. She was dressed again in her café clothes, the familiar embrace of them comforting. She thought she could smell traces of the old fabric softener. She longed for home, regretting ever having the flippant thought that café life was too dull.

Daylight streamed from above around the central column. The air smelled fresh and freeing. Anna drew a long breath, savoring it. Clara explained that sentencing would be immediate as soon as the trial was complete. There was a very good chance these would be her final steps. Anna ascended them slowly, appreciating what might be her last hour of life.

Emerging from an open roof hatch in one corner of the gatehouse, Anna found the jury awaiting her. They were seated in two rows on wooden risers along one side of the battlements. A white canvas sunshade fluttered above them, hung from corner poles affixed to the risers. The morning sun was bright, causing Anna to lift her cloth-bound hand to shade her eyes. The group of twelve men and women turned from their conversations to stare at Anna. Some looked fearful, others sternly cold.

Anna gave a curtsy as Clara had instructed her to, but with her hands bound she could only mime it. The show of respect seemed to soften a few expressions as Anna made her way over to a table set in the center of the gatehouse roof. An empty seat awaited her, Clara on one side, Clayton on the other.

Guards lined the remaining three sides of the battlements, shields readied, hands resting on their sheathed swords.

In the back right corner of the risers, a pair of amber eyes stared at Anna.

A middle-aged man in a black linen robe with graying hair spoke quietly with another similarly aged man in the front row. As Anna took her seat, he bowed and stepped back from the noble, moving toward the center to address them all.

Everyone went quiet.

“My lords and ladies of the jury,” he began, holding out his hands. “Law is what brings order to our realm. Order removes chaos. Law and order are what separate us from the animals.”

A few nods.

“With these established laws, we will now proceed with the trial of the accused, Anna d’Hachimi, who is charged with high crimes related to murder, sedition, and the practice of witchery.”

He turned to gesture to Anna. “How do you plead?”

Clara slowly pushed back her chair and rose. “Before the accused answers, she must be made aware of all that she is answering to. In detail.”

The man nodded respectfully. “Very well.”

Clara sat back down.

He turned to the jury, slowly pacing back and forth as he recited his carefully prepared statements. “Firstly, the accused is charged with being directly responsible for the deaths of two nobles. Some of you knew them. They willingly left with her on a journey north. They did not return.” He paused, letting that sink in.

“The same is true for a number of her peers. They left and also did not return. In fact, the accused is the only one who returned from the journey, which is greatly suspicious. The accused was then later seen with some of their valuable belongings and admitted to being personally responsible for their deaths.”

“Therefore, the Crown believes that murder is at issue.”

The man looked to Clara, to see if she was satisfied with the level of detail. She nodded.

“Secondly, the accused is charged with sedition, specifically, plotting to kill all the nobility with her violent, repulsive death magic.”

Clara stood abruptly.

The man stopped. He turned slowly to Clara, making a show of it. “Why do you interrupt?”

“Good sir. Please refrain from making prejudicial statements about the accused. While she can cast death magic, it is neither violent nor repulsive.”

Clara sat back down.

The man frowned. “Very well.” He cleared his throat, turning to the jury. “The accused can cast death magic utilizing rainbows and puppy dogs.”

A few of the jurors chuckled.

Clara shot a glare but remained seated, carefully choosing her battles.

Anna bit her tongue, saying nothing, as Clara had coached her to.

“Lastly, the accused is charged with engaging in the practice of witchery. She was seen casting magic and directly involved in teaching others how to cast magic.”

“As the law states, murder, sedition against the Crown, and the practice of witchery are each punishable by the maximum penalty. Death. Now, how does the accused plead?”

Anna nodded and rose solemnly. “I plead guilty.”

The jury seemed surprised. Not at the substance of the crimes, but at the willingness to admit to them. The amber eyes in the back right continued to stare, masking any expression.

The robed man seemed briefly thrown off.

“The accused is admitting to being guilty of all three charges?”

“May I speak in earnest?” Anna asked him.

He rolled a hand, signaling that Anna could continue.

“Lords and ladies, I am but a humble visitor from another realm. Where I am from, magic is abundant and harmless. We have horseless carriages that carry us hundreds of miles without stopping. We ride on iron birds that soar effortlessly through the skies, directly over the highest peaks. Ovens prepare meals in minutes. Vast amounts of knowledge can be learned in seconds with a simple search. Everyone can write. It is not a crime to do so. So, yes, I admit I have written in your realm. Writing is second nature to me. But I only did so with good intentions.”

Anna paused, checking the expressions of the jury. They seemed intrigued.

“I was summoned from my home realm against my wishes. In my realm I am a lowly servant. I use magic repeatedly throughout the day to prepare hot, comforting drinks for both nobility and commoners. When I was brought here, I was asked to fight a creature that cannot be defeated. You may know it, The Great Undeath.”

The jury grew uneasy, shifting about, murmuring to each other.

“I suppose I was called here because I am so fluent in magic. But I have never practiced death magic before. The terms of my summoning restricted me to using only death magic. If I try to cast any other kind of magic, it is forced to yield only death. I wrote things not knowing they would be corrupted. For this I apologize.”

Anna moved from standing behind the table to slowly approaching the jury. She held up her cloth-bound hands, pressing them flat together. “I humbly appeal for your leniency.”

“Unfortunately, I suffer from severe memory loss. I can only share what others have told me is the truth.”

“Apparently I fought The Great Undeath, with some of your fellow nobles, as well as peers I considered friends. The Great Undeath killed them all. Not me.” She paused. “Yet I still feel responsible for their deaths. I foolishly thought I could defeat something that cannot be stopped. I do not think that should be seen as murder, but that is for you to decide when you sentence me.”

“And what do you have to say for your sedition against the Crown? Your plot to murder all the nobles?” the man asked sternly.

“I do not remember my exact reasoning at the time, but I was only considering it, all while distraught from the loss of everyone at the hands of The Great Undeath.”

“There is a noble present today who I thought I could confide in during my darkest moments. They chose to report me. I can understand their fear. I do not blame them for their choice. But it was only the ramblings of a distraught servant. I would have never followed through with it.”

“That said, I apologize for the alarm and trauma this may have brought to you all.”

“In closing, yes, I am guilty. Guilty for leading others to their deaths. For unwitting sedition. For practicing witchery. But please understand the intention behind everything. I was only trying my best. I am truly, deeply sorry.”

Anna locked eyes with the amber orbs fixed on her. She bowed deeply to the jury, then turned and returned to her seat.

“Before we move to sentencing, does anyone else wish to speak?”