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You are the Inquisitor, charged with investigating those accused of apostasy and heresy. Today the lords have brought before you a woman they accuse of being a witch.
"This woman," proclaims Lord Veronica, "has been whispering in the ear of our monarch from their bed chambers! She would have them believe that the Lords of the Crown are full of liars who have been plotting against our ruler and our shrinekeepers.
"Inquisitor, we present her to you for judgement."
[[Observe the woman]]
[[Thank Lord Veronica]]The "witch" kneels before you with her arms bound in chains. Despite being a prisoner she still bears a full face of make-up, in the foreign style. Her lips are tinted a deep purple, and kohl lines her averted eyes. Though she will not meet your gaze, her back is straight and proud. She does not appear to be intimidated by the Lord's words, but over the years you have learned that looks can be deceiving.
[[Thank Lord Veronica]]
[[Begin the Proceedings]]You nod in Lord Veronica's direction.
"Thank you, milord, for bringing this case to me today. The charges are grave indeed... One must make sure that the crown is free of outside corruption so that they can remain impartial in their protection of us."
Lord Veronica takes her place next to the other lords in attendance. There are five of them at the trial, as is required by the crown. If you cannot decide the woman's fate, they will be more than happy to step in. Lord Howard leans over to whisper in Veronica's ear, but you cannot make out the words.
[[Begin the Proceedings]] You sit on a dais which gives you a clear view of everyone in the room. The lords sit to your right, and several shrinekeepers to your left. The woman kneels directly in front of you. Behind them sits the public who are welcome to any trial. Trying a witch does not happen often, but it is the greatest entertainment many of these people will ever see.
You clear your throat.
"Gentle people of the land, I welcome you here today to bear witness. Bear witness to truth in action. I have been your Inquisitor for many years now and I will have answers!
"We all know the woman here before us. Her presence in this great city has been no secret to us. Last winter she arrived, a simple trader, to sell goods from her travels. Many of you were fascinated with the exoticism she presented - marvels you had never seen before.
"And it seems the public were not the only ones who were entranced. The Crown welcomed her into the city with open arms. She even attended the Moon Tide celebrations at the palace - at the table of the Crown, no less!"
You take a breath. The public hangs on your every word; you know they are hungry for blood. They are hungry for //passion//. You must resist their fervour. You are the Inquisitor. You are the Truth.
Whoever you choose to speak to in the proceedings will have an impact. You must choose wisely.
[[Address the woman]]
[[Address the lords]]You look down at the woman at your feet.
"Madam, introduce yourself to the public."
She remains silent.
"You are accused of manipulating the Crown. Have you no more words for us commoners?"
She remains silent.
"You will have to speak eventually."
She remains silent. You click your tongue in impatience.
[[Ask a guard to lift her head.]]
[[Walk over to where she kneels.]]"Lords of the Crown, I appreciate your oversight in today's proceedings. Your families have been servants of the Sovereign for centuries and I know that you do not take this duty lightly."
All five of the Lords in attendance nod in your direction. They are dressed in ceremonial robes, dark fabric with green and gold trim. On their chests is the symbol of The Eternal Order, of whom your Sovereign is a member.
While you have had disagreements with some of the lords over your judgements in the past, they are a necessary part of your work. They represent the Sovereign and the public considers them to be a mouthpiece for all royalty.
"I trust that you will show this case the consideration and patience you have dealt in the past. Will you continue to uphold your oath?"
All five of the lords respond in unison, "Aye!"
[[Ask Lord Cedric to present the lords' case.]]
[[Ask Lord Howard to question the woman.]]You gesture at one of the armed guards that stands on either side of your chair.
"I want her to look at me. Make it happen."
The guard, Delphine, nods at you and descends from the dais to the woman. She unsheathes her sword and, standing beside the woman, she raises her sword under her chin and lifts it so she can meet your gaze.
The woman finally turns her eyes upon you. You feel your chest tighten and your breath quicken as if two shards of ice had pierced you. She is defiant.
"Well," you address her. "Have you still nothing to say?"
She glances to the side quickly before opening her mouth.
"The only thing I have to say is that this entire trial is a farce."
[[Ask her to describe her position in court.]]You stand up from your chair and descend from the dais. The crowd is already growing restless in front of you, but the lords and shrinekeepers sit with a dignified patience.
When you reach the woman you take a knee and speak quietly.
"I do not presume your guilt. It is not my job to presume guilt, only to determine the truth. You understand that?"
The woman tilts her head up slightly and glances at you.
"We shall see."
Satisfied with her response, you nod and stand up.
"And what do you have to say to the crowd who has gathered here today?"
"The only thing I have to say is that this entire trial is a farce."
Ah. Defiance. You have overseen enough trials to know that this could be interesting.
[[Ask her to describe her position in court.]]The crowd is going restless at the woman's defiance. They believe in the law and that you will uphold it.
"You claim that this trial is a farce, but you are an outsider with no legitimacy in this country. You came here from a distant land, no identification, no connections. If you don't believe you should be here then why don't you introduce yourself to the public, and tell us why?"
The woman nods and seems to gather herself before speaking.
"I am Esmerelda of Vainai. I am sure that your people know that Vainai is famous for its magic and sciences. It seems to me that the only thing I am on trial for is being a foreigner, and I will never apologise for that."
The crowd roars at her. Various insults are hurled at her, you can pick out the phrase "filthy witch" quite often.
You raise a hand to quieten the crowd.
"I can assure you, Esmerelda, that we take no issue with your origins. You are on trial today for manipulating the Sovereign. Can you tell us how you came to be in court?"
"I can. Although I do not know why you will not allow the Sovereign to speak for themself. On my first day in this country I ran afoul of some thieves in the Gilded District and the Sovereign happened to see. Once they rescued me I was invited back to the palace."
Lord Veronica stands up. "She lies!"
[[Let Lord Veronica speak.]]
[[Ask Esmerelda about her magic.]]"Lord Veronica, you have an objection?"
She smooths down her robes before speaking. "Yes, Inquisitor, I do. Can we really allow this woman to spread her lies and question our justice? She does not know our ways and thinks to skirt the rules with no consequence. What do you say to this?"
There is a threat in Lord Veronica's words that you hear clearly. If you agree with Esmerelda that this trial is not being conducted fairly then the Lords can say you have also been swayed by a foreign influence. To agree with the accused would call your own authority into question. The Lords of the Crown have always been very particular.
"Lord Veronica," you say. "I can assure you that justice will be served today. As Inquisitor my duty will always be to our people, and our Sovereign. If this woman believes the trial to be unfair then she is entitled to her opinion, but it will not interfere in the dispensing of justice."
She nods, but frowns at the same time. She does not speak again.
[[Take time to contemplate.]] "It occurs to me," you begin, "That we have not asked this woman as to the nature of her magic. Would you care to answer?"
Esmerelda sits up on her knees to answer. "This is a question I will happily answer. I know the reputation of my country in this land. You think we corrupt nature to suit our own ends. This is not the case."
"Then what do you expect us to believe?" Lord Veronica exclaims. "Inquisitor, please. We are not Vainai. Their magic has no place here."
You sigh. "Lord Veronica, my job is not to determine the place of Vainai magic. My job is to determine if that magic is a threat to our Sovereign."
The Lords nod in acknowledgement.
"Now, Esmerelda. What exactly does your magic entail?"
The woman shrugs. "Plants, mostly. I make tonics to cure fevers from meadowsweet and black haw."
You raise your eyebrows. "This does not sound like the magic I have heard about. Is Vainai not famous for conjuring fire and other elements?"
Esmerelda chuckles. "We are famous for that. But I cannot change the elements. I just make tonics."
"I see." Unlike in Vainai, you have no spells to detect if someone is telling the truth. However, would she be so forthcoming if she was lying?
[[Take time to contemplate.]]"Now that formalities are out of the way, I would like to call Lord Cedric to the fore to explain why the accused is here."
Lord Cedric, a middle-aged man with greying hair and a paunch, approached the dais to address the crowd. The woman remains bound on the floor in front of you, her eyes squarely on the ground.
"Thank you, Inquisitor, for allowing the lords' their place to speak. As you all know we are loyal servants of the Sovereign and will do our best to protect them and keep them safe from outside influence."
He removes a square of parchment from his pocket and begins to read.
"We, the Lords of the Crown, do hereby accuse the witch, Esmerelda, of manipulation of the Sovereign with the aim to corrupt them against us and their people. The witch hails from the foreign land of Vainai, which we all know to be a land of unnatural sorcery and science. We have observed as she entered the palace after feigning assault at the hands of the good men of our country and whispered honeyed words in our Sovereign's ear.
We ask you, why should this witch be allowed the attention of our Sovereign over our country's good people? Why should this witch distract our Sovereign from what truly matters? We, the Lords of the Crown, bring this woman here in order to protect the safety of our nation and its people."
The crowd erupts into cheers and shouts. You can hear the phrases "filthy witch" and "burn her" scattered throughout.
On the floor, the woman begins to struggle slightly.
[[Ask the woman to settle.]]"Now that formalities are out of the way, I would like to call Lord Howard to the fore to question the accused on behalf of the public."
Lord Howard, a tall man with a speckled grey beard, stands up from his seat and steps forward.
"The Lords of the Crown have prepared three questions for the accused. First, we ask the witch, a woman known as Esmerelda from Vainai, how she convinced the Sovereign to allow her to stay in the palace."
He pauses to allow the woman to answer. She keeps her gaze firmly on the floor, her lips set in a frown.
You lean forward in your seat to address her.
"You are on trial today, madam. I suggest you defend yourself."
For the first time, she looks up and glares at you. Her gaze pierces right through you. Yet, she does not speak.
Lord Howard clears his throat. "May I proceed?"
You nod and sit back into your seat. It is not the first time someone has refused to speak on their own behalf.
"Our second question, presented with the greatest concern for our great people, is what foreign tricks has this woman used to manipulate the Sovereign?" A wave of discontent ripples through the crowd and Lord Howard speaks louder to be heard over the murmurs. "After all, we know Vainai's magic and sciences to be unnatural! Against our own laws!"
At this the crowd grows even more restless and begins to heckle the kneeling woman, Esmerelda. You can hear various insults hurled at her, among them "burn the witch."
In front of you, Esmerelda begins to struggle against her bounds.
[[Ask the woman to settle.]] You must regain control of the room. Between Esmerelda's struggle and the crowd's heckling you can sense that things will take a turn for the worse unless you maintain peace.
You stand up from your seat.
"Gentle folk in the observatory, I demand silence!" The crowd's shouts die down slowly until the only sound is that of the accused trying to pull her bound arms apart. You glance down at her.
"Esmerelda of Vainai, I guarantee you that attempting to break free of your bonds will not go well for you."
These words cause her to pause and glare up at you again. Despite her defiance, you do want this to be a fair trial.
"Do you think we are being unfair to you? That you should not be on trial despite the obfuscation of your connection to the Sovereign?"
"The only thing I have to say is that this entire trial is a farce."
These words seem to hit the Lords like an electric shock as they all cry out.
Lord Veronica leaps to her feet. "This woman even calls into question our justice! You cannot allow that to stand!"
[[Ask Esmerelda about her magic.]]
[[Let Lord Veronica speak.]] You stand up once again. The crowd, who has been silent since their previous outcry is holding so still that you can feel their tension from here.
"It is time to give my verdict."
Slowly, you begin to pace the dais, choosing your words carefully before you speak.
"When the Lords of the Crown presented this case to me, I felt that it was important to take all necessary measures to protect the Sovereign. After all, if our Sovereign is corrupted then they cannot protect their people."
A few of the lords call out "hear, hear" at your words.
"After hearing from our speakers today, I have determined the fate of this woman, Esmerelda of Vainai, a witch from a foreign land, should be put to the blade tomorrow morn."
The tension in the crowd rips instantly as they cheer unanimously. In front of you, Esmerelda screams and renews her struggle against her bonds. You indicate to one of the guards that she should be removed.
As Esmerelda is dragged from the chamber her gaze pierces you once again and a shiver runs down your spine. The lords and shrinekeepers, who have remained silent observers for the duration, all stand and applaud your judgement.
Today you have protected your land from foreign influence, and cemented the lords influence over the Sovereign. It was never your job to question the status quo, only to uphold the truth. However, those eyes continue to haunt your memory as you leave the chamber and put the trial behind you.
[[The End.]] You stand up once again. The crowd, who has been silent since their previous outcry is holding so still that you can feel their tension from here.
"It is time to give my verdict."
Slowly, you begin to pace the dais, choosing your words carefully before you speak.
"When the Lords of the Crown presented this case to me, I felt that it was important to take all necessary measures to protect the Sovereign. After all, if our Sovereign is corrupted then they cannot protect their people."
A few of the lords call out "hear, hear" at your words.
"However, all I have seen today is an attempt at consolidating power and influence over the Sovereign, and it does not come from this woman."
The tension in the crowd splits apart as shocked whispers spread throughout. The lords have a mixture of expressions ranging from confusion to outrage. Esmerelda has begun to smile.
"Are you accusing us of abusing our power?" Lord Celeste, who had remained silent until this point, now shouts to be heard above the crowd.
You nod. "Yes, I am. In front of me is a woman whose only crime is hailing from a different land. I believe you have twisted her intentions, and the happiness of our Sovereign, into a grasp for power. Guards?"
You gesture at the guards flanking you and point at the lords. Immediately, all five of them jump up and start shouting. However, their efforts are futile as the guards lead them out of the chamber. They will be investigated thoroughly.
In front of you kneels Esmerelda. You walk forward and undo the bindings on her arms. However, you address the crowd, not her.
"Let it be known that we do not judge outsiders without cause. This woman has been a joy to our Sovereign in court, and as a free woman she will go where she wills."
The crowd cheers and you will always remember the way Esmerelda's eyes sparkle in elation.
[[The End.]]In your seat, you lean back and stare upwards. This case was brought before you because the Lords of the Crown claimed that this woman was a threat. So far the only evidence against her is that she is a foreign woman and has become close to the Sovereign.
From your own experience, the Sovereign has appeared to be in good spirits, and was practically glowing at the Moon Tide celebrations. You had your reservations about her, but seeing her in front of you she does not seem as threatening as the Lords make her out to be. It is time to decide.
When you lower your gaze you notice that Lord Veronica is still standing. She is staring intently at you.
"Lord Veronica, please take your seat."
She opens her mouth as if to respond, but Lord Howard tugs on her robes and she resumes her place beside him.
There has been very little evidence either way to dissect in this case. Who should you believe? A woman with no background, or a group of lords who are encouraging the public towards an execution? Or perhaps you should judge this on the happiness of the Sovereign. Is it truly a crime for your ruler to take a foreign partner? Will this woman have as much sway as the lords claim?
It is time to decide.
[[Proclaim Esmerelda guilty of manipulating the Sovereign.]]
[[Accuse the Lords of interference in the Sovereign's affairs.]] Thank you for reading my first ever Twine story! If you enjoyed this and would like to buy me a cup of coffee, you can do so here: [[https://ko-fi.com/A744IK4]]
All my love,
NiaMariae