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rose_in_winterPairings/Characters: Kain Highwind, plus cast
Rating: R (overall), G (this chapter)
Warnings: Spoilers. Violence and language. Occasional sexual content.
Notes: This fic belongs to the Lucis Ante Terminum arc. Chapter list is here.
Summary: Though it is possible to return home, it is rarely possible to return affairs to their previous state. Sometimes the only course of action is to move forward.
Wordcount: 8000 this chapter.
Beta:celeloriel
Wood scraped against stone. Kain leapt out of his chair and had his spear in hand before the door had fully opened, tense and alert. The flash of light off pale hair identified his visitor and he forced himself to relax, setting his weapon aside. Cecil stared at him, mildly astonished.
"Dare I ask?" he asked after a moment.
"Your son was attacked in this very castle less than twelve hours ago, and you have to ask?"
Cecil grimaced in acknowledgement of Kain's point. "You look like you've had about as much sleep as I have."
"It is the way of guardians to get little sleep when their charges are threatened." Kain rubbed his eyes. "Did you find out who the noble was?"
"You get three guesses as to his house. The first two don't count." Cecil's tone was sardonic.
"It can't be the Darmins, as they're entirely too honourable and traditional to even consider an assassination. Lord Vyran is loud and stupid, but not so stupid as to make a blatant attempt on your son's life after all the fuss he's been making." Kain frowned, leaning back in his chair. "I doubt it's Lord Nerthic, as he's been profiting rather too much from his support of you to justify trying to take action against the throne. The Farrells are profiting from Rosa's marriage to you and have no particular desire to see their grandson dead, as they gain influence through their bloodline." He ran through a mental list of nobles whose family stamp ran to dark hair and pinched features. "Marek. It has to be Marek."
"Got it in one." Cecil's smile was thin and sharp as the edge of Kain's sword. "John Marek, second son of Lord Barrett Marek."
"And what do you plan to do to the Mareks?" Kain inquired.
Cecil sighed. "They are demanding a proper trial, as Lord Marek feels you have wrongfully slain his son and accuses you of treason against the throne for the crime of attempting to assassinate the Crown Prince."
Kain offered a grim smile, stood up, and unfastened the dagger sheath from his belt, laying it carefully upon the table. "Lead on, Your Majesty."
Cecil looked confused for a moment before his expression changed to anger. "I am most certainly not going to imprison you, Kain."
"Your Majesty, it will send an extraordinarily unhelpful message if you do not."
"No."
"Then at least confine me to my tower with a guard outside my door. Show a little common sense, Cecil."
Cecil scowled. Kain scowled back. A moment later, the paladin sighed deeply. "Fine. I will have a guard posted outside your door. You may have any visitors you choose, for you are still to be treated as a prince of Baron. This is as far as I am willing to go."
"Very well." Kain stretched a bit and sat back down. There was little point in arguing further. "How is Jalen?"
"He is well." Cecil sighed. "Rosa is very upset."
"I would imagine."
Cecil stood reluctantly. "I've things to attend to. Your trial starts tomorrow morning. I will summon you to the throne room later this afternoon, for there are things we must discuss before it begins."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Kain rose and bowed, holding the bow until Cecil left the room. Once the king was gone, Kain balled his hand into a fist and brought it down on the table with a force that sent shocks running up his arm. He gritted his teeth against the pain and tried to think through the sheer rage that threatened to send rational thought straight out the tower window, along with a few pieces of furniture.
How dare they accuse him of murdering a nobleman's son just to further his own agenda? How dare they accuse him of trying to murder Jalen? He would sooner slay himself than that child. If he had wanted to kill the nobleman, he would merely have had to challenge the bastard to a duel for the remarks House Marek was prone to make about him when they thought he couldn't hear. The Mareks were famous duelists, though Kain was confident he could match anyone they cared to send to face him.
He took a slow breath and forced himself to consider the facts rather than his reaction. He retrieved pen and ink from his desk, and set out a sheet of paper upon the table to write on. He began to list out questions, facts, and theories, his penmanship rigidly controlled.
1. Handholds chipped into the wall at the precise spot where light from guard towers does not overlap on windy nights indicate lengthy planning and work. The castle walls were last inspected in the spring before I left Baron City, indicating the actual work was done over a period of some six months. (It will be necessary to add to the schedule of maintenance to discourage future efforts of this nature.)
2. House Marek is a minor House and could not hope to actually gain the throne by means of killing the heir. They must have a patron with more influence than they. What do they gain by serving their patron's whims? What does House Marek lack that another House can provide?
3. House Marek hopes to remove me from my position via this farcical trial. In that case, Lieutenant Darmin would rise to command of the Dragon Knights. House Darmin has no obvious commercial or political ties to House Marek.
4. If this trial succeeds and I am either imprisoned or executed, the next closest advisors for Cecil would be Lord Nerthic, Cid, Lord Darmin, Lady Farrell, and Lord Harvey. Cecil already heeds their advice. What do they gain by removing me?
Kain studied his list, irritated by the number of questions he had without answers. There was a pattern here that he was missing, something important that he needed to make sense of this puzzle, yet the pieces lay scattered and none seemed to fit. Lord Vyran was the obvious choice for the mind behind the assassination attempt, yet he was too self-important to contract with a lower-ranked House for the actual effort, just smart enough not to use a member of his own House, and not nearly smart enough to have obtained plans for the castle to find that hidden route.
The hidden passage was a cause of much concern to Kain. It was not included on the castle plans he and Cecil had located in the closet in King Odin's study, nor had the two of them managed to discover it amid their romps through the castle in childhood. If there was one hidden passageway, there must be more, and someone had replaced the true castle plans with amended ones. Kain didn't have enough paper to list out all of those who would benefit by Cecil's death or that of his heir. The alliance between Baron, Mysidia, Eblan, Damcyan and Fabul was tenuous at best, held together by the will of its rulers. The other lands had been devastated by Golbez's attacks, and their armies were still in the process of rebuilding. If Cecil were removed from the picture and the next ruler were somewhat less restrained, Baron could easily conquer most of its former allies, for the military had suffered few losses with the Red Wings to break down initial resistance to Baron's attack.
Kain rose and began to pace around his room. Cecil was not as careful--the paladin would have said obsessive--about his safety as Kain would like him to be. He put guards outside the castle to protect the castle as a whole, but refused to have sufficient guards stationed within his tower to protect himself, though perhaps he might reconsider that position after the blatant threat to Jalen. The problem of the Houses was vexing. The Houses squabbled among themselves constantly, but they rarely took direct action against the King. He had to find out who was behind this attack, for he doubted it would stop at one failed attempt on Jalen's life. The detail of the planning involved suggested more than one failsafe in the event that the first attack failed.
He continued to ponder the issue for most of the day, though sleep did overtake him early in the afternoon. He awoke suddenly with his heart pounding, breathing as though he'd just tried to run from Baron City straight to Mist. Someone was standing over his bed, a dark cloaked figure that reminded him for one horrifying moment of Golbez before his eyes fully focused and he saw Matthew's dark hair and vivid green eyes.
"My apologies for the intrusion, sir, but the King sent me to bring you to an audience with him," Matthew said formally.
Kain sat up slowly, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs of sleep from his mind. "I just need a moment."
"Yes, sir." Matthew stood at attention, his eyes fixed on nothing beyond Kain's window.
Kain took a deep breath and stood up, resting one hand on the carved footboard of his bed for a moment to regain his balance. Matthew remained still.
"Lieutenant, if you have a question, pray ask it, and I will answer," Kain said, trying to smooth the worst of the creases from his tunic.
Matthew hesitated a moment. "Sir, I don't understand why you wished to trail that assassin farther into the castle last night as opposed to halting him upon the castle walls."
Kain gave up on the wrinkled shirt and strode over to his dresser to get a clean tunic. One did not appear before the King rumpled and sleep-mussed. "He led me to a secret passage I had not hitherto been aware of. That is valuable information. Furthermore, I needed to know who he was after, for what would I tell His Majesty when we arrested the assassin? That he was climbing the castle walls? Such a thing would be a foolish act, to be sure, but he might have simply been fulfilling the conditions of a dare. Having too little evidence and too many questions is as dangerous to the throne as having a circle of assassins in the throne room. Actually, it is more dangerous, as the King can defend himself quite capably against a variety of enemies."
Matthew's stance remained attentive, but he relaxed slightly. Kain took a moment to thank Bahamut for the matchless loyalty the Dragoons gave to each other. It was a purely selfish reaction, for things would go far smoothly had the Dragoons taken a different attitude and refused to accept a traitor returning to command them once more, but this one time, he could not help but be grateful for Matthew's steadfast loyalty, and indeed, even Cecil's. Another king might have simply struck his head off to placate restive nobility.
He pulled on the fresh tunic. Though he felt strange without his a weapon, he did not take up the dagger he habitually wore at his belt. He left his spear covered with its leather guard and propped in its rack. Accused murderers and past traitors did not bear weapons in the presence of the King.
Matthew led the way down the stairs and across the courtyard. Kain kept his chin up and his back and shoulders straight, like the soldier he was, ignoring the stares of the guards as they crossed the courtyard. They were stopped at the entrance to the throne room, and waited until one of the guards had verified with Cecil that they were to be permitted entry. It was something of a shock to Kain, who had grown accustomed to his ability to walk in and out of the throne room as he pleased. Even when he was a child, King Odin had allowed him and Cecil to run wild through the castle, except in the case of very delicate diplomatic visits.
A few moments later, the guard returned and nodded. "His Majesty will see you, Captain. Lieutenant, you are to accompany the Captain and ensure that he does not take any action against the King."
Matthew's expression shifted to shock for a moment before he pulled his military mask back into place. Kain merely raised an eyebrow. He rather suspected that the injunction to keep an eye on him was one of the guard's making and not Cecil's. It did not have the ring of one of Cecil's proclamations, and if Cecil truly thought Kain would harm him, something had inverted the paladin's attitude and way of thinking in the past few hours.
He followed Matthew into the throne room, and the door shut softly behind him. They approached to the steps that led down from the dais, where Cecil and Rosa stood side by side. The late afternoon sun slanted through the windows high above, perfectly framing Cecil and Rosa in glowing golden light. Their shadows fell across Kain, who saw the dark outline of Cecil's shadow stretching out to encompass him. The brighter the light, the darker and more defined the shadow it cast. It was an apt analogy for himself and Cecil. Cecil's role was to stand forth, bright and shining as a beacon of truth and right and goodness, while he stood in the shadows to fight those things that threatened the goodness. Cecil had always been the favoured one, and he stood in the shadows awaiting his cue. Perhaps that had been his cue all along. Perhaps he was destined to serve as Cecil's shadow, his sword and shield for those things that must not be allowed to taint the paladin.
The sunlight glowed off Cecil and Rosa's pale hair in a shining halo. Cecil had a grave and solemn expression upon his face. Rosa had dark circles under her eyes, and looked as though she had not slept at all the preceding night. Kain was unsurprised; he had fared little better himself. They both wore white garments, which stood out in stark contrast to the dark grey stone of the room and the red carpets. Purity and justice were the hallmarks of the white mage and the paladin. Honour was the hallmark of the true Dragon Knight. The light gleamed dazzlingly bright off Matthew's armour, polished to a high sheen. Surrounded by so much brightness, Kain could not help but feel even more tainted in comparison. He had failed these people, had failed his country, his father's memory, himself. How dare he even stand in the same room?
Matthew saluted. Kain knelt. He was here not as Cecil's friend, not as the captain of Baron's Dragon Knights, but as a supplicant before the throne.
"Rise, Captain Highwind." Cecil's face remained grave. Rosa laced her fingers tightly together, but Kain could see that her hands trembled.
This was the one time in Cecil's reign that Kain could have wished the King would be less formal. It seemed the King had finally taken some of his advice to heart. Kain could hardly complain about the lack of preferential treatment when he'd spent six years telling the King not to give him preferential treatment, but he hadn't anticipated the sting of being the object of Cecil's displeasure.
"Lieutenant Darmin, let it be understood that aught said within these walls is never to be spoken of outside them," Cecil continued.
Matthew saluted. "I would never presume to do such a thing, Your Majesty."
"Good." Cecil took a deep breath and folded his hands in front of him. Kain braced himself.
Silence descended in the throne room. The tension was palpable, and the awkwardness even more so. Cecil was staring at some point on the wall over Kain's head. Rosa's blue eyes were cast downward, though her fingers continued to tremble and she clasped her hands tighter, until the knuckles were stark white against her fair skin. Kain longed to speak, but forced himself to be silent. He had erred in not killing Lord Marek's son sooner. He had failed as a Dragoon.
"Lord Marek is most displeased with the death of his son," Cecil said quietly. "The trial will be messy and ugly. I know you are innocent of the charge he brings, Kain, but I have to honour his request for a trial."
"I understand." His hands threatened to shake. Kain focused all of his attention on Cecil. He would not fear. He would not run. He was a Dragon Knight, and if it was to be his death, he would face it with honour.
Cecil would not meet his eyes. "What have you to say regarding this situation? Please speak honestly and freely."
Kain meant to consider his words, to arrange it as a carefully organized speech that would convince Cecil once and for all as regarded the matter of his personal security, but the moment he opened his mouth the words just spilled out. "Your Majesty, I admit I should have killed the bastard sooner and not let him get too close to Prince Jalen, but do you realize that this entire situation just bears out what I have been telling you these six years past? Your subjects are not trustworthy. They are not good men who will support you because you are doing the right thing for Baron. They will backstab, and scheme against you, and they will try again to kill Jalen, because you are building a kingdom in which honour and the rule of law are paramount, rather than their selfish backstabbing and viper's nest of intrigue. Your nobles do not want you on the throne because you are a threat to them. Now do you understand why I have been demanding that you increase security around your tower? Do you realize that someone has switched out the plans we have for Baron Castle so that we did not even know this secret passage existed, but Lord Marek's son did? Does anything I've said in the last six years ever penetrate your idealism?"
Rosa's mouth had fallen open, and she was staring at Kain with a mixture of hurt and anger in her eyes. Cecil looked much the same. Matthew had managed to maintain a relatively expressionless face, but Kain could see the disbelief in his eyes. He took a breath and forced himself to stop. "You asked for my honest and free opinion, Your Majesty. I have given it."
Another uncomfortable silence descended, during which Cecil visibly struggled to control his temper, his face drawn and pale. Rosa unclenched her hands to cross her arms over her chest defensively. Kain held himself motionless and stared straight ahead, calling on over a decade of military experience to keep his face blank. The setting sun was sinking lower, the golden light shifting to crimson. The shadows intensified as the light faded, leaving Cecil and Rosa as the brightest spots in the room while Kain fell deeper into shadow. Even Matthew's armour gleamed less brightly as the light faded. It sent a faint chill creeping down his spine.
"Are you truly so angry with me?" Cecil asked at last. Kain remembered the last time Cecil had said that to him, long years ago when they had chosen their paths in Baron's military. It hurt no less this time than it had before.
Kain closed his eyes for a moment against the hurt in the paladin's expression, and answered now as he had then. "Not with you. With them."
"I see." Cecil sighed. "You are correct in your assessment."
Kain blinked, and wondered if Bahamut had in fact descended from the Moon to romp with small children in the deserts of Damcyan.
"I will increase the number of guards assigned to the royal tower. I will also institute a search of the city archives to see if we can locate these mysterious additional plans of the castle." Cecil rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Now if I can just get you through this farce of a trial without anyone clamoring for your blood."
"At least without the clamor surpassing its normal level." Kain smiled faintly.
"You'll need an advocate," Rosa said in a very low voice.
"None would have me. I will be my own advocate."
"Your Majesty, I ask leave to assist Captain Highwind in preparing his defense," Matthew said.
"Absolutely not," Kain said before Cecil could respond. "I will not drag you down with me."
"With all due respect, sir, that is not the issue here. It is unfair for you to go to trial without an advocate when Lord Marek can afford to hire the best," Matthew protested.
"Someone must lead the Dragon Knights if this goes poorly for me. You have a spotless record and an honourable military career before you, Lieutenant. Do not throw it away for my sake."
"Kain." Rosa's tone was reproachful. "We do not wish to lose you."
"I have no particular desire to end up prey to Lord Marek's ambitions, Your Majesty, but I cannot and will not have anyone else tainted by this." Kain bowed.
"Stop arguing with him," Cecil said mildly. "He has made up his mind. The facts speak for themselves clearly enough."
"If I will not be permitted to aid in your defense, sir, then please allow me to testify on your behalf. You did, after all, go through my guard station in order to follow this assassin."
"Let it be done." This time it was Cecil who spoke before Kain could protest. "Present yourself to the court tomorrow morning, that your testimony may be presented and recorded appropriately."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Matthew saluted. Kain gritted his teeth.
"How fares Prince Jalen?" Kain asked, when the silence had stretched to uncomfortable lengths. He had asked before, but felt as though he needed to be more certain.
"He is well." Cecil smiled wryly. "Truthfully, I think he is taking the incident better than we are."
"Someone tried to kill my son," Rosa said, more sharply than Kain had ever heard her speak. "How am I to deal with that well?"
Cecil reached over and took her hand, squeezing it gently. Kain fixed his eyes on the crest of Baron hanging behind Cecil's throne.
"Jalen is safe, and we are taking measures to better protect him and Sophia," Cecil said quietly. His gaze moved to Kain. "I know you have not stirred from your chambers all day. I presume this means you have been brooding about the potential causes and effects of this attempt on my son's life. What have you to report?"
"Many questions, and few answers." Kain brushed a few strands of hair out of his face. "Where shall I start?"
Cecil rang for a page. "Bring chairs for Captain Highwind and Lieutenant Darmin, please," he said. The page ran off and returned a few minutes later in the company of three other pages. Between them, they carried in two large chairs and set them at the foot of the dais. They bowed and retreated. Cecil heaved a sigh. "Bring those up here where we can all sit and talk face to face. And then start at the beginning."
Kain and Matthew moved their chairs and seated themselves, and Kain began to summarize the product of his thoughts that morning.
~*~
The next day dawned bright and clear. Kain breathed in the scent of the orchards ripe in the autumn sun and hoped it was a good omen. This was the sort of day he preferred to spend outdoors, training and jumping. Cecil had once said that training was like a game to him, and he hadn't been far wrong. Kain simply loved to be anywhere that was in midair.
It had been one reason he'd been drawn to Barbariccia as to no one else, even Rosa. She shared that trait with him. The Fiend of Wind had reveled in her element, taking him soaring with her anywhere the whim struck her. She had particularly favoured one high peak in the ranges north of Eblan, where he had pressed her up against a narrow rock spire and they had wrestled for control of the situation, heedless of the fact that the slightest slip would send them both tumbling off the tiny shelf of rock upon which they balanced. The danger was half the attraction for him. He would have dearly loved an opportunity to take Rosa there and show her what it felt like to be so high above all else.
He shook his head to banish such unproductive thoughts. He had to be at his most attentive if he hoped to best Lord Marek's advocate in this battle of wits. He rose and began to prepare.
The simple process of going through the morning rituals of grooming and dressing himself was soothing, giving him something familiar on which to focus. He studied himself in the mirror. Clean-shaven and clad in his dress uniform, he had an aura of confidence. He straightened the emblems of rank that hung from his tunic and brushed his fingertips over the golden Captain's pin for luck. He was the Captain of the Dragon Knights of Baron, and it would be good to remind them just who they dared accuse of murder. He was responsible for the safety of the entire royal family. A faint, hard smile touched the corner of his mouth. They wished to try a murderer; instead, they would get a soldier. The difference, in Baron, was paramount.
A quick rap at his door announced the presence of the guards who would conduct him to the throne room for his trial. Kain walked between them to the throne room. It was a laughable precaution; a Dragoon of his training and experience could lay waste to mere castle guards if he was so inclined. He of all people understood the value of symbolism, though, so he permitted them to lead him to the throne room, where Cecil had ordered the long wooden benches brought in to seat the nobles who would observe the trial. The King himself was seated in his own throne, with his Queen by his side and the Crown Prince at his right hand. At the foot of the dais, off to the west, was a simple chair that faced to the east. To the eastern side of Cecil's throne, the royal scribe was ensconced with a sheaf of parchment and several quills to hand. There were two more simple chairs which faced the King's throne, one on the east side and one on the west.
The benches were already filled with nobles, muttering to each other as they awaited the beginning of the trial. Baron had not seen a capital treason case in several decades, no one having remained from Golbez's rule whose actions fell under that charge. Kain counted the crests he saw, and was not comforted. The Heads of each of Baron's thirty noble houses were here, and most had brought their heirs and other scions. The scions of a house were not allowed votes, but Kain knew the nobility bore no particular love for him; rather the opposite.
His guards conducted him to the chair to the west. As he sat, he glanced at the faces of the nobles he could see. Most looked bored. A few seemed to be anticipating the trial much as a carrion bird might anticipate a dying animal's last gasp. Lord Marek had his lady wife with him, and she was making quite a show of her grief, as was his now-widowed daughter-in-law, who was garbed and veiled in black. Lord Nerthic looked distinctly irritated, to judge by the way he tapped his fingers against his Dragoon medallion.
Lord Darmin had settled himself at the end of one bench with a lap-desk, quill, parchment, and ink. He wore a sober expression. His heir sat next to him, similarly equipped, and bore an identical expression. Kain suppressed a sigh of relief. The Darmins fought Cecil tooth and nail over every reform the paladin proposed, but they were famous for their relentless fairness in both business dealings and court cases.
Kain stood before the chair, not seating himself. Cecil lifted his right hand. Everyone fell silent.
"Captain Kain Highwind, you come before this court in answer to charges brought by Lord Barrett Marek. He charges you with attempted assassination of our heir, Crown Prince Jalen Harvey, and also with the murder of his son, Lord John Marek. How do you answer these charges?"
"I say they are false, Your Majesty."
"Very well. Captain Highwind asserts that the charges brought by Lord Marek are false. Lord Marek has hired an advocate to speak for him. Captain Highwind, do you have an advocate?" Cecil asked.
"Your Majesty, I prefer to act in my own defense."
"Be seated, Captain."
Kain seated himself and waited through the proceedings of listing out the circumstances of the accusation and the basic presentation of evidence by the captain of the castle guard. He could find nothing to fault in the man's investigation. The evidence presented agreed with his own memory of the events.
"Your Majesty, I wish to question Captain Highwind," Lord Marek's advocate announced when the recitation was complete.
"Proceed." Cecil's hands were resting on the arms of his throne. Kain studied the King for a moment. Cecil was garbed in his usual pale robes, and was actually wearing his crown, which he normally eschewed. His hands were relaxed to the casual eye, but Kain noticed that the King's wedding band was turned around upon his finger, something Cecil did when he was worried. Kain forced his shoulders to relax and faced Lord Marek's advocate.
"Captain Highwind, I am given to understand that you engaged in a physical confrontation with Lord John Marek in the chambers of Crown Prince Jalen that ended in Lord John Marek's death. Is this correct?"
"Yes." Kain folded his hands.
"I am given to understand that you disarmed Lord John Marek before you killed him."
"I disarmed him of the knife he was holding over Crown Prince Jalen with the apparent intent to slay the heir to the throne of Baron. He drew a falchion."
"Is it not true that you went to Prince Jalen's room with the intent to murder the Crown Prince?" the advocate inquired.
Kain might have laughed, if some of the nobles hadn't been smirking at the question. "That is a blatant falsehood."
"Why were you in Prince Jalen's room?"
"I had followed Lord Marek there, suspecting that he intended to harm Prince Jalen." Kain met the advocate's eyes squarely.
"Why did you believe he intended to harm Prince Jalen?"
"I had overheard him talking with another man in the Paladin's Shield tavern. The man he spoke to, whose name I do not know, suggested that if Lord Marek wished to teach the King a lesson, that he would be able to do so that night. Lord Marek remained at the tavern some four hours more, then departed and made his way to the castle. He climbed up the castle wall between the circles of light cast by the guards' torches, and climbed down into the courtyard on the other side. I followed him into a hidden passageway which opened outside Prince Jalen's room. He entered the room and drew his dagger. I attacked him. We fought. He lost." Kain heard the muttering behind him and ignored it.
"Why did you not stop him sooner?"
"I had no proof that he intended harm to the Prince, only an ambiguous conversation. Once he climbed into the castle, I still had no proof that he intended aught but a lark or perhaps the fulfillment of a dare. I was confident that if a genuine threat to the Prince materialized, I would be able to protect him." He wondered if it sounded too rehearsed, but surely it was to be expected that he had told this story several times before.
"Yet you were unable to stop Lord Marek without killing him?" The advocate had a nasty, slimy smile on his face. Jalen was squirming on his throne, but Cecil's warning look held the Prince silent for now.
"He drew a blade on the Crown Prince. I disarmed him once and he failed to surrender. He drew a second blade on me and attacked me. His death was regrettable, but he had multiple opportunities to desist from his course of action."
"I have no further questions for you," the advocate stated.
"Captain Highwind." Cecil was studying him. "Had the man explicitly stated that his intention was to harm the Crown Prince, what action would you have taken?"
"I would have immediately placed him under arrest and brought him to you for trial, Your Majesty."
"Thank you, Captain." Cecil squeezed Jalen's hand lightly. "I request that Crown Prince Jalen give testimony in this matter."
There was significant muttering in the audience. Kain chanced a look at Lord Darmin. He had several lines of writing on his parchment and was tapping his quill against his lips thoughtfully.
Rosa smiled encouragingly at Jalen, who slid off his chair and took a deep breath as he faced the King—and it was the King, not his father. "I was asleep," he said. "I woke up and a man in a dark cloak was standing over my bed with a knife. Captain Highwind knocked his knife away. He tried to kill the Captain, and the Captain killed him." He turned to glare at the audience. "The Captain was doing his job in protecting me. He never tried to hurt me. He's my uncle."
The advocate rose from his chair. "Crown Prince Jalen, are you sure that Captain Highwind did not just tell you this story to have you defend him at his trial?"
Cecil went pale with anger. Rosa's eyes were sparkling in a way that boded ill for whoever next crossed her path. Kain reminded himself that killing the advocate in the open courtroom was not the best way to obtain an acquittal.
Jalen scowled. "Did you say I am lying?" he asked.
"Crown Prince, I would never presume to suggest that you told an untruth. I merely ask if perhaps Captain Highwind described the situation and you believed him," the advocate said.
Kain's hand itched for his spear. From the position of her hand, Rosa was wishing for her bow. Cecil appeared carved in stone, a mask of rage.
Jalen glanced at Cecil and then at Kain, looking for support. Kain did his best to remain impassive, but Jalen must have seen what he was looking for. He turned back toward the advocate and drew himself up to his full height, the scowl smoothing away. "I am very sure of what I saw."
"Advocate," Cecil said, "we find your insinuations regarding our heir to be disingenuous and insulting to ourselves and to him. If the only way you can argue your case is to cast aspersions on the character and abilities of our heir, we request that you be seated and allow the trial to continue."
"Your Majesty, I have only the greatest of respect for yourself and the Crown Prince," the advocate said. "However, in the interests of pursuing the unvarnished truth of what occurred, I must in good conscience ask if Crown Prince Jalen is quite sure of what he saw."
"He has stated repeatedly that he is sure," Rosa said. "I almost think that you hope to badger and confuse my son into erring over his choice of words. I assure you that such an intent would not be conducive to your continued presence in this chamber."
The advocate bowed to her with a great flourish. "Your Majesty, such was never my intent. I do apologize if I have given offense to Your Majesties in any way. I think that we have heard all that we need from the Crown Prince regarding what he seems to have seen."
Kain seethed inwardly. Where on earth had Marek found this insufferable viper?
"We suggest, Advocate, that you attend more carefully to your words in the future, as you have come very close to insulting us and our heir twice this morning already." Cecil's tone was rigidly controlled, but the impact of his use of the royal 'we' had not been lost. Kain knew that Cecil used that linguistic conceit only sparingly; its impact was the more significant now for it.
Kain glanced over the audience while the advocate ostentatiously ruffled his sheaf of papers. Lord Darmin was expressionless, but Kain could see William Darmin's distaste for the advocate plainly in his expression. Lord Darmin's heir was no more receptive to Cecil's changes than his father, but Kain had spoken with the stewards who helped run the Darmins' large estates, and they all agreed that Lord William had inherited his father's knack for fairness and talent for management. The Mareks and the Vyrans were a lost cause; they would vote guilty regardless of if John Marek's ghost should appear and declare his intention to assassinate the Crown Prince. Lord Nerthic would likely be supportive of Kain if only to further cement his position as Cecil's favourite advisor, though Kain hoped that he also harbored some remaining fondness from the days when he had trained with Lord Nerthic.
The advocate cleared his throat loudly and shuffled his papers once again. "I would like to question Lieutenant Matthew Darmin," he said.
Cecil nodded to one of the guards, who went to conduct Matthew forward to stand before the King. Fortunately, Matthew did not try to meet Kain's eyes. He stared straight ahead, clad in his full ceremonial dress uniform.
"Lieutenant Darmin, it is my understanding that both Lord John Marek and Captain Kain Highwind passed by your guard station on the night of the incident," the advocate said.
Kain suppressed a grimace. He could discern already the direction that the advocate planned to take, and it was not a subtle one.
"That is correct," Matthew said without inflection.
"Why did you not stop Lord Marek upon his ascent to the top of the walls?"
Matthew's tone took on the flat, passionless inflection of a man making a difficult report to his superiors. "I was standing guard on the south wall. Captain Highwind leapt to the top of the wall and informed me that someone would be climbing up shortly, someone who intended to harm the Crown Prince. Captain Highwind ordered me to remain where I was so that he might track the assassin; he had insufficient evidence at that time to justify an arrest, and thought to obtain more by allowing the man to move farther. Also he thought to gain information about how the castle's defenses had been breached, for he was concerned by the knowledge and coordination displayed by the would-be assassin."
"Did you not question such an order?" the advocate interrupted.
"Do you suggest that I would disobey my commanding officer?" Matthew demanded.
"It seems a passing strange order to give to a military unit devoted to protecting the King," the advocate said. "Would not a Dragoon normally strike to eliminate such a threat?"
"Dragoons are more than just spearmen," Matthew said. "The Captain reasoned, and I agreed, that there was more to gain by following this man than simply arresting him on the spot. Therefore, I remained behind at my post while the Captain followed him deeper into the castle. At the Captain's request, I sent Dragon Knights to the Crown Prince's quarters. I was not part of any activities that happened after that point."
"Hmmm," the advocate said with more volume than was strictly required. He made a show of taking notes on a sheet of parchment that lay before him, and fanned out more sheets on the table. He spent several moments shuffling through them, ostentatiously making everyone wait for him. Just as Cecil drew breath to call him to task, the advocate looked up. "Lieutenant Darmin, did it ever occur to you that Captain Highwind might wish to assassinate Lord Marek in private, and did not wish to cause you to choose between your loyalty to the King and your loyalty to your Captain?"
"That is entirely preposterous," Matthew said firmly. "The only thing that Captain Highwind values more highly than the Dragon Knights is the King and his family. He would never countenance any action that might bring harm to the King, the Queen, the Crown Prince, or the Princess Sophia. Moreover, I have served with Captain Highwind for the better part of a decade. I have never known him to have a quarrel of any sort with John Marek, therefore he would have no cause to desire to fight him save that Lord Marek intended harm to one of the royal family."
"Yet we all know how eagerly Captain Highwind served the false king," the advocate said.
Cecil's hands clenched on the arms of his throne. Kain began to mentally recite the names of the captains of the Dragon Knights, starting with his most recent predecessor. Rosa's eyes were narrowed. Matthew appeared nearly ready to reach for the dagger that hung from his belt. Yet it was Jalen, with the simple fierceness of youth, who spoke up. "Why are you blaming Uncle Kain for protecting me?"
Silence fell in the throne room. Kain lost his place in the recitation and could not focus enough to try to regain it. He thought he caught a wisp of a smile on Lord Darmin's face, but could not be sure.
The advocate stood with jaw agape, seemingly incapable of marshaling a response. Cecil rose from his throne, and all eyes turned to him. "The Crown Prince raises a very pertinent question," he said. "I would like to hear your answer before this trial continues."
The advocate gaped a moment longer before appearing to collect himself. "Your Majesty, with all due respect, regardless of Captain Highwind's protective instincts toward the Crown Prince—" and the oily smile on his face made Kain strongly consider breaking the man's neck for the implications of his statement "—the fact is that he slew a member of Baron's nobility. This trial is to determine if the Captain acted with murderous intent."
"Given the circumstances," Rosa said sharply, "I cannot think that I myself would have acted any differently seeing my son threatened. Do you suggest that Captain Highwind should have waited for Lord Marek to stab the Crown Prince before acting?"
Cecil covered Rosa's hand with his own, and she fell silent. He turned to face the advocate. "If you have convincing evidence or testimony to suggest that Captain Highwind acted with specifically murderous intent toward Lord Marek, present it now. Otherwise, I feel that I have heard enough."
There was a moment of silence. Kain took inventory of the audience again and was not comforted. The final decision was Cecil's, as any case of this magnitude would be, but if he contravened the general wishes of his advisors, he would be setting himself up for a difficult road. He had ever been prone to doing so, but Kain wished he did not have to do so merely to settle this sort of ridiculous accusation.
"I can but do as Your Majesty bids." The advocate's tones were unctuous and the bow he gave was just short of the truly ridiculous. Kain took note of the ill-concealed rage on Barrett Marek's face. When Lady Marek's gaze turned in his direction, he fought the urge to reach for a weapon he did not bear; the malevolence in her expression seemed nearly sufficient to cause physical harm.
"Nobles of Baron," Cecil said, "you have heard the testimony and seen the evidence. You may present your findings as: guilty, innocent, or no verdict. Those choosing guilty, please raise your hands."
Some fifteen of the nobles raised their hands, Lord Marek first among them with Lord Vyran not far behind.
"Those choosing innocent," Cecil said. Lord Darmin raised his hand slowly, as did Lady Farrell, Lord Nerthic, and two others.
"And those choosing no verdict?" The remaining ten hands were raised. Cecil sighed.
"It grieves us to contravene the wishes of our honoured and wise friends," the King said formally, "but we find nothing in the evidence to convince us that Captain Highwind acted for aught save the safety of our son and heir. Therefore, we clear Captain Highwind of any wrongdoing, and dismiss the charges against him."
"This is an outrage!" Lord Marek was on his feet and shouting. "You've no right to do this! My son was killed because of that traitorous bastard—"
"The King has spoken," Lord Nerthic cut in, turning to face Lord Marek. "Like it or not, Barrett, it is the King's decision, and I for one saw naught but your hatred to recommend the charges against Prince Kain. I suggest you put an end to your losses and remove yourself ere you invite the King's wrath further. Such behaviour is entirely unbefitting one who would claim dominion over any portion of Baron's lands and people."
"Our verdict is final," Cecil said. "Captain Highwind, accompany us." He rose from his throne and offered his arm to Rosa. Jalen trailed behind them as they proceeded down the narrow aisle between the rows of nobles. Kain fell into line behind them and followed them out of the throne room.
Guards, courtiers, and ladies-in-waiting took their usual places fore and aft of the royal procession, which continued on its way to the King's chambers. Rosa handed Jalen over into the keeping of a governess, and then sank onto a settee with a sigh. Cecil removed his crown and set it with great care on the table, but did not sit. Kain remained standing at attention, despite his lack of weapons and armour.
"Very well, say it," Cecil said with a sigh.
"It is only what you know already, Your Majesty," Kain said, mindful of the ladies-in-waiting who hovered nearby. "I am duly grateful for the salvaging of my meager and troublesome skin, but you have charted a difficult course for yourself. They will not give up."
"No, they will not." Cecil rubbed his eyes. "Have you any suggestions as to how we might mitigate the damage?"
"Those who voted innocent who are not directly tied to us—that is to say, neither Lord Darmin, Lady Farrell, nor Lord Nerthic--might be useful in talking round at least those who gave no verdict." Kain thought about it. "I don't know why half the ones who voted guilty did so; either they desired to thumb their noses at you, or else they owed favours to either Lord Marek or Lord Vyran."
"I mislike the idea of manipulating them," Rosa said, "but it seems we have little choice in the matter."
Cecil seated himself at last, perched on the settee next to Rosa. Kain automatically started to avert his eyes, but was surprised to find that the gesture hurt less than it once might have, so much so that he missed the first part of Cecil's statement. "…might need to offer some kind of appeasement so that I do not find myself at odds with them every time I would like to propose a change," Cecil said.
"We could review the tax records tomorrow and see if any of the undecided might benefit from an adjustment to their assessment, or else if the treasury would support investment in their lands," Kain suggested.
"Or perhaps an appointment to a meaningful position," Rosa offered.
Kain nodded. "Meaningful, but not too important, lest—"
"Lest it appear I am buying their support after having seen how precarious my position is," Cecil finished for him. "It is well thought of, Rosa." He squeezed her hand. Kain felt the familiar twinge in his heart, but it was not so strong as he would have expected. Had the months away from Baron City worked some strange alchemy upon his feelings for Rosa?
"Let us speak of more cheerful things," Rosa said firmly, and steered the conversation to the matter of the Harvest Festival. Kain joined in the discussion, but found his mind wandering more than was prudent.
He could not help but feel that the assassination attempt was but the first in a chain of events that he would soon have cause to regret.
Rating: R (overall), G (this chapter)
Warnings: Spoilers. Violence and language. Occasional sexual content.
Notes: This fic belongs to the Lucis Ante Terminum arc. Chapter list is here.
Summary: Though it is possible to return home, it is rarely possible to return affairs to their previous state. Sometimes the only course of action is to move forward.
Wordcount: 8000 this chapter.
Beta:
celelorielWood scraped against stone. Kain leapt out of his chair and had his spear in hand before the door had fully opened, tense and alert. The flash of light off pale hair identified his visitor and he forced himself to relax, setting his weapon aside. Cecil stared at him, mildly astonished.
"Dare I ask?" he asked after a moment.
"Your son was attacked in this very castle less than twelve hours ago, and you have to ask?"
Cecil grimaced in acknowledgement of Kain's point. "You look like you've had about as much sleep as I have."
"It is the way of guardians to get little sleep when their charges are threatened." Kain rubbed his eyes. "Did you find out who the noble was?"
"You get three guesses as to his house. The first two don't count." Cecil's tone was sardonic.
"It can't be the Darmins, as they're entirely too honourable and traditional to even consider an assassination. Lord Vyran is loud and stupid, but not so stupid as to make a blatant attempt on your son's life after all the fuss he's been making." Kain frowned, leaning back in his chair. "I doubt it's Lord Nerthic, as he's been profiting rather too much from his support of you to justify trying to take action against the throne. The Farrells are profiting from Rosa's marriage to you and have no particular desire to see their grandson dead, as they gain influence through their bloodline." He ran through a mental list of nobles whose family stamp ran to dark hair and pinched features. "Marek. It has to be Marek."
"Got it in one." Cecil's smile was thin and sharp as the edge of Kain's sword. "John Marek, second son of Lord Barrett Marek."
"And what do you plan to do to the Mareks?" Kain inquired.
Cecil sighed. "They are demanding a proper trial, as Lord Marek feels you have wrongfully slain his son and accuses you of treason against the throne for the crime of attempting to assassinate the Crown Prince."
Kain offered a grim smile, stood up, and unfastened the dagger sheath from his belt, laying it carefully upon the table. "Lead on, Your Majesty."
Cecil looked confused for a moment before his expression changed to anger. "I am most certainly not going to imprison you, Kain."
"Your Majesty, it will send an extraordinarily unhelpful message if you do not."
"No."
"Then at least confine me to my tower with a guard outside my door. Show a little common sense, Cecil."
Cecil scowled. Kain scowled back. A moment later, the paladin sighed deeply. "Fine. I will have a guard posted outside your door. You may have any visitors you choose, for you are still to be treated as a prince of Baron. This is as far as I am willing to go."
"Very well." Kain stretched a bit and sat back down. There was little point in arguing further. "How is Jalen?"
"He is well." Cecil sighed. "Rosa is very upset."
"I would imagine."
Cecil stood reluctantly. "I've things to attend to. Your trial starts tomorrow morning. I will summon you to the throne room later this afternoon, for there are things we must discuss before it begins."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Kain rose and bowed, holding the bow until Cecil left the room. Once the king was gone, Kain balled his hand into a fist and brought it down on the table with a force that sent shocks running up his arm. He gritted his teeth against the pain and tried to think through the sheer rage that threatened to send rational thought straight out the tower window, along with a few pieces of furniture.
How dare they accuse him of murdering a nobleman's son just to further his own agenda? How dare they accuse him of trying to murder Jalen? He would sooner slay himself than that child. If he had wanted to kill the nobleman, he would merely have had to challenge the bastard to a duel for the remarks House Marek was prone to make about him when they thought he couldn't hear. The Mareks were famous duelists, though Kain was confident he could match anyone they cared to send to face him.
He took a slow breath and forced himself to consider the facts rather than his reaction. He retrieved pen and ink from his desk, and set out a sheet of paper upon the table to write on. He began to list out questions, facts, and theories, his penmanship rigidly controlled.
1. Handholds chipped into the wall at the precise spot where light from guard towers does not overlap on windy nights indicate lengthy planning and work. The castle walls were last inspected in the spring before I left Baron City, indicating the actual work was done over a period of some six months. (It will be necessary to add to the schedule of maintenance to discourage future efforts of this nature.)
2. House Marek is a minor House and could not hope to actually gain the throne by means of killing the heir. They must have a patron with more influence than they. What do they gain by serving their patron's whims? What does House Marek lack that another House can provide?
3. House Marek hopes to remove me from my position via this farcical trial. In that case, Lieutenant Darmin would rise to command of the Dragon Knights. House Darmin has no obvious commercial or political ties to House Marek.
4. If this trial succeeds and I am either imprisoned or executed, the next closest advisors for Cecil would be Lord Nerthic, Cid, Lord Darmin, Lady Farrell, and Lord Harvey. Cecil already heeds their advice. What do they gain by removing me?
Kain studied his list, irritated by the number of questions he had without answers. There was a pattern here that he was missing, something important that he needed to make sense of this puzzle, yet the pieces lay scattered and none seemed to fit. Lord Vyran was the obvious choice for the mind behind the assassination attempt, yet he was too self-important to contract with a lower-ranked House for the actual effort, just smart enough not to use a member of his own House, and not nearly smart enough to have obtained plans for the castle to find that hidden route.
The hidden passage was a cause of much concern to Kain. It was not included on the castle plans he and Cecil had located in the closet in King Odin's study, nor had the two of them managed to discover it amid their romps through the castle in childhood. If there was one hidden passageway, there must be more, and someone had replaced the true castle plans with amended ones. Kain didn't have enough paper to list out all of those who would benefit by Cecil's death or that of his heir. The alliance between Baron, Mysidia, Eblan, Damcyan and Fabul was tenuous at best, held together by the will of its rulers. The other lands had been devastated by Golbez's attacks, and their armies were still in the process of rebuilding. If Cecil were removed from the picture and the next ruler were somewhat less restrained, Baron could easily conquer most of its former allies, for the military had suffered few losses with the Red Wings to break down initial resistance to Baron's attack.
Kain rose and began to pace around his room. Cecil was not as careful--the paladin would have said obsessive--about his safety as Kain would like him to be. He put guards outside the castle to protect the castle as a whole, but refused to have sufficient guards stationed within his tower to protect himself, though perhaps he might reconsider that position after the blatant threat to Jalen. The problem of the Houses was vexing. The Houses squabbled among themselves constantly, but they rarely took direct action against the King. He had to find out who was behind this attack, for he doubted it would stop at one failed attempt on Jalen's life. The detail of the planning involved suggested more than one failsafe in the event that the first attack failed.
He continued to ponder the issue for most of the day, though sleep did overtake him early in the afternoon. He awoke suddenly with his heart pounding, breathing as though he'd just tried to run from Baron City straight to Mist. Someone was standing over his bed, a dark cloaked figure that reminded him for one horrifying moment of Golbez before his eyes fully focused and he saw Matthew's dark hair and vivid green eyes.
"My apologies for the intrusion, sir, but the King sent me to bring you to an audience with him," Matthew said formally.
Kain sat up slowly, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs of sleep from his mind. "I just need a moment."
"Yes, sir." Matthew stood at attention, his eyes fixed on nothing beyond Kain's window.
Kain took a deep breath and stood up, resting one hand on the carved footboard of his bed for a moment to regain his balance. Matthew remained still.
"Lieutenant, if you have a question, pray ask it, and I will answer," Kain said, trying to smooth the worst of the creases from his tunic.
Matthew hesitated a moment. "Sir, I don't understand why you wished to trail that assassin farther into the castle last night as opposed to halting him upon the castle walls."
Kain gave up on the wrinkled shirt and strode over to his dresser to get a clean tunic. One did not appear before the King rumpled and sleep-mussed. "He led me to a secret passage I had not hitherto been aware of. That is valuable information. Furthermore, I needed to know who he was after, for what would I tell His Majesty when we arrested the assassin? That he was climbing the castle walls? Such a thing would be a foolish act, to be sure, but he might have simply been fulfilling the conditions of a dare. Having too little evidence and too many questions is as dangerous to the throne as having a circle of assassins in the throne room. Actually, it is more dangerous, as the King can defend himself quite capably against a variety of enemies."
Matthew's stance remained attentive, but he relaxed slightly. Kain took a moment to thank Bahamut for the matchless loyalty the Dragoons gave to each other. It was a purely selfish reaction, for things would go far smoothly had the Dragoons taken a different attitude and refused to accept a traitor returning to command them once more, but this one time, he could not help but be grateful for Matthew's steadfast loyalty, and indeed, even Cecil's. Another king might have simply struck his head off to placate restive nobility.
He pulled on the fresh tunic. Though he felt strange without his a weapon, he did not take up the dagger he habitually wore at his belt. He left his spear covered with its leather guard and propped in its rack. Accused murderers and past traitors did not bear weapons in the presence of the King.
Matthew led the way down the stairs and across the courtyard. Kain kept his chin up and his back and shoulders straight, like the soldier he was, ignoring the stares of the guards as they crossed the courtyard. They were stopped at the entrance to the throne room, and waited until one of the guards had verified with Cecil that they were to be permitted entry. It was something of a shock to Kain, who had grown accustomed to his ability to walk in and out of the throne room as he pleased. Even when he was a child, King Odin had allowed him and Cecil to run wild through the castle, except in the case of very delicate diplomatic visits.
A few moments later, the guard returned and nodded. "His Majesty will see you, Captain. Lieutenant, you are to accompany the Captain and ensure that he does not take any action against the King."
Matthew's expression shifted to shock for a moment before he pulled his military mask back into place. Kain merely raised an eyebrow. He rather suspected that the injunction to keep an eye on him was one of the guard's making and not Cecil's. It did not have the ring of one of Cecil's proclamations, and if Cecil truly thought Kain would harm him, something had inverted the paladin's attitude and way of thinking in the past few hours.
He followed Matthew into the throne room, and the door shut softly behind him. They approached to the steps that led down from the dais, where Cecil and Rosa stood side by side. The late afternoon sun slanted through the windows high above, perfectly framing Cecil and Rosa in glowing golden light. Their shadows fell across Kain, who saw the dark outline of Cecil's shadow stretching out to encompass him. The brighter the light, the darker and more defined the shadow it cast. It was an apt analogy for himself and Cecil. Cecil's role was to stand forth, bright and shining as a beacon of truth and right and goodness, while he stood in the shadows to fight those things that threatened the goodness. Cecil had always been the favoured one, and he stood in the shadows awaiting his cue. Perhaps that had been his cue all along. Perhaps he was destined to serve as Cecil's shadow, his sword and shield for those things that must not be allowed to taint the paladin.
The sunlight glowed off Cecil and Rosa's pale hair in a shining halo. Cecil had a grave and solemn expression upon his face. Rosa had dark circles under her eyes, and looked as though she had not slept at all the preceding night. Kain was unsurprised; he had fared little better himself. They both wore white garments, which stood out in stark contrast to the dark grey stone of the room and the red carpets. Purity and justice were the hallmarks of the white mage and the paladin. Honour was the hallmark of the true Dragon Knight. The light gleamed dazzlingly bright off Matthew's armour, polished to a high sheen. Surrounded by so much brightness, Kain could not help but feel even more tainted in comparison. He had failed these people, had failed his country, his father's memory, himself. How dare he even stand in the same room?
Matthew saluted. Kain knelt. He was here not as Cecil's friend, not as the captain of Baron's Dragon Knights, but as a supplicant before the throne.
"Rise, Captain Highwind." Cecil's face remained grave. Rosa laced her fingers tightly together, but Kain could see that her hands trembled.
This was the one time in Cecil's reign that Kain could have wished the King would be less formal. It seemed the King had finally taken some of his advice to heart. Kain could hardly complain about the lack of preferential treatment when he'd spent six years telling the King not to give him preferential treatment, but he hadn't anticipated the sting of being the object of Cecil's displeasure.
"Lieutenant Darmin, let it be understood that aught said within these walls is never to be spoken of outside them," Cecil continued.
Matthew saluted. "I would never presume to do such a thing, Your Majesty."
"Good." Cecil took a deep breath and folded his hands in front of him. Kain braced himself.
Silence descended in the throne room. The tension was palpable, and the awkwardness even more so. Cecil was staring at some point on the wall over Kain's head. Rosa's blue eyes were cast downward, though her fingers continued to tremble and she clasped her hands tighter, until the knuckles were stark white against her fair skin. Kain longed to speak, but forced himself to be silent. He had erred in not killing Lord Marek's son sooner. He had failed as a Dragoon.
"Lord Marek is most displeased with the death of his son," Cecil said quietly. "The trial will be messy and ugly. I know you are innocent of the charge he brings, Kain, but I have to honour his request for a trial."
"I understand." His hands threatened to shake. Kain focused all of his attention on Cecil. He would not fear. He would not run. He was a Dragon Knight, and if it was to be his death, he would face it with honour.
Cecil would not meet his eyes. "What have you to say regarding this situation? Please speak honestly and freely."
Kain meant to consider his words, to arrange it as a carefully organized speech that would convince Cecil once and for all as regarded the matter of his personal security, but the moment he opened his mouth the words just spilled out. "Your Majesty, I admit I should have killed the bastard sooner and not let him get too close to Prince Jalen, but do you realize that this entire situation just bears out what I have been telling you these six years past? Your subjects are not trustworthy. They are not good men who will support you because you are doing the right thing for Baron. They will backstab, and scheme against you, and they will try again to kill Jalen, because you are building a kingdom in which honour and the rule of law are paramount, rather than their selfish backstabbing and viper's nest of intrigue. Your nobles do not want you on the throne because you are a threat to them. Now do you understand why I have been demanding that you increase security around your tower? Do you realize that someone has switched out the plans we have for Baron Castle so that we did not even know this secret passage existed, but Lord Marek's son did? Does anything I've said in the last six years ever penetrate your idealism?"
Rosa's mouth had fallen open, and she was staring at Kain with a mixture of hurt and anger in her eyes. Cecil looked much the same. Matthew had managed to maintain a relatively expressionless face, but Kain could see the disbelief in his eyes. He took a breath and forced himself to stop. "You asked for my honest and free opinion, Your Majesty. I have given it."
Another uncomfortable silence descended, during which Cecil visibly struggled to control his temper, his face drawn and pale. Rosa unclenched her hands to cross her arms over her chest defensively. Kain held himself motionless and stared straight ahead, calling on over a decade of military experience to keep his face blank. The setting sun was sinking lower, the golden light shifting to crimson. The shadows intensified as the light faded, leaving Cecil and Rosa as the brightest spots in the room while Kain fell deeper into shadow. Even Matthew's armour gleamed less brightly as the light faded. It sent a faint chill creeping down his spine.
"Are you truly so angry with me?" Cecil asked at last. Kain remembered the last time Cecil had said that to him, long years ago when they had chosen their paths in Baron's military. It hurt no less this time than it had before.
Kain closed his eyes for a moment against the hurt in the paladin's expression, and answered now as he had then. "Not with you. With them."
"I see." Cecil sighed. "You are correct in your assessment."
Kain blinked, and wondered if Bahamut had in fact descended from the Moon to romp with small children in the deserts of Damcyan.
"I will increase the number of guards assigned to the royal tower. I will also institute a search of the city archives to see if we can locate these mysterious additional plans of the castle." Cecil rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Now if I can just get you through this farce of a trial without anyone clamoring for your blood."
"At least without the clamor surpassing its normal level." Kain smiled faintly.
"You'll need an advocate," Rosa said in a very low voice.
"None would have me. I will be my own advocate."
"Your Majesty, I ask leave to assist Captain Highwind in preparing his defense," Matthew said.
"Absolutely not," Kain said before Cecil could respond. "I will not drag you down with me."
"With all due respect, sir, that is not the issue here. It is unfair for you to go to trial without an advocate when Lord Marek can afford to hire the best," Matthew protested.
"Someone must lead the Dragon Knights if this goes poorly for me. You have a spotless record and an honourable military career before you, Lieutenant. Do not throw it away for my sake."
"Kain." Rosa's tone was reproachful. "We do not wish to lose you."
"I have no particular desire to end up prey to Lord Marek's ambitions, Your Majesty, but I cannot and will not have anyone else tainted by this." Kain bowed.
"Stop arguing with him," Cecil said mildly. "He has made up his mind. The facts speak for themselves clearly enough."
"If I will not be permitted to aid in your defense, sir, then please allow me to testify on your behalf. You did, after all, go through my guard station in order to follow this assassin."
"Let it be done." This time it was Cecil who spoke before Kain could protest. "Present yourself to the court tomorrow morning, that your testimony may be presented and recorded appropriately."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Matthew saluted. Kain gritted his teeth.
"How fares Prince Jalen?" Kain asked, when the silence had stretched to uncomfortable lengths. He had asked before, but felt as though he needed to be more certain.
"He is well." Cecil smiled wryly. "Truthfully, I think he is taking the incident better than we are."
"Someone tried to kill my son," Rosa said, more sharply than Kain had ever heard her speak. "How am I to deal with that well?"
Cecil reached over and took her hand, squeezing it gently. Kain fixed his eyes on the crest of Baron hanging behind Cecil's throne.
"Jalen is safe, and we are taking measures to better protect him and Sophia," Cecil said quietly. His gaze moved to Kain. "I know you have not stirred from your chambers all day. I presume this means you have been brooding about the potential causes and effects of this attempt on my son's life. What have you to report?"
"Many questions, and few answers." Kain brushed a few strands of hair out of his face. "Where shall I start?"
Cecil rang for a page. "Bring chairs for Captain Highwind and Lieutenant Darmin, please," he said. The page ran off and returned a few minutes later in the company of three other pages. Between them, they carried in two large chairs and set them at the foot of the dais. They bowed and retreated. Cecil heaved a sigh. "Bring those up here where we can all sit and talk face to face. And then start at the beginning."
Kain and Matthew moved their chairs and seated themselves, and Kain began to summarize the product of his thoughts that morning.
~*~
The next day dawned bright and clear. Kain breathed in the scent of the orchards ripe in the autumn sun and hoped it was a good omen. This was the sort of day he preferred to spend outdoors, training and jumping. Cecil had once said that training was like a game to him, and he hadn't been far wrong. Kain simply loved to be anywhere that was in midair.
It had been one reason he'd been drawn to Barbariccia as to no one else, even Rosa. She shared that trait with him. The Fiend of Wind had reveled in her element, taking him soaring with her anywhere the whim struck her. She had particularly favoured one high peak in the ranges north of Eblan, where he had pressed her up against a narrow rock spire and they had wrestled for control of the situation, heedless of the fact that the slightest slip would send them both tumbling off the tiny shelf of rock upon which they balanced. The danger was half the attraction for him. He would have dearly loved an opportunity to take Rosa there and show her what it felt like to be so high above all else.
He shook his head to banish such unproductive thoughts. He had to be at his most attentive if he hoped to best Lord Marek's advocate in this battle of wits. He rose and began to prepare.
The simple process of going through the morning rituals of grooming and dressing himself was soothing, giving him something familiar on which to focus. He studied himself in the mirror. Clean-shaven and clad in his dress uniform, he had an aura of confidence. He straightened the emblems of rank that hung from his tunic and brushed his fingertips over the golden Captain's pin for luck. He was the Captain of the Dragon Knights of Baron, and it would be good to remind them just who they dared accuse of murder. He was responsible for the safety of the entire royal family. A faint, hard smile touched the corner of his mouth. They wished to try a murderer; instead, they would get a soldier. The difference, in Baron, was paramount.
A quick rap at his door announced the presence of the guards who would conduct him to the throne room for his trial. Kain walked between them to the throne room. It was a laughable precaution; a Dragoon of his training and experience could lay waste to mere castle guards if he was so inclined. He of all people understood the value of symbolism, though, so he permitted them to lead him to the throne room, where Cecil had ordered the long wooden benches brought in to seat the nobles who would observe the trial. The King himself was seated in his own throne, with his Queen by his side and the Crown Prince at his right hand. At the foot of the dais, off to the west, was a simple chair that faced to the east. To the eastern side of Cecil's throne, the royal scribe was ensconced with a sheaf of parchment and several quills to hand. There were two more simple chairs which faced the King's throne, one on the east side and one on the west.
The benches were already filled with nobles, muttering to each other as they awaited the beginning of the trial. Baron had not seen a capital treason case in several decades, no one having remained from Golbez's rule whose actions fell under that charge. Kain counted the crests he saw, and was not comforted. The Heads of each of Baron's thirty noble houses were here, and most had brought their heirs and other scions. The scions of a house were not allowed votes, but Kain knew the nobility bore no particular love for him; rather the opposite.
His guards conducted him to the chair to the west. As he sat, he glanced at the faces of the nobles he could see. Most looked bored. A few seemed to be anticipating the trial much as a carrion bird might anticipate a dying animal's last gasp. Lord Marek had his lady wife with him, and she was making quite a show of her grief, as was his now-widowed daughter-in-law, who was garbed and veiled in black. Lord Nerthic looked distinctly irritated, to judge by the way he tapped his fingers against his Dragoon medallion.
Lord Darmin had settled himself at the end of one bench with a lap-desk, quill, parchment, and ink. He wore a sober expression. His heir sat next to him, similarly equipped, and bore an identical expression. Kain suppressed a sigh of relief. The Darmins fought Cecil tooth and nail over every reform the paladin proposed, but they were famous for their relentless fairness in both business dealings and court cases.
Kain stood before the chair, not seating himself. Cecil lifted his right hand. Everyone fell silent.
"Captain Kain Highwind, you come before this court in answer to charges brought by Lord Barrett Marek. He charges you with attempted assassination of our heir, Crown Prince Jalen Harvey, and also with the murder of his son, Lord John Marek. How do you answer these charges?"
"I say they are false, Your Majesty."
"Very well. Captain Highwind asserts that the charges brought by Lord Marek are false. Lord Marek has hired an advocate to speak for him. Captain Highwind, do you have an advocate?" Cecil asked.
"Your Majesty, I prefer to act in my own defense."
"Be seated, Captain."
Kain seated himself and waited through the proceedings of listing out the circumstances of the accusation and the basic presentation of evidence by the captain of the castle guard. He could find nothing to fault in the man's investigation. The evidence presented agreed with his own memory of the events.
"Your Majesty, I wish to question Captain Highwind," Lord Marek's advocate announced when the recitation was complete.
"Proceed." Cecil's hands were resting on the arms of his throne. Kain studied the King for a moment. Cecil was garbed in his usual pale robes, and was actually wearing his crown, which he normally eschewed. His hands were relaxed to the casual eye, but Kain noticed that the King's wedding band was turned around upon his finger, something Cecil did when he was worried. Kain forced his shoulders to relax and faced Lord Marek's advocate.
"Captain Highwind, I am given to understand that you engaged in a physical confrontation with Lord John Marek in the chambers of Crown Prince Jalen that ended in Lord John Marek's death. Is this correct?"
"Yes." Kain folded his hands.
"I am given to understand that you disarmed Lord John Marek before you killed him."
"I disarmed him of the knife he was holding over Crown Prince Jalen with the apparent intent to slay the heir to the throne of Baron. He drew a falchion."
"Is it not true that you went to Prince Jalen's room with the intent to murder the Crown Prince?" the advocate inquired.
Kain might have laughed, if some of the nobles hadn't been smirking at the question. "That is a blatant falsehood."
"Why were you in Prince Jalen's room?"
"I had followed Lord Marek there, suspecting that he intended to harm Prince Jalen." Kain met the advocate's eyes squarely.
"Why did you believe he intended to harm Prince Jalen?"
"I had overheard him talking with another man in the Paladin's Shield tavern. The man he spoke to, whose name I do not know, suggested that if Lord Marek wished to teach the King a lesson, that he would be able to do so that night. Lord Marek remained at the tavern some four hours more, then departed and made his way to the castle. He climbed up the castle wall between the circles of light cast by the guards' torches, and climbed down into the courtyard on the other side. I followed him into a hidden passageway which opened outside Prince Jalen's room. He entered the room and drew his dagger. I attacked him. We fought. He lost." Kain heard the muttering behind him and ignored it.
"Why did you not stop him sooner?"
"I had no proof that he intended harm to the Prince, only an ambiguous conversation. Once he climbed into the castle, I still had no proof that he intended aught but a lark or perhaps the fulfillment of a dare. I was confident that if a genuine threat to the Prince materialized, I would be able to protect him." He wondered if it sounded too rehearsed, but surely it was to be expected that he had told this story several times before.
"Yet you were unable to stop Lord Marek without killing him?" The advocate had a nasty, slimy smile on his face. Jalen was squirming on his throne, but Cecil's warning look held the Prince silent for now.
"He drew a blade on the Crown Prince. I disarmed him once and he failed to surrender. He drew a second blade on me and attacked me. His death was regrettable, but he had multiple opportunities to desist from his course of action."
"I have no further questions for you," the advocate stated.
"Captain Highwind." Cecil was studying him. "Had the man explicitly stated that his intention was to harm the Crown Prince, what action would you have taken?"
"I would have immediately placed him under arrest and brought him to you for trial, Your Majesty."
"Thank you, Captain." Cecil squeezed Jalen's hand lightly. "I request that Crown Prince Jalen give testimony in this matter."
There was significant muttering in the audience. Kain chanced a look at Lord Darmin. He had several lines of writing on his parchment and was tapping his quill against his lips thoughtfully.
Rosa smiled encouragingly at Jalen, who slid off his chair and took a deep breath as he faced the King—and it was the King, not his father. "I was asleep," he said. "I woke up and a man in a dark cloak was standing over my bed with a knife. Captain Highwind knocked his knife away. He tried to kill the Captain, and the Captain killed him." He turned to glare at the audience. "The Captain was doing his job in protecting me. He never tried to hurt me. He's my uncle."
The advocate rose from his chair. "Crown Prince Jalen, are you sure that Captain Highwind did not just tell you this story to have you defend him at his trial?"
Cecil went pale with anger. Rosa's eyes were sparkling in a way that boded ill for whoever next crossed her path. Kain reminded himself that killing the advocate in the open courtroom was not the best way to obtain an acquittal.
Jalen scowled. "Did you say I am lying?" he asked.
"Crown Prince, I would never presume to suggest that you told an untruth. I merely ask if perhaps Captain Highwind described the situation and you believed him," the advocate said.
Kain's hand itched for his spear. From the position of her hand, Rosa was wishing for her bow. Cecil appeared carved in stone, a mask of rage.
Jalen glanced at Cecil and then at Kain, looking for support. Kain did his best to remain impassive, but Jalen must have seen what he was looking for. He turned back toward the advocate and drew himself up to his full height, the scowl smoothing away. "I am very sure of what I saw."
"Advocate," Cecil said, "we find your insinuations regarding our heir to be disingenuous and insulting to ourselves and to him. If the only way you can argue your case is to cast aspersions on the character and abilities of our heir, we request that you be seated and allow the trial to continue."
"Your Majesty, I have only the greatest of respect for yourself and the Crown Prince," the advocate said. "However, in the interests of pursuing the unvarnished truth of what occurred, I must in good conscience ask if Crown Prince Jalen is quite sure of what he saw."
"He has stated repeatedly that he is sure," Rosa said. "I almost think that you hope to badger and confuse my son into erring over his choice of words. I assure you that such an intent would not be conducive to your continued presence in this chamber."
The advocate bowed to her with a great flourish. "Your Majesty, such was never my intent. I do apologize if I have given offense to Your Majesties in any way. I think that we have heard all that we need from the Crown Prince regarding what he seems to have seen."
Kain seethed inwardly. Where on earth had Marek found this insufferable viper?
"We suggest, Advocate, that you attend more carefully to your words in the future, as you have come very close to insulting us and our heir twice this morning already." Cecil's tone was rigidly controlled, but the impact of his use of the royal 'we' had not been lost. Kain knew that Cecil used that linguistic conceit only sparingly; its impact was the more significant now for it.
Kain glanced over the audience while the advocate ostentatiously ruffled his sheaf of papers. Lord Darmin was expressionless, but Kain could see William Darmin's distaste for the advocate plainly in his expression. Lord Darmin's heir was no more receptive to Cecil's changes than his father, but Kain had spoken with the stewards who helped run the Darmins' large estates, and they all agreed that Lord William had inherited his father's knack for fairness and talent for management. The Mareks and the Vyrans were a lost cause; they would vote guilty regardless of if John Marek's ghost should appear and declare his intention to assassinate the Crown Prince. Lord Nerthic would likely be supportive of Kain if only to further cement his position as Cecil's favourite advisor, though Kain hoped that he also harbored some remaining fondness from the days when he had trained with Lord Nerthic.
The advocate cleared his throat loudly and shuffled his papers once again. "I would like to question Lieutenant Matthew Darmin," he said.
Cecil nodded to one of the guards, who went to conduct Matthew forward to stand before the King. Fortunately, Matthew did not try to meet Kain's eyes. He stared straight ahead, clad in his full ceremonial dress uniform.
"Lieutenant Darmin, it is my understanding that both Lord John Marek and Captain Kain Highwind passed by your guard station on the night of the incident," the advocate said.
Kain suppressed a grimace. He could discern already the direction that the advocate planned to take, and it was not a subtle one.
"That is correct," Matthew said without inflection.
"Why did you not stop Lord Marek upon his ascent to the top of the walls?"
Matthew's tone took on the flat, passionless inflection of a man making a difficult report to his superiors. "I was standing guard on the south wall. Captain Highwind leapt to the top of the wall and informed me that someone would be climbing up shortly, someone who intended to harm the Crown Prince. Captain Highwind ordered me to remain where I was so that he might track the assassin; he had insufficient evidence at that time to justify an arrest, and thought to obtain more by allowing the man to move farther. Also he thought to gain information about how the castle's defenses had been breached, for he was concerned by the knowledge and coordination displayed by the would-be assassin."
"Did you not question such an order?" the advocate interrupted.
"Do you suggest that I would disobey my commanding officer?" Matthew demanded.
"It seems a passing strange order to give to a military unit devoted to protecting the King," the advocate said. "Would not a Dragoon normally strike to eliminate such a threat?"
"Dragoons are more than just spearmen," Matthew said. "The Captain reasoned, and I agreed, that there was more to gain by following this man than simply arresting him on the spot. Therefore, I remained behind at my post while the Captain followed him deeper into the castle. At the Captain's request, I sent Dragon Knights to the Crown Prince's quarters. I was not part of any activities that happened after that point."
"Hmmm," the advocate said with more volume than was strictly required. He made a show of taking notes on a sheet of parchment that lay before him, and fanned out more sheets on the table. He spent several moments shuffling through them, ostentatiously making everyone wait for him. Just as Cecil drew breath to call him to task, the advocate looked up. "Lieutenant Darmin, did it ever occur to you that Captain Highwind might wish to assassinate Lord Marek in private, and did not wish to cause you to choose between your loyalty to the King and your loyalty to your Captain?"
"That is entirely preposterous," Matthew said firmly. "The only thing that Captain Highwind values more highly than the Dragon Knights is the King and his family. He would never countenance any action that might bring harm to the King, the Queen, the Crown Prince, or the Princess Sophia. Moreover, I have served with Captain Highwind for the better part of a decade. I have never known him to have a quarrel of any sort with John Marek, therefore he would have no cause to desire to fight him save that Lord Marek intended harm to one of the royal family."
"Yet we all know how eagerly Captain Highwind served the false king," the advocate said.
Cecil's hands clenched on the arms of his throne. Kain began to mentally recite the names of the captains of the Dragon Knights, starting with his most recent predecessor. Rosa's eyes were narrowed. Matthew appeared nearly ready to reach for the dagger that hung from his belt. Yet it was Jalen, with the simple fierceness of youth, who spoke up. "Why are you blaming Uncle Kain for protecting me?"
Silence fell in the throne room. Kain lost his place in the recitation and could not focus enough to try to regain it. He thought he caught a wisp of a smile on Lord Darmin's face, but could not be sure.
The advocate stood with jaw agape, seemingly incapable of marshaling a response. Cecil rose from his throne, and all eyes turned to him. "The Crown Prince raises a very pertinent question," he said. "I would like to hear your answer before this trial continues."
The advocate gaped a moment longer before appearing to collect himself. "Your Majesty, with all due respect, regardless of Captain Highwind's protective instincts toward the Crown Prince—" and the oily smile on his face made Kain strongly consider breaking the man's neck for the implications of his statement "—the fact is that he slew a member of Baron's nobility. This trial is to determine if the Captain acted with murderous intent."
"Given the circumstances," Rosa said sharply, "I cannot think that I myself would have acted any differently seeing my son threatened. Do you suggest that Captain Highwind should have waited for Lord Marek to stab the Crown Prince before acting?"
Cecil covered Rosa's hand with his own, and she fell silent. He turned to face the advocate. "If you have convincing evidence or testimony to suggest that Captain Highwind acted with specifically murderous intent toward Lord Marek, present it now. Otherwise, I feel that I have heard enough."
There was a moment of silence. Kain took inventory of the audience again and was not comforted. The final decision was Cecil's, as any case of this magnitude would be, but if he contravened the general wishes of his advisors, he would be setting himself up for a difficult road. He had ever been prone to doing so, but Kain wished he did not have to do so merely to settle this sort of ridiculous accusation.
"I can but do as Your Majesty bids." The advocate's tones were unctuous and the bow he gave was just short of the truly ridiculous. Kain took note of the ill-concealed rage on Barrett Marek's face. When Lady Marek's gaze turned in his direction, he fought the urge to reach for a weapon he did not bear; the malevolence in her expression seemed nearly sufficient to cause physical harm.
"Nobles of Baron," Cecil said, "you have heard the testimony and seen the evidence. You may present your findings as: guilty, innocent, or no verdict. Those choosing guilty, please raise your hands."
Some fifteen of the nobles raised their hands, Lord Marek first among them with Lord Vyran not far behind.
"Those choosing innocent," Cecil said. Lord Darmin raised his hand slowly, as did Lady Farrell, Lord Nerthic, and two others.
"And those choosing no verdict?" The remaining ten hands were raised. Cecil sighed.
"It grieves us to contravene the wishes of our honoured and wise friends," the King said formally, "but we find nothing in the evidence to convince us that Captain Highwind acted for aught save the safety of our son and heir. Therefore, we clear Captain Highwind of any wrongdoing, and dismiss the charges against him."
"This is an outrage!" Lord Marek was on his feet and shouting. "You've no right to do this! My son was killed because of that traitorous bastard—"
"The King has spoken," Lord Nerthic cut in, turning to face Lord Marek. "Like it or not, Barrett, it is the King's decision, and I for one saw naught but your hatred to recommend the charges against Prince Kain. I suggest you put an end to your losses and remove yourself ere you invite the King's wrath further. Such behaviour is entirely unbefitting one who would claim dominion over any portion of Baron's lands and people."
"Our verdict is final," Cecil said. "Captain Highwind, accompany us." He rose from his throne and offered his arm to Rosa. Jalen trailed behind them as they proceeded down the narrow aisle between the rows of nobles. Kain fell into line behind them and followed them out of the throne room.
Guards, courtiers, and ladies-in-waiting took their usual places fore and aft of the royal procession, which continued on its way to the King's chambers. Rosa handed Jalen over into the keeping of a governess, and then sank onto a settee with a sigh. Cecil removed his crown and set it with great care on the table, but did not sit. Kain remained standing at attention, despite his lack of weapons and armour.
"Very well, say it," Cecil said with a sigh.
"It is only what you know already, Your Majesty," Kain said, mindful of the ladies-in-waiting who hovered nearby. "I am duly grateful for the salvaging of my meager and troublesome skin, but you have charted a difficult course for yourself. They will not give up."
"No, they will not." Cecil rubbed his eyes. "Have you any suggestions as to how we might mitigate the damage?"
"Those who voted innocent who are not directly tied to us—that is to say, neither Lord Darmin, Lady Farrell, nor Lord Nerthic--might be useful in talking round at least those who gave no verdict." Kain thought about it. "I don't know why half the ones who voted guilty did so; either they desired to thumb their noses at you, or else they owed favours to either Lord Marek or Lord Vyran."
"I mislike the idea of manipulating them," Rosa said, "but it seems we have little choice in the matter."
Cecil seated himself at last, perched on the settee next to Rosa. Kain automatically started to avert his eyes, but was surprised to find that the gesture hurt less than it once might have, so much so that he missed the first part of Cecil's statement. "…might need to offer some kind of appeasement so that I do not find myself at odds with them every time I would like to propose a change," Cecil said.
"We could review the tax records tomorrow and see if any of the undecided might benefit from an adjustment to their assessment, or else if the treasury would support investment in their lands," Kain suggested.
"Or perhaps an appointment to a meaningful position," Rosa offered.
Kain nodded. "Meaningful, but not too important, lest—"
"Lest it appear I am buying their support after having seen how precarious my position is," Cecil finished for him. "It is well thought of, Rosa." He squeezed her hand. Kain felt the familiar twinge in his heart, but it was not so strong as he would have expected. Had the months away from Baron City worked some strange alchemy upon his feelings for Rosa?
"Let us speak of more cheerful things," Rosa said firmly, and steered the conversation to the matter of the Harvest Festival. Kain joined in the discussion, but found his mind wandering more than was prudent.
He could not help but feel that the assassination attempt was but the first in a chain of events that he would soon have cause to regret.