Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2003 22:38:19 -0700 (PDT)
From: Corrinne S <mdaigle@prodigy.net>
Subject: Dark Wishes Installment 17: Part 3 Chapters 13-15

Note: This is a gay themed fantasy novel about kings
and magic, love and war.  Although I will often allude
to sexual encounters, there are no scenes of sexual
acts for this is, by and large, a love story.  This
author claims exclusive copyright to the characters,
settings, and plot.

Dark Wishes

M.C. Gordon

Part Three: Fanna

Chapter Thirteen

     Fanna's health continued to improve with no sign
that there would be any lingering affect from his
wounds.  Please and relieved, Trelaine summoned the
Lords of Elanen to High Council.

     When all were seated in the massive council
chamber, save two, Trelaine greeted them.  "You are
all well come," he said as they gathered at the
council table.  "Spring is ending and we must tend to
the needs of the kingdom for the next year.  But first
we must attend to a very serious matter.  During my
absence in Endril murder was done in Elanen,
treachery, and threats of civil war.  These acts
cannot be allowed to go unpunished."

     There were murmurs of agreement.  The lords knew
of the hostility between Willen and Briganate.
Wisely, none had chosen sides for all knew that their
King would find the truth and dispense justice on his
return.

     "I will ask that each of you draw from the
pebbles in this jar," the King said as his servant
Dilby handed him a jar of plain white pottery.  "There
are ten pebbles, seven gray and three black.  Those
who draw the black pebbles will hear the evidence,
both written and spoken, and will decide the guilt or
innocence of those in question.  I will abide by your
decision.  Do you all agree to this?"

     A resounding, "Aye!" went through the room.  They
knew their King was always fair and reasonable when it
came to matters regarding Elanen.  It was only threats
to those he loved that caused the High King to lose
reason and extract bloody retribution.  The kingdom
had rumored for two hundred years that he was the
reincarnation of Miralen, that Qell Lord who had been
possessed of a fierce temper and laid waste an entire
province for the murder of a lover.

     Lords Willen and Brigante were summoned to the
council chamber.  The hatred the two felt for each
other permeated the entire room.  Brigante wanted his
children, Emiline and Rangel, to enter with him but
the guards held them back.

     Willen quietly took his place at the table but
Brigante approached Trelaine, who had seated himself
upon his throne.  Fanna sat on a lower throne to the
right of the King.  "I have come to council as
summoned, Majesty," Brigante said.  "But why are my
children called?  Emiline is but a female and Rangel
will never hold a place in the council.  He is my
youngest and will inherit neither my lands nor my
title."

     "Lord Willen's son, Adelin, would have been
called to council, did he live," Trelaine replied.
"And that son was the eldest.  He would have held his
place in this council in due time.  Elanen has lost
not only a citizen but a future Lord of the Realm.
This matter is being brought before the council to
determine the right and wrong of the affair."

     The three lords who sat in judgment had read
through the written reports and accounts of witnesses
prior to the arrival of Lords Willen and Brigante.
Their questions had been written down and handed to
the King.  Carip had his instructions and called out
for Emiline to enter and face the court.

     "Child," Trelaine said to her gently, "my reports
state that you deny Adelin made any attempt to molest
you.  Is this true?"

     "Yes, Majesty," she said.  "It is true that I had
no great love for Adelin, but I would not falsely
accuse him."

     "Do you see one in this chamber who was
responsible for the assault?"

     Emiline glanced around the room and saw a figure
against the far wall.  "He did, Majesty," she said as
she pointed at the man.  "It was he who attacked me
and took away my maidenhood against my will."

     "Thank you, Emiline," Trelaine told her.  "You
may go."

     The girl curtsied and left the council chamber.
Her brother waited for her in the corridor.  "What
happened?" he asked.

     "I told the truth," she replied, "as I intended
to do.  May the gods help you, brother.  You have lied
and murdered.  I do not regret the death of an enemy
of our house.  I regret that you chose to kill him and
not seek the man who had truly wronged me."

     Rangel expected to be summoned next and had his
story well in hand.  But the hours passed and he
waited for the summoning to no avail.

     In the great chamber, King Trelaine had his
guards gently escort the accused to the judges.  All
were familiar with the man who stood quietly before
the court.

     "Axten, do you know why you are here today?"
Trelaine asked.

     The hulking man shrugged his shoulders and wiped
a bit of drool from his mouth.  His skull was not
fully developed, the result being that his head gave
the appearance of being caved in on one side.  His
speech was slow and slurred and he stumbled rather
than walked.  He would go from one village to the next
and stand in the village square until someone took him
in out of the rain or snow and gave him food and a
place to sleep for a night or a week.  Children and
animals adore him; adults pitied him.

     "Axten, do you know the lady who just stood
before us?" Trelaine asked.

     "Pretty," the man replied.

     "Axten, did you touch her?"

     "Axten did as brother asked," he replied.

     "What say you, judges?" Trelaine asked the three
lords.  "Is this man to be held accountable?"

     The unanimous answer was, "Nay!"

     "Thank you, Axten.  You may go.  Carip, take him
to the kitchen and see that Cook gives him a good
meal.  Ask her to fill his pack with strips of salted
meat and biscuits.  And, Axten, never again answer
such a request without first sending word to me for
approval."

     The man nodded his head.  He understood very
little of the world around him but the words of his
King bypassed his conscious thought and went to the
very depths of his mind.

     Rangel cooled his heels in the long corridor of
Aolane as servants and soldiers were called to the
council chamber.  He formed one thought and then
another.  The first fear he felt was when his sister
had condemned him for his actions.  His second had
been when the idiot had left the council free and not
in chains.

     When Trelaine felt the boy had cooled his heels
long enough the summons came.  "Rangel, son of
Brigante, you are summoned before this court to answer
to the charge of conspiracy to plot murder and rape,
and murder.  How say you?" Carip's voice boomed out.

     "I have done none of these things," Rangel stated
to the men who sat in judgment.  The break in his
voice belied his belligerent stance.  "My sister was
assaulted.  His Majesty was busy elsewhere.  I feared
that Adelin would escape before the King returned.  I
did my duty to my sister and my house by exacting
punishment."  He tried to be as convincing as
possible.

     Trelaine leaned forward and whispered to Fanna
behind his hand while he waited for the judges to hand
him their questions.  They spoke of nothing
significant, but it served to unnerve Rangel.

     "Rangel," Trelaine began, "your sister swore
before this court that Adelin did not attack her and
identified the man responsible.  He admitted his guilt
and stated it was done at your suggestion.  What say
you, young lordling?  Will you confess your part and
tell this court why you committed a crime against your
sister and two innocent men?"

     Fear welled up inside of him for Rangel knew he
had no choice but to admit his guilt.  No man or woman
could look into the silver eyes of the Qell Lord and
lie.  The High King was know to exact immediate and
terrible justice for heinous crimes and Rangel knew
his only chance for a merciful death was in telling
the absolute truth.

     "I am guilty," he said.  "I did it for him," he
said as he pointed to his father.  "He hated Lord
Willen and swore that he had good cause for such
hatred.  He spoke of little else than destroying the
house of Willen.  All of his children were fed his
hatred as if it were mother's milk.  Majesty," he
pleaded, "I am the last and least of his get.  I
thought that if I could bring harm to the house of
Willen he would at least acknowledge me for one time
in my life."

     "But in doing so you caused great harm to your
sister and threatened the life and soul of an innocent
who knows less of how it is between men and women than
I, young lordling."  Trelaine turned from the
trembling boy and asked, "What say you, judges?  Is
this lad accountable?"

     "Aye," from the three men.

     Rangel stopped breathing as he heard the verdict
against him.  His tears began to flow freely but he
stood straight and tall.  His father might never feel
pride in him but he would face the King with courage
and accept death as his punishment.  He fully expected
to be charred to ash and have his soul stripped away.

     Instead, the King asked in a soft voice, "How old
are you?"

     "Sixteen years," he replied.

     "I ask Lord Brigante to tell the court what
caused such hatred for the house of Willen," Trelaine
said.  His eyes blazed as he spoke and Brigante was
caught in their magic.

     "I hate him because Nenevere scorned me and
married Willen instead.  My lineage is older with more
titles and wealth.  And she scorned me for that, that
upstart who is a lord only because he was granted
title and land!