P. Power - Knight of the Realm

Holly did, but he was talking to her, so that could be explained away as normal enough if a little intense. Her eyes were a stormy gray that he always associated with crazy people for some reason, though it wasn't true overly. Not really. All the Printer people stared too however, which made him feel uneasy, like they wanted to attack again or something.

It didn't help that all the women in their identical uniforms stood behind Holly stiffly, as if ready to fight for her again, even as they ate pie. But what kind of nut job brings you pie and then attacks? Well, not the kind Tor was, that was for sure…

Damaged or not the peach and strawberry worked well together. The crust was a little more dense on the bottom than Tor would have made it, but that could just be the humidity here, right? Holly ate silently for a while, finally pushing her bowl away and sighing hugely.

“So, how are we doing this? Am I supposed to turn myself in now, or… God I don't know what else. Treason charges? It's theft at least. I knew it when I took the stuff. Just thinking you might not be making any more, well that didn't give me a right to run off with it, did it? I just, I didn't want the Wards to get away with killing Danny like that. We loved each other, arranged marriage or not. If I could have traded places with him, make it me that died, instead of him, I would have. I'd do it now. It just seems like the Wards have something cooked up to get them out of trouble, place the blame elsewhere, probably using Master Tor as a shield to protect them. I mean, they were just waiting for you to show up so that they could make peace? How likely is that?” She crossed her arms meaningfully.

That earned a funny look from Trice who started to cross her own arms, then realized that didn't work too well at the moment. She looked angry for a second, then explained.

“Well, I'd been sent with a message for Tor, and a strong suggestion from Maria that I'd been wrong about him and was being cruel to a good person. Actually she called me a Doretta to my face and told me to fix it while I still had the chance. That came even before that box of stuff you sent with the letter you know. They wouldn't let me destroy the things either and when I started explaining that you were just trying to buy my affection and said I wouldn't have it, Maria nearly tossed me out on my ear. Marvin lectured me for half a day on how I should appreciate having a friend like you and thank whatever my people held sacred that I hadn't killed you. Come to think of it, they'd both been a little awkward about the whole “let's hate on Tor” thing for a long time. I think from before I got there. They both claimed they didn't try to have you killed, though I think Maria did have Laval kick you down those stairs. She said it wasn't supposed to kill you, just make Alphonse feel bad. After the poisoning though, they both seemed to think that it had gone way to far… Though really, I just thought they were faking that part. I would have, if I tried to have someone killed. Why advertise, even with your friends?”

That tracked with what they'd told him at least. That didn't mean they were innocent of anything, but putting them on trial was a lot better than going to war. If they were guilty, they could just kill them. If they were innocent, well, then they could help everyone find who was really guilty, maybe. It was better that way, wasn't it?

Tor thought so, and so did Petra, since it was her brother and she was halfway fond of him at least, if not Maria. Holly obviously wanted to take all the stuff she'd gotten from Tor and use it to raze Warden if she could manage it. Kolb cleared his throat at her, but David shook his head.

“Nah, Kolb, I get it. I kind of want to do that too. But Countess Printer, our anger isn't rational. It isn't good. If we don't let them defend their name when they ask, then it's just murder. I say we have the trial, find them guilty and then kill them. That way we'll know that what we deliver is justice or at least looks a bit like it.” His eyes were half hooded, playful it almost seemed, except he didn't laugh afterwards, instead he just exchanged nods with Holly.

What happened really depended on the King’s response to her theft, didn't it? She asked Princess Veronica if she had any thoughts as to what would happen, which got her to produce the letter from Richard. She did it very formally, standing and walking to her and presenting it with a full bow, holding it out from a respectful distance with both hands. Holly went white, but made herself read it. Near the end she gasped, her eyes going wide and a little afraid for some reason.

She didn't read it out loud, but passed it back to Varley for her to read. Then it got passed around the table for everyone else, Tor going last. He was fine with that really, it gave him a chance to finish his pie. It had a slight tang that he hadn't noticed at first, but realized had to be lemon juice. It was a complex and subtle flavor set.

When the letter got to him he read it casually. It didn't say a lot really, that Tor didn't already know.

It started by saying that she was incredibly lucky that Tor viewed this as a friend merely having borrowed some of his things without asking, and just being willing to leave it at that. The theft of three point two million golds worth of devices would normally garner the death penalty otherwise, even for someone of her station, which was casually mentioned by the King.

It made Tor glad it wasn't theft then and kind of vowed to just assume that nothing ever really was. Things weren't worth a life. Not ever.

Sighing, he realized that meant the military hadn't stolen his home either then. Though some of them had still been jerks.

Near the end the King suggested that County Printer should pay for the devices, which was probably what had gotten the gasp, or, Tor found, the bit under that, which ordered her to not attack County Ward until the King OK'd it. Well, that made sense, but could the King afford to stop her from doing it if she ignored her? Not through force of arms. Not with a war going on with Austra. Tor wondered if that meant that he'd be responsible for any messes Holly got into then? It was… well, not fair, of course, but… Tor had been the one making that many devices and leaving them lying around after all. She'd just “borrowed” them.

Tor just sighed and shook his head a little, hoping it didn’t seem sad or put upon. He felt that way a little, but the situation wouldn’t change just because he didn’t like it.

“Right. So Holly, obviously we don't want this to become some big problem or anything… Reading between the lines it's clear that the real issue here is all about not killing people without a good reason. So… um, not to be all ordering anyone around or anything, but is that OK for now do you think? We try to set up a trial first and if that doesn't work… Really, we need an investigation first though, don't we? If we just take the Wards in now, we pretty much just have to kill them, guilty or not. The circumstantial evidence is all there. I mean, they look guilty enough that I just kind of presumed they were. Only…” He blushed and looked down.

“Only I already thought that both Captain Wensa of the Royal Guard and Trice had tried to kill me, and turned out to be wrong both times. The evidence was there for that too, only it wasn't. Not really.”

That got silence from around the table, Trice staring at him for a full half minute without saying anything.

“Me?” She looked hurt.

“No one told you? Lots of clues. Let's see, you knew that I wouldn't wear a shield right after a meal back then, and what rout I'd take to get back to my room. The person that kicked me down the stairs was about the same size you are and had seen Wensa enough to fake being her. Which you could easily do. With the poison… come on Trice, it was placed in my room, on my bed, and the juice came directly from your parents estate. Plus, you know, you're an expert on poisons and stuff, or at least expert enough to take a crack at me. Yeah, it would have been stupid to do it that way, but you kind of looked like a reasonable person to blame, especially after telling everyone that you wished I'd died and attacking me in public like you did.” He hadn't started out sounding that way, but bitterness filled his voice by the end. Sure, it wasn't her fault, the King had made her say all that stuff, but that didn't mean that Tor felt fine about it just for knowing that. Taking a second, he closed his eyes and sighed.