Elemental Thief Part I : Child of Calamity

Queen's Justice

Valencia stood along with the other twelve Peers as Queen Solara and Princess Akina entered the council room and made their way to the head of the table, where Valencia sat across from Tisaso.

The Queen accepted their bows of respect before sitting.

"I believe it is my responsibility to speak judgement on this matter." Queen Solara murmured to the group before setting a hard glare around the table, stopping anyone from interrupting. "I have been advised of the facts of the case and have conferred with my daughter on the matter. I will allow anyone who has any wish to speak their mind to do so."

Lord Feno watched her for a long moment, then glanced at both Valencia and Tisaso, then finally spoke. "Is what he claims, is it true, Regency?"

The Queen paused for a moment, before inclining her head. "He poisoned me not long after my husband died. I don't know how, but he then blackmailed me with my life, with my daughter's life, to gain a great deal of sway over the ongoings within Clairval. It is why I left the Princess with Ivenmers for schooling these last four years. I understand my choices are not ones of strength as you would expect from your regent, and it has put all of you and Clairval at risk. I also have reason to believe that my husband suffered from the same cause as I, and showed more moral courage than I did, and paid for it with his life."

"For those reasons alone, Regency, I believe he has signed his own death warrant." Feno inclined his head. "It is not a light instance where a Peer has fallen so far to believe so, but I believe the evidence. I believe his own admission. I only worry about your survival."

"My life is in my own hands now." The Queen said, looking around the table with a firm expression. "And is not to be worried about by any of you."

Around the table, most of the Peers showed their agreement with Feno, though Riven, Roth and another of Corvin's allies remained auspiciously silent.

Tisaso glanced around the table, then nodded and looked to the Queen. "I am loyal to your decision, Regency, and hope to find a solution to your ailment, but I do not believe there is anything that shows Lord Corvin is innocent."

"Thank you Admiral." Solara nodded, the first public acknowledgement by the Queen of the woman's rank, before looking to Valencia.

"Give me the clearance to search his seized properties. Let me scour every inch of them for whatever he has that may cure you." Valencia could barely stem the flow of her words. "I will hunt down every contact he had, everyone who was aware of what he was doing, and bring them to justice, bring you a cure. There is nothing in his actions that is redeemable, Regency. But we can solve this."

Solara nodded at the woman's words. "Thank you, General." She glanced at the Royal Guard, who stood by the door, nodding her head. "Bring in the prisoner for sentencing."

Val watched the doors open, revealing Lord Corvin, looking unworried, slightly arrogant; watching as he saw the Queen and broke out into a barely concealed look of happiness. The man believed his ploy had worked, his posture becoming straighter, shrugging off the hands of the Guards as he moved into a bow to the Queen. "Regency. I see you've finally decided to end this pointless exercise."

Queen Solara didn't batt an eye to him, her expression a regal mask of stone that silenced even his swagger.

"Corvin of no title, for I revoke you of all your inheritance. Corvin of no family name, for I revoke the acknowledgement of the name you were born into. Corvin of no Peerage, for there are now only twelve." Queen Solara spoke harshly and to the point, her skin pale with the effort of leashing her anger.

Valencia steeled herself against amusement at the man's sudden rude awakening, seeing the shock absorb into his features like a physical blow, as the Queen continued speaking. He was shocked, his eyes widening, beginning to shake as the words washed over him, hitting him harder than the kick from a mule.

"For endangering Clairval and all that you should have served and protected, I find you guilty and sentence you to death. For threatening the wellbeing of other Peers and planning war and violence against them, I find you guilty and sentence you to death. For the act of high treason, I find your guilty and sentence you to death. For conspiracy to murder the Princess Heir, you are guilty, and your sentence is death. And for assaulting the Regency with the intent of murder, you are guilty and you are sentenced to death." Solara glared hard at the man. "This will be carried out within the next week, at a yet to be determined time and location. Take him away."

No one had argued against it, no one had dared. But there was still a look and feeling of shock on their faces as the Guard dragged Corvin from the room, still mute in his own disbelief.

"That will be my last official duty as Regent." The Queen offered softly, after the silence had grown oppressive in the room. "Princess Akina's coronation will be within the next fortnight. But in the meantime, you have a war to plan and a defence to shore up. I would suggest that you spend some of this time rebuilding our alliance with our eastern neighbours."

And before anyone could react to the news, she stood and left the room, leaving Akina to dismiss them for the rest of the morning. As if a few hours and a light meal could allow them to come to terms with the abdication of their Regent. But there were only so many hours in the day, and undoubtedly a few days left before war loomed on the horizon.