The Lady Justice

Chapter XXXIII: To Arrest, And Be Arrested

Lady Katherine Harrington of Johanne

15 November, Year 1 of Sebastian VI, Emperor of the Longbournian Nations' reign

Amöneburg Palace, Amöneburg

The Longbournian Nations

Later that night, the Emperor, his sister, Captain Keitel and I were seated in a semi-circle around the fireplace in the Emperor's chambers.

There was no one else present. The guards had been asked to leave the chambers, and the Emperor had persuaded Richard to stay at the Palace for the time being. He was probably asleep in one of the guest chambers by now.

Captain Keitel's face was deathly white now, just as the Princess and I finished recounting the day's events to her.

"We cannot arrest her."

The Princess' eyes narrowed. "And why not, ma'am?" she demanded, her voice rising in anger, "that woman had all but tried to murder – "

"Natalya," the Emperor cut in sternly, his deep voice husky from having remained silent for a long time, "Dorothea is sleeping."

He glanced down to check if Princess Dorothea had been woken up by the Princess' tirade - fortunately, the child still slumbered on, with her arms loosely wrapped around his neck and her head against his shoulders.

"Oh, apologies, Brother-mine," the Princess bit her lip, before addressing Captain Keitel again, "as I was asking – "

"We cannot arrest her for the same reason we could not arrest the Do – I mean, our previous suspect," she quickly corrected herself, her eyes darting to the Emperor, "we do not have proof. The word of the kidnapper and Princess Dorothea alone is not sufficient."

The Princess opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out. She knew she was right.

"Who was the previous suspect?" the Emperor was curious.

Captain Keitel and the Princess looked at each other, alarmed. If the Emperor knew we once suspected his mother -

I came to their rescue. "The more important question is, what do we do now?" I asked solemnly, "we simply cannot do nothing, knowing who is behind this. The Emperor's life will continue to be in danger with every moment we delay."

"I suppose one of us will have to watch Tante Loraine without her knowledge," the Princess sighed, exhausted, "and waste another month waiting for her to slip up - "

"Nay, we cannot. It has been almost three hours now since Dorothea attacked the Emperor, Mistress Hohenstaufen," I explained, "and she has not returned to her mother. Your Tante will have realised by now that we have been trying coerce who Fräulein is out of Dorothea. She will know that we know."

A brooding silence fell over the group.

"What I cannot fathom," the Princess eventually shook her head, "is why Tante Loraine would risk sending Dorothea in her place, when she knows she will easily be caught."

"She is becoming desperate," the Emperor closed his eyes, "and mayhap she hoped Dorothea would succeed in killing me before she was caught. All of her other planned and calculated methods had failed, in any case."

The anger, the pain in his voice was palpable. It was then that I remembered that Princess Loraine had been as much of a second parent to him, as Prince Heinrich had been.

My expression softened. "Sebastian – "

At that moment, we heard loud footsteps thundering towards the chambers, growing louder and louder, and raised, angry voices piercing the silence of the night.