“After you meddled in his kingdom’s affairs,” Master Lucknow said. “And you have the nerve to call us ungrateful.”
Emily flushed, angrily. “I was invited to Zangaria by then-Princess Alassa, one of my closest friends. I could not have turned my back on her, when the coup began and she needed help. And by restoring her father to power, one could say I restored the status quo.”
“You broke the Compact,” Master Lucknow charged.
“She was - she is - my friend,” Emily countered. They’d had a rough start, but she would risk her life for Alassa... and she thought Alassa would do the same for her. Besides, they’d had years to complain about her ennoblement and hadn’t said anything. “Would you have urged me to abandon her?”
Master Lucknow said nothing. Emily wondered what was going through his mind. A magician, certainly one taking her first steps away from her family, was meant to support her friends. Leaving Alassa in the lurch - or even dragging her back to Whitehall - would have reflected badly on Emily. She was mature enough to realize there were times when the best thing you could do was turn and walk away, if someone made unreasonable demands, but it wasn’t easy. And here, it would have made her look bad.
Another chime echoed through the air. “It is time for the prosecutor to sum up his case,” Master Tor said. “And then the defendant may make her final reply.”
“I will not mince words,” Master Lucknow said. “Lady Emily has done great things. That cannot be denied. But she is also dangerous. She has upset the balance of power... no, she has smashed it beyond repair. The chaos sweeping over a dozen kingdoms, the disruption plaguing all of the magic schools... they all stem from her and her innovations. It is the desire of many a king and nobleman, of patriarch and matriarch, that she be rendered unable to do further harm.
“But, putting that aside, the White Council must seek to take control and direct the storm. It is incumbent upon us to handle the matter, to ensure that Lady Emily can do no more damage to our position. Yes, we have reason to be grateful. Yes, we have reason to pile rewards and titles on her until she is squashed flat. But we cannot let gratitude get in the way of doing the right thing. It is the will of many a councilor that Lady Emily be... removed. I ask you to put your emotions aside and consider the practicalities. What is the right thing to do? What will stem the tide of chaos?”
Killing me won’t stem the chaos, Emily thought, coldly. Sweat prickled down her back. Her hands were starting to shake. She clasped them tightly, refusing to show even the slightest hint of fear. It’ll be taken as a sign of weakness, not strength.
“If we do not act now” - his words hung in the air - “do we even have a council?”
“That is a matter of opinion,” a familiar voice said. A rustle ran through the chamber. “And these proceedings are illegal.”
Emily turned and smiled. “Alassa!”
Chapter Five
ALASSA GLOWED AS SHE STEPPED INTO the chamber, her white dress seeming to banish the shadows. She looked strikingly regal, her golden crown standing atop her blonde hair, which fell in waves down her back. Jade, Lady Barb and Void stood behind her, but they were practically lost in the glow. Emily heard gasps and felt her smile grow wider. It was easy for her to forget that Alassa was a monarch. The jurymen didn’t have the luxury of knowing her as a person.
“I apologize for my tardiness,” Alassa said, in a tone that would have landed her in hot water at Whitehall. “My invitation evidently went astray.”
Master Lucknow looked, just for a moment, shocked by Alassa’s appearance. “You are not a member of this court, Your Majesty,” he said. “Your name wasn’t drawn during the selection...”
“The court was legally obliged to inform me when it started considering proceedings against one of my aristocrats,” Alassa said. “I heard nothing. To my certain knowledge, the matter was never discussed with my ambassador, let alone me.”
Her eyes swept the room. “And, I might add, such a proceeding carried out without my input is of questionable legality. The majority of the ruling monarchs will agree with me on this point.”
“It was determined that we needed to act as quickly as possible,” Master Lucknow told her, curtly. “The committee believed it had to arrest Lady Emily before...”
“The committee’s very formation is also of questionable legality,” Alassa pointed out, mildly. Emily knew her well enough to know she was grinning inside. “The White Council did not - cannot - grant such authority without the consent of the councilors. It was never discussed with me or my representative. I do not believe it was discussed with anyone else.”
There was a hint of triumph in her eyes. “It is a long-standing legal principle that all interested parties have their say,” she added. “Emily is one of my aristocrats, as well as a close personal friend. I’d say I count as an interested party.”
Master Lucknow looked irked. “Your judgement is suspect, Your Majesty.”
“So is yours.” Alassa’s tone was artfully bland. “Arresting her without a proper warrant? Rushing her from a holding cell to a courtroom without presenting the charges, let alone giving her time to consider her response, recruit a defender or summon witnesses? My, my... if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to get her convicted and executed before anyone could react.”
Her voice sharpened. “It is a good thing I do know better, isn’t it?”
Master Tor’s eyes narrowed. “The committee believed it needed to move fast...”
“So it has been said,” Alassa said. “And yet, moving without the agreement of the movers and shakers
