The Squabbles of Lords.
Aclidia: Hall of Governance
Behind two massive bronze decorated doors lies the Hall of Governance. The domed ceiling soars high above, ornately painted with the visages of countless Aclidian Emperors and each staring straight down into the hall below, as if overseeing the daily governance of their empire. The only light source here is a straight shot of sunlight that falls through an oculus at the apex of the dome. It is from here that the laws and by-laws of Aclidia are wrote, debated and re-wrote by the city's ruling council of lords and nobles, collectively called the Ordinatio. The Hall of Governance has only but a few rooms for such a large structure, the first and foremost of these rooms being the Rotunda. With room enough to sit all the council with all their stewards and visiting dignitaries comfortably, the floor of the Rotunda is sunk into the ground. Six rows of stone benches descend down to a raised stone dais where the Provincial Governor sits in full view of the Ordinatio.
As if this day hadn't been bothersome enough! Now Adriana finds herself presiding over the petty squabbles of the nobility, a task typically appointed at random or to those members of the Ordinatio with nothing else better to do. With the courts still undergoing reconstruction after the last year's fire, the Hall of Governance is doubling as a courthouse, with cases being handled in either the rotunda or one of the smaller side rooms. This night it so happens to be a relatively quiet one for court cases, and as such this one is held under the great dome, beneath the gaze of the Aclidian Emperors. Having arrived plenty early, the baroness is currently waiting on the stone dais in the center of the room, although she doesn't take the Governor's seat, preferring to stand with her arms neatly folded across her chest. Two legionaries take up her either flank, and a duo more guard the entrance to the rotunda. Even for cases as simplistic as this, no expense is spared on safety.
Naturally, Adriana isn't the only one who's terribly put out by the sudden court requirement. Gaius suspected that something like this might happen, and it turns out that he was right; yet knowing that it was coming hardly makes it any less annoying. He arrives in short order, a good fifteen minutes early, military timing dictating that he never make someone wait on him, even if it means waiting on others. He'd received notice that the trial was being held at the Hall of Governance, yet without any obvious places for plaintiffs and defendants, finding a place to sit is somewhat troublesome. In the end, he decides to sit in the front row of seats, stopping his approach only to salute to Adriana and give a clipped, polite, "Greetings, Baroness de Saavik." before taking his seat, also flanked by a pair of guards, his own dressed in shining armor and purple cloth. As this is a formal event, Gaius holds under one arm his helmet, a black thracian helmet with brass detailing, shining bright, a perfect match for his armor.
Abel slips in timidly ahead of his Master. He remains near the door, unwilling to get too close to Gaius without his Master near. The ferret fills him with as much terror as hatred...
Walking in shortly after Abel and with a large grin plastered on his face is Flavius Baro. The weasel is wearing similar garb and dress to what he wore to his first day here visiting the hall, except this formal suit is tailored to accommodate his added girth from the rich Aclidian diet he has subjected his stomach too. Before one of the servants can announce his presence the weasel shouts, "Looks like the gang is all here again! Let the party begin!"
“Lord Baro, this is formal court to hear charges that you have levied against Imperator Gaius. I suggest you take this matter seriously.” From her first spoken words it is clear that Adriana is less than impressed by his jovial nature. Bad enough in her estimation that she has to be here, worse if one party will insist on an overjoyed attitude. She waits long enough for both parties to take their respective places in front of her before continuing. “Flavius Baro, representative of House Baro, this court has been convened to hear charges that you wish to bring against Imperator Gaius Concallesco. State them, and provide evidence to support your claims. Imperator Gaius will be allowed to present a counter argument, and once all of the evidence and statements have been made, I will make my decision.”
For his part, Gaius knows that now is the proper time to remain in utter silence, sitting stock-still and keeping his ears perked, listening to Adriana's every word. This isn't the first time that he's been in a court proceeding, and he's learnt that they're deadly serious. He's seen beasts made and broken by these sorts of things; everything from nobles becoming prisoners to monetary settlements that would make many of the poorer residents faint. This is not a time to talk, in Gaius' opinion, and to go over the defense that he has planned.
Abel remains still near the door. He's not gonna move till Master tells him to. So for now, he watches, in dead silence.
Flavius nods to Adriana and Gaius in turn. "But of course! Just because something is serious does not mean we have to approach it with out humor, because believe me, I am /dead/ serious when one of my beasts area assaulted." The weasel says pleasantly. He snaps his claws for the squirrel to come near. "In short the honorable Gaius dishonorably assaulted one of my slaves, my steward actually, with out cause and with out my permission. He cut off my slave's ear."
Adriana lets the weasel speak without interruption, her face a mask of apathy. Her gaze passes over the slave’s injury, which to her eyes does appear to be quite fresh, but the observation lasts but a moment before her eyes come back to Flavius. “This court does not recognize your slave to be any more important than any other, Lord Baro, regardless of whatever personal attachment you may have to it.” A minor correction, but one that Aclidian law necessitates, and with that trifle cleared up she slides her eyes over to the ferret. “Imperator Gaius, the charge against you damage to the property of an Aclidian citizen. What have you to say in your defense?”
Likewise, Gaius waits until he's addressed to speak, and when he's called upon, he stands up, addressing Adriana from a stand. "As imperator, and thus as a beast who is obligated to perform guardsman duties under Aclidian law, I posit that the property in question was acting on his own accord, and therefore not in the proper capacity as a slave. The property's actions included loitering in a crowded thermopilum, perhaps with bad intent, and doing this without any express written permission from his master. Further explanation of the events will be revealed pending the court processes; for now the defense simply wishes to state the grounds on which it began its investigation."
Abel remains perfectly silent beside Flavius, looking down at the floor, wishing he could just disappear. He listens to the proceedings.
The weasel chuckles to himself, so this is how the powerful justified stomping on the weak. Instead he says, "Loitering? With bad intent?" Flavius shakes his head, "Imperator or not one can not just go around slashing beasts with a deadly weapon at ones own discretion. If he felt my slave was doing something illegal then he could have summoned the guards. I would have been notified, and no blood shed would have happened. Really? Sir Gaius should be more disciplined than to assault my property like a common thug."
Both sides are listened to with complete silence from the baroness, who looks from one to the other as they speak. As judge, it is not her place to interject any sort of opinion into the proceedings, but instead require her to sit tight and keep quiet until both parties have said their fill. “What have you to say to this, Imperator Gaius?”
Again, Gaius stands, knowing by now how a good judge acts, and what he can expect from the proceedings. He also knows not to expect to hear anything to give him a hint on how his case is being understood for some time. "I feel the need to mention, strictly for the court's record, that as imperator I am imbued with the legal authority to act as a guardsman at any time I see fit or by necessity. I needn't go into any details about the placement of an imperator above a guardsman on the hierarchy. Thus, I was able to act in a guardsman's capacity during the event." He pauses for a moment to let this sink in. "Notification of Lord Flavius would have been carried out at length, but was, at the time, not prudent, as the property in question took on a singularly disrespectful tone, and failed to correct his behavior when notified of this. Furthermore, when notified that he could face arrest for failure to properly explain his presence in this area, the property attempted to bribe a member of the Legion, myself, with, and I quote, 'a box of house Baro's finest wine'. It is at that point that I acted, first notifying the property that what was done was, ordinarily, a capital offense, and took from the slave a far more lenient punishment than was required to be taken out of mercy, and of the expectation that his owner would give him more proper discipline later. I was clearly wrong about this." Now finished, Gaius sits back down.
Flavius is stricken by the comment; the news of Abel trying to bribe a guard has taken him completely by surprise. He keeps his face forward, not facing Abel, and grits his teeth. He wasn't truly expecting to win, but he is determined not to leave with out bloodying the arrogant beast’s nose at least, "That is...most informative. We can discuss the very disturbing truth how easily such power can be abused later. For now, perhaps you would like to tell the court about where you found my slave. If I am not mistaken it was at a tavern? Please don't tell me our great hero fancies himself a drink while on duty?"
Here now Adriana chooses to interject, her previously blank mask marred by the steady narrowing of her eyes, and she holds her hand up to indicate that it’s their turn to listen. “The witness I questioned confirmed that this incident took place in a thermopolium, but what Imperator Gaius does in his free time has little bearing on these charges. There is no record that he was performing any duties at the time, and as a servant of the Empire it is expected that he still act in according to his oaths even if he were off duty. A more prevailing issue resides with your property’s disrespectful nature and this charge of bribery. Also, while we are on the subject of your property’s actions, did you provide it with documentation that proves it was allowed to leave your estate without supervision, whether to complete some task or other charge?”
Well, that's surprising. Gaius was fully prepared to give his full rebuttal on how being in the thermopolium does not have any of the connotations that being in a simple bar would, but as Adriana has already set the record straight. Gaius does, however, stand up again regardless. "Baroness de Saavik, at this time I must remind the court that the property was carrying his slave papers with him, but that these papers are often carried by runaways as an excuse should they be caught. There was no message written by Lord Baro on the property. Furthermore, I find that this entire event has been a classic example of mismanagement of property, and a considerable waste of the court's time, money, and effort, as well as my own time. I motion that there be a countercharge made against Lord Baro in the name of the Aclidian Legion." Tastefully, Gaius refuses to use his own name in the countercharge, knowing that any payments made should he win his turnaround will be paid to the treasury, not himself.
Abel isn't even listening anymore. Instead, he's getting angry at Flavius again. None of this would have happened if he'd just given him written permission. The idiot...
Flavius rubs at his eyes, "Your lordship, I admit I am new here, and I am not sure what kind of slaves Gaius is used to, but I have mine trained to work separate from me. I do not hold their hand for every little thing." The weasel sighs, "I am afriad that the lack of papers was something that was..."" Flavius cringes, his next words are forced through clenched teeth, "My fault. It was a lack of knowledge about Aclidian laws. One does not expect a war hero to randomly lop off the ear of their servents." He waves a paw idly in the air, "Be that as it may, are you /sure/ Gaius that what you heard was indeed a bribe? I would not have made Abel my steward if he were a criminal sort. He handles finances, the house hold, the gifts I send..." The weasels eyes widen in shock. Gaius is many things, an idiot is not one of them...at least at putting two and two together. "Your lordship. I realize that my own knowledge of events is...sketchy at best. Would you allow it if my slave defended himself before passing a sentance?"
“A slave has no right to be heard in front of an Aclidian court.” The interjection comes quick and clean, spoken in a monotone voice from Adriana’s place above them on the dais. “Unless either you have further evidence to put forth, this hearing will come to a close.” So far, this “case” appears to be nothing more than another squabble between the powerful. Nothing new to Adriana’s ears, but still an irritant that it was allowed to even be heard in a court.
Abel has tuned out the entire proceedings. He's decided that all Aclidians are useless windbags, Flavius especially.
Flavius has to admit, this isn't going too well. He is stunned by the sudden decree of the Barroness, "Well if my slave isn't allowed to at least convay what he was thinking or why he did the things he did, I am afraid that Sir Gaius does have the advantage over me..." The weasel grits his teeth again, rubbing at his chin, "What if he wasn't a slave?"
The baroness's cold gaze falls on Flavius, and judging my the expression slashed across her muzzle she is less than impressed by his display of compassion for the "property". A sigh of pure exasperation is released, and then she begins to speak. "The slave stands accused of bribery and failure to show the respect that one in his position owes to a citizen of the Empire. If freed, the punishment for the former is enslavement or death, depending on the rule of Governor Titus. If you wish to rid yourself of its incompetence and mistakes, that would be an acceptable measure, leaving only the charge of failing to provide proper documentation to your property. Assumption based on the weasel's previous actions tell her that this would likely not be the case, and so she barrels on without room for comment. "Imperator Gaius," her gaze turns to the other ferret, "your actions were in keeping with your oath to the Empire, however your conduct was not entirely justified in the eyes of this court. You will pay twenty denarii to Lord Baro for the damage done to his property, and a further seventy denarii will be paid to the Empire for the manner in which you conducted yourself in this matter." Well, that's half of the verdict done, and she gives it time to settle before attempting to start on the next.
It is with considerable effort that Gaius doesn't make any noise at the sudden attempt of Flavius to give his slave a voice by freeing a woodlander in the middle of a courtroom. He's not a beast with a terribly good sense of humor, but the concept of freeing a slave to face a worst punishment makes him want to laugh. Naturally, he forces the laughter back, and instead waits for the sentence. His eyes do narrow slightly at the demand that he pay for the damages, and furthermore make a payment to the empire on top of his military service feels light an almost backhanded slight. Still, he knows better than to attempt to argue with a court's verdict, and he simply stands to accept the fee. "At earliest opportunity I shall send an envoy to my home to collect the fees, both of which will be brought to the treasury to be recorded as paid. From there the twenty denarii shall be brought to the residence of Flavius Baro for collection. This I vow to do within a time frame of two hours." Gaius takes his seat and waits for the rest of the verdict.
With that bit of business concluded, Adriana turns her attention to Flavius. "Lord Baro, for your failure to provide the proper documents that would have allowed your slave to complete errands unsupervised, you will pay the Empire forty denarii. Your experience with managing your property may not be as versed as other's, but ignorance of the law is not excuse to flout it. As for the matter of your slave's insolence..." A pause follows, the silence growing increasingly pregnant while she mulls over the proper sentence. "For those crimes, you will personally take punitive action against your slave. Both to remind it of its place in our society, and to reaffirm your control over it. The behavior displayed towards Imperator Gaius suggests to me that this slave has forgot his place, and is as much a discredit to yourself as it was to others. A lash for every second coin you have lost over this matter feels appropriate. Either that, or send it south to labor in your family's fields. The choice is yours. A representative of the Ordinatio will be dispatched to both yourself and Imperator Gaius tomorrow to ensure the the verdict of this court has been fulfilled. If you find yourself unable or unwilling, it shall be carried out by the next Legion patrol, twice over."
The weasel let's his eye twitch at the sentence. A single denarius could be attibuted to a pretty hefty sum...for normal beasts. For the wealthy and powerful Flavius is sure that by the end of the year and with all their earnings raked in this will be nothing but pocket change. No, what really hurts is the fact that he is either forced to lash his slave twenty times or condem him to live on the fields. He looks Abel over one last time for a long moment. The thought of having his friend whipped is...The weasel pauses, realizing that in thinking he just used the term 'friend' not 'slave'. The young noble stands ridged, turning to face Adriana, "I...understand Barroness. I will make sure 'it' is punished for the slight against Gaius. My slave will be whipped." He dares not look at Abel, even though this probably is the most 'merciful' option.
It's with barely restrained rage that Gaius forces himself to remain silent. That the weasel should be charged less than Gaius, half of which is to be paid off by Gaius himself, is something that sets off tiny ripples in a darker corner of Gaius' brain. His fists don't clench, his face doesn't screw up, and the mask remains ever professional and impassive, but his eyes seem to carry a certain tempest to them that he should be so maligned in this manner. He stays stock-still, waiting for the court to be dismissed rather than standing up, looking decidedly more tightlipped now that the matter is concluded.
Abel has no visible reaction to the verdict. He’s stoic, actually. His mind, however, races. The thought of being sent South had terrified him far more than any whipping could ever do. He does frown slightly, though. Here he'd though Flavius was somehow different than these other nobles, somehow better. He'd even told others as much...but he now knew he was wrong, always had been. Flavius was just like the others, and those beasts he spoke to were right...he should run away.
A satisfactory nod is given at the weasel’s choice, Adriana apparently pleased that the appropriate justice has been dispensed. “If that is your decision, Lord Baro. A representative of the Ordinatio will call upon your estate tomorrow to ensure that the punishment handed down by this court has been preformed. If for any reason he deems it to be unsatisfactory, the next legion patrol will administer it instead.” Calm and cool is her tone, and with the matter now apparently settled she moves to adjourn. “Unless either party has something further to add, the verdict of this court will be transcribed and this suit closed.”
As much as Gaius would love to jump out of his seat and create a massive row over the results of the trial and ensure that absolutely everyone present know of the outrage that has been committed against him, Gaius forces himself to remain in his seat and to remain quiet. He doesn't trust himself to speak even, and when a request for further complaints is made, Gaius shakes his head rather than trust himself to say a single word. He only prays that Flavius has nothing more to add either.
The weasel bows his head to Adriana, "I bow your wisdom Baroness." For once Flavius has nothing more to say. The sentence is lesser than that of Gaius, materially. Mentally the weasel has very literally made the matter worse by trying to fix it. It's an important life lesson that will come to haunt him for years to come.
Materiel substance often means very little to those of Aclidia’s upper class, many of whom can toss away pittances that would be fortunes to those less fortunate. The true thought behind her verdict to the weasel was a lesson to be taught, which stands as invaluable in Adriana’s eyes, especially amongst the inexperienced and compassionate. “Very well, this court is adjourned. You are both dismissed.” And with that the baroness sweeps off her perch on the dais, bound for one of the many side chambers and the necessary documents to record the matter.
Still fuming at being slighted in such a manner, Gaius stands. The money that he's required to pay for the matter is next to nothing, but that he be called out as a disgrace, and that the money should be required to be paid for the empire despite his years of service is, in his eyes, unacceptable. Utterly unacceptable. He turns to leave the Hall of Governance, his guards behind him, and though his face is impassive as ever, his pace is quickened with rage, and no doubt if someone steps out in front of him, they will likely be elbowed out of the way rather than politely asked to move. It's back to his home to quickly deal with these money matters; he doesn't want to think of this incident again
The ferret isn't the only one who is less than pleased with this development. Flavius watches the warrior leave the room in a storm. What right does HE have to be angry? All he has paid can be earned back so quickly. Mostly to himself Flavius says outloud, "One day, one day I hope we are all judged with the same level of mercy and compassion that we show others..." The effort to keep his voice level and firm surprises even Falvius himself, "Come Abel." The weasel does his best to not turn towards the squirrel. He wants to say so badly that he is sorry, that this is all his fault and that one day he will make it up to the squirrel. But he already knows the gesture is meaningless at this point.
Abel's voice is emotionless as he responds, "Yes, *sir*." He follows his conniving master out of this hated room. The offer of help from the day before now looks quite enticing indeed...
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