Benly's Judgement pt 2

Benly hopped back down from his mother's lap. He walked to the dias and stepped up on the first step; stopped, and turned around to face everyone. He glanced back at Lord Grebefal, who nodded. Benly held out his left hand, palm up; his little face scrunched with effort, and a small flame, no bigger than a candle-flame, suddenly danced there. It flickered wildly and then went out with a tiny hiss.

Lord Grebefal clapped his hands; Harmony stared at him, startled again. The Lord's calm face was suddenly beaming with delight, like an excited child. "Excellent, Master Benly! Most excellent! So you are a fire mage! You are exceedingly talented, for one of such young age. Do continue your studies. I look forward to seeing great things from you in the future, young sir."

Benly grinned back at him, and nodded; then went back to his parents; they put an arm each around him, and he beamed mightily. Harmony glanced at him; she heard his joyful squeak resound in her mind. Lady Harmony! He called me Master Benly!

Harmony smiled back. Yes, isn't that wonderful? And I'm sure he won't be the last person to call you that.

She glanced back at Lord Grebefal, and suddenly noticed something odd; a largish feather had worked itself loose from his cap, and was now dangling from the front, apparently about to escape whatever had held it there. It twirled slightly, jerked and fluttered in the air; then wafted down directly in front of his face. Lord Grebefal made no reaction. Harmony stared, her curiosity peaked. Now it had fallen onto his judicial gown, directly on his collarbone; the way it sat, there was no way he couldn't have seen it fall. But Lord Grebefal didn't raise his hand to sweep it away, or tip his head to blow it off. The feather sat there for a moment, and then a lone air current picked it up and wafted it to the floor, but still, there was no reaction from him. Something in Harmony's mind clicked. 

He's blind! she thought. That's why he has dark glasses! He's hiding his blindness! She studied him more intently, wondering what other secrets this strange young man held. And now she thought she understood why he had always refused to come out of his castle, to mingle or meet his people; for how would the townsfolk, who were so adverse to the abnormal, react to a blind man in a position of authority? Maybe that's why he only studies Grebefal with his Mana. She expected the people probably would not take it very well; they seemed to very much dislike new or different things, and there were no blind people in the town, that she knew of. Harmony recalled the thread of mana he had used to observe her, and how he had used Granny's eyes to 'see'. Maybe that's the only way he CAN see, she thought wonderingly. 

A rustle at the door announced Captain Neil, Sren and Vern; Vern held a small cedar box in his hand, brushing dirt off the outside. When Jeede saw the box, she went white; but she clamped her teeth tight shut, and spoke not a word.

Vern held the box up. "My Lord. This is the self-same box my wife Myra and I gifted to my sister Jeede, on the day she was wed. At the time, it was filled with herbs which promote good health. And this–" He lifted out a short chain of gold links, which clinked heavily; "This is my family's entire savings. Each of link of this gold chain is etched with my own initials, VS; I take our savings to the smithy and have them create a new link, every time I have enough gold saved to make another." He snarled at Jeede. "And there are two links less on this chain, than we had before it was lost. Two years of saving, that was. An' I doubt ye'll repay me, e'en tho I'm yer own brother."

Jeede sneered. "Selfish, is what I call it. Some brother ye are. Had a whole chain of pure gold, and what d'ye give yer pur sister on her weddin'? A measly box of herbs! Dried up plants! A fat lot o' good that does me! Couldn't e'n use em for cow feed, smelled like piss–"

Lord Grebefal's hand wavered a little as he lifted it once again. "Captain Neil, would you be so kind as to remove that criminal from my court?" Neil clamped his hand under Jeede's chin, forcing her mouth shut. "Jeede Bennt, I find you guilty of attempted murder of a young child, and of stealing a valuable heirloom from your brother's family. You are henceforth stripped of your house and all your property in Grebefal. You will be sent under guard to the capitol, for punishment. All of your material possessions, animals, and business, I place in the care of your husband Sren, to pass eventually to your adopted sons, Diras and Corm. Those two must repay Benly for their part in harming him, but since they are still young, I will allow them to stay."

Lord Grebefal paused, waiting for a response from the twins. In the quiet, Neil lifted Jeede from the floor, where she had slumped into a faint, and dragged her out the door. The twins looked absolutely stunned; they were being treated as sons, real sons–not bastards. Sren nudged them, and finally Diras stood up from his seat and bowed deeply, and Corm followed suit;

"M'Lord. We're most grateful for you 'llowin' us to stay an' givin' us a home to hold. Truly, we're truly grateful. What're we to do?"

Lord Grebefal turned his head, as if looking at something; Mistress Fyn bustled back into the room. "My Lord! The food is prepared for ye in the banquet room, if ye would all come an' eat."

Lord Grebefal nodded. "One moment. Diras, Corm. In repentance for your harmful action, you will now serve Master Benly as his personal vassals. You will fetch and carry for him, assist him, and protect him from all harm, as you would each other, for as long as each of you shall live. Is that clear?"

Diras and Corm both nodded vigorously. "Ay m'Lord! We will, an' be right glad to!"

Lord Grebefal continued; "And Jeede Bennt will be sent to the Capital city of Blackwall, to receive punishment for her crimes. She will be expected to work to repay the two gold links she stole; although she may find it a harsher punishment, to repay those, than to accept the penalty for harming a child, which is death. The debt collectors are not kind."

Sren looked sad, but resigned. "My Lord, I wish to speak with my wife in private."

Lord Grebefal nodded. "You are free to go and speak with her as you wish. She will be held in the Lower Furnace room until we are able to arrange transportation to Blackwall.

And now, you are all free to go." 

Mistress Fyn motioned to the whole courtroom; Benly in the lead, the people began to follow her out the door, single file. It was done.

A softness filled the air; Diras and Corm approached Benly, who imperiously pointed for them to walk behind him. Harmony stood up to go, but looked back at the young man, still cloaked in black, still seated motionlessly on the tall chair. He made no motion to get up or follow them. And now I know why, she thought. She paused; she felt strangely ashamed of her earlier assumptions about him. He had handled the whole court with grace and great wisdom; he had showed himself fully capable, as both a leader and as a powerful mage. What did it matter if he was blind?

Quietly, she turned back and stepped forward towards the dias, letting the others pass from the room. As their footsteps faded, she stood before the young Lord, hesitating. An odd feeling made her chest feel tight. What did she even want to say? She didn't know.