Jeza VIII

18th night of the Month of Ice, 8:34, after Moonrise

One by one, all nomads wake up.

The panic recedes and is instead substituted by curiosity. Jeza watches all, but soon her eyes find Nima and stay locked on his form, she is close enough to him as she watches as he slowly comes to himself.

He rolls on himself and pushes himself up, getting to his knees and then freezing. He shakes his head and then turns his face upwards, looking straight at the ceiling of the courtroom, a strange look on his face, he looks shocked for a second and then a tear escapes his eyes, one that is soon followed by more, all the while, his face is frozen in a surprised shock.

Sobs fill the room as all nomad present start to cry in unison, some speaking in strange tongues and most inconsolable in their sudden sadness.

She doesn't understand. What happened? They all dropped at the same time, with no reason at all.

Nima is joined by Artemy, the prince speaking in low tones that are lost in the cacophony of sounds that clog the room. But the prince looks scared at whatever is going on with Nima and the other nomads, he is also still clutching a bundle in his arms.

Jeza decides to approach them, as she walks the few steps that separate them, she can hear Artemy more clearly.

"…you okay? What happened?" Is asking Artemy in a rushed tone, panic slowly overtaking his voice.

But Nima is not reacting, his eyes seem so far, overflowing with tears and he stays in the same position and just stares at something only he can see.

It's then when Jeza notices that Nima is not quiet, but whispering to himself in a strange language that sounds like it curls around the tongue as he speaks it, Artemy has noticed too and has stopped trying to reach Nima wherever he is and he just watching with worried eyes. He puts the bundle in one of his arms and frees a hand to slowly reach to cup Nima's face.

"Nima?" He murmurs, the bundle gurgles again and Jeza switches her attention to it. That sounded like a baby.

The whispers coming from Nima get louder, sounding like he's speaking normally and then he moves.

He lowers his head and Artemy flinches back in surprise, letting go of him. Nima raises a trembling hand to his head and drags a hand through his hair, then he finally looks at Artemy.

Nima starts speaking, gibberish still, but his eyes seems to be back with them, eyes wide and a trembling smile on his face. He finally stands, stumbling once and laughing it off like a child would, both Jeza and Artemy are staring at him uncomprehendingly. Nima turns around and looks at the rest of the nomads, most have stopped their sobbing and while some are happy others looks even sadder than before.

While Jeza had been judging the rest of the nomads' reaction to whatever had happened, Nima had grabbed Artemy and put their foreheads together as he continued to mumble in his strange tongue words that sounded soft.

"Nima" murmurs Artemy, eyes wide "Nima, I can't understand you"

What should have been said with fear or confusion was said with an amazed tone, like he was marveling at whatever was ailing Nima.

A new set of steps approaching make Jeza turn to look who's is coming, Is Shujama Sipho, the white of his eyes is red and his face is marked with already dried tears.

"Our memories" mumbles the nomad when he reaches Jeza's side "They're back, I remember my name, my family….everything"

Jeza's eyes widen in surprise. The memories? Is that what caused all this?

"Nima!" Calls out Sipho and continues speaking when Nima's eyes move to watch him without moving his head from its position against Artemy's. "You need to calm yourself, breathe and Netherian will come back to you"

Nima does breathe, deeply and stuttering at first, still brimming with unreleased energy, and then following a more meditative pattern. When he does calm himself he seems to realize that Artemy is holding something in between their bodies. He separates himself from the prince and stares at Artemy's arms and the bundle.

"Artemy…is that a baby?" He asks in a flabbergasted tone that's almost amusement.

"Ah? Yes! Loa gave her to me!" Answers Artemy with a bright smile.

And it's at that moment that the baby decides to start crying, making every person in the courtroom still and look at the prince.

Including the king.

"Artemy?" Asks the king with a raised eyebrow "What do you have there?"

Jeza is close enough to see every emotion circle through Artemy's expression, he's making a decision and when he finally reaches it, his face turns up to his father in a smiles that is as mischievous as it's decisive.

"I-" he starts in a loud voice, calling the attention of everyone present, the room quiets down and Artemy continues, even as the king opens his mouth to stop him " I give her my name, my home and hearth, my riches and blood, I give her everything I'll ever own, my future and past. I give her Neth itself and I name her Alala Drest"

Jeza blinks in surprise and is witness to the king's face turning red with rage, but he cannot do anything now, Artemy has made the promise and in a Trial, under all laws, it's legal.

"The name…!" Shouts a nameless member of the court and Jeza agrees. The name doesn't follow the naming system under the Vizyek Law.

Artemy stares at his father, face unreadable, and speaks up.

"That law was created for nomads, that they lost their names when they were saved by Ayth, but now nomads have their names back, so that law is meaningless" he says, not taking his eyes off his father.

Silence reigns for almost a minute as the king ponders what his son and heir has said, then he sits down in his throne and straightens his spine.

"I agree with what my heir has declared" he says, making the crowd burst into murmurs "I have decided that no new nomad will be renamed under the Vizyek naming system"

The murmurs get louder and then Hilde Gernot stomps down to the ground floor and stares up at the king.

"What of my punishment?" She asks, no longer meek or shy, she looks determined and strong and Jeza starts to mentally root for her.

It had been self-defense, and Hilde is a Nashe, there's no way her punishment will be long. Jeza is betting she won't even reach a year in prison, and for sure not under Bela draught.

"Yes, of course " agrees the king with a sad frown "Hilde Gernot, your punishment will be a year in Qarthal prison, and since you have confessed to your crime, no Bela draught will be necessary"

Hilde lets out a long sigh and her body seems to become unbound from its tenseness. Hilde nods and a pair of Nocturnals approach at her back. She bows her head and then looks up at her great uncle again.

"Uncle" she says "I'm sorry"

The king says nothing, but nods at her just as the Nocturnals take her away. At her back, there's joy but also coldness at the new member of the royal house, the rest of the court starts to slowly leak out from the courtroom, Jeza stays behind, even when the king leaves with Infans Apollodora close behind, even when Nima and Artemy also take their leave. Until she is left alone, standing in the middle of the courtroom, still processing the last hour.

It takes her a second, but Jeza realizes their world has just shifted in a direction most won't be able to follow. With this nomad—Alala, was it?—in line for the throne and the rest of the nomads, freed from the chains that their missing memories had created…Jeza cannot help but ask herself:

How long will the peace last?