Author's Notes:
Where you see words like this, they have a tooltip that you can see if you hover your mouse over the word.
This story covers topics that can be very upsetting.
The already quiet murmuring and rustling of the dim hall stilled as the red-cloaked and white-wigged man gently rapped his high oaken desk with the ceremonial spear.
"In the case of the Tar-Dalon against Minalcar Anarion Vuduidari Aretari, are all present and prepared?"
"Yes, Father."
"Yes, Father."
Miriel wasn't ready. But she wasn't one of the sides, here.
"Who speaks for the Tar-Dalon?"
"I, Andreth Elwin Fulpagnea Milonnandea, speak for the Tar-Dalon, Father."
"Who speaks for Minalcar Aretari?"
"I, Bregil Lalaeth Pelerendi Noerath, speak for Minalcar Aretari, Father."
"Andreth
Milonenandeia, what is the matter you bring against Minalcar Aretari?"
"Minalcar Aretari stands accused of aggravated trespass, impediment of the Tar's Justice, and the abominable assault, Father."
Andreth had warned her that the other accusations were necessary. Andreth had warned her of many things.
"Bregil Noerath, does Minalcar Aretari wish to confess to or swear denial of these accusations?"
"No, Father."
Of course not. The
cachar wouldn't own up, but he wouldn't risk being oath-forsworn either. Whatever he did to her, breaking a formal oath would
of course be much worse, after all...
"Whom do you intend to call to bear witness against Minalcar Aretari, Andreth Milonenandeia?"
"I intend to call Miriel Gildis Gofasi Sulfiennda, Erendis Hunleth Winoedamerchasi Bugeilasi, Gendarme Saeros Meneldur Meilari Wolendi, Forensic Servant Halmir Ondoher Melinith Hewitari as an expert, and Doctor Isildur Ëarendil Vuduidari Belaedari as an expert, Father."
"Whom do you intend to examine, Bregil Noerath?"
"I will examine Miriel Sulfiennda, Erendis Bugeilasi, Gendarme Saeros Wolendi, Forensic Servant Halmir Hewitari, and Doctor Isildur Belaedari, Father."
Andreth had warned her of this, too. The lukewarm room air felt colder at the thought. Miriel leaned into her mother's shoulder, earning a gentle squeeze in return.
"Whom do you intend to call to bear witness for Minalcar Aretari, Bregil Noerath?"
"I will call Hirwen Elwin Aretasi Vuduidasi, also as a witness of character, Bregil Ëarwen Minadasi Vuduidasi, also as a witness of character, and Minalcar Anarion Vuduidari Aretari himself, Father."
Miriel could still hardly believe Hirwen. She'd always been so friendly...
"Whom do you seek to examine, Andreth Milonenandeia?"
"I will examine Hirwen Vuduidasi, Bregil Vuduidasi, and Minalcar Aretari, respecting the decree against self-accusation, Father."
"Are all the witnesses present?"
"Yes, Father" both Andreth and Bregil echo in unison. Here it came...
"Witnesses will stand, silently, as I call their names." She could... She could do it. All she needed to do was — "Miriel Gildis Gofasi Sulfienenda." — to bend forward and unbend her knees. All the way now. She needed to look up. To look at the judicial priest. Not his desk, his face. Breathing, that would help. There. His frown chilled her from across the room.
"Erendis Hunleth Winoedamerchasi Bugeilasi."
Miriel collapsed into her bench, earning the flicker of the judicial priest's eyebrow, as her statuesque roommate stood, nervously intertwining her fingers, and looking not at all as impressive as she would ordinarily in her formal yellow-olive dress.
"Gendarme Saeros Meneldur Meilari Wolendi."
Miriel turned, she'd never gotten a good look at the policeman. He stood confidently, like he'd been in trial a hundred times. Perhaps he had. He looked the judicial priest directly in the eyes, unflinching.
"Forensic Servant Halmir Ondoher Melinith Hewitari."
A mousy man with a silly thin mustache stood. His beige suit definitely needed dry cleaning, like he'd been in trial a hundred times and never cleaned it. He looked... bored.
"Doctor Isildur Ëarendil Vuduidari Belaedari."
His dunedain black locks and angled eyes distinctive, the doctor stood unruffled. Nearly still, he slowly nodded to the judicial priest, who seemed almost to nod back.
"Hirwen Elwin Aretasi Vuduidasi."
Minalcar's sister stood, defiantly. As though this whole trial were offensive. Her long black hair tumbled to the ground and bobbed gracefully with residual motion. After a second's staring contest with the judicial priest, she sat, just as abruptly.
"Bregil Ëarwen Minadasi Vuduidasi."
His mother, however, was having a harder time even looking the man in the eye. Her face looked flawless as usual, except for reddish eyes. Maybe she didn't want to look at him tearfully.
"Minalcar Anarion Vuduidari Aretari."
The bench in front of Miriel was pretty well polished. She couldn't see a single spec of dust on it, either. It was even hard to see the seams between boards. Miriel wondered how the old carpenters had managed to achieve that, or the maintenance staff to maintain it. The knot to her left was actually quite pretty if you paid attention. Symmetric. Cycling between light and dark in a pleasant ratio. The lines around it made almost a rainbow shape, too. With a gentle change in shading layer by layer, too. There was another knot to her right- "now, Miriel."
Her mother was talking to her. "Miriel?" She looked, in her general direction. "We can leave now Miriel. The opening hearing is over."
