“Yes, Captain,” A’bbni said. It wasn’t like he had a choice.
Ra’shii motioned, and two guards dragged En’shea forward. Their cousin looked in complete disarray, which was very unlike En’shea’s normal fastidious appearance. His black hair was pulling loose from its elaborate braid, the gold paint around his eyes was smudged and streaked down one dark cheek, his tunic and pants were wrinkled. A’bbni realized that somewhere after his capture, someone had stripped En’shea of his royal robes and jewelry. He had never seen En’shea looking less than perfect except the few rare times he lashed out at a servant or someone around him, and the effect was startling. His hands were manacled in front of him with two heavy-looking iron cuffs on his slender wrists. He stared at the twins on the dais with a look that A’bbni had never seen on his cousin’s face before, and he wasn’t quite sure how to read it.
The two guards pushed En’shea to his knees on the stairs, then used the butts of their spears to push his shoulders down until his forehead touched the floor in forced obeisance.
“Your Sovereignty,” Ra’shii said, bowing their head. “As you know, the law is that any criminal found guilty of a capital crime must be sentenced to death by the Emperor.”
A’bbni had a sick feeling in his stomach that he knew where this was going. “Yes, Captain, we are aware of the law.”
“The former Emperor is guilty of murder and treason against the crown, both of which are crimes of the most heinous nature,” Ra’shii continued. “As such, it is up to Your Sovereignty to impose the sentence upon him.”
A’bbni tightened his fingers ever so slightly on the arm of his chair. How in the name of the gods was he supposed to do that? He looked down at his cousin who bowed only a few feet away. En’shea looked so small all of a sudden. He was only seventeen, A’bbni had to remind himself. Still a child. He had done monstrous things, many of them to the twins over the course of many years. En’shea was the reason their Father was dead. En’shea was the reason Hi’jan had assaulted him. En’shea was the reason that every single fiber of him hurt. En’shea was the reason that A’bbni was on the throne right now instead of pursuing his dream. En’shea had killed before, many times over, and no one would mourn his death.
He could see En’shea’s very slight trembling where his forehead rested on the ground, though he wasn’t sure if anyone else could see it besides him. He did not want to have to sentence En’shea to death in front of the crowd. Or ever. His mind was too all over the place; he needed time to think it through, figure out what he could do. The last thing he wanted to do was act out of vengeance in his first ruling as Emperor. He was exhausted and in pain and barely holding his emotions together in front of the court, none of which was conducive to being a fair and just ruler. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves, turning his eyes toward his brother in silent pleading. “We must take time to reflect upon his actions and a sentence appropriate to the crimes.”
Shi’chen caught the look in his brother’s eyes and held it for just a moment before dropping his eyes down to the goblin on the ground. “En’shea Er-Ha’sen,” he said in a voice that carried across the room. “In the name of the Emperor, we place you under arrest for murder of Regent Bel’kir Er-Ha’sen and the six members of the Imperial Senate, to be held in confinement until sentence is passed upon you by the Emperor.”
The guards stepped forward and pulled En’shea to his feet as the crowd began to cheer. En’shea watched A’bbni through narrowed eyes as the guards began to pull him away. He suddenly spat at A’bbni’s feet, and one of the guards punched him squarely across the face.
A’bbni held up a hand. “It is all right, Lieutenant,” he said as En’shea’s eyes turned back to him in shock. He realized that probably was the first time En’shea had ever been struck in his life. “Take him away.”
En’shea eyes were golden daggers directed at A’bbni, but A’bbni ignored it, shifting his weight as subtly as he could as a lance of pain spiked up through his leg. He turned his eyes toward Shi’chen, silently pleading for this to be over. Shi’chen gave him a small nod, and A’bbni turned his eyes to the representatives at the tables. “We beg the court’s indulgence, as the last few days have been trying. We will appoint a secretary to whom business may be addressed for the rest of the day, and we shall handle it in private.”
A soft murmur ran through the court, but A’bbni didn’t care. He pushed himself up, and Shi’chen immediately moved to slide an arm casually under his arm as if to embrace him, but A’bbni could feel his brother taking most of his weight so he was not on his injured leg. A silent conversation passed between their orange eyes in just a few moments, and Shi’chen turned to Lai, who rose to his feet nervously, looking uncertain if he should jump in to help or not. A’bbni gave him a small shake of his head. Now was not the time that he wanted the court to cast aspersions about the curious, short-eared blond. So, Lai just trailed after them as Shi’chen helped his brother down the dais and out of the court.
One of the clerks guided them to a nearby receiving room for them to sit. Shi’chen ordered food to be brought and Reverence Sa’ben summoned, and then it was just him, A’bbni, Lai, a single servant in waiting, and the clerk in the room to take notes. A’bbni couldn’t bring himself to care anymore if the servants saw his pain or his indecision. “I do not know what to do with En’shea,” he said softly, propping his elbows on the table in a very undignified manner, resting his forehead on his interlocked fingers.
“I have plenty of ideas,” Shi’chen said darkly.
“I know you do, Commander, but I will not pass down a sentence out of vengeance, nor do I want to start my reign with more bloodshed.”
Lai reached out and gave A’bbni’s forearm a gentle squeeze with his gloved hand, and A’bbni gave him a tired nod.
“I’m happy to arrange an accident,” Shi’chen replied darkly.
A’bbni sighed. “I appreciate you trying to help, Shi’chen, but please don’t.”
“I won’t,” Shi’chen said, not looking thrilled about it. “But if you need me to, I will.”
A thought occurred to A’bbni, and he was ashamed of himself for not thinking about it earlier. “Has Vr Ba’shea Ii-Heshar been found?”
“No,” Shi’chen said with a dark glower. “No one has seen him since the crowd assembled at The Keep. I suspect he has fled.”
A’bbni sighed again and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “We should prioritize finding him, before he can do any more damage.”
“The guards are already on it, Your Sovereignty.” Shi’chen’s face was impassive, but his voice held a reassuring smile just for his twin.
A’bbni glanced over at Lai. “How much of what happened in there did you understand?”
Lai shrugged. “Enough.” His green eyes gazed back into A’bbni’s, holding something he couldn’t read.
The door opened, and Reverence Sa’ben and one of his assistants entered with a bow. “Your Sovereignty, Commander, Ma’iir Ablewood.” He crossed over to kneel by A’bbni. “May we, Sovereignty?”
“Yes,” A’bbni said with a wave of his hand, too tired to care what anyone was asking at this point. Sa’ben bent down and ran his practiced fingers over A’bbni’s bound leg. A’bbni hissed softly, and Sa’ben apologetically placed a bottle of hargren root extract on the table as Lai gave A’bbni’s shoulder a light touch of reassurance.
“We are afraid the pain will take some time to abate, Sovereignty. We are sure you know what our advice to you would be.”
That made A’bbni warm just a bit at his mentor. When would he ever get the chance to use his medical knowledge again? “We do. Stay off it, lots of rest, hargren root as needed.”
