“What on earth is it…? P-Please, tell me everything.”
Hebaron shook his head. “We should head out first. I’ll explain everything once we find a quiet place to talk.”
With that, he strode briskly down the stairs. Maxi silently followed. Hebaron made his way toward the path that ledfrom the kitchen’s back door. When they reached a secluded spot, he finally began to speak.
“Have you heard the news from the spies we sent to the duchy?”
After a moment of vacant blinking, Maxi shook her head with a bitter expression. “R-Riftan…did not tell me anything.”
“I thought that would be the case.”
Hebaron sighed as he kicked a jagged stone on the winding dirt path with his boot. Silence fell over them once more. What was making this audacious knight hesitate like this? Maxi was anxiously gazing at him when he began to speak once more.
“The duke is preparing for a trial. He has apparently wheedled all the nobles in the east as well as the king’s retainers in the royal palace into taking his side. We took immediate action as well, but at this rate, we won’t be able to stop a formal trial.”
Maxi felt as though she had been doused with ice water. She looked up at Hebaron, her face draining of color. The royal tribunal only ever oversaw trials of the nobility. It was an institution dating back to the age of the feudal lords, with its power exceeding even that of the king’s laws. With the feudal lords and monarch currently locked in a subtle power struggle, a noble requesting the king to proceed over his case was no different from the noble undermining his own authority.
Unable to believe her ears, Maxi sought confirmation. “Y-You mean…my father has p-petitioned for a case against Riftan?”
“Yes. I think he intends to pursue this to the end without caring about appearances.” Hebaron clicked his tongue. “Itmight just end with a fine if we’re lucky, but he’s been putting so much effort into this trial that I doubt he’ll let it conclude so easily. He will most likely demand that the commander be stripped of his knighthood. If he has the backing of the other nobles, even King Reuben won’t be able to ignore his demands.”
“Th-Then what…?” Maxi was half out of her mind with worry as she clung to his sleeve.
Hebaron looked down at her with somber eyes. “We must prove that the commander’s actions were warranted. Would you be willing…to testify against the duke?”
Maxi’s face flushed crimson. The mere thought of stammering her father’s wretched treatment of her in front of the nobility of Wedon was enough to make her break out in a cold sweat. Even so, she was willing to stand naked in the city square if it meant she could save Riftan from this plight.
Biting her lip, Maxi nodded. “O-Of course. I would…gladly do so.”
Relief briefly flashed across Hebaron’s face. “I know what a difficult request this is, my lady. The commander even threatened to fight to the death anyone who dared to inform you of this matter.” The knight ran a hand over his face and heaved a sigh. “He wouldn’t listen to reason. I’ve been waiting for a chance to talk to you, but it’s been incredibly difficult to come by. He certainly kept a close watch on you.”
Dumbfounded, Maxi furrowed her brows. “What was he…going to do w-without telling me about this?”
“He isn’t being bullheaded with no plan. He’s been trying to buy the southern nobles to our side, but we all know the outcome is inevitable.” Hebaron scratched his head as if to show just how fed up he was.
Maxi bit her lip. As the knight pointed out, the Duke of Croyso’s influence was formidable. It would be impossible for Riftan to beat her father politically.
“That is why the Earl of Loverne sent a messenger,” Hebaron said. “The royal family is trying to do whatever it takes to settle this before it formally goes to court. There is to be a mediation in Loverne, which is Anatol’s ally, and it will hopefully be to the commander’s advantage.”
“D-Do you mean…there might not be a trial?”
“If the mediation ends well, yes.”
Hebaron stared at nothing in particular and stroked his chin as though he was weighing all the possibilities.
“King Reuben announced that he would personally come down to act as mediator, so I’m sure the Duke of Croyso would feel some pressure. But that arrogant duke must be determined, seeing as he’s taken it this far. You shouldn’t get your hopes up.”
“M-My father…wants my sister to marry into the royal family. If the king a-actively takes Riftan’s side…even my father won’t be able to come on t-too strong,” Maxi said in an attempt to convince herself.
Hebaron sighed and roughly scratched at the back of his head. “To be honest, I’m not sure how strongly King Reuben is willing to be on our side. He will likely avoid stripping the commander of his knighthood, but I doubt he’ll make an obvious effort to shield him from the duke—especially if it could earn him the enmity of the nobles. If there’s one thing the king values most, it’s the unity of Wedon.”
Apprehension filled Maxi’s chest. “I-If I testify…will we have a chance of winning?”
She secretly hoped that Hebaron would grin and tell hernot to worry. When the knight gave his answer, however, his face was nothing but somber.
“I can’t guarantee how it will end. A trial without substantial evidence is essentially a battle of who’s right. The side with the more powerful argument is bound to win.”
Maxi bunched her skirt in her fists and wet her parched lips. “When…i-is the mediation?”
