Author's note

Ok, well, I managed to finish that and get this chapter out. Time to see how this all shakes out.

I've been having an interesting time with this series. More on that will be said during the ending note though.

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Aerien’s POV

Over the night, at the same time as I was reading through document after document of US trial law, Sagel was working with the man responsible for giving these documents to the Justice Committee in the first place. They had been working every single bit as hard to come up with a defense for Eirlathion. One of the things they had to do was come up with a witness list, and clear it with the judge, me. Aside from some of the same witnesses the prosecution had already called, he wanted two additional witnesses not on their list. Those witnesses were me, the judge herself, and the other was Dryad.

The first was something that indicated exactly how messed up this little stage performance of a trial had gotten. I had literally just read that being able to act as a witness in the trial is explicit grounds to disqualify a person as a judge, and yet here I’m being called as a witness and there are no grounds to overrule this request. Of course, I approved this. The second though seemed like it could be tricky, but the person in question just showed up. A subpoena of this witness had been asked for, and I of course felt inclined to grant it. And, said witness was standing right in front of me.

All I could see was the trial at this point. I had to make sure it was a fair and balanced trial. I knew Eirlathion should be able to get off easy so long as the playing field is level and not stacked against him. All I had to do was create that fair space. I would not do anything to lean it in his favor, such a thing would only piss off the fey court. I would not have to grant him any favors though, the evidence was clearly on his side. All I had to do is get it, and now the final piece is standing right in front of me.

Driad only looked back at me with a gentle expression. They looked more sad than anything. However, it did not look like the expression of someone who was about to say “yes.”

“Aerien, I appreciate that you are trying so hard, but I do not think you understood what I just told you. There is no longer a need for a trial, this was her goal all along.” What is Dryad even talking about? Either they are being irrational, or my mind is just not working properly right now. The worst part is, I really have no clue which is more likely at the moment.

Dryad sighs, and then their projection crouches down in front of me. “Just try to think about it Aerien. You came here at the exact same time the queen had heard about my existence. You are, of course, someone who I owe a lot to. It could be said that you and Eirlathion are my two biggest weaknesses she could exploit in order to deal with me. The very first thing she does is adopt you. You are not untalented, you are probably even independently worthy of the adoption she offered. However, she would have still done it even if you hadn’t measured up. Her entire purpose was to get you to take this oath right now.”

“Fey nobles take that oath when they have proven themselves worthy of recognition as a true noble of the court, it is a right of passage of sorts and it is not something a noble still in training would be asked to take. The very fact she had you do this after only three days is more than enough proof this was her sole intent the entire time. She stated that she intended you to do this after the trial. In other words, the entire reason for the trial is a fabrication to give you some kind of achievement to satisfy the recognition requirement. However, because you showed your intelligence yesterday, she didn’t need it anymore.”

“This is not some conjecture of mine Aerien, I overheard them talking about this last night after they had discovered me.”

The trial was a farce. That was the reason I had to be the judge, it was all a performance. That’s… a pretty wild story. It would require quite the conspiracy, and a lot of the parts would have to have truly believed in what they were doing as well. Useful idiot pawns, as it were. And all just to have me bind myself with this oath. Of course, it’s also possible Dryad could be making this all up. At the moment, I have an equal amount of reason to side with Dryad as I do Oren. Dryad is the tree spirit of Eirlathion’s old home. I owe a lot to Eirlathion, but my connection to Dryad is only second-hand. They did protect me from those elves who were trying to break in and get Gaerien and me, but then they go completely overboard and indirectly kill almost the entire population of the village. From what Gaerien’s told me, Eirlathion is also pretty alienated against Dryad right now.

As for Oren, she saved the life of my younger half, and she has offered me a great deal. She also adopted me and called me her daughter, and acted like more of a mother to me than my real birth mother. It is strange to think of a dragon that could be compared size wise to the Island of Manhattan as my mother, but a part of my heart really aches when I think about the idea that she would have betrayed me like this. No, when I stop to think about it, I really do have more reason to believe Dryad’s words from a strictly rational stand-point. But, I don’t WANT to believe them.

“Is this true?” I asked, looking past Dryad and up to my once trusted adoptive mother.

‘Everything the dryad says is accurate.’ She says. ‘Gailben, the one who is pushing this case, acted on his own. However, I saw the opportunity and made use of it. If the dryad wishes it, I can offer this man to atone for his transgressions.’

“I would much rather have YOU atone for using Aerien as a tool like this!” Dryad shouted.

‘If a fight with me will satisfy you, I will accept that as well. I will have the dukes take my duty of suspending the great tree.’

“We can suspend ourselves!” Dryad said. “Isanil! Use the technique I taught you!”

“Alright, big sis!” Isanil’s projection pops up and giggles, giving a salute. After this, the entire tree starts to rumble, and panicked voices come from all the fairies. The majority of the dragons immediately fly out from the tree.

‘The ground has cracked! And the great tree is now floating on it’s own power!’ The voice of a male dragon reverberates through the space.

‘How are they doing this!? A tree spirit should not have this power!’ Another says.

After this, two of the branches the queen is coiled around begin to pull themselves away from each other. However, with ripple of her tensing muscles, the two branches begin pulling closer together instead. There is a horrible groaning sound as this continues.

‘It will not be that simple.’ She says, glaring down at Dryad. ‘Isanil, if you continue to cooperate with this intruder, your upper branches will be broken. Unless you want that, I would suggest you fight back.’

“What!? Oh no, not my branches! Uhhh… maybe this is not such a good game anymore big sis, how about we stop?”

“Game!? I’m not playing! Don’t worry, she’s not going to get a chance to break your branches!” With these words, Dryad launches their… or rather, her self off the ground and her projection distorts and becomes a beam of light which strikes the queen’s forehead in an instant.

‘I see, so this is the memory of Aerien’s pain Sagel mentioned in his report.’ The queen says, and then looks over toward me. ‘It is truly no wonder this left you in the state you came to me in. You did well to endure it. Well then, dryad. Is this the last of your tricks?’

Dryad’s projection reformed, floating in the air in the middle of the area. “Grrr…! I did not have such high expectations as to think you would die like the rest from that attack, but I’d thought you would at least have been stunned as you dealt with it for a while! What’s with you!?”

‘You may have come across some knowledge and power from other worlds, child, but do not think just a little bit of enlightenment makes you potent enough to take on one who has lived for half the age of this world such as I. You are not as clever as you think you are. I also know, your real goal was never to defeat me in the first place, was it?’ The two silently stare each other down for a brief moment, before the queen seems to see something in Dryad’s expression that satisfies her. ‘Isanil!’ She calls down to the other dryad. ‘They are trying to run you out of power. Their real objective is to dominate you. If you do not wish to loose yourself, fight together with me and kick them out!’

“What!? Big sis, is that true!?” The other dryad asks.

“Come on, of course not! I just want you to know more, be able to handle your power on your own without needing the fey! Think of all the cool stuff I taught you!”

‘This spell you are using right now is eating up a very large amount of your power.’ The queen argues back. ‘They are also utilizing your body to fight against me in ways that will make me have to choose between damaging you and being injured myself. If this dryad cared about you, they would wait and give me the chance to uncoil from your limbs. I offered to have the dukes hold you up, using none of your own power. This dryad convinced you to expend such a large amount that it will take you a very long time to recover.’

“You are keeping them dependent on you!” Dryad argues back. “I have no such intentions of dominating your dryad! I want them to grow! They can’t do that if they are always held back and dependent on you!!!”

‘I notice you still haven’t stopped with the branches.’ Oren argues back. ‘You really are trying to get them injured.’

“Teh!” Dryad lets out an angry sound. “Fine then! I’ll take your stupid scape-goat fairy!”

-

Gailben’s POV

Gailben had heard there was something going on over the night. The arbor committee seemed particularly on edge, but this was not a surprise considering the recent revelation. There was something about it though that seemed more urgent.

He had tried asking about what was going on. He was told an emergency situation had come up, but the queen’s own orders are that he is to continue his focus on preparing for the case tomorrow.

Early in the morning, the entire great tree trembled. He immediately thought it must be an attack by the demons from below. In this case, it was the role of the defense committee members to deal with the problem. He would have to be prepared to take responsibility for his own life should it be a particularly bad attack and the defensive line failed, but if the queen and the great tree were to both fail to ward off the threat then it is likely his life would already be forefit. He simply walked in a calm manner toward the core of the great tree.

About the only thing on Gailben’s mind at this moment was whether or not the trial would move forward as planned. The queen seemed rather insistent that things proceed. This was in relation to the dryads, something that takes priority even over demons, so the only way some demon attack would stop this trial would be if it continued for the entire day. Even if that were the case, the trial would likely begin the very moment the attack was successfully fought off. He had to prepare himself.

The shaking only lasted for a few minutes. Hmm… the demons must have just gotten lucky. However, just as Gailben was considering getting up to leave the little safe place he had chosen, a greenish apparition appeared before him. He recognized this figure, every fey noble should know this one on sight. It was the projection of the great tree, the great dryad’s interface with the world. Why would the great tree’s apparition appear before him though? And why did they look so uncertain of themself?

“Uhhh… Mr. Gailben.” They said. “I… I gotta take you up to the top, big sis wants to see you.”

Big sis? Who’s that!? Gailben had never heard of the great tree referring to anyone by that name. Could she mean the queen? Surely not the princess, unless her power is far greater than her majesty had made them aware of. Whoever they were referring to though, there was no arguing with the great dryad. With a mere thought, the fairy circle formed around his feet and he was being transported. With a flash of white light, he was suddenly standing before the fey court. The first thing he saw standing right in front of him was the apparition of a dryad… but it was not the great tree’s apparition. How is this even possible? He was still standing atop the great tree, it should not be possible for a dryad to manifest near another dryad’s body, let alone the great tree who was located in the center of the heaven’s scar!

‘Viscount Gailben.’ The voice of Lady Frent, duchess of the Civics committee spoke up. ‘You stand before the apparition of the dryad of Cundo village. They have expressed discontent with your pursuit of Magus Eirlathion, and has therefore asked that you be delivered to them for judgement.’

“What!?” Gailben exclaimed aloud due to his shock and sudden fear.

“No! This is all going too fast! How about we try to talk about this!” An unexpected child-like female voice spoke up in Gailben’s defense. A sudden life-line in a situation he could never have hoped for any support in. No matter how impossible the situation, one thing was clear. An angry dryad had made a request. That meant there was only one possible outcome. His death. If the court had decided to appease the dryad, he could not hope for any aid to come his way, and yet someone was speaking in his defense. The voice had come from behind the dryad, and when he looked to see who was speaking, what he saw was the newly adopted princess.

Gailben’s heart fell immediately. How cruel fate was being to him. The princess, in her ignorance, was fighting for him. She would, of course, be immediately told she is out of line by her majesty. Her speaking up was only a cruel prank by fate throwing him false hope.

‘Aerien, it has already been decided. Gailben will be offered to the dryad for his crime of manipulating the laws which you yourself had put in place. I have been informed of this by lord Faranti. His actions in releasing magus Eirlathion only to later re-charge him were in direct violation of Earth law and could only be seen as a trick taking advantage of the present political situation in order to deny him of proper legal council. You were the first to realize this, were you not? Therefore you should be the most aware.’

That certainly stung! Yes, he had been aware of the double jeopardy rule Mr. Steven had mentioned, but knew it would be overruled in this case. It was not for any intention of denying legal representation though, it was merely because he felt it would be easier that way. He had merely seen it as starting the process over under the princess' rules instead of the former rules of the kingdom, not as some form of underhanded trick. He merely felt it would be easier to approach that way rather than the crazy amount of work that would be involved in straightening it out otherwise. This small bit of cutting corners seems to have been coming back to bite him in the worst way possible.

“Mister Gailben is not solely responsible for that though! He is being made to bear the brunt of a crime for which the entire court is responsible!”

‘Aerien!’ Her majesty yelled at the princess. ‘That is enough! The dryad has settled for taking only lord Gailben, do not jeopardize this arrangement!’

Yes… yes, this is the way it should be. It upset Gailben greatly, but this was a perfectly reasonable way to think. This is the way things have always been done. If his own life alone was enough to appease the dryad, then he would simply have to accept his fate so as to divert the attention away from the rest of the fey court.

“This is absolutely ridiculous!” The princess exclaimed in anger, however Gailben did not hear her voice echo in his mind. The only reason he was able to hear her was because of how close together the two of them were standing. Well, at least she had enough sense to cease using the spirit speech for an improper outburst like that. “Dryad! What do you intend to do with him?”

“What will I do?” The dryad said. “Hmm… I think I will use this opportunity to show you exactly what it is you just did to yourself Aerien. Burn what you are about to see into your mind. Gailben, do you swear to never interfere with or meddle in the affairs of any dryad ever again?”

Gailben’s heart froze in fear as soon as he heard those amazingly cruel words. The dryad demands a reverse oath!? No! No way! His heart cried out as his blood ran cold. Swearing a reverse oath is worse than simply violating the oath in the first place. The reaction from that would do far more than just kill him. He looked toward the princess, begging with his eyes. She had been his only life-line of hope since appearing up here, his only hope to escape from this supreme cruelty would be for her to continue as she has been. Please, princess!! In the name of Abzu for whom you are named, PLEASE do not stop now!

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Subscribers' comments of the chapter

"What did I say? There was no way for this trial to end normally."

                  -Vorquel

 

""dryad hold this beer and watch dis soul magic"Oh my oath broken before it could even start >_>"

                 -Roy

 

"Hmmm"

                -meowingLexi

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Author's note

Ok, so, yeah. That was interesting. In some very different news though, I just felt like talking a little bit about next arc since this one is starting to wrap up. I have been working on the plotting for the next arc.

I kinda like to call my scenario-setting process "the simulation." That is, I set all the rules in my mind like the world rules, character personalities, and other such details. And then, I just set them in various situations and see how they handle it in my mentally generated simulation. This is how I allow the story to be character driven while still having some kind of plot.

Well, I just had something extremely interesting happen in the simulation for a specific scene that is going to be in the next arc. Basically, the addition of a single element meant to make the scene more interesting made the entire scenario end in exactly the opposite way from what I had originally planned out. Now, I am faced with the interesting situation of either changing the scenario to keep the original ending or re-writing the entire rest of the series I have planned in order to keep that scene. And, honestly, the new way the scene plays out is a LOT better than the original version before I added in this element that changed everything.

I actually decided to take the second option on this one BTW. Re-plotting the entire series moving forward. It's not actually set in stone yet after all, and the new direction actually seems more interesting than what I originally had in mind.

Anyway, I just thought I would share a little bit about my creative process with you guys, especially since this one in particular wound up affecting things in such an interesting way. I can't give any more details here for spoiler reasons, but I am definitely going to comment after the scene in question has finished in order to point it out again and likely tell how it was originally supposed to go. This is interesting stuff.