The Warrior and The Wren, No. 39

Chronicle 39

“The Cycle of Vengeance”

The knock came while Joanna was sitting cross-legged on the hotel bed.

Zas looked toward the door.

Joanna looked toward Zas.

"Are you expecting somebody?"

"No."

Another knock.

Zas stood.

"I'll get it."

He crossed the room.

Opened the door.

Then blinked.

Elara smiled.

"Hello."

Eldred stood beside her.

Two Peace Officers remained farther down the hallway, giving them enough distance to pretend this was a normal social visit.

Zas stared.

"Elara."

"May we come in?"

"Of course."

He stepped aside.

Elara entered.

Then immediately wrapped her arms around him.

Zas froze.

Completely.

Elara hugged him. Zas eventually returned it.

Zas then looked toward Eldred.

Then toward Joanna.

Then down at Elara.

"...Am I allowed to do this?"

Elara pulled back.

"Do what?"

"Touch the Queen."

Elara stared at him.

Then laughed.

"Zas."

"I am serious."

"I intend to be a very touchy Queen."

Eldred nodded.

"She's always been touchy."

Elara looked at him.

"Especially when I inadvertently take more of the bed covers."

Elara stuck her tongue out.

Eldred smiled.

Joanna immediately liked them.

Elara finally turned toward her.

"…and you must be Joanna."

Joanna stood.

"That's me."

Elara smiled.

"I've heard a lot about you."

Joanna looked toward Zas.

"Good things?"

Elara considered it.

"Mostly."

Joanna's eyes widened.

"Mostly?"

Zas sighed.

"Do not encourage her."

Elara laughed.

"I am joking."

She extended her hand.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you."

Joanna took it.

"You too."

She glanced toward Zas.

"Though now I'm curious what he's been saying."

"Nothing."

"Zas."

"Nothing."

Eldred walked farther into the room.

"I believe he's frightened."

"I am not frightened."

Joanna smiled.

"You're frightened."

Zas pointed toward the chairs.

"Sit."

---

The humour lasted a few more minutes.

Then Elara's expression changed.

There was a reason she had come.

"Thank you for letting us visit."

Zas nodded.

"Of course."

"I didn't want to do this over the phone."

Joanna sat beside Zas on the bed.

Elara and Eldred took the two chairs opposite them.

Elara clasped her hands together.

"We have the summit."

Zas smiled.

"Rome approved it?"

"Yes."

Elara glanced toward Eldred.

"Emperor Petraeus agreed to host it personally."

Eldred nodded.

"The Romans have actually been incredibly accommodating."

"They've given us facilities."

"Security."

"Staff."

Elara continued.

"They're even willing to be flexible with the schedule."

Joanna smiled.

"That's good."

"It is."

Elara's smile disappeared.

"Unfortunately..."

Zas nodded.

"There is a problem."

"Several."

Eldred leaned forward.

"…but one very large one."

Elara exhaled.

"The provinces like the summit."

"Curgarden?"

"Yes."

"Yarkand?"

"Yes."

Elara began counting.

"Yarkand. Rutong. Ladakh. Aetheris. Keriya."

She paused.

"…and Curgarden."

Zas raised an eyebrow.

"Even Curgarden."

"Even Curgarden."

That mattered.

After everything that had happened...

It mattered considerably.

"They're willing to talk," Elara said.

"They're willing to discuss what Aetheria should become."

"Whether the monarchy survives."

"How much authority the provinces should have."

"How reconstruction should work."

"Everything."

Joanna frowned.

"So what's stopping them?"

Elara looked toward Eldred.

Eldred answered.

"Forman."

Of course.

Elara rubbed her hands together.

"Nobody wants to spend weeks negotiating the future of Aetheria with me..."

"...only for the court to eventually decide that Forman legally succeeded me and everything we negotiated suddenly has to be renegotiated with him."

Zas nodded slowly.

"That is reasonable."

"I know."

"…and I can't promise them it won't happen."

"No."

"The Court was very clear."

Elara remained sovereign because the legality of the transfer remained unresolved. Forman's claim had not been extinguished. The trial could still alter everything.

"So..."

Elara took a breath.

"...I need Forman to give up his claim."

Joanna tilted her head.

"Why would he?"

"Exactly."

Elara looked toward Eldred.

"We've spent the last few days thinking about that."

"…and Petraeus said something to me," Eldred added.

Zas looked toward him.

"What?"

"If you want something from another government..."

Eldred paused.

"...or another person..."

"...you have to understand what they want from you."

Elara nodded.

"So we asked ourselves what Forman wants."

Zas didn't hesitate.

"Freedom."

"Yes."

Elara's expression hardened.

"…and I may have something I can give him."

Joanna looked between them.

Elara spoke carefully.

"Eldred and I are prepared to withdraw our participation in the Responsibility case against him."

Zas' eyebrows rose.

Joanna stared.

Eldred nodded.

"We would formally request that Responsibility drop the charges against Forman that concern what he did to us."

Silence.

Elara continued.

"In exchange..."

"...Forman permanently renounces every claim he has to the Aetherian state."

Zas leaned forward.

"Every claim?"

"Every one."

"He cannot become King."

"No."

"President."

"No."

"Governor."

"No."

"Anything."

"Nothing."

Eldred continued.

"…and he agrees never to enter Aetherian territory again."

Joanna looked toward Elara.

"Ever?"

"Ever."

Silence returned.

Zas considered it.

"So you would offer him..."

He searched for the right wording.

"...whatever relief you personally have the power to offer..."

"...in exchange for permanent exile from Aetheria and abandonment of his succession claim."

"Yes."

Zas leaned back.

Elara watched him carefully.

This was why she'd come.

Not for approval.

Not exactly.

She wanted somebody who wasn't Aetherian.

Somebody who wasn't Roman.

Somebody who wasn't a lawyer.

Somebody who had every reason to despise Forman...

...but no personal stake in Elara remaining Queen.

Finally-

"It is workable."

Elara exhaled.

Not relief.

Not quite.

…but something close.

Joanna nodded.

"I think so too."

Eldred looked encouraged.

Zas raised a finger.

"…but."

Elara smiled faintly.

"I knew there was a but."

"There are several."

"Of course."

Zas began.

"First..."

"Forman may refuse."

"I know."

"He still faces charges that have nothing to do with either of you."

"We know."

"Second..."

Zas looked toward Eldred.

"Responsibility decides what Responsibility prosecutes."

Eldred nodded.

"We know that too."

"You may request that charges be dropped."

"Yes."

"…but you cannot order it."

"No."

"So Forman may look at your offer and decide he receives very little."

Elara frowned.

"That's what worries me."

Zas continued.

"Even if Responsibility agrees to your request, he may still face imprisonment for the other charges."

"Yes."

"…and if he believes he can defeat those charges..."

"...he may see no reason to surrender his claim."

Elara nodded.

"I know."

Zas was quiet for another moment.

"Still..."

Elara waited.

"I think you should try."

She looked at him.

"You do?"

"Yes."

Zas nodded.

"You cannot know what Forman will accept until you ask."

"…and if he refuses..."

"...you lose nothing you have not already lost."

Eldred smiled.

"That's basically where we landed."

Joanna had been quiet.

Too quiet.

Elara noticed.

"What?"

Joanna looked at her.

"Are you okay with it?"

Elara frowned.

"With what?"

"The deal."

"Yes."

"No."

Joanna shook her head.

"Not whether you think it's a good deal."

She leaned forward.

"Are you okay with it?"

Elara didn't answer.

Joanna continued.

"Because you're talking about this like a government problem."

"It is a government problem."

"I know."

"…but Forman didn't only create a government problem."

Elara's face changed.

Eldred looked toward Joanna.

Joanna continued carefully.

"He hurt both of you."

Silence.

"If you decide that you're willing to stop pursuing what he did to you because it helps Aetheria..."

"...can you live with that?"

Elara opened her mouth.

Stopped.

Joanna wasn't finished.

"…and what about everybody else?"

Eldred frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"The people he hurt."

Joanna looked between them.

"People who don't get to sit at this table."

"People who might want him punished."

"People who might never forgive him."

"People who might be dead and don't get to tell anybody what they want."

Elara's eyes dropped.

Zas looked toward Joanna.

She had found the question neither he nor Eldred had asked.

Joanna's voice softened.

"I'm not saying don't do it."

"I'm asking whether you've thought about what it means."

Elara remained silent.

So did Eldred.

Finally Eldred leaned back.

"...No."

Elara looked toward him.

Eldred shook his head.

"Not like that."

Elara swallowed.

"Neither have I."

For days...

They had thought about the summit.

The provinces.

Forman's succession.

The Court.

Responsibility.

The reconstruction.

The government.

The monarchy.

The future.

Everything.

Except that.

Elara stared at her hands.

"I don't forgive him."

Joanna nodded.

"You don't have to."

"I don't think I ever will."

"You don't have to."

Eldred looked toward the floor.

Elara continued.

"This isn't forgiveness."

"No."

"It's..."

She searched.

"...ending something."

Zas watched her.

Elara looked up.

"My father ruled through vengeance."

"Curgarden answered him with vengeance."

"Then Aetheris fell."

"Then people took vengeance against my family."

"Then Forman..."

Her voice tightened.

"...did what he did."

She stopped.

Eldred reached over.

Took her hand.

Elara squeezed it.

"I don't want to do it anymore."

Joanna remained quiet.

"I don't want Aetheria rebuilt around deciding who deserves revenge next."

Elara breathed slowly.

"If making this deal means people hate me..."

"...I'll have to live with that."

"If victims think I betrayed them..."

Her voice faltered.

"...I'll have to live with that too."

She looked toward Eldred.

"…but I cannot promise them that punishing Forman for what he did to me is more important than giving the entire country a chance to move forward."

Eldred nodded.

"…and we're not asking anyone else to forgive him."

"No."

"We're only deciding what we do with our own part of the case."

Zas considered that.

Then nodded.

"That distinction matters."

Elara gave him a tired smile.

"I hope everyone else thinks so."

"They will not."

Elara laughed.

"Thank you, Zas."

"You asked for neutrality."

"I did."

"You did not ask for optimism."

Joanna nudged him.

"She's trying."

"So am I."

Elara smiled.

Then her expression grew thoughtful.

"There's something else."

Zas waited.

"I've already told the provinces..."

"...if the future of Aetheria requires abolishing the monarchy..."

"...I'll do it."

Zas stared.

Joanna blinked.

Even Eldred looked toward Elara despite already knowing this.

Zas leaned forward.

"You would abdicate?"

"If that's what comes out of the summit."

"Completely?"

"Yes."

Zas studied her.

Then-

"Why?"

Elara frowned.

"Why?"

"Yes."

Zas spoke carefully.

"Is this because you believe it is best for Aetheria?"

Elara stared at him.

"Or..."

He paused.

"...because you are exhausted and would like someone else to carry the mountain?"

Elara didn't answer immediately.

Eldred looked toward her.

Joanna did too.

Elara finally laughed.

A small...

Very tired laugh.

"Both."

Zas nodded.

"That is what I thought."

"It is a mountain."

"I know."

"I became Queen and within hours I discovered I had no money, almost no government, no staff except Eldred, hundreds of people trying to call me, provinces that don't trust me, a succession dispute..."

She threw up her hands.

"...and apparently my dead father gave the country away in his will."

Joanna blinked.

"What?"

Elara stopped.

"Oh."

Zas looked toward Joanna.

Joanna looked toward Zas.

Elara sighed.

"We'll get to that."

Eldred laughed.

Elara continued.

"Yes."

"The thought of somebody saying, 'Elara, thank you very much, you may go home now'..."

She smiled.

"...is occasionally extremely attractive."

"…but..."

The smile disappeared.

"...that's not why I'm willing to do it."

She straightened.

"If Aetheria wants a monarchy..."

"I will serve."

"If it wants a constitutional monarchy..."

"I will serve."

"If the provinces want something completely different and the best thing I can do is sign the final document, hand over the Crown and walk away..."

She nodded.

"...I'll do that too."

Zas watched her.

"Even if you want to remain Queen?"

Elara thought.

"I don't know if I do."

That answer seemed to satisfy him more than anything else she'd said.

Because it was honest.

"…but I know what I want more."

"What?"

"Aetheria to survive."

Silence.

Then Zas nodded.

"Good."

Elara raised an eyebrow.

"Good?"

"Yes."

"That's all?"

"What else do you want?"

Joanna smiled.

"He's very difficult to impress."

"I am not."

"You absolutely are."

Elara laughed.

The tension finally broke.

For a moment...

They were simply four people sitting in a hotel room again.

Then Elara remembered something.

"Actually..."

She looked toward Joanna.

"...you work for Vince McGeady, don't you?"

Joanna blinked.

"Vince?"

"Yes."

"Vince McGeady?"

"Yes."

Joanna stared.

"Uh..."

She looked toward Zas.

"...yes."

Elara waited.

Joanna laughed.

"Sorry. I thought everybody knew that."

"I don't watch wrestling."

"Oh."

Joanna nodded.

"Right."

That explained it.

"Yes. Vince owns the WFE. I wrestle for Combat Arts."

Elara immediately leaned forward.

"Do you see him?"

Joanna laughed.

"Unfortunately."

Zas smiled.

Joanna nudged him.

"Actually..."

She thought.

"We're having dinner with him."

Elara's eyes widened.

"When?"

"In a few days."

"Here?"

"Ercolanum."

"Who?"

"Me. Zas. The Blue Shield."

Elara stared.

Joanna stared back.

Then Elara turned toward Eldred.

Eldred already knew exactly what she was thinking.

"No."

"What?"

"You have that look."

"What look?"

"The look where you've just decided we're doing something."

Elara turned back toward Joanna.

"Can I come?"

Joanna blinked.

"To dinner?"

"Yes."

"With Vince?"

"Yes."

Zas frowned.

"Why?"

Elara took a breath.

"Because my father left him Aetheria."

Silence.

Joanna stared.

Zas stared.

Elara grimaced.

"Not sovereignty."

"Oh."

"That would somehow be less strange."

She began counting.

"The Royal Palace."

Zas' eyebrows rose.

"Government buildings."

Joanna's mouth opened.

"Private estates."

"Horses."

"Royal vehicles."

"The Crown."

"The sceptre."

"Jewellery."

"Military equipment."

Zas stared.

"...Military equipment?"

"Yes."

"Weapons?"

"Yes."

"Your father left Vince McGeady weapons?"

Elara nodded.

Joanna slowly covered her face.

"Oh, God."

Eldred laughed.

"That was approximately our reaction."

Elara continued.

"There are also creditors."

"Apparently a lot of creditors."

"So Vince may not ultimately receive everything."

"…but legally..."

She sighed.

"...whatever remains after the estate is settled belongs to him."

Joanna lowered her hands.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Did Havin know Vince?"

"No."

"Did Vince know Havin?"

"Apparently my father called him."

"…and?"

"Vince ignored him."

Joanna stared.

"...That sounds like Vince."

Zas rubbed his forehead.

"So what do you want?"

Elara's expression became serious.

"I want it back."

"The Palace?"

"Yes."

"The Crown?"

"Yes."

"The weapons?"

"Especially the weapons."

Joanna nodded.

"Fair."

"Those things shouldn't belong to Vince."

Elara paused.

"No offence."

Joanna laughed.

"None taken."

"I don't think they should belong to any private person."

Zas nodded.

"So you need to negotiate with him."

"Yes."

"…and you want to do it at our dinner."

"Yes."

Joanna looked toward Zas.

Zas looked toward Joanna.

Joanna shrugged.

"I don't care."

Zas nodded.

"Neither do I."

Elara brightened.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Joanna smiled.

"Come."

Eldred sighed.

Elara looked at him.

"What?"

"I knew we were going."

Elara grinned.

Then she squeezed his hand.

"You love me."

"Unfortunately."

She stuck her tongue out at him again.

Zas watched.

Then looked toward Joanna.

Joanna was smiling.

Elara had arrived looking for advice about the future of a shattered kingdom.

She was leaving with something else entirely.

A dinner invitation.

With Vince McGeady.

Joanna thought about Vince.

Then about Elara.

Then about the fact that Elara wanted Vince to surrender a palace, royal jewels, military equipment and whatever else Havin had somehow dumped into his estate.

Her smile slowly disappeared.

"...Maybe I should warn Vince."

Zas shook his head.

"No."

Joanna looked at him.

"No?"

Zas smiled.

"I want to see his face."

Joanna stared at him.

Then laughed.

"Okay."

Elara smiled.

For perhaps the first time since becoming Queen...

She was genuinely looking forward to a negotiation.

---

Olivia Stabler was halfway through reviewing a witness memorandum when someone knocked on her office door.

"Come in."

The door opened.

Elara stepped inside.

Eldred followed.

Olivia immediately set the memorandum aside.

"Your Majesty."

Elara still wasn't used to that.

"Elara is fine."

Olivia smiled.

"I suspect I'm going to lose that argument."

"Probably."

"Sit."

They did.

Olivia looked between them.

Neither appeared frightened.

That was different.

The first time she'd dealt with Elara and Eldred, both had been recovering from injuries, trauma and the complete collapse of everything they had known. Olivia had spent months watching their testimony develop while making certain the prosecution never confused sympathy with evidence. Her approach had always been the same: build the case, tell the truth, don't guess, don't embellish, don't turn witnesses into advocates.

Now they were sitting in front of her for an entirely different reason.

Olivia folded her hands.

"What can I do for you?"

Elara glanced toward Eldred.

Then back toward Olivia.

"We want to make a formal request."

Olivia's expression remained neutral.

"All right."

"We want you to drop the charges against Forman concerning us."

Silence.

Olivia didn't react immediately.

She simply stared.

Then-

"No."

Elara blinked.

Eldred blinked.

Olivia leaned back.

"That was probably too quick."

"A little."

"Let me start again."

She reached for a pen.

"Why?"

Elara had expected that question.

"We're trying to resolve the succession problem."

Olivia waited.

Elara continued.

"The provinces have agreed that they want to participate in the Future of Aetheria summit."

"That's good."

"It is."

"…but they don't want to negotiate a new constitutional arrangement with me if Forman may eventually become President of the Khotan Valley."

Olivia nodded.

"Understandable."

"So we need Forman to permanently renounce his claim."

Olivia's eyes narrowed slightly.

There it was.

"…and you intend to offer him something."

"Yes."

Olivia put down the pen.

"What?"

"Originally..."

Elara hesitated.

"...we thought Eldred and I could simply withdraw from the case."

Olivia's expression changed immediately.

Elara noticed.

"We wouldn't testify."

"You mean refuse to cooperate."

"Yes."

Olivia nodded slowly.

"…and?"

"We decided that probably wasn't enough."

"No."

Elara wasn't surprised.

"So..."

She took a breath.

"...we want Responsibility to drop the charges relating specifically to what Forman did to us."

Olivia stared at her.

"In exchange..."

"...Forman signs away every claim he has to Aetheria."

"Forever."

Eldred leaned forward.

"He also agrees never to enter Aetherian territory again."

Olivia looked from one to the other.

"You've thought this through."

"We've tried."

"Whose idea?"

"Both of ours."

Olivia considered them.

"What exactly are you hoping I would dismiss?"

Elara shifted slightly.

"The charges arising from his treatment of Eldred and me."

"Assault."

"Threats."

"The acts surrounding my captivity."

"Whatever Responsibility believes he committed directly against us."

Olivia's expression remained calm.

Elara continued.

"We're not asking you to dismiss the charges involving other victims."

"Or Havin."

"Or the wider atrocities."

"Or command responsibility."

"Just ours."

Olivia nodded.

Then was silent.

Elara waited.

Eldred waited.

Olivia looked down at her desk.

Then back up.

"I understand why you're asking."

Elara brightened slightly.

"…and I think what you're trying to do is noble."

That sounded promising.

Olivia immediately ruined it.

"…but I can't agree."

Elara's face fell.

"Oh."

Olivia smiled sympathetically.

"I'm sorry."

Elara looked genuinely disappointed.

"I thought this would be more straightforward."

"It isn't."

"Nothing is."

"Government?"

"Government."

Olivia almost laughed.

Then she grew serious again.

"Elara..."

She folded her hands.

"...the first problem is that these aren't really your charges."

Elara frowned.

"They concern me."

"They do."

"You're the victim."

"Yes."

"…but Responsibility brought them."

Elara nodded.

Olivia continued.

"You can tell me you no longer want to participate."

"You can tell me you don't want Forman punished for what happened to you."

"You can tell me you'd personally forgive him."

Elara's expression tightened.

"I'm not forgiving him."

"I understand."

"…but none of those things automatically ends the prosecution."

Eldred nodded.

"We knew that."

Olivia looked toward him.

"Good."

Then back to Elara.

"Because Responsibility doesn't prosecute crimes solely to satisfy an individual victim."

Elara listened.

"We prosecute because certain conduct is considered an offence against the wider community."

Olivia gestured toward the files stacked nearby.

"Especially in a case like this."

"War crimes."

"Crimes against humanity."

"Abuse of prisoners."

"Command responsibility."

"Those aren't private disputes."

Elara nodded slowly.

Olivia continued.

"If someone commits a serious crime..."

"...and the victim later says, 'I've decided prosecution is inconvenient for me politically'..."

She paused.

"...that can't automatically become the end of the case."

Elara winced.

"When you put it that way..."

"I'm not trying to insult you."

"I know."

"I'm explaining the principle."

Olivia leaned forward.

"There are reasons."

She began counting them.

"Deterrence."

"Precedent."

"Consistency."

"Public confidence."

"The protection of future victims."

"The integrity of Responsibility."

"…and..."

She paused.

"...the basic philosophy of justice."

Elara frowned.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that whether conduct is criminal cannot depend entirely upon whether the victim later finds prosecution useful."

Silence.

Olivia continued.

"If we establish that principle..."

"...then every powerful defendant in the world learns something."

Eldred understood.

"They only need to make the victim an attractive enough offer."

"Exactly."

Elara's eyes widened slightly.

Olivia nodded.

"Money."

"Political concessions."

"Property."

"Threats disguised as negotiations."

"Promises."

"Titles."

"Anything."

She tapped the desk.

"Suddenly prosecution becomes another market."

Elara stared downward.

She hadn't thought of that.

Olivia continued.

"…and there's another problem."

"Message sending."

Elara looked up.

"If Forman committed what we've alleged..."

Olivia spoke carefully.

"...then what message does Responsibility send if we dismiss serious charges because doing so makes the constitutional situation easier?"

Elara answered quietly.

"That politics matters more than justice."

"Potentially."

Olivia nodded.

"…and I cannot do that."

Elara exhaled.

Eldred took her hand.

Olivia watched them.

She liked both of them.

That wasn't relevant.

She had learned a long time ago that one of the most dangerous things a prosecutor could do was confuse liking someone with owing them the outcome they wanted.

Elara looked back at her.

"What if I formally requested it as Queen?"

"No."

The answer came immediately.

Elara sighed.

"I knew you were going to say that."

"Good."

"Why?"

"Because I would be very worried if you thought becoming Queen gave you control over Responsibility."

Elara smiled despite herself.

"Fair."

Olivia continued.

"The Treaty deliberately separates these functions."

"Your responsibility is Aetheria."

"Mine is this case."

"Sometimes those responsibilities will align."

"Sometimes they won't."

Elara nodded.

That made sense.

She hated that it made sense.

"So there's nothing?"

Olivia paused.

"I didn't say that."

Elara looked up.

Eldred did too.

Olivia picked up her pen again.

"I said I cannot simply promise you that I'm dropping the charges."

"That's different."

Elara leaned forward.

"Very."

Olivia thought for a moment.

"There may be things we can do."

"Like what?"

"I don't know yet."

Elara deflated slightly.

Olivia smiled.

"I mean that literally."

She pointed toward the wall beyond which the rest of her prosecution team worked.

"I need to talk to Christopher."

"Finch."

"Gao."

"Jabulile."

"I need to look at the indictment."

"I need to determine which charges depend materially upon your testimony."

"Which charges overlap with other alleged conduct."

"Which charges we could potentially narrow without compromising the case."

"Whether sentencing recommendations could be affected."

"Whether a negotiated stipulation could accomplish something useful."

"Whether there is anything else we can offer Forman that has genuine value without selling the prosecution."

Elara listened carefully.

Olivia continued.

"…and I would want defence counsel involved before anything becomes formal."

"Wiseman?"

"Yes."

Elara grimaced.

"He'll enjoy this."

Olivia smiled faintly.

"Probably."

Eldred asked the obvious question.

"Could our willingness not to seek punishment matter?"

"Potentially."

Olivia nodded.

"Victim preferences can matter."

"They simply aren't dispositive."

Elara frowned.

"Dispositive?"

"Sorry."

Olivia smiled.

"They don't decide everything."

"Oh."

"I spend too much time with lawyers."

"You are a lawyer."

"That's the problem."

Eldred laughed.

The tension eased slightly.

Olivia became serious again.

"I also need both of you to understand something."

They waited.

"If you make this offer to Forman..."

"...you can't assume I can deliver whatever he asks."

Elara nodded.

"I know."

"If he says, 'Drop everything or I keep my claim'..."

"I won't ask you to."

"Good."

"If he asks for immunity..."

"I won't ask you to."

"Good."

"If he asks Responsibility to declare him innocent..."

Elara almost laughed.

"Definitely not."

"Good."

Olivia smiled.

Then-

"…but if there's a lawful way to materially reduce his exposure on the parts of the case involving you..."

"...or otherwise give him a meaningful reason to surrender the succession claim..."

She nodded.

"...I'll explore it."

Elara stared at her.

"You will?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Olivia seemed surprised by the question.

"Because I want Aetheria to succeed."

Elara said nothing.

Olivia continued.

"I don't see justice as requiring me to ignore everything outside this courtroom."

"I simply cannot sacrifice the responsibilities of Responsibility to solve your political problem."

She leaned forward.

"…but if we can help solve the political problem without compromising those responsibilities..."

"...then I want to."

Elara smiled.

Small.

Relieved.

Not because she'd gotten what she wanted.

She hadn't.

…but because the door hadn't closed.

"Thank you."

Olivia nodded.

"Don't thank me yet."

"I haven't done anything."

"You said you'll try."

"That I can promise."

Eldred squeezed Elara's hand.

Elara looked toward him.

Then back to Olivia.

"We're trying to end the cycle."

Olivia's expression softened.

"Havin."

"Curgarden."

"The Fall."

"Everything."

Elara nodded.

"I don't want the next government built around revenge against the last government."

Olivia thought about that.

Then leaned back.

"That's a worthy goal."

Elara waited.

"…but?"

Olivia smiled.

"There's always a but."

Elara laughed.

Olivia continued.

"Ending vengeance does not necessarily mean ending accountability."

Elara's smile faded.

"Sometimes..."

Olivia spoke carefully.

"...the hardest thing is figuring out where one ends and the other begins."

Silence.

Elara nodded.

"I know."

Olivia looked at her.

"No."

She smiled gently.

"You're learning."

Elara considered that.

Then smiled.

"Apparently that's what being Queen is."

Olivia laughed.

"I suspect that's what being anything important is."

Elara stood.

Eldred followed.

Olivia rose too.

"I'll speak to my team."

"When?"

"Today."

Elara nodded.

"…and when I know what we can responsibly offer..."

Olivia deliberately emphasized the word.

"...I'll call you."

Elara held out her hand.

Olivia took it.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Elara and Eldred headed toward the door.

Before Elara opened it-

"Elara."

She turned.

Olivia looked at her.

"If Forman gives up his claim..."

"...make sure it's because the agreement is something you can live with afterward."

Elara's expression became thoughtful.

Olivia continued.

"Not merely because you need the summit."

Elara remembered Joanna asking almost the same question.

Are you okay with it?

She nodded.

"I will."

Then she and Eldred left.

The door closed.

Olivia remained standing.

She looked toward the mountain of Forman files.

Then toward the offices of her prosecution team.

Finally...

She sighed.

"Christopher..."

She picked up the phone.

"...I need everybody in here."

A pause.

"Yes."

Another pause.

"No."

Olivia looked toward the closed door.

"It's not bad."

She considered that.

"...I don't think."

Another pause.

"Just get everyone."

She hung up.

Then looked again at Forman's name across the nearest case file.

Politics wanted a solution.

Aetheria needed a future.

Elara wanted the cycle to end.

Responsibility still needed justice.

Olivia picked up her pen.

Somewhere between those four things...

There might be a deal.

Olivia waited until everyone had taken a seat before closing the conference-room door.

Christopher Cutson was already going through the Forman files.

Gao Yang had coffee.

Jabulile Cele had a legal pad.

Finch had nothing.

He rarely needed anything.

He simply sat at the end of the table, listening.

Olivia returned to her chair.

"Elara and Eldred came to see me."

Gao raised an eyebrow.

"The Queen?"

"Yes."

"Did you bow?"

"No."

"Missed opportunity."

Jabulile looked at him.

Gao lifted his coffee.

"I'm finished."

Olivia continued.

"They want Forman's succession claim resolved before Elara holds her summit."

Christopher nodded.

"Understandable."

"The provinces apparently support the summit."

"Also understandable."

"…but they don't want to negotiate a new constitutional settlement with Elara if Forman could eventually win his case and become President of the Khotan Valley."

Finch spoke.

"So Elara needs him to renounce the claim."

"Yes."

Olivia opened the file in front of her.

"Originally, Elara and Eldred planned to offer Forman their withdrawal from the case."

Christopher frowned.

"That's not much."

"They realized that."

Olivia looked around the table.

"So Elara asked me to drop the charges concerning what Forman allegedly did specifically to her and Eldred."

Jabulile didn't hesitate.

"No."

"I told her no."

"Good."

Gao leaned back.

"I assume we're not here because you changed your mind."

"No."

Olivia folded her hands.

"I explained that Elara and Eldred are victims and witnesses. They don't own the prosecution. Their wishes matter, but Responsibility has obligations beyond their wishes."

Jabulile nodded.

"Justice cannot depend upon whether a victim later finds prosecution politically inconvenient."

"That's essentially what I told her."

"…and?"

"…and I promised I'd talk to you."

Christopher stopped turning pages.

"About what?"

"Whether there's anything we can legitimately offer."

Jabulile frowned.

"Why should we offer Forman anything?"

"Because defendants get plea offers."

"Not twenty minutes after their victim becomes Queen."

Olivia smiled faintly.

"No."

"…but Elara has identified something Forman possesses that she needs."

"His claim."

"Yes."

Gao took a drink.

"…and Forman presumably wants something we possess."

Christopher looked toward him.

"His freedom."

"Eventually."

Jabulile shook her head.

"That doesn't mean we should give it to him."

"No one's suggesting we do."

Gao gestured toward the files.

"…but there's nothing improper about asking whether a negotiated disposition exists."

Christopher nodded.

"Especially if it gets us guilty pleas."

Jabulile looked toward him.

"We have the stronger case."

"Which is exactly why we don't need to give much away."

That stopped her.

Christopher continued.

"We don't need Forman to plead."

"We can try him."

"We believe we can convict him."

Responsibility's case was not perfect.

The preliminary hearing had made that clear.

Elara and Eldred had struggled under cross-examination. Ravi had become too vulnerable to use except in necessity. Semin's anger created its own dangers.

…but Zas remained a strong eyewitness. Rahim had proven exceptionally composed. Azamat remained viable. Billings had begun cooperating.

The case had weaknesses.

It also had considerable strength.

Gao nodded.

"That's my point."

He set down his coffee.

"If Forman wants concessions from us, he needs to give us something worth having."

Jabulile frowned.

"His Presidency isn't something we need."

"No."

Gao nodded toward Olivia.

"…but Elara does."

"…and that's where I become uncomfortable."

Jabulile leaned forward.

"We are prosecutors."

"Not diplomats."

"Not constitutional negotiators."

"Our job is to prosecute Forman."

Olivia nodded.

"Agreed."

"So Elara's summit cannot determine what sentence we seek."

"Agreed."

"Her desire to remain Queen cannot determine it."

"Agreed."

"Her desire to stop Forman becoming President cannot determine it."

"Agreed."

Jabulile stopped.

Olivia waited.

"Then why are we doing this?"

Finch answered.

"Because Elara can change the case."

Everyone looked toward him.

Finch remained seated.

"She and Eldred can withdraw their participation."

"Yes," Olivia said.

"Which doesn't end the prosecution."

"No."

"…but it weakens parts of it."

Christopher nodded slowly.

"Yes."

Finch looked toward Jabulile.

"That's relevant."

Jabulile considered it.

"It is."

Finch looked toward Olivia.

"So don't start with the Presidency."

Olivia raised an eyebrow.

"Start with the case."

---

They did.

For nearly an hour.

Charges.

Evidence.

Witnesses.

Which allegations depended substantially upon Elara.

Which depended upon Eldred.

Which could be established through Zas or other witnesses.

Which were supported independently.

Which overlapped.

Which charges captured conduct already represented elsewhere in the indictment.

Which charges they absolutely refused to surrender.

Christopher did most of the practical sorting.

Jabulile repeatedly challenged every proposed concession.

Gao kept asking a simpler question:

"What do we actually need?"

Finch mostly listened.

Eventually Olivia stood and walked toward the whiteboard.

She wrote:

FORMAN — CURRENT CASE

Then beneath it:

PLEA: LIFE

Gao stared.

"Well."

Christopher nodded.

"That's where I am."

Jabulile looked toward him.

"Life?"

"Life."

"For what?"

"Substantial guilty pleas."

"How substantial?"

"Most of the principal charges."

Jabulile considered it.

Christopher continued.

"We drop some overlapping counts. Some secondary counts. We don't waste months litigating every conceivable charge if he's prepared to admit the core criminal conduct."

"…and he gets life."

"Yes."

Gao smiled faintly.

"I suspect Wiseman will be overwhelmed by our generosity."

Christopher shrugged.

"It's a plea offer."

"Technically."

Olivia turned toward Finch.

"What do you think?"

Finch finally leaned forward.

"Why would Forman take it?"

No one answered.

"Exactly."

Gao lifted his coffee.

"He wouldn't."

Christopher nodded.

"Probably not."

Finch looked toward the board.

"He pleads guilty to most of the serious charges..."

"...and spends the rest of his life in prison."

"Yes."

"What does he gain?"

Christopher answered.

"Certainty."

"He avoids the risk of convictions on everything."

"He avoids whatever additional consequences accompany those convictions."

"He knows exactly where the case ends."

Finch nodded.

"Legitimate."

Then-

"…but not attractive."

"No."

Olivia capped the marker.

"It doesn't have to be."

Everyone looked toward her.

"We're not trying to convince Forman to take a bad deal."

"We're determining what Responsibility is prepared to offer based upon the case we currently have."

Christopher nodded.

"That's the offer."

"Yes."

Gao smiled.

"Life."

"Yes."

"Take it or leave it."

"Essentially."

Finch looked toward the board again.

"…and if he takes it, Elara's political problem mostly resolves itself anyway."

Olivia frowned.

"How?"

Finch looked at her.

"He's serving life."

Silence.

Then Gao laughed.

"Oh."

Christopher leaned back.

"Right."

Finch continued.

"Even if some theoretical title claim survives..."

"...he's never meaningfully governing Aetheria from a Responsibility prison."

Gao nodded.

"Unless Aetheria wants its President governing by prison phone."

Jabulile gave him a look.

"What?"

Gao shrugged.

"It's true."

Olivia stared at the board.

That actually simplified things.

"So Option One doesn't need to be a political deal at all."

"No," Finch said.

"It's simply our ordinary plea offer."

"Life imprisonment."

"Substantial admissions."

"Limited dismissals."

"Done."

Olivia nodded.

Then uncapped the marker again.

"All right."

She wrote beside it:

ELARA + ELDRED WITHDRAW

The room grew quieter.

Christopher opened another section of his file.

"That's different."

"How different?" Olivia asked.

He began reviewing his notes.

"We lose their direct accounts."

"Yes."

"Some charges become substantially harder."

"Yes."

"Some survive."

"Absolutely."

Gao leaned forward.

"We still have Zas."

"Yes."

"Rahim."

"Yes."

"Azamat."

"Yes."

"Billings."

"Yes."

"…and the broader investigation."

"Yes."

Gao nodded.

"So we're not losing the case."

"No."

Christopher looked up.

"…but we're losing part of the case."

Olivia nodded.

"…and that gives us a legitimate prosecutorial reason to change the offer."

Jabulile frowned.

"How much?"

That was the question.

They went back through everything.

Again.

This time under the assumption that Elara and Eldred would not participate.

More charges disappeared from the board.

Others remained.

Some became riskier.

Others barely changed.

Eventually Christopher stopped writing.

"Twenty."

Jabulile stared at him.

"No."

Gao smiled.

"We've reached this part."

"Twenty years?"

Christopher nodded.

"If we're dropping the charges we can no longer comfortably prove without Elara and Eldred..."

"...and Forman pleads guilty to a substantial package of what remains..."

"Twenty."

Jabulile shook her head.

"For Forman."

"Yes."

"Absolutely not."

Olivia looked toward her.

"Why?"

"Because twenty years does not reflect the seriousness of what we're alleging."

Christopher responded.

"It reflects what we can prove after losing two central witnesses."

"We don't lose the entire case."

"I didn't say we did."

"Then prosecute it."

"We can."

Christopher shrugged.

"That's still an option."

Jabulile stopped.

Christopher continued.

"If Forman rejects this..."

"...we try him."

"With Elara and Eldred?"

Olivia nodded.

"Yes."

That distinction mattered.

Olivia turned toward the board.

"Elara isn't withdrawing unconditionally."

"No," Finch said.

"She withdraws only if Forman renounces the claim."

"Exactly."

Finch sat forward.

"Then there aren't two political deals."

Everyone looked toward him.

"There's one plea offer..."

He pointed toward LIFE.

"...and one conditional plea offer."

He pointed toward the other side of the board.

Olivia slowly nodded.

Finch continued.

"Option One is Responsibility's offer."

"Forman pleads guilty to most of the principal charges."

"Some counts disappear."

"He receives life."

"No place at the summit."

"No Presidency."

"No need for action from Elara."

"Nothing political needs to enter into it."

Christopher nodded.

"Correct."

"Option Two exists only if Elara and Eldred withdraw."

"Yes."

"Which changes our evidentiary position."

"Yes."

"That gives Responsibility an independent reason to offer a substantially lower sentence."

Olivia nodded.

"Twenty years."

"Potentially."

Jabulile immediately caught the word.

"Potentially."

Finch looked toward her.

"Judge Caron."

That quieted the room.

Of course.

Finch continued.

"We can negotiate whatever we want."

"Wiseman can agree."

"Forman can agree."

"Elara can agree."

He paused.

"Judge Caron still has to accept it."

Christopher nodded.

"…and twenty years is going to get scrutiny."

"A lot."

"Especially once Caron realizes the arrangement also settles the succession dispute."

"Exactly."

Finch folded his hands.

"So if we offer twenty..."

"...we'd better be able to demonstrate that twenty years is defensible without saying, 'because Elara needed Forman out of the way.'"

Olivia nodded.

"The justification is the changed case."

"Yes."

"Elara and Eldred withdraw."

"Yes."

"We lose evidence."

"Yes."

"We dismiss charges accordingly."

"Yes."

"Forman pleads guilty to a meaningful number of serious charges we can still prove."

"Yes."

"…and we recommend twenty."

Finch nodded.

"Then we can defend it."

Jabulile remained unconvinced.

"…but Forman also has to renounce the Presidency."

Olivia nodded.

"That's Elara's condition."

"Not ours."

"Correct."

Gao understood.

"Elara says: I will withdraw if you surrender your claim."

"Yes."

"Forman surrenders."

"Elara withdraws."

"Our case changes."

"Our plea offer changes."

Olivia nodded.

"Exactly."

Jabulile thought about that.

The distinction was narrow.

…but it was real.

"…and the designated deputies?"

Christopher asked.

Olivia frowned.

"What about them?"

The problem had always extended beyond Forman himself. Under the Treaty, someone held in Responsibility custody could not exercise governmental authority, so power would ordinarily pass to a designated deputy. Unfortunately for Forman, his designated deputies were imprisoned too.

Finch answered.

"They have to be covered."

Gao nodded.

"Definitely."

Elara could not finally extinguish Forman's succession claim only to discover that he'd transferred the same claim to someone else five minutes before signing.

Olivia wrote:

PERMANENT RENUNCIATION — FORMAN + DERIVATIVE CLAIMANTS

Christopher pointed toward it.

"Anyone whose claim depends upon Forman."

"Yes."

"Any designated successor."

"Yes."

"Any deputy asserting authority through his presidency."

"Yes."

Jabulile leaned back.

"…and if they don't agree?"

Olivia capped the marker.

"Then Elara and Eldred don't withdraw."

Christopher nodded.

"…and Option Two disappears."

"Exactly."

Gao smiled.

"So then Forman gets Option One."

Olivia shook her head.

"He gets Option One or trial."

"Right."

Gao smiled wider.

"Which means trial."

Probably.

Everyone in the room knew it.

A man fighting to establish that he was the lawful President of the Khotan Valley was unlikely to surrender most of his defence and accept life imprisonment merely to save everyone the inconvenience of prosecuting him.

Option One was legitimate.

It was real.

They would honour it if Forman accepted.

…but nobody expected him to.

Olivia looked at the board.

OPTION ONE

Plead guilty to most principal charges.

Limited dismissals.

Life imprisonment.

Or-

OPTION TWO

Forman and anyone deriving a succession claim through him permanently renounce those claims.

Elara and Eldred withdraw their participation.

Responsibility dismisses additional charges materially weakened by that withdrawal.

Forman pleads guilty to a substantial number of remaining serious charges.

Twenty years.

Or-

Trial.

Jabulile stared at the second option.

"I still don't like twenty."

Olivia looked toward her.

"You don't have to."

"I think we're giving away too much."

"Maybe."

"I think Forman deserves life."

"Maybe."

"I think Elara's political interests are exerting pressure on a prosecution where they shouldn't."

Olivia nodded.

"That's why we're structuring it this way."

Jabulile looked toward the board.

Then toward Olivia.

"If Elara withdraws..."

"...and Forman still refuses to renounce his claim?"

"Then she doesn't withdraw."

"No."

Jabulile shook her head.

"I mean if she withdraws first."

"She won't."

"Make certain."

"I will."

Jabulile nodded.

"No withdrawal until the renunciation is executed."

"Agreed."

Christopher added-

"…and no renunciation that can be reversed."

"Agreed."

Gao looked toward Finch.

"…and Caron?"

Finch sighed.

"Caron is going to ask why twenty years constitutes justice."

Olivia nodded.

"…and our answer?"

Finch looked at the board.

"Not because Elara wants a summit."

"No."

"Not because Forman gave up the Presidency."

"No."

"Not because the provinces want certainty."

"No."

He pointed toward ELARA + ELDRED WITHDRAW.

"Because two important participants withdrew from the prosecution, materially altering what Responsibility could prove."

Olivia nodded.

"…and Forman still admits serious criminal responsibility."

"Yes."

"…and serves twenty years."

"Yes."

Finch considered it.

"Then I think we can put it before her."

Jabulile looked toward him.

"You think she'll accept it?"

"I didn't say that."

Gao smiled.

"Lawyers."

Finch ignored him.

"I said we can defend it."

That was enough.

For now.

Olivia looked around the table.

"Christopher?"

"I can support both offers."

"Gao?"

"Yes."

"Jabulile?"

A long pause.

"I can support presenting them."

Gao raised his coffee.

"That's practically a ringing endorsement."

"It isn't."

"I know."

Olivia smiled.

Then she looked back toward the board.

For the first time, the structure actually made sense.

Responsibility wasn't offering Forman twenty years because Elara wanted him to surrender a throne.

Elara was offering something of her own.

Her participation.

Forman could buy that participation from her only by permanently abandoning his claim.

…and if he did...

Responsibility would be prosecuting a different case.

A weaker case.

Still a serious case.

Still a case capable of putting Forman in prison for a very long time.

…but different enough to justify a different resolution.

Olivia picked up the marker one final time.

Under both options she wrote:

SUBJECT TO JUDGE CARON

Then she stepped back.

"So that's it."

Gao looked toward the board.

"Life."

"Or twenty."

Christopher corrected him.

"Or trial."

Gao nodded.

"Right."

Olivia stared at the three possibilities.

Life was the prosecution's baseline.

Twenty was the compromise Elara had been looking for.

Trial was what happened if Forman refused to surrender the one thing he still seemed determined to call his own.

The Presidency of the Khotan Valley.

Olivia closed the file.

"Now we talk to Elara."

…and after that...

Wiseman Banda.

Then Forman.

Because ultimately, all the prosecutors had done was construct the choice.

Forman still had to make it.

---

Wiseman Banda entered the holding cell first.

Forman barely looked up.

Then Joanna entered behind him.

That got his attention.

Forman stared at her.

Joanna stared back.

Neither said anything.

Wiseman pulled out the chair opposite Forman.

"Forman."

Forman continued looking at Joanna.

"Who is she?"

"Joanna."

"I gathered that."

Joanna raised an eyebrow.

Forman looked toward Wiseman.

"Why is she here?"

Joanna answered before Wiseman could.

"Elara sent me."

That changed Forman's expression.

"The Queen?"

Joanna deliberately emphasized it.

"Yes."

Forman's jaw tightened.

Joanna noticed.

Good.

"Why didn't she come herself?"

"Because she doesn't want to look at you."

Silence.

Joanna pulled out the other chair.

"…and for what it's worth..."

She sat.

"...I don't want to look at you either."

Forman stared.

Joanna shrugged.

"…but someone has to."

Wiseman closed his eyes briefly.

He suspected this meeting was going to be enjoyable in all the wrong ways.

"Joanna is here as Elara's representative."

Forman looked toward her again.

"Why you?"

"Because Zas can't do it."

"Why?"

"He's part of your criminal case."

Joanna leaned back.

"I'm not."

That made sense.

Forman still didn't look pleased.

Wiseman opened his briefcase.

"Now..."

He removed several documents.

"...Responsibility has made two formal plea offers."

Forman's attention finally shifted completely toward his lawyer.

"What offers?"

Wiseman placed the first document in front of him.

"Option One."

Forman looked down.

"Life imprisonment."

His eyes immediately rose.

"No."

Wiseman remained calm.

"I haven't finished."

"You don't need to."

"You should hear it."

"I'm not accepting life imprisonment."

"I didn't say you should."

That stopped Forman.

Wiseman continued.

"You plead guilty to most of the principal charges."

"Responsibility dismisses a limited number of secondary and overlapping charges."

"You receive life imprisonment."

Forman pushed the paper away.

"No."

Wiseman nodded.

"That was approximately my expectation."

Joanna almost smiled.

Forman noticed.

"Something amusing?"

"No."

Joanna paused.

"Okay, a little."

Wiseman slid another document onto the table.

"Option Two."

Forman looked down.

Then stopped.

Twenty years.

He looked again.

"Twenty?"

"Twenty."

Forman picked up the document.

His eyes moved quickly over it.

"What do I plead guilty to?"

"A substantial number of the remaining charges."

"Which ones?"

"They're listed."

Forman continued reading.

More pages followed.

Then he reached the condition.

His expression changed.

"No."

Joanna reached into the folder she had brought with her.

"That's my part."

She placed another document on the table.

Forman stared at it.

Joanna slid it toward him.

"Elara's offer."

Forman didn't touch it.

"What is it?"

"You give up the Presidency."

Forman's eyes rose.

"No."

"You're saying no a lot today."

"I am the President of the Khotan Valley."

Joanna stared at him.

"Then I guess we're done."

She started gathering the papers.

Wiseman put a hand over them.

"We are not done."

Joanna stopped.

Wiseman looked toward Forman.

"You asked me to represent you."

"Yes."

"Then listen."

Forman glared at him.

Wiseman didn't care.

Joanna pushed the document toward Forman again.

"The agreement says you permanently renounce any claim to sovereignty over Aetheria."

Forman read.

"Any claim held by somebody acting through you goes too."

He continued reading.

"Deputies."

"Successors."

"Anyone whose claim comes from yours."

Joanna nodded.

"…and you agree never to enter Aetherian territory again."

Forman looked up.

"Exile."

"If that's what you want to call it."

"It is exile."

"Fine."

Joanna shrugged.

"Exile."

Forman looked toward Wiseman.

"…and if I sign this?"

Wiseman answered.

"Elara and Eldred withdraw their participation in the prosecution."

Forman frowned.

"Why?"

Joanna answered.

"Because that's what Elara is giving you."

Forman looked toward her.

"You give her the Presidency."

"I don't give her anything."

Joanna's expression hardened.

"You give up your claim to it."

Forman stared.

Joanna continued.

"In return, Elara and Eldred stop participating in the case."

Wiseman nodded.

"That materially weakens Responsibility's evidence on several charges."

"Which is why they're willing to dismiss more of them."

"…and recommend twenty years rather than life."

Forman looked back toward the document.

"So Responsibility is giving me twenty years for surrendering the Presidency."

"No."

Wiseman shook his head.

"That's an important distinction."

He pointed toward Joanna's document.

"Elara's arrangement with you is political."

"You permanently renounce the claim."

"She and Eldred withdraw."

He then pointed toward the plea agreement.

"That withdrawal weakens the prosecution's case."

"Responsibility therefore offers the reduced plea."

Forman looked between the documents.

"…and if Caron refuses?"

"Nothing happens."

Joanna answered this time.

"The renunciation doesn't become effective until Judge Caron accepts the plea."

Forman looked toward her.

"So if she rejects twenty years..."

"You keep your claim."

"Elara and Eldred remain in the case," Wiseman added.

"…and we're back where we started."

Forman leaned back.

For the first time since they arrived...

He was genuinely thinking.

Life.

Twenty years.

Trial.

His eyes narrowed.

"Option One is meaningless."

Wiseman didn't respond.

"If I accept life imprisonment..."

Forman looked toward Joanna.

"...I can't govern anyway."

Joanna shrugged.

"Probably not."

"So these aren't really my choices."

Wiseman knew where he was going.

Forman continued.

"My choices are twenty years..."

He tapped the renunciation.

"...and surrender everything."

Then-

"Or trial."

"Yes."

Wiseman didn't soften it.

"Those are realistically your choices."

Forman stared at the papers.

Forty-one years old.

Twenty years.

Sixty-one.

He would be sixty-one.

Not young.

Not ancient.

Free.

If he survived prison.

If he behaved.

If the sentence remained what it said.

He looked toward Wiseman.

"There's a third option."

Wiseman frowned.

"What?"

"Force Caron to rule."

Silence.

Joanna looked toward Wiseman.

Forman leaned forward.

"The coercion issue."

Wiseman's expression changed.

"We've been dancing around it long enough."

Forman pointed toward the table.

"Elara transferred sovereignty to me."

"The prosecution says she was coerced."

"We say she wasn't."

"Make Caron decide."

Wiseman remained quiet.

"If Caron rules the transfer was valid..."

Forman's voice grew stronger.

"...then I am President."

Joanna stared at him.

Forman looked directly at her.

"Immediately."

Joanna didn't react.

Wiseman did.

"No."

Forman turned.

"No?"

"Not like that."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you're describing this as though I stand up tomorrow morning, ask Judge Caron a question, she thinks about it for five minutes and announces whether you're President."

"Then request the hearing."

Wiseman sighed.

"A coercion hearing would be a proceeding."

"So?"

"So we prepare."

"The prosecution prepares."

"Evidence gets introduced."

"Witnesses may be called."

"Arguments are filed."

"Arguments are answered."

"The court may want additional submissions."

"Elara's testimony comes back into play."

"Eldred's testimony comes back into play."

"The circumstances surrounding the transfer come back into play."

Forman shrugged.

"Good."

"No."

Wiseman leaned forward.

"Not necessarily good."

Forman frowned.

"You've been arguing she wasn't coerced."

"Yes."

"So prove it."

"I intend to argue it."

"Then prove it."

Wiseman stared at him.

"Forman."

"What?"

"This is exactly why I don't want you making decisions while you're angry."

"I'm not angry."

"You are."

"I'm thinking."

"You're reacting."

Forman slammed his hand against the table.

Joanna jumped slightly.

Wiseman didn't.

Forman pointed toward him.

"Why did I hire you?"

Joanna looked toward Wiseman.

Wiseman's expression barely changed.

"Excuse me?"

"Why did I hire you if you can't win?"

There it was.

Wiseman sat back.

Joanna expected anger.

It didn't come.

Instead Wiseman became even calmer.

"Because I'm very good at my job."

Forman scoffed.

"Apparently not good enough."

Wiseman nodded slowly.

"You're letting your emotions speak for you."

"Don't patronize me."

"I'm not."

Wiseman leaned forward again.

"You hired me because you wanted the best defence available to you."

"Yes."

"You hired me to get you the best possible outcome."

"Yes."

"Those are not the same thing as guaranteeing victory."

Forman stared.

"No lawyer can guarantee you victory."

"I don't care how expensive they are."

"I don't care how experienced they are."

"I don't care how brilliant they think they are."

"Nobody walks into a courtroom with one hundred percent certainty."

Forman said nothing.

Wiseman continued.

"Can we win the coercion argument?"

"Yes."

Forman immediately seized upon it.

"Then-"

"Can."

Wiseman held up a finger.

"Can."

He let the word sit.

"Can win and probably will win are not the same statement."

Forman's expression tightened.

"…and even 'probably will win' is not 'will win.'"

Wiseman pointed toward the documents.

"This is why plea agreements exist."

Joanna remained quiet now.

This was between lawyer and client.

Wiseman continued.

"You want me to tell you that I'll force a coercion hearing, destroy Olivia's argument, establish you as President, defeat the criminal case and send you home."

"Yes."

Wiseman nodded.

"Of course you do."

Forman stared.

"…but if I tell you that because it's what you want to hear..."

"...then you hired the wrong lawyer."

Silence.

Wiseman leaned back.

"My job isn't to make you feel powerful."

"My job is to keep you from making stupid decisions because you feel powerless."

That landed.

Forman's jaw tightened.

Joanna looked down.

She wasn't going to interfere.

Wiseman tapped the twenty-year offer.

"This is the best outcome presently available to you."

Forman laughed bitterly.

"Twenty years in prison."

"Yes."

"You call that winning?"

Wiseman considered the question.

"Sometimes."

Forman stared at him.

Wiseman continued.

"Winning doesn't always mean walking out of the courtroom with everybody cheering."

"Sometimes winning means taking the least painful option available."

"Sometimes winning means avoiding the catastrophic outcome."

"Sometimes winning means accepting that you cannot get everything you want."

Forman looked away.

Wiseman pointed toward the life offer.

"Life."

Then toward an imaginary courtroom beyond the cell.

"Or trial."

"Maybe we win."

"Maybe we win parts of it."

"Maybe we lose."

"Maybe you spend the rest of your life in prison."

Forman remained silent.

Then Wiseman pointed toward the twenty-year agreement.

"Or twenty."

Forman looked at it.

"You are forty-one years old."

Forman said nothing.

"If you serve twenty years..."

"You'll be sixty-one."

Forman's eyes lowered.

"Sixty-one is not twenty-one."

"No."

"It's not forty-one."

"No."

"…but it's also not dead."

Silence.

"You can walk out of prison."

"You can have decades ahead of you."

"You can rebuild something."

Forman laughed bitterly.

"Not Aetheria."

"No."

Wiseman didn't pretend otherwise.

"Not Aetheria."

Forman looked toward Joanna.

She met his eyes.

For the first time, neither showed hostility.

Just recognition.

That was the price.

Aetheria.

The Presidency.

The revolution.

Everything Forman had convinced himself was still within reach.

Gone.

Forman looked toward the renunciation.

"What does Elara get?"

Joanna answered quietly.

"Certainty."

"She gets to keep her crown."

"Maybe."

That surprised him.

Forman frowned.

"Maybe?"

"She told the provinces she's willing to abolish the monarchy."

Forman stared.

"If that's what they decide is best."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"I don't care what you believe."

Joanna leaned forward.

"She's trying to hold a summit."

"Curgarden."

"Yarkand."

"Rutong."

"Ladakh."

"Aetheris."

"Keriya."

"Everybody."

"She wants them deciding what Aetheria becomes."

Forman's face hardened.

"…and they won't do it while I'm still President."

"While you're still claiming to be President."

Forman glared.

Joanna didn't move.

"So this isn't about Elara keeping her throne."

"No."

"It's about getting you out of the equation."

That hurt considerably more.

Joanna saw it.

She didn't enjoy it.

Not really.

Forman looked down.

Twenty years.

He picked up the agreement.

Read it again.

Then the renunciation.

His finger moved across the words.

Permanent.

Irrevocable.

No claim to the Crown.

No claim to the Presidency.

No claim to any successor state.

No proxy.

No deputy.

No designated successor.

No return to Aetherian territory.

Ever.

He put the document down.

"What would you do?"

Wiseman didn't answer immediately.

Forman looked at him.

"I'm asking you."

Wiseman nodded.

"I would take twenty."

Forman stared.

"No hesitation?"

"I'd have plenty of hesitation."

Wiseman leaned forward.

"…but hesitation isn't the same as indecision."

"Why?"

"Because I know what's on the other side."

He gestured toward the prison walls.

"Risk."

"The prosecution believes it has the stronger case."

"That doesn't mean they're guaranteed to win."

"It means they have enough evidence that I cannot responsibly promise you that we'll beat them."

Forman swallowed.

Wiseman continued.

"…and I certainly wouldn't force a major coercion hearing on short preparation merely because you're angry that somebody finally put a deadline on your political ambitions."

Forman looked down again.

Minutes passed.

Nobody rushed him.

Joanna remained still.

Wiseman waited.

Forman read the agreement again.

Twenty years.

He would lose Aetheria.

…but he might someday have everything else.

Life.

A life.

Not the one he'd imagined.

Not the one he'd fought for.

…but one.

Finally-

"Give me the pen."

Joanna looked toward him.

Wiseman didn't move immediately.

"Are you certain?"

Forman looked at him.

"No."

Wiseman nodded.

That was probably the most honest answer Forman had given him in months.

"…but I'm doing it."

Wiseman reached into his briefcase.

He placed the pen on the table.

Forman picked it up.

Then stopped.

His hand hovered over the signature line.

Joanna watched.

For all the things Forman had done...

For all the things she believed he deserved...

She understood what she was watching.

A man signing away the thing around which he'd built his entire identity.

Forman looked toward her.

"Tell Elara something."

"What?"

Forman paused.

Then shook his head.

"Nothing."

Joanna didn't push.

Forman looked back down.

He signed.

Once.

Then again.

Initials.

Another signature.

Wiseman guided him through each required section.

Finally...

The pen stopped.

Forman placed it on the table.

Wiseman collected the documents.

Joanna took the renunciation.

She checked the signatures.

Then slid it carefully into her folder.

Forman watched her.

"When does it happen?"

Joanna understood.

"When Judge Caron accepts the plea."

"Until then?"

"You're still a claimant."

Forman nodded.

"…and if Caron rejects twenty years?"

"The agreement dies."

Wiseman answered.

"Your renunciation never takes effect."

Forman leaned back.

"So I'm not finished yet."

Joanna stood.

"No."

She looked at him.

"Not yet."

Wiseman began packing his briefcase.

Forman stared at the wall.

The Presidency of the Khotan Valley still technically belonged to him.

Or didn't.

Depending upon which argument eventually prevailed.

…but for the first time since the Fall of Aetheris...

Forman himself had agreed that there could be a world in which he stopped fighting for it.

Joanna headed toward the door.

Then stopped.

She looked back.

Forman noticed.

"What?"

Joanna thought about Elara.

About the scars.

About Eldred.

About everything Zas had told her.

There were a thousand things she could say.

Most of them cruel.

Many of them deserved.

Instead-

"Twenty years is a long time."

Forman stared at her.

"Yeah."

Joanna nodded.

"…but it's not forever."

She opened the door.

Then left.

Wiseman followed a moment later.

Forman remained alone.

Forty-one.

Twenty years.

Sixty-one.

He closed his eyes.

For the first time, the Presidency no longer felt like the only future he had.

…and that realization hurt almost as much as losing it.

---

The courtroom filled early.

Again.

By now, everyone knew where to sit.

The reporters had their usual rows.

The Responsibility lawyers occupied theirs.

Wiseman Banda and Alexandra Nikolaou sat at the defence table.

Forman sat between them.

The Blue Shield gathered together behind the prosecution side.

Zas.

Azamat.

Rahim.

Ravi.

Semin.

Joanna sat with Phoebe, Armintie and Arel-Sin nearby.

Arel-Sin had his now-famous garbage-bag poncho folded beneath one arm.

Joanna looked at it.

"You brought that?"

Arel-Sin looked offended.

"I am prepared."

"For what?"

"Food."

Phoebe covered her mouth.

Armintie whispered-

"He learned."

Arel-Sin nodded proudly.

Zas looked toward the poncho.

Then at his son.

For once...

He had no criticism.

"Reasonable."

Joanna stared at him.

"Don't encourage him."

Arel-Sin smiled.

Across the courtroom sat Elara and Eldred.

Elara kept her eyes forward.

She had deliberately avoided looking toward Forman since entering.

Eldred's hand rested over hers.

The courtroom itself felt different from the preliminary hearing.

Then, everyone had been waiting to discover whether the case would continue.

Today...

They were waiting to discover whether it would end.

At least as far as Forman was concerned.

The plea agreement had already been filed.

Responsibility had agreed to recommend twenty years after Elara and Eldred withdrew their participation and Forman signed the conditional renunciation of his claim to sovereignty over Aetheria. The renunciation itself would become effective only if Judge Caron ultimately accepted the agreement. That mattered because Caron had previously refused to resolve the disputed transfer of sovereignty prematurely and had maintained Elara as interim sovereign while those factual questions remained unresolved.

Now Caron had the agreement.

Everyone waited.

The side door opened.

"All rise."

The courtroom stood.

Judge Victoria Caron entered.

She crossed to the bench.

Sat.

Everyone else followed.

Almost.

Olivia remained standing at the prosecution table.

Wiseman remained standing at the defence table.

Forman stood beside him.

Caron opened the file in front of her.

She didn't speak immediately.

She adjusted one page.

Then another.

Finally-

"Mr. Banda."

"Yes, Your Honour."

"The defence has entered into a proposed plea agreement with Responsibility."

"Yes."

Caron looked toward Forman.

"Mr. Forman."

Forman straightened.

"Yes, Your Honour."

"Did you agree to the terms contained in this document?"

"Yes."

"Did anyone threaten you into doing so?"

"No."

"Did anyone make promises to you outside those contained in the written agreement?"

"No."

"Did your attorneys explain the charges to which you would plead guilty?"

"Yes."

"Did they explain the charges Responsibility proposes to dismiss?"

"Yes."

"Did they explain the sentencing recommendation?"

"Yes."

Caron leaned slightly forward.

"Do you understand that the recommendation is not binding upon this Court?"

Forman hesitated.

Only briefly.

"Yes."

"Do you understand that I may reject the agreement?"

"Yes."

"Do you understand that if I reject it, the provisions regarding Queen Elara and Royal Chancellor Eldred's withdrawal and your renunciation of any claimed sovereign authority do not take effect?"

"Yes."

"Are you presently under the influence of any substance that would interfere with your judgment?"

"No."

"Have you been diagnosed with any condition that prevents you from understanding these proceedings?"

"No."

"Do you believe you are competent to make this decision?"

"Yes."

Caron looked toward Wiseman.

"Counsel?"

Wiseman nodded.

"I have no concerns regarding Mr. Forman's competence, Your Honour. In my judgment, he understands the agreement and has entered it voluntarily."

Caron looked toward Alexandra.

She nodded as well.

"I agree."

Caron turned toward the prosecution.

"Attorney General Stabler."

Olivia stood straighter.

"Your Honour."

"Responsibility agrees to this disposition?"

"Yes."

"Voluntarily?"

"Yes."

"After consultation with your prosecution team?"

"Yes."

"…and Responsibility believes the twenty-year recommendation appropriately reflects the case following the proposed withdrawal of Elara and Eldred?"

Olivia paused.

"Yes, Your Honour."

Caron nodded.

"Very well."

She looked down.

The courtroom became silent.

Caron had already read the agreement.

More than once.

Everyone knew that.

She had reviewed the charges.

The proposed dismissals.

The factual admissions.

The twenty-year recommendation.

The withdrawal provisions.

The renunciation agreement.

Everything.

Still...

She read it again.

Page by page.

No one moved.

Joanna looked toward Elara.

Elara stared at Caron.

Forman stared at the bench.

Wiseman remained completely still.

Eventually Caron placed the final page down.

Then removed her glasses.

"The Court will not accept this agreement as written."

A murmur swept through the room.

Elara's shoulders dropped.

Joanna's eyes widened.

Wiseman didn't react.

Olivia didn't either.

Forman did.

His face went pale.

Caron raised her hand.

The room quieted.

"I want to be clear."

She looked toward Olivia.

"I understand Responsibility's reasoning."

Then toward Wiseman.

"I understand the defence's reasoning."

Then toward Elara.

"…and I understand the political circumstances surrounding the agreement."

Elara swallowed.

Caron continued.

"Queen Elara and Royal Chancellor Eldred have made the decision that withdrawing from the prosecution may assist Aetheria in resolving its ongoing succession dispute."

"Their decision materially alters the prosecution's evidentiary position."

"That is legitimate."

Olivia nodded slightly.

"However..."

Caron's voice hardened.

"...this Court does not exist to ratify political settlements."

Elara lowered her eyes.

"The question before me is not whether the agreement would make the Future of Aetheria summit easier."

"Nor whether it would provide certainty to the provinces."

"Nor whether Mr. Forman's renunciation of political claims would benefit Aetherian reconstruction."

Caron looked directly toward Forman.

"The question is whether twenty years constitutes an adequate sentence for the criminal conduct to which you propose to plead guilty."

Silence.

Caron tapped the agreement.

"It does not."

Forman's jaw tightened.

Elara looked toward Eldred.

Eldred squeezed her hand.

Caron continued.

"Even after accounting for the charges Responsibility proposes to dismiss..."

"...even after accounting for the reduced evidentiary position created by the withdrawal of two principal participants..."

"...the remaining admissions involve serious offences."

She paused.

"Very serious offences."

The courtroom remained completely silent.

"I will not approve twenty years."

Wiseman spoke carefully.

"Your Honour, may the defence-"

"I have not finished."

Wiseman stopped.

"Of course."

Caron looked again at the document.

"I would accept twenty-five."

A ripple moved through the room.

Forman looked up.

Olivia's eyebrows rose slightly.

Wiseman turned toward Forman.

Caron continued.

"Twenty-five years."

"All other substantive provisions remain as negotiated."

"Responsibility's proposed dismissals."

"The guilty pleas."

"The withdrawal provisions."

"The renunciation provisions."

"All remain."

She folded her hands.

"…but the sentence will be twenty-five years."

Forman stared.

Five more.

Five.

His lips tightened.

His eyes began watering.

Wiseman immediately leaned toward him.

"Forman."

Caron continued.

"I will recess proceedings so that counsel may confer."

Forman suddenly spoke.

"I'll take it."

Wiseman froze.

Caron stopped.

The courtroom stopped.

Forman swallowed.

"I'll take twenty-five."

His voice cracked.

Wiseman turned fully toward him.

"Forman-"

"I'll take it."

Tears escaped now.

Forman wiped them quickly.

More came.

Caron watched him.

"Mr. Forman."

"I said I'll take it."

Caron's expression hardened.

"No."

Forman stared.

"No?"

"No."

She leaned forward.

"You will not make a decision of this magnitude because you're overwhelmed by hearing five additional years."

"I'm not."

"You are visibly emotional."

"I know what I'm saying."

"At this moment, I'm not convinced of that."

Forman shook his head.

"No."

He looked toward Caron.

"I know exactly what I'm saying."

Wiseman put a hand lightly against his arm.

"Take a minute."

Forman ignored him.

He looked toward Elara.

For the first time all morning...

Elara looked back.

Forman's voice trembled.

"I've been selfish."

No one spoke.

Forman swallowed.

"I thought..."

He stopped.

Tried again.

"I thought everything I did was for Curgarden."

His eyes dropped.

"For Aetheria."

"For the people."

Another tear.

"…but..."

He laughed once.

Brokenly.

"...maybe that's what selfish people always tell themselves."

Joanna stared at him.

Zas' expression changed.

Forman continued.

"Havin was selfish."

Elara's face tightened.

"He wanted everything."

"Everything belonged to him."

"The country."

"The money."

"The government."

"The people."

"He thought his wants were Aetheria's wants."

Forman looked downward.

"…and I fought him."

"I told myself I was different."

His voice weakened.

"…but then I wanted everything too."

Silence.

"I wanted Curgarden."

"I wanted Aetheris."

"I wanted the Presidency."

"I wanted everyone to admit I was right."

Wiseman watched him carefully.

Forman continued.

"…and now..."

He looked around the courtroom.

"...the country can't move because I won't let go."

Elara's eyes filled.

Forman looked toward her.

"I don't want to be the reason anymore."

Caron remained expressionless.

Forman continued.

"Havin's selfishness created this."

"I answered his selfishness with mine."

"…and then everybody answered everybody."

"Again."

"…and again."

"…and again."

He wiped his face.

"A cycle of viciousness."

The phrase hung in the room.

"That's what we've done."

"Hurt each other."

"Punish each other."

"Prove something."

"Take something back."

"Then somebody else takes something."

His voice cracked.

"…and Aetheria stays broken."

No one moved.

Forman looked toward Caron.

"I don't want to participate in it anymore."

Caron studied him.

"Mr. Forman."

"I'm serious."

"You're emotional."

"That doesn't mean I'm wrong."

"No."

Caron nodded.

"…but it may mean you're making a permanent decision in response to an immediate emotional shock."

Forman shook his head.

"I'm not."

"Five minutes ago you believed twenty years was appropriate."

"I believed twenty was better."

"That isn't the same thing."

Forman looked toward Wiseman.

"Tell her."

Wiseman frowned.

"Forman-"

"Tell her I'm thinking clearly."

Wiseman didn't answer.

Forman stared at him.

"Tell her."

Wiseman spoke quietly.

"I can't."

Forman looked stunned.

"What?"

"I can tell her you're competent."

"I can tell her you understand what twenty-five years means."

"I can tell her your statement makes sense."

Wiseman leaned closer.

"…but I cannot tell Judge Caron that emotion has no influence on you right now."

Forman stared.

Wiseman continued.

"Because it clearly does."

Forman shook his head.

"No."

"Listen to me."

"I've listened."

"Then listen one more time."

Wiseman's voice remained calm.

"We can take the recess."

"Ten minutes."

"Twenty."

"Whatever the Court gives us."

"You can sit."

"Breathe."

"Think."

"…and if you still want twenty-five after that..."

Wiseman nodded.

"...I will tell Judge Caron you want twenty-five."

Forman looked toward the bench.

"I already know."

"Maybe."

"I do."

"Then you'll still know after recess."

Forman clenched his jaw.

Caron didn't wait for the argument to continue.

"Enough."

Both men stopped.

Caron looked directly at Forman.

"You've made a significant statement."

Forman swallowed.

"I heard it."

"I am not dismissing it."

Forman stared at her.

"…but neither am I accepting an altered plea while you are standing before me in tears immediately after hearing the Court reject the agreement you expected."

Forman looked away.

Caron continued.

"This is not punishment."

"It is not a test."

"It is not an invitation for you to change your mind."

"It is time."

She looked toward Wiseman.

"Counsel will confer with his client."

Then toward Olivia.

"The prosecution may likewise review the Court's proposed modification."

Olivia nodded.

"Yes, Your Honour."

Caron looked toward Forman again.

"If you still want to accept twenty-five years after recess..."

She paused.

"...then you will have the opportunity to do so."

Forman breathed heavily.

Then nodded.

"Understood?"

"Yes."

Caron looked around the courtroom.

"Thirty-minute recess."

She struck the gavel.

"All rise."

Everyone stood.

Caron left.

The instant the door closed, noise erupted throughout the courtroom.

Reporters whispered.

Lawyers gathered papers.

Spectators turned toward one another.

Arel-Sin looked toward Joanna.

"...Twenty-five?"

Joanna nodded slowly.

"Twenty-five."

He hugged the garbage poncho tighter against his side.

Phoebe looked toward Forman.

Armintie looked toward Elara.

Zas remained silent.

Across the room...

Forman sat down.

Wiseman immediately pulled his chair closer.

Forman covered his face with both hands.

He was still crying.

…but now he had thirty minutes.

Thirty minutes to decide whether the words he'd just spoken were merely the product of shock...

...or whether, after everything that had happened since the Fall of Aetheris, Forman had finally decided that letting go was the first thing he could do for the country he claimed to love.

Elara found the bench almost immediately.

It sat against the courthouse wall.

Wooden.

Hard.

Probably designed for people waiting ten minutes for paperwork.

Not Queens attempting to sleep through constitutional crises.

Elara didn't care.

She sat.

Then stretched herself across it.

Eldred stared down at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Sleeping."

"For thirty minutes?"

"Twenty-eight now."

She closed her eyes.

"Wake me when I'm no longer responsible for anything."

Eldred smiled faintly.

"I don't think thirty minutes is enough."

"Then don't wake me."

Elara folded her arms across her stomach.

Closed her eyes tighter.

Breathed.

One.

Two.

Three.

Her heart hammered.

Twenty-five years.

Forman crying.

Forman talking about Havin.

The cycle.

The summit.

Curgarden.

The provinces.

The crown.

Twenty-five years.

Her heart beat harder.

Elara opened her eyes.

The courthouse ceiling stared back.

She closed them again.

No.

Absolutely not.

Sleep.

She was exhausted.

Her body was exhausted.

Her mind was exhausted.

She had probably accumulated enough exhaustion during the last month to qualify for some sort of international award.

Surely she could sleep for twenty-seven minutes.

Her heart disagreed.

Elara sat up.

Eldred was standing a few metres away talking quietly with one of the Peace Officers.

She stared at him.

Something inside her broke.

"Eldred."

He turned.

Elara stood.

Walked quickly toward him.

Then threw both arms around him.

Eldred barely had time to react.

She planted her head against his shoulder.

…and cried.

Hard.

Eldred immediately wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey."

Elara squeezed tighter.

"I hate this."

"I know."

"I hate all of this."

"I know."

She sobbed.

Then suddenly seemed embarrassed by the fact that she was sobbing.

"I'm the Queen."

Eldred blinked.

"Yes."

"I shouldn't be doing this."

"Doing what?"

"Crying."

Eldred stared down at her.

Elara sniffled.

"I'm supposed to be..."

She gestured uselessly.

"...Queenly."

Whatever that meant.

Eldred opened his mouth.

Before he could answer-

"Elara."

Joanna approached.

Zas remained farther down the corridor with Phoebe, Armintie and Arel-Sin, giving Joanna space to intervene.

Joanna placed one hand gently against Elara's back.

Elara wiped her face.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I'm..."

Another tear.

"...doing this again."

Joanna rubbed her back slowly.

"You don't have to apologize."

"I'm the Queen."

"So?"

Elara stared at her.

Joanna shrugged.

"You're also human."

Elara sniffled.

"Queens are human?"

"Usually."

Eldred smiled.

"She's checked."

Elara almost laughed.

Almost.

Joanna continued rubbing her back.

"You became Queen."

"You didn't stop being Elara."

Elara closed her eyes.

"You're allowed to be scared."

"You're allowed to cry."

"You're allowed to be exhausted."

"You're allowed to not know what's going to happen."

Elara leaned back against Eldred.

Joanna smiled gently.

"The crown doesn't make your nervous system disappear."

Elara laughed through her tears.

"That would actually be useful."

"Probably."

Eldred kissed the top of her head.

Joanna continued.

"You've had enough happen to you that nobody gets to tell you how you're supposed to react."

Elara swallowed.

"I just..."

She looked toward the courtroom doors.

"...want this to end."

Joanna nodded.

"I know."

"I don't even mean the trial."

"The uncertainty."

Elara wiped her eyes.

"I want Aetheria to know who's governing it."

"I want the provinces to come to the summit."

"I want people to stop wondering whether everything we decide can disappear six months later."

She laughed bitterly.

"I want one problem to stay solved."

Joanna smiled.

"That might be ambitious."

Elara laughed again.

This time genuinely.

A little.

She breathed.

Then rested her head against Eldred.

"Twenty-five."

Eldred nodded.

"Twenty-five."

"He'll be sixty-six."

"Yes."

Elara closed her eyes.

"He was forty-one."

Joanna frowned slightly.

"Is."

Elara looked at her.

"He is forty-one."

Joanna's correction mattered.

Twenty-five years was enormous.

…but it wasn't death.

Elara nodded slowly.

"Right."

She breathed again.

Then hugged Eldred tighter.

For the remainder of the recess...

She stopped trying to be Queen.

She simply let him hold her.

—

Inside the courtroom...

Forman remained seated.

Wiseman and Alexandra had moved away.

Not far.

Just far enough.

They understood that continuing to talk at him would accomplish nothing.

Forman needed silence.

So they gave it to him.

Forman stared at the defence table.

Twenty-five.

The number had changed everything.

Which made no sense.

Twenty had seemed unbearable.

Then Caron said twenty-five.

Suddenly twenty looked wonderful.

His brain hated him for that.

Twenty-five years.

He would be sixty-six.

He imagined it.

Grey hair.

Older face.

A world completely different from the one he remembered.

Would Curgarden recognize him?

Would anyone?

Would Aetheria still exist?

Would there even be a monarchy?

Would Elara still be alive?

Would he?

Then another thought.

Trial.

He could still fight.

Wiseman believed the defence could win.

Not would.

Could.

Forman hated that word.

Could.

Could win the coercion argument.

Could defeat enough charges.

Could establish that the transfer was valid.

Could walk free.

Could become President.

Or-

Could lose.

Life.

He closed his eyes.

Twenty-five.

Trial.

Twenty-five.

Trial.

Again.

Again.

Again.

The thoughts circled until he stopped knowing which one frightened him more.

—

Near the far end of the courtroom, Alexandra quietly spoke to Wiseman.

"Too much."

Wiseman nodded.

"Yes."

"Five years too much?"

Wiseman thought.

"Probably."

Alexandra folded her arms.

"Would you challenge it?"

"If Forman wants me to."

"…and if he asks you what he should do?"

Wiseman looked toward his client.

Forman hadn't moved.

"I tell him twenty-five is worse than twenty."

Alexandra waited.

"...and?"

Wiseman sighed.

"…and still better than life."

Alexandra nodded.

That was the problem.

They could argue proportionality.

They could argue Caron had undervalued the concessions already built into the plea.

They could argue twenty was sufficient.

They might even persuade her.

Maybe.

…but every new hearing created another uncertainty.

Another opportunity for everything to collapse.

Alexandra looked toward Forman.

"Do you think he'll take it?"

Wiseman didn't answer immediately.

"No idea."

That bothered him.

Usually Wiseman could read his clients.

Forman had become considerably harder.

Not because he was unpredictable.

Because, for perhaps the first time since Wiseman had met him...

Forman himself didn't know what Forman wanted.

—

Across the room...

The prosecution had formed its own small circle.

Jabulile spoke first.

"Thirty."

Gao looked at her.

"Of course."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Jabulile looked toward Olivia.

"If Caron believes twenty is inadequate, then twenty-five is still generous."

Christopher nodded slowly.

"I'd rather keep twenty-five..."

He flipped through the plea package.

"...and add back some of the dismissed charges."

Gao immediately shook his head.

"No."

Christopher looked toward him.

"Why?"

"Because then we're not responding to Caron's concern."

"We're rebuilding the whole deal."

Finch nodded.

"I agree."

Christopher looked toward him.

Finch continued.

"Caron's objection is sentence length."

"Not the charging structure."

"If we alter both..."

"...we create another negotiation."

Jabulile crossed her arms.

"I don't see why that is a problem."

Gao smiled faintly.

"Because we'd like Forman to actually accept it."

Jabulile stared.

Gao continued.

"We already moved from twenty to twenty-five."

"If we come back and say..."

He began counting.

"'Twenty-five...and three more counts...and this condition...and that condition...'"

"...then we're making the agreement worse because we discovered we can."

Christopher frowned.

"It's still a plea."

"Yes."

"…but the point isn't to see how much pain we can extract before he walks away."

Jabulile looked unimpressed.

"The point is justice."

"Which is why Caron added five years."

Olivia finally spoke.

"We leave it."

Everyone turned.

Olivia folded her arms.

"Twenty-five."

"Same charges."

"Same dismissals."

"Same conditions."

"No additions."

Jabulile frowned.

"Why?"

"Because Caron is effectively siding with us."

Christopher raised an eyebrow.

"How?"

Olivia gestured toward the bench.

"We negotiated twenty."

"She reviewed everything."

"She accepted the framework."

"She accepted the withdrawal."

"She accepted the renunciation."

"She accepted the dismissed charges."

"She accepted the guilty pleas."

Olivia paused.

"Her only objection was that twenty years wasn't enough."

Finch nodded.

"Meaning she substantially agrees with Responsibility's structure."

"Exactly."

Olivia looked toward Jabulile.

"She's simply assigning more weight to punishment than we did."

Jabulile considered that.

"So twenty-five."

"Twenty-five."

"No more charges."

"No."

"No thirty."

"No."

Gao smiled.

Jabulile looked at him.

"Don't."

"I'm not saying anything."

"You are smiling."

"I smile."

"Not like that."

Finch looked toward the clock.

"There's another reason."

Olivia looked at him.

"If we change anything else..."

"...Caron may need more time to review it."

Gao nodded.

"Which defeats the entire purpose."

The hearing could become another hearing.

Then another.

Then briefs.

Then arguments.

Then more delay.

Aetheria had enough delay.

Olivia nodded.

"Twenty-five."

Christopher closed the file.

"Twenty-five."

Jabulile finally sighed.

"Fine."

Gao raised his coffee.

"Consensus."

Jabulile stared.

"You somehow still have coffee?"

Gao looked at the cup.

"Oh."

He seemed surprised too.

"Apparently."

—

The thirty minutes disappeared quickly.

Too quickly for some.

Not quickly enough for others.

The courthouse staff began ushering people back into place.

Joanna returned with Elara and Eldred.

Elara had stopped crying.

Mostly.

Her eyes remained red.

She didn't care.

Zas looked at her.

He said nothing.

Just gave her a small nod.

Elara returned it.

Arel-Sin sat down.

The garbage-bag poncho returned to his lap.

Phoebe whispered-

"You aren't eating."

"I know."

"Then why do you still have it?"

Arel-Sin looked toward her.

"Security."

Armintie covered her mouth.

Joanna shook her head.

Even Elara smiled.

Then-

"All rise."

Everyone stood.

The side door opened.

Judge Caron returned.

She took the bench.

Looked around.

"You may be seated."

Everyone sat.

The prosecution remained standing.

The defence remained standing.

Forman remained standing.

Caron didn't reopen the entire agreement.

Didn't repeat the legal analysis.

Didn't recap anything.

She looked directly at Forman.

"Mr. Forman."

Forman swallowed.

"Yes, Your Honour."

Caron folded her hands.

"Have you had sufficient time to confer with counsel?"

"Yes."

"Do you understand that the Court will approve the agreement only with a sentence of twenty-five years?"

"Yes."

"Do you understand all other terms remain as previously proposed?"

"Yes."

Caron watched him.

No expression.

No hint.

Then-

"Very well."

The courtroom became completely silent.

Caron leaned slightly forward.

"Mr. Forman..."

She paused.

"...what is your answer?"

Forman took a breath.

Then another.

Judge Caron waited.

No one else moved.

The courtroom had become so quiet that the faint rustle of somebody shifting in the gallery sounded enormous.

Forman looked toward Wiseman.

Wiseman gave him nothing.

No nod.

No shake of the head.

No final signal.

The decision belonged to Forman.

For what felt like an eternity...

He said nothing.

Then-

"Yes."

Caron's expression didn't change.

Forman swallowed.

"I accept."

Still nothing.

Caron looked toward Wiseman.

"Counsel?"

Wiseman nodded.

"The defence accepts the Court's modification."

Then Olivia.

"Responsibility?"

Olivia stood.

"Responsibility accepts, Your Honour."

Caron looked once more toward Forman.

"Twenty-five years."

"Yes."

"You understand that?"

"Yes."

"You understand the guilty pleas you are entering?"

"Yes."

"You understand the charges that will be dismissed?"

"Yes."

"You understand that once I accept this agreement, the accompanying renunciation of your claimed sovereign authority becomes effective and irrevocable?"

Forman paused.

His eyes moved briefly toward Elara.

Then back to Caron.

"Yes."

Caron nodded.

"Very well."

She lifted the gavel.

The sound cracked through the room.

Once.

Done.

"The Court accepts the plea agreement as modified."

Nobody breathed.

"Mr. Forman is hereby sentenced in accordance with its terms to twenty-five years' imprisonment."

Forman lowered his head.

Caron continued.

"All dismissals and guilty pleas identified within the agreement are effective immediately."

Another pause.

"…and pursuant to the conditions incorporated into the agreement..."

Elara's fingers tightened around Eldred's.

"...Forman's renunciation of any claim to sovereign authority over Aetheria, the Khotan Valley, or any successor state is now effective."

Forman closed his eyes.

"The same shall apply to all claims derived through his purported authority and to those persons identified in the attached renunciation."

Silence.

Absolute.

For the first time since the Fall of Aetheris...

There was no rival claimant.

No pending transfer.

No President of the Khotan Valley waiting behind a courtroom decision.

Whatever Aetheria became next...

Forman would not rule it.

Caron looked toward the Peace Officers positioned along the side of the courtroom.

"Officers."

Two stepped forward.

Forman looked down at his hands.

Then-

"Your Honour."

The Officers stopped.

Caron looked toward him.

"Yes?"

Forman swallowed.

"I..."

He hesitated.

"I'd like to say something."

Caron frowned slightly.

"To the Court?"

"No."

He looked toward the gallery.

"To them."

Elara followed his eyes.

Zas.

Azamat.

Rahim.

Ravi.

Semin.

Then Eldred.

Then her.

Forman continued.

"Elara."

"Eldred."

"The Blue Shield."

He paused.

"I'd like one minute."

Caron studied him.

Then shook her head.

"That is not my decision."

Forman frowned.

Caron continued.

"You have been sentenced."

"The Court will not compel victims or witnesses to speak with you."

She looked toward Elara.

"If they wish to approach you, that is their choice."

Forman nodded.

"Understood."

Caron gathered the papers before her.

The hearing, legally, was over.

Elara remained seated.

Her heart pounded.

Eldred looked toward her.

"You don't have to."

"I know."

Zas said nothing.

Neither did Joanna.

Elara stared at Forman.

She hated looking at him.

She had avoided it whenever possible.

Avoided the face.

The voice.

The memories attached to both.

Then...

She stood.

Eldred immediately rose beside her.

Zas followed.

Azamat.

Rahim.

Ravi.

Semin.

One by one.

They crossed the courtroom.

Joanna remained with the children.

Phoebe watched silently.

Armintie held her breath.

Arel-Sin forgot entirely about the garbage-bag poncho in his lap.

Elara stopped in front of Forman.

Close enough to speak.

Not close enough to touch.

She glared.

Forman looked at her.

He had rehearsed this.

At least in his head.

He had imagined the words during the recess.

A proper speech.

Something coherent.

Something meaningful.

Something that might explain everything.

Something that might make the last several years fit together.

He opened his mouth.

Nothing came.

Forman blinked.

His eyes filled again.

"I'm sorry."

That was it.

The grand speech disappeared.

Elara said nothing.

Forman looked toward Eldred.

"I'm sorry."

Then toward Zas.

"I'm sorry."

Azamat.

"Sorry."

Rahim.

Ravi.

Semin.

Again.

Again.

Again.

The words became almost embarrassing through repetition.

Forman knew it.

"I know..."

He wiped his face.

"I know that doesn't mean enough."

No one contradicted him.

"I know saying I'm sorry doesn't..."

He gestured helplessly.

"...fix anything."

Elara stared.

Forman's voice shook.

"I wish it did."

He looked toward her.

"I wish there was something I could do that made it go away."

Elara's expression tightened.

Forman immediately corrected himself.

"Not for me."

"For you."

"For all of you."

His eyes moved among them.

"For everyone."

Still nobody spoke.

Forman continued.

"I know there isn't."

He looked downward.

"I know I can't take back what happened."

"I can't take back what I did."

"I can't take back what people under me did."

"I can't take back..."

His voice broke.

He stopped.

Tried again.

"I can't take back your pain."

Elara blinked.

…but remained silent.

Forman looked toward Eldred.

"I should never have threatened you."

Then Elara.

"I should never have touched you."

Her jaw tightened.

"I should never have let..."

He stopped.

The sentence wouldn't finish.

Maybe it couldn't.

Forman looked toward the Blue Shield.

"…and I should never have put any of you in the position where you had to come into that place and decide whether you needed to kill people to stop us."

Zas' face remained unreadable.

Forman gave a broken laugh.

"I don't even know what apology covers that."

Azamat lowered his eyes.

Rahim remained still.

Ravi looked uncomfortable.

Semin stared directly at Forman.

Hard.

Forman noticed.

Of all of them...

Semin might have been the least interested in hearing any of this.

Forman didn't blame him.

The Peace Officers shifted.

One glanced toward the other.

Then-

"Mr. Forman."

Forman looked over.

"You need to wrap this up."

He nodded.

"Right."

He looked back toward Elara.

There were still things he wanted to say.

Too many.

None of them adequate.

So he abandoned the speech.

All of it.

Instead-

"I think you'll be a great Queen."

Elara's expression finally changed.

Only slightly.

Forman swallowed.

"I mean that."

Elara stared at him.

"You don't know me."

"No."

Forman nodded.

"Not really."

He looked toward Eldred.

"Maybe that's part of the problem."

Then back at her.

"I knew Havin."

"I knew what he did."

"I knew what I hated."

"I spent so long thinking about destroying his state..."

His voice softened.

"...I never thought enough about what should replace it."

Elara listened.

Forman continued.

"You are."

She frowned.

"What?"

"The replacement."

Elara almost recoiled.

Forman shook his head.

"No."

"Not Havin's replacement."

He struggled.

"Something else."

"Something better."

The Officers waited.

Forman knew his time was nearly gone.

So he said the one thing that mattered.

"Build the state that I could only dream of being made."

Elara stared at him.

Forman's eyes filled again.

"Whatever that means."

"Monarchy."

"Republic."

"Whatever."

He shrugged weakly.

"Just..."

He stopped.

Then smiled.

Barely.

"...make it better than what we had."

Elara looked at him for a long moment.

Then stepped forward.

Forman stiffened.

She reached out.

Placed one hand gently against his arm.

Nothing more.

No embrace.

No forgiveness.

No absolution.

Just contact.

"I hope things go well for you too."

Forman's face crumpled slightly.

Elara removed her hand.

Then turned away.

Eldred went with her.

Zas followed.

Then Azamat.

Rahim.

Ravi.

Semin.

None of them spoke.

Forman watched them leave.

He didn't call after them.

Didn't ask for another chance.

Didn't demand forgiveness.

The Peace Officers stepped forward.

This time Forman offered no resistance.

His wrists were secured.

One Officer took position beside him.

The other behind.

Forman looked once more across the courtroom.

Elara had already returned to Eldred.

Joanna stood beside them now.

Zas had rejoined the children.

Phoebe.

Armintie.

Arel-Sin.

The Blue Shield.

All of them.

People who would walk out of this courtroom and continue living their lives.

Forman would not.

Not yet.

Twenty-five years separated him from that.

The Officer touched his arm.

"Time."

Forman nodded.

Then walked.

The courtroom doors opened.

He passed through them.

…and disappeared.

No cheers followed.

No applause.

No celebration.

Just silence.

Because whatever justice had happened here...

Nobody had won enough to celebrate.