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Description
Judge and Jury

Bishop stood in the great court room of the castle, facing the throne of Lord Nasher. He stood very tall, his head held up proudly.

Don’t look guilty. Whatever you do, whatever you say, don’t look guilty.

The demon’s words. Well, he could manage that.

Before him, Lord Nasher entered the room, sitting down on his throne. Gradually, the murmur in the room quieted down. Bishop felt a knot of nervousness in his stomach, but forced himself to relax.

Stay calm. Focussed. Don’t look nervous.

Lord Nasher faced Bishop, raising his voice. “Since the most injured person can’t be with us today, it will be me, representing the city of Neverwinter, who will act as prosecutor in this case. You know why you are here?”

Bishop smiled slightly.

Ah, formalities.

“I know what I am accused of”, he stated, clearly.

Nasher’s eyes seemed to bore into his.

“So you deny betraying Neverwinter, deny deserting your service, deny murdering one of its most devoted servants?”

“I do. I’m not guilty of these charges.” Bishop’s voice was quiet, but steady.

I’m so proud of myself. Such a good liar I am.

A murmur ran through the assembly. Bishop could feel the outrage coming off the audience. He let his gaze wander and found the eyes of the paladin, burning with fury and scorn. Bishop smiled and gave him a nod, seeing the paladin’s face turn red with anger.

This is even fun.

It may be a good laugh, but you might pay for that with your life. Concentrate!

“So you declare yourself innocent of the charges against you?”, Nasher’s voice boomed.

Bishop’s eyes reverted to Nasher. “Yes”, he said, still in the same quiet, steady voice.

“There are people accusing you of sabotaging the gates of Crossroad Keep, to let the enemy in. You claim this to be untrue?”

“Untrue. I did not do that.”

“There are a dozen men who saw you return to the Keep the day of the assault. Yet you had deserted when the enemy arrived. And the gates had been sabotaged so they could not be closed, leaving the Keep open to the attackers. You honestly claim to be innocent of these charges?”

“Yes, My Lord.” Bishop sneered inwardly at the title. Outwardly, he was calm, composed, serious.

“I have never sworn my allegiance to Neverwinter. I can’t have deserted a service I have never accepted. My duty was to the Knight Captain, not to Neverwinter, and I followed her of my own free will. I left her service for my own reasons, which I think are not subject to this trial. But there were no contracts, no bindings, no obligations. I am no deserter.”

Bishop heard a growling noise and found the eyes of the paladin again. The man looked ready to jump over the railing and attack him. Bishop gave him another smile and saw him gnashing his teeth. Gods, this really was fun.

“So you also deny sabotaging the gates?”

“Yes, My Lord”, Bishop repeated. “I admit slipping back into the Keep that day. But it was only to collect some things I had left behind. For my own reasons again, I did not want to meet any of my former companions. So I left without speaking to anyone. Only later did I hear about the attack. And the sabotage. It came as a shock to me. But I am not the one responsible for it.”

There was a scream of outrage from the paladin. “You filthy, lying scum! It was you who did it! Everyone knows...”

“Silence!”, Lord Nasher’s voice boomed.

The paladin fell silent, but his jaw was still clenched, his hands gripping the handrail so tightly his knuckles turned white. Bishop smiled again at him, shaking his head slightly. So much for the famous paladin restraint.

“We have witnesses claiming you were the one sabotaging the gates.”

A little uneasiness crept up in Bishop. This was the most vulnerable point of the plan. If that was true, it would all go downhill from here. He took care to stay relaxed, his face composed. He must not let his fear show.

I don’t think anyone saw me do it, but still...

“With all due respect, My Lord, I doubt that. Because I don’t know how anyone could have seen me when I did not do it. Did those witnesses actually see me sabotaging the gates, or did they just see me in the Keep? Because I never denied having been there that day.” He was very proud of the calm conviction in his voice.

Might even convince myself if I go on like this.

“You bastard!” The paladin again. “Even if no one saw you doing it, we all know who is to blame!”

Bishop smiled again. “Ah, Casavir”, he said mildly, with an undercurrent of sorrow in his voice. “I know you never liked me, but that alone does not make me guilty. It seems to me you’re just jumping at conclusions because you want to blame me.”

The paladin’s hands gripped the rail even harder. “It was you, I know it! If not, who was it then? Tell me, traitor!”

Bishop shook his head again. “You can’t know that, because it wasn’t me. As for who did it, it’s not my job to find out. What about that red-headed sorceress? I heard she defected when you confronted Garius. Perhaps she was working for him all along? Bears thinking about, doesn’t it? So maybe you should not call me traitor.”

“Sir Casavir, I have to ask you again to keep quiet in the courtroom, else I will have to request you leave it”, Nasher said. “Unless you do not trust me to head a trial?”

Sir Casavir. Huh.

“No, My Lord. I am sorry”, the paladin gritted out.

Bishop snickered, quickly concealing it behind a cough. He let his gaze wander a bit farther over the audience. He recognised Kana, staring at him with an expression of hate and fury that matched the paladin’s.

If he was not bedding the demon, those two would make a cute couple.

He nearly had to laugh at the thought. They would probably stand to attention even while getting at it, saluting each other. Overzealous idiots.

Nasher raised his voice again, drawing Bishop’s attention back to more serious matters. “So you claim not to have sabotaged the gates. But there still is the accusation of having killed the Knight Captain with your own hands. And for that, we have witnesses who actually saw you do it. What do you say to that?”

“Not guilty”, Bishop declared again, his voice clear and loud.

Bishop heard a sharp intake of breath and looked into the direction of the sound. He found Duncan’s face, dark with anger, but also a certain sadness showing in his eyes.

Ah, Duncan... you’d better have let me die that day. I wanted to... But you had to pull me back. That’s what we both get for that.

“You declare yourself not guilty of the murder, despite half a dozen witnesses seeing you do it?”

Bishop reverted his gaze to Nasher, looking him squarely in the eye.

“Not guilty. I can’t have murdered someone who is very much alive, as you are very well aware of, My Lord.”

This time the murmur going to the audience was loud and prolonged. Nasher had to call for quiet three times before the din subsided. Bishop searched Kana’s face in the crowd, seeing her gaping at him, mouth open. He grinned at her.

Surprise, my dear.

“I last saw the Knight Captain about two weeks ago. She was very much alive then”, he continued, repressing the feeling of loss, of longing, that threatened to rise in him as his words inevitably brought back images of the last time he saw her, lying on the ground, watching him leave.

You’ve made your decision. It’s over and done with.

But he could not shake the tightness in his chest, and the slight quiver in his voice as he talked.

“Do you really want to declare your ignorance that the Knight Captain is not dead, My Lord?”, he asked, trying to sound as steady as possible.

There was an outcry from the paladin again. “Filthy liar! I held her in my arms, dead, killed by your hand! She was dead! Only the mercy of the gods brought her back!”

“Sir Casavir! This is the last time I remind you that you will be silent in this courtroom!”, Nasher called. Then, he turned back to Bishop. “He is right, though. What do you have to say to that?”

“My Lord, I admit I attacked her. It was for very personal reasons, and had nothing to do with her role as Knight Captain of Crossroad Keep, or as a servant of Neverwinter. It was a... mistake. A mistake I deeply regret, an act committed in a moment of fury. If I could, I would undo it.”

And that even was the truth. A first today.

“But can you accuse me of the murder of someone who is still alive? I did not think that technically possible.”

“Technically I can just let you hang without even a trial, young man, so don’t get smart with me”, Nasher said, coldly.

Bishop swallowed.

Making him mad is a bad move.

“I apologise, My Lord”, he said, as sincerely as possible. “I did not mean to get smart. I admit to attacking her. But I did not kill her, since she is not dead.”

Nasher regarded him for some moments, his brows drawn together.

“You made your point on this. We’ll just leave it at that for now. That leaves the last accusation, of sneaking into Crossroad Keep, assaulting one of my Greycloaks there, nearly killing him in the process. What do you have to say to that?”

“Not guilty”, Bishop repeated.

“And how do you intend to justify that claim? We have more than a dozen witnesses for what you did.”

“First, My Lord, I did not sneak into Crossroad Keep. I just walked in through the main gate.” He smirked at Kana who looked ready to murder someone. “The guards did not even stop me, question me. Seems like the new Captain is not really able to keep up the discipline.” He heard Kana gasp in fury and suppressed a snicker.

“Second, I did not assault the Greycloak. I was drunk, and got into a barroom brawl. Is that a hanging offence? I did not think so.”

Was there something twitching in the corner of Nasher’s mouth? No, he must have been mistaken, because his voice was cold and even as he spoke.

“I think I told you not to get smart with me. You better remember that it is your life at stake here. Behave accordingly.”

“I’m sorry, My Lord”, Bishop said again, nearly choking at the words, but managing to sound honest.

I’m going to puke if this charade continues much longer.

Nasher sat back, resting his chin on his folded hands, regarding Bishop in silence for a couple of minutes. Bishop had to pull himself together not to squirm under the scrutiny. It was so quiet in the room, one would have heard a pin dropping to the floor.

At last, Nasher stood, resolution on his face.

“We have heard a lot of pretty words from you today”, he said, addressing Bishop. “The problem is, I don’t believe half of what you said. And while it is true that the Knight Captain is not dead, she died after you attacked her and was brought back only through the mercy of the gods. In my book, this still constitutes as murder. So even if we can’t prove that you were the one who sabotaged the gates of Crossroad Keep, betraying it to the enemy, you are still guilty of the murder of one of my most trusted servants, one of the Neverwinter Nine. And for that, the sentence is death by the rope.”

Again, a murmur ran through the audience. This time, it sounded satisfied. Bishop had to suppress a smile again. All was going as planned. His eyes sought Duncan’s face in the crowd. The anger had dissipated, but the sorrow was left.

You’ve always been too soft, old chap. Otherwise we would not be here today.

He reverted his eyes to Nasher, still standing in front of his throne, his hand held out to silence the audience, and gradually, they quieted.

Here we go.

“I invoke my right of trial by combat!”, Bishop called, loud and clear.

This time, the din was deafening.

Description
Judge and Jury

Bishop stood in the great court room of the castle, facing the throne of Lord Nasher. He stood very tall, his head held up proudly.

Don’t look guilty. Whatever you do, whatever you say, don’t look guilty.

The demon’s words. Well, he could manage that.

Before him, Lord Nasher entered the room, sitting down on his throne. Gradually, the murmur in the room quieted down. Bishop felt a knot of nervousness in his stomach, but forced himself to relax.

Stay calm. Focussed. Don’t look nervous.

Lord Nasher faced Bishop, raising his voice. “Since the most injured person can’t be with us today, it will be me, representing the city of Neverwinter, who will act as prosecutor in this case. You know why you are here?”

Bishop smiled slightly.

Ah, formalities.

“I know what I am accused of”, he stated, clearly.

Nasher’s eyes seemed to bore into his.

“So you deny betraying Neverwinter, deny deserting your service, deny murdering one of its most devoted servants?”

“I do. I’m not guilty of these charges.” Bishop’s voice was quiet, but steady.

I’m so proud of myself. Such a good liar I am.

A murmur ran through the assembly. Bishop could feel the outrage coming off the audience. He let his gaze wander and found the eyes of the paladin, burning with fury and scorn. Bishop smiled and gave him a nod, seeing the paladin’s face turn red with anger.

This is even fun.

It may be a good laugh, but you might pay for that with your life. Concentrate!

“So you declare yourself innocent of the charges against you?”, Nasher’s voice boomed.

Bishop’s eyes reverted to Nasher. “Yes”, he said, still in the same quiet, steady voice.

“There are people accusing you of sabotaging the gates of Crossroad Keep, to let the enemy in. You claim this to be untrue?”

“Untrue. I did not do that.”

“There are a dozen men who saw you return to the Keep the day of the assault. Yet you had deserted when the enemy arrived. And the gates had been sabotaged so they could not be closed, leaving the Keep open to the attackers. You honestly claim to be innocent of these charges?”

“Yes, My Lord.” Bishop sneered inwardly at the title. Outwardly, he was calm, composed, serious.

“I have never sworn my allegiance to Neverwinter. I can’t have deserted a service I have never accepted. My duty was to the Knight Captain, not to Neverwinter, and I followed her of my own free will. I left her service for my own reasons, which I think are not subject to this trial. But there were no contracts, no bindings, no obligations. I am no deserter.”

Bishop heard a growling noise and found the eyes of the paladin again. The man looked ready to jump over the railing and attack him. Bishop gave him another smile and saw him gnashing his teeth. Gods, this really was fun.

“So you also deny sabotaging the gates?”

“Yes, My Lord”, Bishop repeated. “I admit slipping back into the Keep that day. But it was only to collect some things I had left behind. For my own reasons again, I did not want to meet any of my former companions. So I left without speaking to anyone. Only later did I hear about the attack. And the sabotage. It came as a shock to me. But I am not the one responsible for it.”

There was a scream of outrage from the paladin. “You filthy, lying scum! It was you who did it! Everyone knows...”

“Silence!”, Lord Nasher’s voice boomed.

The paladin fell silent, but his jaw was still clenched, his hands gripping the handrail so tightly his knuckles turned white. Bishop smiled again at him, shaking his head slightly. So much for the famous paladin restraint.

“We have witnesses claiming you were the one sabotaging the gates.”

A little uneasiness crept up in Bishop. This was the most vulnerable point of the plan. If that was true, it would all go downhill from here. He took care to stay relaxed, his face composed. He must not let his fear show.

I don’t think anyone saw me do it, but still...

“With all due respect, My Lord, I doubt that. Because I don’t know how anyone could have seen me when I did not do it. Did those witnesses actually see me sabotaging the gates, or did they just see me in the Keep? Because I never denied having been there that day.” He was very proud of the calm conviction in his voice.

Might even convince myself if I go on like this.

“You bastard!” The paladin again. “Even if no one saw you doing it, we all know who is to blame!”

Bishop smiled again. “Ah, Casavir”, he said mildly, with an undercurrent of sorrow in his voice. “I know you never liked me, but that alone does not make me guilty. It seems to me you’re just jumping at conclusions because you want to blame me.”

The paladin’s hands gripped the rail even harder. “It was you, I know it! If not, who was it then? Tell me, traitor!”

Bishop shook his head again. “You can’t know that, because it wasn’t me. As for who did it, it’s not my job to find out. What about that red-headed sorceress? I heard she defected when you confronted Garius. Perhaps she was working for him all along? Bears thinking about, doesn’t it? So maybe you should not call me traitor.”

“Sir Casavir, I have to ask you again to keep quiet in the courtroom, else I will have to request you leave it”, Nasher said. “Unless you do not trust me to head a trial?”

Sir Casavir. Huh.

“No, My Lord. I am sorry”, the paladin gritted out.

Bishop snickered, quickly concealing it behind a cough. He let his gaze wander a bit farther over the audience. He recognised Kana, staring at him with an expression of hate and fury that matched the paladin’s.

If he was not bedding the demon, those two would make a cute couple.

He nearly had to laugh at the thought. They would probably stand to attention even while getting at it, saluting each other. Overzealous idiots.

Nasher raised his voice again, drawing Bishop’s attention back to more serious matters. “So you claim not to have sabotaged the gates. But there still is the accusation of having killed the Knight Captain with your own hands. And for that, we have witnesses who actually saw you do it. What do you say to that?”

“Not guilty”, Bishop declared again, his voice clear and loud.

Bishop heard a sharp intake of breath and looked into the direction of the sound. He found Duncan’s face, dark with anger, but also a certain sadness showing in his eyes.

Ah, Duncan... you’d better have let me die that day. I wanted to... But you had to pull me back. That’s what we both get for that.

“You declare yourself not guilty of the murder, despite half a dozen witnesses seeing you do it?”

Bishop reverted his gaze to Nasher, looking him squarely in the eye.

“Not guilty. I can’t have murdered someone who is very much alive, as you are very well aware of, My Lord.”

This time the murmur going to the audience was loud and prolonged. Nasher had to call for quiet three times before the din subsided. Bishop searched Kana’s face in the crowd, seeing her gaping at him, mouth open. He grinned at her.

Surprise, my dear.

“I last saw the Knight Captain about two weeks ago. She was very much alive then”, he continued, repressing the feeling of loss, of longing, that threatened to rise in him as his words inevitably brought back images of the last time he saw her, lying on the ground, watching him leave.

You’ve made your decision. It’s over and done with.

But he could not shake the tightness in his chest, and the slight quiver in his voice as he talked.

“Do you really want to declare your ignorance that the Knight Captain is not dead, My Lord?”, he asked, trying to sound as steady as possible.

There was an outcry from the paladin again. “Filthy liar! I held her in my arms, dead, killed by your hand! She was dead! Only the mercy of the gods brought her back!”

“Sir Casavir! This is the last time I remind you that you will be silent in this courtroom!”, Nasher called. Then, he turned back to Bishop. “He is right, though. What do you have to say to that?”

“My Lord, I admit I attacked her. It was for very personal reasons, and had nothing to do with her role as Knight Captain of Crossroad Keep, or as a servant of Neverwinter. It was a... mistake. A mistake I deeply regret, an act committed in a moment of fury. If I could, I would undo it.”

And that even was the truth. A first today.

“But can you accuse me of the murder of someone who is still alive? I did not think that technically possible.”

“Technically I can just let you hang without even a trial, young man, so don’t get smart with me”, Nasher said, coldly.

Bishop swallowed.

Making him mad is a bad move.

“I apologise, My Lord”, he said, as sincerely as possible. “I did not mean to get smart. I admit to attacking her. But I did not kill her, since she is not dead.”

Nasher regarded him for some moments, his brows drawn together.

“You made your point on this. We’ll just leave it at that for now. That leaves the last accusation, of sneaking into Crossroad Keep, assaulting one of my Greycloaks there, nearly killing him in the process. What do you have to say to that?”

“Not guilty”, Bishop repeated.

“And how do you intend to justify that claim? We have more than a dozen witnesses for what you did.”

“First, My Lord, I did not sneak into Crossroad Keep. I just walked in through the main gate.” He smirked at Kana who looked ready to murder someone. “The guards did not even stop me, question me. Seems like the new Captain is not really able to keep up the discipline.” He heard Kana gasp in fury and suppressed a snicker.

“Second, I did not assault the Greycloak. I was drunk, and got into a barroom brawl. Is that a hanging offence? I did not think so.”

Was there something twitching in the corner of Nasher’s mouth? No, he must have been mistaken, because his voice was cold and even as he spoke.

“I think I told you not to get smart with me. You better remember that it is your life at stake here. Behave accordingly.”

“I’m sorry, My Lord”, Bishop said again, nearly choking at the words, but managing to sound honest.

I’m going to puke if this charade continues much longer.

Nasher sat back, resting his chin on his folded hands, regarding Bishop in silence for a couple of minutes. Bishop had to pull himself together not to squirm under the scrutiny. It was so quiet in the room, one would have heard a pin dropping to the floor.

At last, Nasher stood, resolution on his face.

“We have heard a lot of pretty words from you today”, he said, addressing Bishop. “The problem is, I don’t believe half of what you said. And while it is true that the Knight Captain is not dead, she died after you attacked her and was brought back only through the mercy of the gods. In my book, this still constitutes as murder. So even if we can’t prove that you were the one who sabotaged the gates of Crossroad Keep, betraying it to the enemy, you are still guilty of the murder of one of my most trusted servants, one of the Neverwinter Nine. And for that, the sentence is death by the rope.”

Again, a murmur ran through the audience. This time, it sounded satisfied. Bishop had to suppress a smile again. All was going as planned. His eyes sought Duncan’s face in the crowd. The anger had dissipated, but the sorrow was left.

You’ve always been too soft, old chap. Otherwise we would not be here today.

He reverted his eyes to Nasher, still standing in front of his throne, his hand held out to silence the audience, and gradually, they quieted.

Here we go.

“I invoke my right of trial by combat!”, Bishop called, loud and clear.

This time, the din was deafening.