Chapter Twelve: THE TRIAL

Rigel sat in the overstuffed chair at the head of the Princess's bed. He was frustrated. The longing to take her hand nearly overwhelmed him, and his thoughts clung to her drowsy mind.

Attendants hovered around the child. Clarion and Aleia oversaw the medics and healers as they poked and prodded and tended to her frail body. The ancient Palace Mage, his pale eyes ringed with dark, tired circles, never took his hands from Aury. He massaged temples, manipulated limbs, soothed the ugly wounds on her slender neck with caring fingers. Queen Aleia's face was a conflicting mask of worry and relief as she sponged her daughter's fevered face with a cool herbal potion.

Clairvoyant snored on the settee across the room, his swollen arm wrapped in poultices, his trained mind totally at rest now that the danger was past.

"I sure wish I could do that," Rigel sent to Aury, nodding toward the slumbering teen. "I've never been so tired in my life."

Aury looked extremely small where she lay in the oversized bed, and when she turned her face to him it was still tinged with pain. His heart leapt in his chest, and he fought back the urge to shove her caretakers aside and hug her.

"You should try to get some rest, too. You look so tired, Rigel."

The sincere concern in her thoughts for him, when her own body was so battered and filled with pain, made him cringe. He wrapped his soul around hers. "When the healers and mages give you the `okay', then maybe I'll sleep. I can't take a nap until I hear that you're all right, starshine."

"I'll be okay. Thanks to you." Aury winced as one of her attendants' hands hit a sore spot. "Ow!" She turned a reproachful glare on the woman, "That hurt."

Aleia smoothed the child's hair with a soothing touch. "Now, Aury, we're all trying to help. You're bruised up enough that there's no way to totally avoid hitting the tender spots." The Queen's face shone with relief and joy at the thought that her daughter had regained enough spunk to scold the adults in the room. She added as an afterthought, "And you should watch your manners. People who are sincerely trying to help you should be addressed respectfully."

Aury turned a chagrined smile to the woman, who was vainly attempting to stifle a grin of her own. "Sorry, Keela. I guess I'm grouchier than usual."

Keela reached a dimpled hand to the child's cheek and gave it a gentle pinch. Her pudgy face gleamed with affection as she said, "With good reason, little one. With good reason."

Rigel chuckled, and flashed a teasing grin. "See Aury? Nobody takes you seriously anyway."

Auria laughed for the first time in two days, and the glow that lit her dainty features told those present just how wonderful that simple action felt.

"Momma?" She turned to Aleia with a pleading look.

The woman's expression grew suspicious, and her eyes sparkled. "Yes?"

"I'm really starving . . . can't I have something more than that awful soup Clarion keeps spooning into me?"

The Queen looked to the wizard, who was chuckling aloud. "If she wants it, Your Majesty, it means she's ready to have it."

Aury's face lit up. "Are there any more of those brownies Cook baked the other day?"

Chubby Keela grabbed her skirts and trotted for the door. "If it's brownies my Princess wants, it's brownies my Princess gets." She was still giggling as she disappeared down the long hallway.

A moment later the door swung open once again, and the King of Chimopotamia entered the child's bedroom. His tentative steps fell soundless upon the soft carpet as he approached his smallest offspring, radiating an aura of worry.

"How's my girl this morning?" He leaned over Aury and peered anxiously into her gaunt, tired face.

"Hungry. Keela's bringing brownies." Aury replied and reached for her father's hand.

He smiled and gave the child's small fingers a squeeze. "Wonderful, that's just wonderful." Relief swam on his handsome face, and he breathed easier as he stroked the Princess's cheek. "Now, don't be offended, Auria, but it actually was not you I came looking for just now."

The child's brows raised with curiosity. She cocked her head to one side, and waited to see how he would continue.

The King turned to Rigel, unreadable emotions casting his face in strange shadows. "I thought that I would find you here, young fellow." The tall man met the boy's unswerving gaze. "Have you left her side at all?"

Rigel shook his head and inched closer to Aury's bedside. "No, Sir, I haven't. Well . . . I took a shower, but that was it."

Yrren nodded. "Mmm," he went on, "I thought not."

He fidgeted with the satin edging on a blanket, obviously unsure of how to express what he had to say. Silence whispered through the air in the Princess's chambers as all present waited for him to continue. The look on Rigel's face--serene and unafraid--sent a myriad of conflicting feelings dancing across the King's countenance.

"I have a difficult time fathoming you, young man. All I have come out of this ordeal positive of is that you are not what I thought you were."

Yrren dragged a chair before the boy and sat, placing their eyes on an almost equal level. Rigel heard the intake of Queen Aleia's soft breath, and realized the significance of this small action. The King held the boy's gaze firmly with his and asked an unexpected question.

"Have you any idea how difficult it is to lead a Kingdom as vast as Chimopotamia?"

Rigel startled, and paused for a moment before shaking his head.

"It isn't easy, you know. Everything you do, every decision you make, has to be done in light of what is best for every individual in the realm. Can you see the position that puts me in?" Yrren looked into the young face that was so boldly tilted to meet his own.

"I suppose it isn't an easy thing to have to live with," Rigel said respectfully, and gave the matter quiet, serious thought.

The King nodded and closed his eyes. He was tired--extremely tired--and he gave a deep sigh before he went on. "My personal feelings aside, Rigel, I want you to understand that what I am about to say is based on what I feel is best for Chimopotamia."

The hairs on the back of the boy's neck stood on edge, and his stomach knotted. Aury turned on her side for a better view of the scene, her face cast in painful shadows. Both youngsters knew what was coming.

Yrren's voice was raspy with mental and physical fatigue. "You saved my daughter's life, young man. More than that, you have proven the bond between you, and you have shown us all that you possess powers that none of us had dreamed possible. I am more than grateful to you. I am filled with a deep, new sense of respect that makes me feel uncomfortable and inadequate. I held you in disgrace in my mind for all too long. I looked on you in regards to your class and not in regards to your soul."

Aleia moved behind Rigel's chair and stood protectively over the youth, her slender hands resting on the soft velvet covering of the seat back.

The King of Chimopotamia continued, his voice not much more than a tired whisper. "But unions in royal places are based on other values. I have the royal bloodlines of Chimopotamia to take into account, as well as the respect of not only our people but those of all the universe. Other lands and kingdoms look highly on this realm--seek its aid and its counsel frequently. They know Auria . . . they all know her, and wait in hope for the day she will rule. She has powers born within her that even I cannot dream of possessing. All she needs to do is learn to control them--to get her priorities in line with her abilities." He cast his daughter a stern but loving look and turned back to the young, tanned face before him. "Can you understand the position all this puts me in?"

Rigel's face darkened and he felt the Queen's hand lower from the chair to his shoulder in support. "You're saying I'm not good enough for the rest of the universe. But it's just a matter of politics. Nothing personal, right?" The stable boy's tone was blatantly sarcastic, and several people in the room gasped at his boldness. He felt Clairvoyant's mind once again touch his in warning, and glanced to where the apprentice mage, now awake and alert, sat on the settee.

The King was taken aback. His mouth fell open for the briefest moment, and the struggle for something to say flashed across his face with revealing clarity. "Well," his voice cracked like a schoolboy's, "Not one for mincing words, I see."

"No, Sir."

King Yrren shook his head in wonder, eyes trained with a conflicting combination of respect and disapproval on the stable boy's dauntless expression. "What I am saying, Rigel, is that I am grateful for all you have done. My personal viewpoint of you has changed drastically. My respect is yours. But in light of the good of the Kingdom, I cannot with conscience bring myself to approve of you as a potential mate for the heir to the throne."

Rigel's gaze never swerved, and he did not let the pain that struck like an arrow through his heart show to anyone but Aury, whose tears dampened the satin of her pillowcase. "I'm sorry, Sir," he said quietly, "But you have no choice. None of us do."

The King startled once again at the boy's brazen words, and raised a helpless look to his wife's face, searching for support.

She shrugged and smiled, mischief lighting her face with amusement. "I've been trying to tell you just that for eleven years, Yrren. Don't look to me for help."

Yrren stood and looked around the room in discomfort. "I'm going to have to give the issue further thought," he said, dismissing the subject awkwardly. "Now to other matters. The trial for the criminal Poseidon will commence at noon. All who were involved in the capture of the man are required to be present." He looked upon his child, concern for her written in the lines of his face. Her elfin features were strained with fatigue and disappointment as she gazed up at him from the soft mound of pillows. "And if Auria is well enough, she should attend as well."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Clarion said, and accompanied the King to the door. Yrren left without looking back, and the mage closed the door behind him. He turned back on the scene in the bedroom, leaned heavily against the door, and locked eyes with Rigel. "You certainly do keep things interesting around here, young man."

A rustle of skirts and a clatter of dishes outside the room prompted Clarion to step back and swing the door open. Keela bustled into the room, surrounded by the aroma of chocolate. The expressions of discomfort that greeted her arrival brought the servant up short, a look of confusion on her cheerful face. She blinked, her eyebrows raised in puzzled arches. "Did I miss something?"

* * *


Rigel leaned against one arm of the oversized sofa that had been placed at the front of the cavernous meeting room. The chamber was packed with bodies. People had swarmed from all over Chimopotamia to witness the trial. Aury, wrapped in a warm blanket, cuddled against the boy. Her head was nestled on his shoulder, her eyes closed in an effort to get the rest her bruised body craved. Her feet were drawn up under the soft folds of the blanket, and she had curled her petite form into a compact bundle for warmth. The stable boy shifted in an attempt to get comfortable, and Aury was forced to rearrange her position.

"You don't make the greatest pillow, Rigel." Her voice sounded stronger, clearer, since she had eaten solid food, and the cloud of poison that had shaded her features was swiftly receding.

"Sorry." He readjusted, and gave her his chest to rest against instead of the shoulder. He draped an arm across the back of the sofa. "Is this better?"

Aury smiled and tilted her head back to see his face. "Yeah. But I didn't say that to make you move. I was just teasing. You don't have to jump every time I say something . . . just because of what happened."

He flashed her a grin. "It won't last, starshine. Enjoy the royal treatment while you can. As soon as you're feeling better I'm back to selfish old me."

Aury snuggled into him and arranged the blanket around herself. "You've never been selfish. Pig-headed and conceited, maybe, but not selfish."

The handsome youth gave his Princess a sharp poke in the ribs, evoking a burst of soft giggles that fell on his ears like music. "Thanks for the compliment. Maybe this royal treatment will be cut short after all."

Aury opened her mouth for a sarcastic retort, but the blare of trumpets that announced the arrival of King Yrren and Queen Aleia stopped her in mid-breath. Ornate double doors swung open at the far end of the great hall. As the royal couple entered, the entire assembly rose in one motion to its feet, and the murmurs that had filled the air were replaced by respectful silence. Rigel shifted nervously, trying to decide whether to stand. Aury rested a blanket-shrouded hand on his knee.

"You don't have to. You're the guest of honor . . . and my pillow," she whispered.

He stayed seated, but his face revealed his doubt as to the wisdom of her words. Queen Aleia caught his expression as she walked up the crowd-lined aisle, and sent a conspiratorial wink his way. He relaxed as her smile dispelled his fears.

Yrren took his place on the dais, behind an enormous oaken judge's stand. A solemn- faced jury lined the wall on the King's left, and an empty chair in a guarded box revealed the place from which Poseidon would hear his sentencing. Armed guards were positioned around the room, their expressions alert, and they cast frequent protective glances toward the little Princess on the sofa.

Clarion and Clairvoyant entered and took seats near the bondchildren, and Rigel noticed that the apprentice's injured arm was no longer swollen or bruised. Several well-healed scratches could be seen peeking out from the end of the mage's sleeve, and he wiggled his fingers to show his friend all was well.

Aleia sat regally in an ornate chair at Rigel's right, and reached her slender hand to touch his. The gentle brush of her mind told the boy that the act was more than a display of personal affection. She was showing Chimopotamia that her daughter's bondmate had been accepted in the heart of their Queen. The quiet murmur that rustled through the crowd let him know that the people had seen--and understood.

A group of scribes sat near the jury box, ready to record the event for historical purposes. Their attention was rivetted to the face of the King, their pens poised to commence writing the moment he spoke. Rigel watched them. His mind was stirred by a sense of wonder tinged with embarrassment, as he realized that his name was about to be placed in an important chapter of Chimopotamian history.

Aury caught his thoughts. "It won't be the last time," she said quietly. Her voice was tinted with the pale golden aura of mystery, moved forth from the deep parts of her spirit by a strange undertow that made Rigel shiver. Her mother overheard, and gazed toward the child, pride and surprise warming her smile.

"Well. Is that the first time, Auria?"

The child searched the whimsical expression on her mother's face. "First time for what, Momma?"

Aleia laughed, and startled when the King's scepter rapped his platform with an echoing bang. She lowered her voice to a whisper like an errant schoolgirl and leaned toward her daughter. "It must be . . . you didn't even realize you were speaking prophecy just then."

Rigel groaned. "Oh great. Something else I'm going to have to put up with from now on." He gave Auria a proud hug and allowed his arms to remain around her.

The King stood to speak, and the pens of the scribes leapt forth in a flurry of activity. "My People," an immediate hush fell over the room; all eyes were trained expectantly on the monarch. "Terrible events have occurred in our Kingdom in the past few days. Events that have proven that, even within our own households, traitors can lurk and devious plots may be laid. Rumors abound throughout Chimopotamia--some true, some fabricated. What you will hear today will let you know which are to be believed.

"The heir to the throne was kidnapped. That rumor is a true one, and the crux of the entire event. On it you can base the truths and falsehoods of the rest of the saga." He cast a command toward the guards at the door. "Bailiffs, bring in the prisoner. He must face his own actions before his sentence meets his ears."

The men swung open the door, and Poseidon was led into the room. Two guards stood to either side of the criminal, who walked with head held high, his face an expressionless mask. The magical restraints still glowed around his wrists as the men at arms led him to the box prepared for him. They did not leave his side even after the door was sealed behind him, and Poseidon sat facing the jury.

Yrren launched into a narrative. He started with the sighting of the shadow by Rigel and Aury, and went through all subsequent events in detail. His powerful voice filled the room, capturing the attention of every ear, and the pen hands of the writers raced to keep up with his words. On occasion a head would shake in shame or sorrow, or a voice would gasp in horror at what the Princess had endured. Rigel marvelled at his own part in the story, heard his own name being spoken with respect and gratitude by the King of Chimopotamia in front of hundreds of loyal citizens. He swallowed the uncomfortable lump that tried to choke him, and looked around the great hall.

In the front row of the audience sat his parents and Altair. When onyx eyes met sky blue, Altair grinned and nodded, sending a boost of confidence across the room. Rigel touched back with warm gratitude, and turned his attention to the faces of Raven and Zale. The pride they felt for their heroic son lit the room all around them, and the feeling that swelled Rigel's heart brought a blush to his chiseled features.

The tale of the Princess's capture and rescue drew to a close, and the echo of the King's words faded into the awed silence that filled the air. Sounds moved softly from the heart of the crowd, spreading outward like gentle ripples along the surface of a pond. Murmurs of horror and sympathy, fear and disgust, touched Rigel's senses. The stable boy's skin tingled with the sensation that all eyes were fixed upon Aury and him. His eyes were on Poseidon.

The prisoner had shown no grief over his act, no remorse. He sat straight in his chair, chin held high, a look of righteous pride on his face. His deep green glare slowly swerved to lock on Rigel and the madness that crept from the man's evil mind sent a shudder of nausea through the boy.

"You've heard the facts presented as they have happened, Poseidon." King Yrren spoke again at last. "By Chimopotamian law, I now must give you the chance to speak for yourself. What do you have to say in your own defense?"

Poseidon speared the audience with his distorted gaze. "It is my right by blood. I have no regrets for doing what I did. The position of High Mage of Chimopotamia should belong to me at the end of my uncle's service--not some freak outsider." He shot his stare through Clairvoyant, and the hatred that flared from his mind caused Rigel's arms to tighten protectively around the Princess.

Anger swelled in Rigel's chest, and he fought the urge to make Poseidon take back his words. He felt Aury shrink against him, as if trying to hide from the madness-ridden eyes.

Clairvoyant was unperturbed, and matched the man's insanity with his own quiet confidence. Clarion rested a trembling hand on the boy wizard's injured arm.

Poseidon continued. "It is my right to claim what is mine, through whatever means necessary." The look on his face grew darker, as the shadow at the center of his soul emerged to reveal itself upon his countenance. "And I would do it again. I will have what is mine."

King Yrren was struggling to retain his control. He forced his anger into abeyance, and said to the jury, "You are dismissed to discuss the matter among yourselves. I will join you with my own recommendations in the rear chamber, but by law the sentencing of the prisoner Poseidon is your decision." He rose abruptly, motioned to the guards to tighten their vigilance over Poseidon, and left the room.

With a noisy shuffle of feet and scraping of chairs, the jury members exited the meeting chamber in the wake of King Yrren.

As soon as the door had shut behind them, Rigel turned to Clairvoyant. "How could you just sit there and take that from him, Voy? I wanted to get up and slam him when he called you . . . well, you know."

Clairvoyant smiled, the touch of his mind was wise and sad. "Freak? Rigel, I'm used to being different; used to people calling me names and thinking unkind things about me. Sure it makes me angry, but it doesn't do me any good to blow up with that anger." He let a sarcastic chuckle escape his throat as he added, "Stars, I don't dare let my anger loose. I have to hold it in- -keep it in check. If I didn't, this castle would be orbiting some netherworld on the other side of the galaxy right now."

The image made the stable boy shudder. The awed respect he felt for the young sorcerer took on new dimensions when he imagined Clairvoyant's anger out of control. "I see your point," he said, "But doesn't it hurt?"

A fond smile softened his enchanting features as Voy replied, "No more than when people can't accept your bond with Aury. Just like the two of you, I have no control over this destiny. I was born into my fate, and there's only one road for me. Most people have choices in life. My choices were made for me by some power that has much more wisdom than I do. I know you, of all people, understand how that is."

Auria reached out to touch Clairvoyant's arm. The teen enclosed her small hand in his and gave it a squeeze. Warm emotions filled the space between them as Rigel covered their grip with his in a promise of forever friendship.

In a short while, the door to the rear chamber swung open and the jury filed back to their box. Their faces were set in rigid determination; their decision had been swiftly made. Yrren returned to his stand, and his gaze swept over the solemn group. A woman left the box and approached the King, a slip of paper in her hand. She swallowed nervously when his hand brushed hers, then hurried back to her seat.

"You have heard my own feelings on the matter of Poseidon's sentencing." The King spoke directly to the group of jurors. "I realize that my opinions are clouded with angry emotion over the treatment of my child. By law, I accept whatever decision you have placed in my hands; but I feel I must let the prisoner know," his angry violet eyes shot to Poseidon's face, "That my own desire was to put him to death."

The criminal's face went ashen as he allowed the first signs of emotion to color his expression. He recovered his composure quickly, but it was with difficulty that he straightened his shoulders and raised his chin to its former arrogant position. Despite the man's haughty demeanor, Rigel could feel the deep set fear that stirred within Poseidon's soul.

"I tell you that, Poseidon, to let you know," Yrren went on before opening the paper in his hand, "That if the jury has allowed you to live, and you should someday be in the position to challenge me again, there will be no second trial to stand between us. I will deal with you personally."

With steady hands, King Yrren unfolded the scrap of paper, and the room went deathly silent--waiting. He read over the verdict several times and nodded. He closed his eyes for a moment before speaking. Yrren raised his voice to the assembly and it was filled with power and authority.

"It is the decision of the court, of the jury, of the people of Chimopotamia, that the prisoner Poseidon be banished from this realm. Chimopotamia shall no longer be his home, and this ban will last throughout eternity or for his personal lifetime, whichever should come first. Furthermore," he went on as the color again drained from the prisoner's face, "For the duration of my reign as King of Chimopotamia, Poseidon shall wear the magic restraints on his wrists to prevent him from manifesting his inner powers in the physical realm. Upon the passing of the crown to my successor," the King turned to the child in the stable boy's protective grasp, "The next ruler of Chimopotamia shall remove the restraints. The banishment, however, shall not be lifted."

Yrren turned to the guards that hovered around the man in the prisoner's box. "Take him away now. He shall be returned to that place where he held my daughter prisoner, and that shall be his prison from hereon in. It is far enough from Chimopotamia to satisfy the verdict. A watch shall be put over that house, and Poseidon's whereabouts monitored. In addition, a spell shall be woven that will prevent him from setting foot within the borders of this Kingdom." He looked toward Clarion. The High Mage looked old and tired, shamed by the traitorous actions of his kinsman. "I will leave that task to you, my friend."

The King of Chimopotamia stood, signifying the end of the trial, and a half-dozen guards led Poseidon toward the door. As he reached the hallway he turned, insanity flaring from his reddened eyes. "It's not over! It's not over! You haven't heard the last of me!"

"I have for today," Yrren muttered in a tired voice, and with a wave of his magical hand slammed the oaken door in the madman's face.