The Forsaken Throne (Kingfountain #6)(3)

“That is very noble of you, Trynne,” Lady Evie said with a tone of respect. “I think we all want to see him punished because of what he did to your father. What he did to you.”

Trynne nodded in agreement. “I’m expecting Gahalatine to arrive any day now. Can we not wait until he arrives to see if he has brought us any new information from the Wizrs?”

Lord Amrein walked to his seat, returning to the leather folder containing the notes he’d compiled. “I don’t think we have any disagreement as to the man’s guilt or a suitable punishment. We will leave the matter to the king’s discretion.” He looked at Drew and nodded deferentially.

Drew glanced at his wife, who leaned in close to whisper something in his ear. He nodded and then reached for Trynne’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze before he released it. “I trust your judgment, Trynne. More than you know. Lord Amrein, keep him confined to the tower. For the time being.”

Lord Amrein bowed stiffly. “Very well. Now we must discuss the case of your blood-sister, Morwenna.” He let out a deep sigh and shook his head. “This one will not be as easy. But it is our duty to decide guilt and to recommend punishment.” He clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace again. “Morwenna Argentine, daughter of Severn Argentine, conspired with the Mandaryn and the Wizrs of the East Kingdoms to overthrow her brother and place herself on the throne of Kingfountain. There is ample evidence of her collusion with them, as I have discussed in great detail with many of you during our interviews. This is treason. There can be no other charge suitable for such crimes.”

Lord Amrein interrupted his pacing and wagged his finger.

“There are, however, many factors to be considered. She testifies that she was under the sway of the Wizrs, controlled by a powerful ring given to her by Rucrius. Without Lady Sinia or Myrddin to confirm or reject her claim, we are flummoxed. Lord Gahalatine took the ring with him to Chandigarl and is seeking answers. But we will likely never have conclusive proof that she was willingly complicit.”

He paused and looked at those assembled. Trynne noticed that Fallon was pale, his fists clenched, his eyes serious. He was emotionally invested in the outcome. While he had testified against Morwenna, openly revealing his knowledge of her actions against king and realm, Trynne had found some of his clothes in a chest under Morwenna’s bed in the poisoner’s tower. How compromised was he?

She told herself it was none of her business. As a married woman, she had no reason to care about Fallon’s romantic life. And yet . . . she did.

Lord Amrein held up his hands. “It’s undeniable that her aid during the battle saved many lives, but it is my opinion as chief justice that we should view her collusion with the enemy, regardless of coercion, in the harshest light. Is it possible that she was a complete pawn of Rucrius? Yes. But the evidence suggests that she was a willing participant.”

An awful feeling of dread came into the room. Trynne squirmed in her seat. She herself felt conflicted about Morwenna. Lord Amrein’s position was not an enviable one.

The chancellor paused and riffled through his papers. “It is my suggestion, based on the evidence, that Morwenna Argentine fell in league with Rucrius at the poisoner school in Pisan. My interviews with Lady Trynne and others suggest that this happened shortly after she began attending the school, when she was very young and malleable. By all accounts, she excelled at her studies—one of the brightest to have passed through that school in a generation. There is no doubt she was ambitious and determined. It is my belief that Rucrius began grooming her to be a double agent for the East Kingdoms. The Mandaryn were charged with finding a suitable bride for Gahalatine, and based on the evidence, it seems they settled on Morwenna. The king entrusted her to visit Chandigarl on multiple occasions. She could have easily used this as an opportunity to provide information to both sides. I do not believe it was her intent to destroy her brother.” He held up his finger as he made that point.

“No, based on Gahalatine’s reputation for supplanting rulers and reassigning them, she may have justified her treason in her own heart and mind with the knowledge that King Andrew would not be killed but sent elsewhere.” He tapped his finger on the solid table.

“But it is still the crime of treason.”

“Are you suggesting that we execute the king’s sister?” Iago said in apparent disbelief.

Lord Amrein pursed his lips. “I am not. There is another suitable punishment that does not require her death.”

“What then?” Iago asked. “Speak up, man!”

“Attainder,” Lady Evie said, sitting forward, her eyes twinkling.

“That’s what he is going to suggest.”

Trynne blinked in surprise, but the answer fit—it seemed an ideal solution.

“My lady, yes,” Lord Amrein said with a chuckle. “I think your knowledge of history exceeds even that of Master Urbino. Do not tell him that I said so, if you please. Yes, she is correct. A bill of attainder against Morwenna Argentine would strip her of all rights, lands, and privileges of her noble blood. It would not preclude her from inheriting, say, lands in Atabyrion, or anything else from her mother’s line. But it would strip her of all rights to the throne of Ceredigion. It would, in essence, remove the opportunity in the future of her ever becoming queen.”

Some murmuring began around the table as the peers of the realm began considering the solution.