Care: Chief Justice Reglan Mirrinis
Pleader for the Prosecution: Willem Cixous, for Elianora Raventree
Pleader for the Defense: Margarette Karel, for Nandos Raventree
Amicus Curiae: Templar Verdiant
Review of preliminary statements. Prosecution and defense make opening statements to the court. Witnesses are introduced and include the following:
PROSECUTION:
Amandiel Thongolir (brother Nicholas in court, observing), noble, character
Balthasar Drake, mercenary, character
Dorien Ash, sculptor, character
Elianora Raventree (brother Nicholas, mother Anabella in court, observing)
Llewellyn Finster Jhansczil, investigator, character/key witness
Malachai Raventree (tutor James Cordwainer in court, observing), noble, character/key witness
Marie-Catherine Lightcaller, unemployed, character
Mourngrym Amcathra, noble, character
Silvaner du Perron, master of the horse, key witness
Valanya DuBois, Tirnan's business partner, key witness
(unlisted nobles and various expert witnesses)
DEFENSE:
Alixi Behanu, bartender, key witness
Armult Tesper, noble, character (son Allart in court, observing)
Cabernet Montmorency, mercenary, key witness
Etienne Redgrave, cavalier, key witness (superior Mystif Atrocity in court, observing)
Gwennie, prostitute, character
Nandos Raventree (son Luscan and daughter-in-law Yvette in court, observing)
Sterlon, Tarin Tor, witness
The Witch Cariole (bodyguard Raphael Bellegarde in court, observing), mage, character
(unlisted nobles and various expert witnesses)
Both sides agreed that other witnesses may be called as needed.
Various character witnesses step forward to establish the character of the two Raventrees before the court.
Amandiel, Dorien, and Marie-Catherine all testify in favor of Lady Raventree's character and briefly describe how Elianora and the BRC aided them. Malachai describes his affection for his mother. Mourngrym adds his support and describes the lady's close relations with her husband, as he knew them over the last few years, and other lesser nobles are also called to attest to the lady's character. A few tenatively describe Lord Nandos as a harsh man, perhaps tending to act before he thinks, and one or two mention that he never seemed to like Lady Elianora very much. A number of other nobles testify in Lord Nandos' favor, describing him as clearheaded and rational, a sharp and adept businessman, and a good father who especially loved his oldest son Tirnan and who had been taking good care of Tirnan's children. Armult Tesper surprises the defense by agreeing that Lady Elianora had contributed to the execution of his son (cf. The Knaves of Hearts trial), but then calmly stating that she had been in the right and that he admired her for it. Gwennie tells the court about Elianora's unladylike behavior in Dockside, how she cuffed children aside to get information and mercilessly killed her enemies. Sterlon describes Lady Elianora's threat to kill Lord Tesper, and unladylike calm in the midst of slaughter (and then sits down, winking at the lady from across the courtroom). The Witch Cariole badly maligns the lady's character, describing how Elianora kidnapped her daughter from the tower, vandalizing the furnishings and threatening her, a respectable old lady.
In counter, prosecution does better than defense, calling Balthasar to refute Gwennie's story, which he does calmly and quickly, Marie-Catherine to reiterate that she went willingly with the lady, and convincing Sterlon to admit that he personally didn't find the lady's behavior offensive, especially given that the Tarin Tor's commander is in fact a woman. There is discussion of the Knaves of Hearts trial and the fact that Elianora has taken employ with the state (not a ladylike or particularly respected profession). On the other hand, Malachai admits that he likes Lord Nandos, too, and is being treated well. The end result seems to be a stalemate, with both Elianora's and Nandos' characters more or less intact.
Establishment of facts. Prosecution begins its case, charging Lord Nandos with unlawful negligence, kidnapping, and unlawful detainer.
Excerpts:
[...]
Willem Cixous (Prosecutor): I would like to turn the court's attention now to Lord Tirnan Raventree's will, which I requested the bailiff to procure and hold....
Bailiff I have it here. [See Tirnan's Will]
WC: If you would be so kind as to give it to Care Mirrinis ... thank you. Your Honor, you see that the will is complete and legal, witnessed and signed by an accredited recorder?÷I would have called Sieur Cambridge in to witness, but unfortunately it seems that he died last year÷normal circumstances÷I have a copy of his death certificate here÷you see. At any rate, your Honor, this will has not been implemented, despite the fact that Lord Tirnan died over three months ago. Your Honor, I would like to ask Lord Nandos Raventree to take the stand.
[Swearing in as usual]
WC: Lord Raventree, why was your son's will not implemented?
Nandos Raventree (Elianora's Father-in-Law): Well, it÷I had an auditor inventory Tirnan's possessions. I assume that was filed. There was going to, to be a reading ... but by that time, evidence ... had come forward to indicate that Lady Elianora, my son's wife, had [clears throat uncomfortably] had plotted my son's death.
WC: Suspicions, my lord, are not adequate reason to delay the implementation of a will unless charges have been formally filed. I see here that the overseers were never sent copies of the will. Why is that?
NR: I don't know anything about that. Ask Tirnan's clerk. I was upset÷shocked÷I wasn't paying attention to things like paperwork.
WC: But you had the presence of mind to have Lady Elianora evicted from Windgate House and her sons taken from her side.
NR: I was afraid for them. They're my grandsons, dammit, all I have left of my eldest son. I didn't want them staying with her if she was a murderess.
WC: Please, my lord, we'll get to these accusations of murder a bit later. Right now, I'd like to concentrate on the matter of the mishandled will. Am I to understand that no clause of this will has been implemented?
NR: I don't know. I don't think I've even read the will.
[Bailiff reads will for the court]
NR: No, to my knowledge, none of that has been implemented.
WC: Doesn't it bother you÷that your eldest son's last wishes haven't been carried out?
NR: Of course it bothers me, and his mother, too. Damn you, you're implying that I don't love my son!÷of course I loved him. Do you think I want to believe that the woman he married had him killed?÷
WC: Please, my lord, we'll get to that later. I simply want to establish before the court that Tirnan left his wife all of his possessions, with the exception of a few given to friends and employees÷including, I might add, his close friend the Chevalier Redgrave. I also want to establish before the court that this will has not been executed, in blatant disregard for Cislunar's laws of inheritance, thus depriving the Lady Elianora of home, income, and even of mementos of her deceased husband; leaving her virtually penniless and forcing her to return to the care of her family, who have so loving supported her through this difficult period [inclines head to the Paochis in the gallery]. Your Honor, it has been suggested that Lady Elianora behaved in an unladylike fashion at times, especially with regard to her taking employment with the Ministry of Justice. Setting aside the question of why working for Archon Lament's government should in any way be deemed improper employ for any loyal citizen of Cislunar, I would like to suggest to the court that had Lord Tirnan's will been implemented, thus providing the lady with her lawful dower and providing for her livelihood and maintenance, she would not have had to seek employment elsewhere. Who among us would not be forced to seek employ, regardless of [makes grandstand speech]
[end]
There is some cross-examination; Nathaniel Glover, Tirnan's clerk, is called to court, sworn in, and questioned about the will; he claims he filed it as required, but that nothing was ever followed up. Court recesses while clerks from the Hall of Records are called in. By early evening it seems clear that the papers regarding execution of the will were misfiled, nobody knows by whom, and the clerks at the Hall of Records had thought it was being implemented as required.