On the evening of Friday, 24th Maalisku, the 23rd year of my father Peter III of Ioa, as my latest adventuring group had dinner in the western forest of my kingdom, I considered our next steps. “Lady Martinia warned me that Koching was leading us into a trap. Let’s go investigate that tomorrow.”

“The Elvin hunter shot at what I suppose he assumed to be Your Highness. Sharon dodged his arrow. I didn’t miss.” Rebecka returned to picking at the stew that Amelia had made.

I pulled out my necklace. “Koching, surely you didn’t count on a single assassin? What …” My mind wandered through random moments witnessed by the jewel, with no trace of the pointed-headed, viper-tongued elf.

“Your Highness.” Amelia reached out and shook me by the arm.

“Sorry, but there seems to be a problem.” I picked up my new wand. “Martinia, what happened to Koching?”

I dispatched the treacherous elf, as our oath required.

“I don’t want you dispatching anybody without my permission.”

I don’t see how I can avoid doing that, as things stand now. But if it comforts you we can add an additional restriction that the spirit of the wand must only cast spells at the direction of the wielder of the wand.

I saw that the others were puzzled, so I switched to silent communion with Martinia. How is it possible to change a spirit binding?

Let me show you the enchantment.

A complicated ritual flashed before my mind’s eye. I studied it for a moment, then nodded. Yes, I can do that.

I stepped away from the others and conducted the ritual.

How can we tell if it worked?

Instruct me to cast a spell.

Wand, give me Magescan so that I may inspect my magecraft.

As Your Highness demands.

On the morning of Monday 27th Maalisku we (apart from Rebecka, who resumed her quest to root out conspirators) returned to Kristophoro Castle, left the animals in the stables, and Oliver to arrange his marriage to Amelia with her father. As Polly and I walked back to the keep, we saw a carriage flanked by four paladins on warhorses arrive, and we walked over to that.

Two monks emerged from the carriage and assisted a bishop and a blue-haired nun in stepping out. She seemed to be a few decades younger than the bishop, but given that she was obviously a Blessed Girl, she might be decades older. She was also obviously six months or so pregnant. These monsters who bred like rabbits and never had to worry about morning sickness, menopause, stretch marks, sag, or obesity would surely displace humanity in less than a dozen generations. That their sons had no claim to the same power other than to maintain the purity of their bloodline meant that these blue-haired but otherwise ordinary men could safely take the role of ordinary wizards. They wouldn’t have the extraordinary magical talents of my Fireblood tribe, but their numbers would tell.

Polly dashed up to the nun. “Aunt Sophia!” How Polly identified a specific Blessed Girl who all looked exactly like her was a mystery, but she did see beyond the flesh to the souls underneath.

“That is Reverend Mother Posgort to you, witch!”

Polly wasn’t actually spat on, but her expression as she turned back towards me said that if her kind had been monstrous enough to sprout tails, hers would be between her legs.

I stepped past Polly. “Welcome to Kristophoro Castle. I am Princess Arillia Aurora Angleland of Ioa. Our apologies for our employee’s indiscretion, Reverend Mother Posgort and Bishop?”

“Bishop Cuenca. May I have an audience with King Peter, Your Highness?”

“But of course, Your Grace. If you will follow me.” I put my right hand on the new wand on my belt and prepared to draw mana from it.

Sophia extended her power to block my spell without any apparent external sign, but Polly blocked her counter. Sophia briefly raised an eyebrow at this but showed no other indication as she stopped her interference. On the other hand, Polly was clearly concentrating on her initial effort and further watch.

I cast Telepathy. Carnel, The Church has arrived and is serious about something. Please remain in your room.

Sure, Arillia, you deal with it.

As we walked to the keep, I quickly calculated the odds. Four paladins would easily overwhelm a room full of our guards and the King, while the Queen was no match for Sophia’s counterspell abilities. The wild card was the bishop and the two monks. Undoubtedly, one or more of these was a wizard, but if so, they had been clever enough not to mark themselves by carrying a wand. If they had hidden daggers, they were either not enchanted or protected by concealment magic, which I would need Magescan to attempt to spot. They would, of course, need to do worse than kill me, with Sparot and Martinia at my side, but that wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility.

I drew on Martinia’s mana again, but this time to power the earring link. Rebecka, the church is making a display of force. Please return to your hiding spot above the Great Hall with bow at hand.

Understood.

I walked side by side with Bishop Cuenca, with Sophia and Polly behind us, then the two monks, and followed by the four paladins. When we entered the Great Hall, I saw that Father and Mother were already seated on their thrones, and various servants were rushing about.

I bowed rather than curtsied to my parents as I was still in my adventurer’s outfit. “Peter III, King of Ioa and Queen Augustan, may I introduce Bishop Cuenca and Reverend Mother Posgort.” I then stepped to the side, and Polly followed.

“Greetings, Bishop Cuenca. How may our humble kingdom assist the church today?” Father risked a glance at me, then looked back at the Bishop.

“Please excuse this unannounced visit. I shan’t intrude on Your Magisty’s time more than needed. Please hand over the witch Polly Posgort for execution.”

“Bishop Cuenca.” All eyes turned to me. “Witchcraft is not a crime in Ioa, and surely you are not here to take our Queen into custody? Also, Polly Posgort is a Blessed Girl, and none of these are witches.”

The delegation from the church turned towards me, and the expression on Bishop Cuenca’s face suggested that his trap had been sprung as he continued. “Regrettably, some formerly Blessed Girls fall to seduction by demons, abandon their commitment to the gods, and take up the practice of witchcraft. Also, your Polly has already admitted to being a subject of Suskan through her claim of relation to the Reverend Mother.”

I decided to take one more step. “Reverend Mother Posgort, as you are blessed by the Power Beyond to see past disguises, may I ask if this Polly who stands here today is truly your niece?”

“Regrettably, yes.”

“Then I will represent this Polly in a trial of extradition before King Peter. If you will give me one day to prepare?”

Bishop Cuenca responded as if he had practiced for this moment. “That would be satisfactory.”

“Shall we prepare rooms for your party in the castle?”

“We thank Your Highness for your offer of hospitality, but we have already arranged lodgings at Kristophoro Cathedral. If you will excuse us, Your Highness and Your Majesties, we shall return tomorrow.”

I saw the church group out of the castle, sent Alice to summon her father, and met with my family, Polly, Rebecka, and Elizabeth, in Mother’s study. “The church is using Polly as bait to get me.”

“What makes you say that, Arillia?”

I turned to Mother. “It’s because they didn’t mention the late Bishop Patrick. They could have sent a request for Polly via a monk. This show of force is calibrated to maximize the chance that I would overreact and hence force King Peter to hand me over to whichever branch of the conspiracy is paying for this drama: Dinana, Excelsior, or some other prince. Given the absurdly high value everybody seems to put on my head, you should auction me off and use the receipts to balance the books for all of Carnel’s reign.”

“Stop being a drama princess, Arillia. Our parents wouldn’t sell you off, and I wouldn’t let them. What is your actual plan?”

“Carnel, I will meet with the Reltucs today to prepare my defense. Tomorrow, I will win this case before the King, and then we shall see what Bishop Cuenca’s actual plan is.”

“I will attend as the drama princess understudy. To see what works, and if it doesn’t, help prepare my head to wear the crown someday.”

“Only for the prep session, Carnel. You must avoid the trial itself because while the conspiracy wants me alive, they want you dead.”

“How can you be sure of that when they only sent two fools to take my life? Haven’t you said that one should never strike at royalty when there is a chance of a miss that reveals your hand?”

“I’m flattered that my little sister is taking my lessons to heart.”

After the meeting, I met with Mother, handed her the necklace, explained what had happened to Koching’s spirit, and suggested that she recheck the figures he had provided her.

That evening, I explained to Martinia how, just a few years before her own death, the first Blessed Girl had awoken to her powers and how the Suskan church had embraced (literally) this miracle and been taken over by this rapidly expanding family in the two centuries since.

On the morning of Tuesday, 28th Maalisku, I walked to the gatehouse (in my cleaned-up adventuring outfit with Sparot and Martinia carried openly and with Polly at my side) to greet the delegation from the church.

“Bishop Cuenca, are you sure that Polly is a witch? Isn’t this entire trip a waste of your precious time?”

“Do not attempt your witch tongue on his grace!” Sophia back-slapped my face so hard that she drew blood from us both and left my ear ringing. Her injury healed instantly, of course, and she wiped away her blood with a napkin from her pocket.

Polly stepped up to kiss my wound away and licked the blood off my cheek.

“Let the witch speak, Sister Posgort. She’ll confess all of her sins before the church soon enough.”

“As Your Grace says, so shall it be.”

“Your Highness, I do not wish to waste any more of your precious time. Let us present this case before the king, and then we can be on our way.”

“By all means, Your Grace.” As I led the group inside, I pondered if Sophia had actually detected my attempt to use the Power Beyond. If so, this was something Polly could also be taught to do, and hence, Carnel could analyze and automate a defense against Emperor Ramolino’s use of this power.

Inside the Great Hall were seated the important persons of Kristophoro, including my Aunt Aleyda, her husband, Mayor Augustus, most of the rest of the city council, and our knights and some of their squires.

Bishop Cuenca and Polly’s Aunt Sophia sat at the table to the right of the King and Queen, with the two monks and four paladins seated behind them. I sat with Polly at the left table, with Sage Reltuc, Alice, Amelia, and Oliver behind us. Rebecka was in her hiding spot (which Sophia briefly glanced up at), while Carnel was in her room with Elizabeth at her side. Martinia’s senses alerted me to one of Carnel’s dolls, which had been placed looking out from a corner of the hall and had her active magics on it, but if Sophia noticed this, she made no sign of it. My sister had made the jump to Light Speed in her development, and it would take all of my effort to stay just ahead of her.

Father waited for everybody to settle down and then started. “Bishop Cuenca, please present your case.”

“King Peter III, Queen Augusta, the Angleland royal family, and others gathered here today. I have arrived to make a simple plea to allow us to resolve an internal church matter within the church. Polly Posgort was found to be a witch and escaped her execution. We ask that you hand this fugitive back to us so that justice can be administered.”

“I see. Is there any objection to this request? Princess Arillia?”

“Your Majesty, while the legal aspect of this request is questionable, I would first like to examine the factual basis if I might.”

“Bishop Cuenca?”

“Your Majesty, while the church has no desire to intrude on any more of your time than is necessary, we stand behind and will gladly defend our conclusions.”

“Princess Arillia, you may continue.”

“Bishop Cuenca, is your claim that Polly Posgort has fallen from the status of a Blessed Girl to that of a witch?”

“That is what has happened.”

“Can you briefly describe the difference between these two states?”

“Blessed Girls are conduits for the powers of the gods, while witches such as yourself call on the powers of demons.”

“And are these powers exactly the same?”

“While the gods act only as suits their designs, the miracles they choose to enable are far greater than the curses of witchcraft.”

“So when a Blessed Girl has fallen from the gods’ favor, she can no longer perform miracles beyond the power of witchcraft?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Your Majesty, I would like to call one witness for the defense.”

“As Your Highness requires.”

“Squire Oliver Olmec, please take the witness chair.”

“Me?”

I waited for him to settle down, then continued. “Master Olmec, do you swear to answer all questions truthfully to the best of your ability?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Did you see your fiancee, Miss Amelia Amadev, when she visited Port Linton this year?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“What would you describe her condition at that time?”

“Very poor, Your Highness.”

“Would you describe her condition as being life-threatening?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I feared gravely for her life.”

“Did anyone provide treatment for Miss Amelia Amadev while she was in Port Linton?”

“It was Your Highness and Duke Gustav Jalo.”

“Do you consider that I have reasonable expertise in spellcraft and that Duke Jalo is a reasonable practitioner of alchemy?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Did we seem to do all we could to treat Miss Amelia Amadev at that time?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“And did these treatments cure her at that time?”

“No, Your Highness. It seemed to have very little effect on her.”

“Is this the same Miss Amelia Amadev who sits in this hall today?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Why isn’t she dead yet?”

“It was Polly, Your Highness. In just a few days, she cured Amelia.”

“Did Miss Polly Posgort use spellcraft or alchemy to cure Miss Amelia Amadev?”

“No, Your Highness. Polly put her hands on Amelia and used some power unknown to me.”

“Would you call this cure miraculous?”

“Yes, that’s the word I’d use, Your Highness.”

“Bishop Cuenca, do you have any questions for Squire Oliver Olmec?”

“Just one, Your Highness. Master Olmec, do you have any training in spellcraft, alchemy, or the workings of the church?”

“No, Your Grace.”

“I see. Please return to your seat.”

Well played. I’d need to step further into danger. “Bishop Cuenca, who exactly has determined that this Miss Polly Posgort, who performs miraculous cures, is somehow a witch?”

“Your Highness, it was Bishop Patrick who knew Miss Polly Posgort and the subject of witchcraft very well indeed.”

“And why is Bishop Patrick not here to testify against her at this time?”

“He passed away last year, Your Highness.”

I turned away from Bishop Cuenca’s accusing glare. “Your Majesty, King Peter III, this case hinges on live amateur testimony conflicting with expert hearsay. As your grandfather ruled in Roland’s trial, this fails to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. This court cannot pass judgment on the facts of the case and hence must leave the status quo unchanged.”

“One question about that status quo, Your Highness?”

“Yes, Your Grace?”

“What is the legal basis for Miss Polly Posgort remaining in your kingdom?”

“Your Grace, after Bishop Patrick released Miss Posgort from her church duties, the Queen hired her as a miracle healer in this castle.”

“And Your Highness respects Bishop Patrick’s judgment in this matter?”

“Your Grace, I don’t recall anyone gathered here questioning the ability of the church to release their own employees.”

“And Your Magesty’s judgment?”

“Your Grace, it is as Princess Arillia says. The precedents set by our ancestors bind us. I cannot grant your request today based on this evidence.”

“I see. I shan’t take any more of Your Magesty’s time today.”

I saw the church group back to their horses and carriage. “Sorry that you wasted your time on this trip, Your Grace. You could send a messenger with your requests.”

“No time invested in the service of the Lord and Ladies is wasted. I look forward to the day when Your Highness joins us in awe of the glory of the gods.”