Delivered by the Defender (Kindred Tales)

“But those are all Independent Females!” the Prosecutor protested. “Your client wears no seal!”

“The fact that she has her breasts covered does not negate the fact that evidence was planted upon her person and her personal property was smashed, after which she was dragged away to this court where lies were told about her to Magistrate Harsher, here!” Valen roared, losing his patience. “It doesn’t change the fact that a crime has been committed but not by her!”

The Magistrate frowned.

“There certainly has been some wrongdoing,” he admitted at last, reluctantly. “And someone must certainly go to prison. For I have handed down a sentence and someone must serve it!”

“But not the palace guards, your Justness,” the Prosecutor protested. He patted Yorbus on the shoulder. “I’ve spoken to both of them and they are fine, upstanding males! Perhaps this female tricked them in some way.”

“Please explain how and—more importantly—why my client would trick the guards into framing her for a crime she did not commit,” Valen said, raising an eyebrow at the Prosecutor.

“Well then, who was the person they were calling on the holo-call in the vid we saw?” the Prosecutor protested. “Maybe they are to blame? For Yorbus and Gonadal are the most honest of males. I assure you, your Justness, that you could not find two more honorable, reliable, credible witnesses anywhere in all of Ma’shorka Centra!”

Valen bit back a sharp reply. It was all nonsense of course. Clearly the two guards had paid the Prosecutor a bribe to protest their innocence. And knowing Harsher, he would buy the ridiculous lies the oily Court Prosecutor was feeding him because he wanted to. He would rather send an innocent female to prison for the rest of her life than admit that a male—especially a Ma’shorkan male in a position of authority—had been dishonest.

He sighed inwardly. So they were going to have to get into the other evidence after all. Well, he had been afraid it would come to this. It—

“Make way for the Emperor himself! Make way for the Empresses Three!” a loud voice shouted at the back of the courtroom.

Magistrate Harsher’s head jerked up and Valen looked around in surprise. Sure enough, the vast double doors at the back of the courtroom were thrown wide and an elaborately carved black-wood throne, being born on the shoulders of four burly servants, was entering the courtroom. The Emperor sat on it, cushioned with crimson pillows trimmed in gold fringe. Both of his mouths were frowning, which was not a good sign, in Valen’s experience.

Behind him came three smaller thrones, each of them occupied by an Empress. Empress the First and Empress the Second looked faintly bored, as always. But Empress the Third was fuming.

“Magistrate!” she shouted, before her throne-chair had even stopped completely. “I demand that you send this little bimbap to prison at once!” She pointed an accusing finger at Selena. “She stole my diamond and tried to take it off planet, thus lessening the mass of Ma’shorka Centra! She is to blame, not poor Gonadal and Yorbus! They only caught her in the act! I demand justice at once!”

73

Magistrate Harsher had a startled look on his face, Selena thought. Which wasn’t all that surprising—it probably wasn’t every day that the Emperor himself and all three of his Empresses visited his court room. Or any court room, for that matter.

“Oh my God, what’s happening?” she muttered to Jess, who was sitting beside her, holding her hand.

“I don’t know—I didn’t think the Emperor would show up here,” her friend whispered back.

“I tell you, this proceeding is a sham!” Empress the Third bugled from her throne-chair. She pointed at Selena again. “She is the one at fault. She stole my diamond! She must be sent to prison at once!”

Selena wanted to shout that it was a lie and she had never touched the other woman’s jewelry, but one look at Valen convinced her this was a bad idea. He gave her a frown and a terse shake of his head, so she kept her mouth shut.

“Peace, Empress the Third,” the Emperor snapped, twisting around in his throne-chair to frown at her. “Now, Magistrate, please proceed,” he said, speaking to the pale-faced Magistrate Harsher.

“Oh, ah, yes, your Majesty.” The Magistrate cleared his throat nervously. “And may I say what an honor it is to have you in my courtroom.”

“Of course it is. Our glorious presence enhances any proceeding.” The Emperor waved one hand expansively. “We are here because we have a vested interest in this case.”

“Is that right, your Majesty?” the Magistrate asked carefully. “Doubtless you are concerned that your fine, upstanding palace guards are being maligned. But as it happens, I was just about to rule that they are innocent of any wrongdoing and the defendant in this case…” He pointed directly at Selena, who clutched Jess’s hand even tighter, “Is indeed the guilty party!”