Delivered by the Defender (Kindred Tales)

Selena’s heart dropped like a stone. However, Valen’s face remained stern but calm, despite the Magistrate’s words.

“Before your Justness makes a ruling, I have another piece of evidence to submit,” he said.

“What, more evidence?” Magistrate Harsher demanded, glaring. “And what does this pertain to?”

“This evidence will show that the two palace guards—Gonadal and Yorbus—are not credible or reliable witnesses and that they have plotted to injure innocent people—people like my client—in the past,” Valen said.

“What? Surely this is a lie!” Empress the Third exclaimed. “I do not think any such evidence—which is clearly fraudulent—should be shown in public, let alone in a courtroom!” She glared at Valen. “Give it to me at once, that I may destroy it!”

“Silence, Empress the Third!” the Emperor commanded, twisting around to glare at her. “Defender, we would like to see this new evidence,” he said to Valen.

“Thank you, your Majesty. I will be happy to show it. If Magistrate Harsher concurs?” Valen raised an eyebrow at the Magistrate.

Selena was pretty sure he would allow the evidence—he probably couldn’t go against the will of the Emperor—especially when he was in the very same courtroom with him.

“Of course, Defender, you may proceed.” Magistrate Harsher nodded, just as she had thought he would. But as Valen pointed at the viewscreen again, she couldn’t help clutching Jess’s hand even harder.

What evidence could the big Kindred possibly show that the judge—or rather, the Magistrate—would believe? He had already put up the footage from the spaceport, which showed that awful Yorbus planting the diamond in her violin and then smashing it open to “find” the evidence he himself had put there. And despite seeing the whole thing, Magistrate Harsher still wanted to send her to prison for a crime she hadn’t committed! How in the world could Valen change his mind?

“Please watch and listen carefully, your Justness,” Valen said. “The words are quite important here.”

As he spoke, he gestured to the screen where a new 3-D image had appeared. This one showed both Yorbus and Gonadal, but they weren’t alone—nor were they wearing any clothes, Selena saw.

The two of them were in bed with Empress the Third and all three of them were completely naked.

74

“Now, the two of you know what I expect you to do to Empress the Fourth, right?” Empress the Third purred in the video Valen was showing. She was laying in bed between the two guards, with Gonadal sucking on her right breast and Yorbus fondling her left.

The guards answered, but Selena didn’t hear them because at that moment, Empress the Third began to “kick up a royal fuss” as her Granny would have said.

“What is this lie? This blasphemy?” Empress the Third shrieked. She hopped nimbly out of her throne chair and rushed at Valen, attempting to take the device he was using to cast the images onto the viewscreen. “Give me that! Give it to me! It’s a lie—a filthy lie meant to discredit me!”

“Stop it at once!” the Emperor roared. He looked around the stunned courtroom. “Someone restrain her—I want to see this!” he ordered.

Selena blinked. It was the first time she’d heard the Ma’shorkan monarch forget to refer to himself in the third person. He must really be upset.

The two servants who had been carrying Empress the Third’s throne-chair set it down and ran to grab her by the arms. She continued to shriek and twist until the Emperor ordered her gagged.

“Shut her up!” he demanded. “I must see this evidence about my beloved Empress the Fourth!”

One of the court clerks hurried forward and wrapped his black and white scarf around the livid Empress’s mouth, effectively shutting her up. Valen, who had paused the vid, looked at the Magistrate with raised eyebrows.

“Now that we have silence, may I continue the evidence?”

“You may.” Magistrate Harsher looked as shocked and interested as everyone else in the room.

Valen pressed his device and the vid continued.

“Now once you get her to the edge of the mountain, you push that nasty little upstart off,” Empress the Third was purring. “Ah, yes, Gonadal! You suck my nipples so nicely. That fool, the Emperor, cannot seem to manage to pleasure me worth a damn, though he has two mouths and you have only one.”

There was a muted gasp in the courtroom and Selena risked a glance at the Emperor, whose face had gone dark red with anger. But he said nothing and the vid played on.

“You are too kind, Empress,” Gonadal growled, releasing her nipple at last.

“And I’ll be kinder still, as long as the two of you promise to do what I say,

Empress the Third purred. “Which of you would like my pussy and which would like my ass?”

“I want her pussy,” Yorbus said at once. He smiled at her. “I’ll plant my seed deep in your royal snatch tonight, my lady. Maybe the next prince on the throne will be mine.”