Finally the hour arrives, the three candidates (Apone, Rain, and Aramek dressed in brown shoes, black hose, white tunics, and red cloaks – Rain bears her rapier, Apone a longsword, and Aramek his wand) are led into the great hall, which is now festooned with banners and most especially the lion rampant of the Kingdom of Keoland. Apone’s former squad is present in their masterwork armor and clad in their dress uniforms. Around the hall are many knights in full armor, among them Fingol and the Marinus brothers. Rain notes that their gear is shiny and spit-polished. Also gathered in orderly ranks are the courtiers, maids-in-waiting, and court functionaries who are off duty.

Newt is there, dressed in her court clothes, trying to be as fancy as possible. She carries just a dagger, mostly on Rain’s advice, although she doesn’t like it, as she anticipates no trouble.

As ever, Drago is by Newt’s side, this time dressed in only a loincloth, his green scales alone as his raiment.

Father Wat is also fully armed and armored and standing with the other priests and paladins of Heironeous.

Aramek sees that Parwyn and Gwen are there as well, among other members of various Guilds who have been allowed to come to the ceremony.

Horns sound the entrance of the Prince, who enters the court in shining mail, with a blue gold trimmed cloak, a longsword at his side, and in his right hand he holds his scepter of office.

The herald then announces, “His Highness calls forth Sir Gorman Goodhope and Sir Bodwyn Thurstand. Sir Gorman Goodhope, with the permission of his superior Sir Bodwyn Thurstand, begs the boon of elevating these three members of his squad to the chivalric order. His Highness should by tradition have the herald call forth the order of chivalry, and seek their advice on the matter, and if everyone is of like mind.

“Do so,” says the Prince.

The herald cries out to the assembly, “May all knights or peers who wish to give testimony regarding the candidates step forward and be recognized.”

GM: At this point Fingol, Wat, Indranil, and/or Lorindel are all eligible among the PCs to step forward and await the Prince’s questions. Drago, and Newt are not eligible – and in fact are segregated from the knights and peers (higher nobles) with Parwn, Gwen, and other wealthy and important commoners who are present.

When all who have stepped forward have done so, the Prince asks, “Sir Gorman, are the candidates free to take the oath and accept the responsibilities of knighthood?”

Sir Gorman responds, “They are Your Highness.”

The Prince then asks the others who have stepped forward, “What would you share with the court regarding these candidates?”

Fingol gives the following testimony, “I stand here in support of the candidates. Each has done more than their duty at all times and shown such conduct as befits their rank and commission. Each has advanced the mission assigned to us by your lordship even at peril to their own lives. Each has saved lives at the risk of their own.”

Indranil then says, “Each candidate without regard to their own personal safety or reward accomplished the mission given to them at great peril and by their actions have shown themselves to be true nobles. I can think of no finer people to be raised to the chivalric order.”

Just then, the doors to the great hall swing open and Brother Burne, wearing a breastplate and with a battleaxe at his side, comes in dragging with him a man in muddy homespun. The stranger has a dark brown cloak with the cowl drawn around his face.

“Your Highness, please pardon this abrupt interruption, but this is a matter of grave urgency! There is one in this hall who is not what she presents herself to be!” Burne shoves the stranger in front of him. “And this man can tell you the truth of it!”

Fingol and the Marinus brothers can see that this is the man they saw at the Church of St. Cuthbert the day before. As he lowers his cowl they immediately realize why his hair and build struck them as familiar. The hair, eyes, and other features are Rain’s – if Rain were a slightly older male.

The Prince points his scepter at the stranger and says in a tone of stately indignation, “Who are you and what is so important that it cannot wait?”

“I am Niccolo of Greenleaf village,” the man answers and then points at Rain, “And she is my sister Cassi. Before you grant her knighthood you must know that I accuse her before this court of the murder of our
father!”

Pandemonium breaks loose among the court, as the peers, knights, and guild members all begin shouting and murmuring at once.

“By the gods!”

“…such wild accusations…”

“What comes of elevating such rabble…”

“…background checks anymore?”

“…poor judgment it would seem…”

Newt cries out. She falls to her knees with her head in her hand, howling and sobbing.

Swiftly Drago catches hold of Newt before she falls over and then lifts her up in both arms and begins moving her away from the crowd to the door.

The Prince cries out, “Enough! Silence!” His scepter of office slams down repeatedly upon his throne. He rises up from the throne as the murmurs die away as all eyes turn towards him.

“There will be an inquiry into the truth of this matter! Brother Burne, take this Niccolo of Greenleaf back to your Church and hold him there. He will present his case on the morning of the day after tomorrow. If he is not here, then you, Brother Burne, will answer to me. Now begone, the both of you!”

The Prince turns to Rain, “Rain, I am sorry, but for now you will have to be taken into custody under the truth of this matter is known. Sir Bodwyn, take her below to the dungeons. Sir Jankin, Sir Wakelin, go with him.

“Aramek, Apone, I am deeply sorry, but we will have to postpone your knighting. It would not be proper to complete it under the circumstances. After this matter has been resolved we will begin again, and ensure that there will be no unseemply disruptions.

“Sir Ragnbjorn, Sir Fingol, Sir Indranil, and Sir Lorindel, Apone, and Aramek, please meet me in my solar in an hour. Court is adjourned.” With that the Prince strides forth from the great hall.

As soon as the Prince exits the great hall through one of the side doors near the throne, Burne and Niccolo hastily leave through the main door. Bodwyn, Jankin and Wakelin in his wake with their hands on their swords, takes Rain by the arm and gently steers her out of the room through another side exit. Ragnbjorn immediately gathers together his son and the Marinus brothers. Lady Sedara cuts through the crowd to where Drago is still holding Newt in his arms, and she motions for them to follow her. The peers, knights, and guilds men begin to disperse, their murmuring rising again to fill the chamber.

Parwn and Gwen stay behind, making their way to Aramek. Parwn puts hand on Aramek’s shoulder, “I am so sorry Aramek. This was… I don’t even know what to say.”

At the chapel of Heironeous, Newt begins to revive. Sedara has Drago set her down on one of the pews.

“Please leave us,” Sedara says to Drago and Wat. “I would speak with her privately. Perhaps you could go out into the corridor and make sure no one enters the chapel except of course Paragon Muire?”

After the fiasco, Newt doesn’t have much appetite. She skips the meal and waits in the barracks (this time she wants to be where the others can find her if they need to), nervous about being near too many people–especially those that may have seen her collapse.

From an awkward silence she says to Drago “Thank you for carrying me out of there. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t helped me.”

Drago wags his tail, “Did you and Lady Sedara figure out what happened?”

“We did.” Newt looks around, making sure nobody else will hear what she’s about to say. In Draconic she says “Rain killed him, but there were reasons.”

Unsure if they should be talking about Rain’s case even among themselves, Newt changes the subject. In common she says (with a bit of a smile in her voice) “So now we’re even, right?”

Drago barks with laughter. “Ah, my little hatchling, I believe our fates will be entwined for a long time to come.”

With a slight smile Newt sighs, “Yeah. I kinda thought so.”

“Well, you’d better go get something to eat while you still can. Don’t worry–I’ll be good while you’re away.”

Drago grunts his agreement and leaves the barracks.

At dinner Drago finds the nobles very subdued. Burne and many other Cuthbertians have chosen to dine at their Church. Sitting nearby are Fingol, Ragnbjorn, and Wat.

Father Wat seems calm at dinner, as if nothing untoward has happened; or as if all things will work out as they should in the end.

Drago bobs his head in respect for the human nobles and takes a seat by his friends. “Any word on our friend Rain’s fate yet?”

“I’m very sorry,” Fingol apologizes “but the less said about that, the better. At least for right now. I don’t know very much about what is going on. What I do know makes me think that anything that is said might hurt Rain’s chances of clearing her good name. I do know she is being kept well and wants for nothing but her freedom.”

Drago grunts his thankful agreement as he looks around the table to see what kind of meats are being served for the evening meal.

Father Wat comments, “I am glad that Rain is being taken care of appropriately. It is unfortunate that such a thing had to happen during the ceremony.”

Fingol replies, “I don’t see why it had to happen at all.”

Slurping on a leg of lamb, Drago says, “Seeds sprout, grow and fruit in their own time.”

Father Wat pauses and tries to assess Drago’s comment. Then he says, “Sir Fingol, do you mean, ‘You don’t know why her brother had to come here at this time to make sure a claim?’ or do you mean, ‘Why would she have to kill her own father in the first place, if she did so.’”

Fin responds, “You’ve got an unfailing sense of charm, don’t you Father Wat?”

Father Wat frowns slightly, “What, am I supposed to get all righteous in indignation – so much so that I cast my family’s honor and my career onto Rain, a young lady I have just met? Sir Indranil thinks it is a good idea. But he is impetuous. And possibly misguided, since we have no clue what all the facts are in this case.

“Should I stand up and declare I believe the girl, regardless of what the facts might be?

“Or are you telling me you were there. You saw who actually killed her father? Or maybe you have spoken with Rain’s father recently and can prove the brother lies? Or maybe you watched the Cuthbertians beat up the brother until he would say anything to anyone?

“Here is where my charms come from: I believe my god will see justice done AND I am humble enough to know I don’t know all the details yet. I have no need of Sir Indranil’s righteous and foolhardy statements. I don’t need to declare my belief in the brother’s story, nor Rain’s. All because my god, not me, will divine the truth of the situation.

“So I sit here eating and praying that Rain is being kept well, and that the truth will come out. And if Rain did kill her father, and no just cause if found, I will pray her punishment will be swift and painless. And if she is found to have cause, I will do whatever I can to help her move past that to heal and stay as good a person as she now seems to be.

“But I certainly won’t sit around thinking that looking into an allegation of murder is ever a bad thing – I will just sit around HOPING the allegations are wrong, because I like Rain.”

Fingol replies, “I’m glad you are hoping for justice. I hope the same because I think that when it is done Rain will be vindicated.

“I don’t ask you to do anything other than what is in your heart. If you do not know Rain well enough to vouch for her, then don’t. Frankly, it never occurred to me that you should. You simply didn’t have the opportunity to know the woman Rain has become, despite her past. So do as you will, but I find your question impertinent at a time when a life hangs in the balance. Forgive me if I am a bit anxious as a result. Perhaps that is why Sir Indranil is behaving so impetuously. Although frankly, there is no gray in his world. So standing on the sidelines might be unforgivable to him.”