She waved this aside. “Oh, I’ll talk to Mother, but this is clearly an important topic! This isn’t the sort of thing that can be allowed to continue! It’s completely unacceptable! It’s not even that you got hurt—sorry, Perian, of course I don’t want you to have been hurt!—but no one should do that sort of thing to someone else.”
Perian nodded. “No, that’s exactly it. It should never happen.”
They weren’t going to be able to singlehandedly stop this from happening ever again, but they should be able to stopthis personfrom ever doing it to someone else. And if they made clear that it was unacceptable behavior with severe consequences, it would hopefully make someone else think twice before they tried to do the same thing.
Perian could only hope.
It was a strange lunch, not nearly as lighthearted as their lunches usually were, but while the topic was a heavy one, it was nice to see Renny so engaged and inspired, believing that she could and should be involved and that this was an injustice that shouldn’t be allowed to pass.
After lunch, Renny helped him pack everything away again, and when they climbed out of the bushes, she told Molun and the Warrior with him, “I want to see my mother.”
This was not the normal routine at all, but after a glance at Perian, Molun nodded, “Of course, Princess.”
Renny reached outand squeezed Perian’s hand—his left one.
“It’ll be all right, Perian. You’ll see.”
He sure hoped so.
It was a weird couple of days. The little hearts for Perian continued to appear, and he found a few creeping into their rooms. They were left on the table in the sitting room, so it wasn’t like they were being hidden or anything like that, and they never failed to make Perian sniff.
Brannal kissed his temple a lot, or pulled him into a hug. Perian felt very supported, even if he was still getting some downcast eyes or weird looks at the training yard or at dinner. He’d agreed with Onadal that it was important that everyone know this was not all right, and so despite the fact that he probably could have used a few nights of just having a relaxing meal with Brannal, they went to the dining hall instead so that no one would think Perian was embarrassed or ashamed.
The trial with the Queen was not easy. She had decided to convene her Councilors as well, so all ten of them were also present. Perian didn’t know what Renny had said to her mother, but there she was, sitting at the Queen’s side, in a dress fancier than any that Perian had ever seen her in, a circlet in her hair, looking every inch the princess, expression grave as she carefully listened to the testimony.
Perian went first, explaining what had happened and how he’d been hurt. Molun and the doctor corroborated his injury, and then it was Cormal’s turn to take over from when he’d heard the yelling (which Perian didn’t really remember doing, but he was so glad he had). Perian was dismissed at that point, because next were the statements of the people who had come forward to accuse Venoran. The Queen and her Councilors had agreed to hear them privately so their statements weren’t made public. The doctor and any other witnesses would be called upon after, and Venoran would have the chance to speak for himself.
It was nerve-wracking to wait, but Perian knew that Brannal would share the outcome straightaway afterwards. Arvus and Molun, who’d also been dismissed, waited with Perianin their room so that Perian wasn’t alone and feeling like he was going to crawl up the walls.
“What if the Queen decides it wasn’t that bad?” Perian wanted to know. “Or what if the Councilors don’t care?”
Arvus said, “It is unlikely, but he would still cease to be a Warrior. It would be extremely unusual for her to reinstate him after Onadal has dismissed him.”
“She could do that?” Perian demanded.
Molun shot Arvus a look and then tugged Perian into his arms. Perian sagged against him.
“The Queen is the Queen, so shecando pretty much anything, but Arvus is correct. Just what you witnessed was bad enough, and we all know there was a lot more than that. I’m certain the Queen and the Councilors will take it seriously. It affects the safety and well-being of multiple people in the castle. This can’t be claimed to be a training exercise gone wrong. You’ll see, Perian.”
Despite these assurances, Perian stewed the whole time they waited for a verdict.
It felt like an eternity later when Brannal arrived.
“He’s been sentenced with twenty years’ hard labor. Ten people spoke against him.”
Ten. Fire and water. Ten people had stood up to speak out against what he’d done to them, and that was bad enough, but Perian was afraid it meant there were those who had chosen not to speak up, who hadn’t wanted or been able to talk about it.
But twenty years. Twenty years was good. Twenty years in prison was twenty years that he couldn’t hurt anyone else. Perian didn’t know if it was possible that Venoran would learn the error of his ways in that time, but he could hope. At the very least, Venoran might decide it wasn’t worth the punishment that he could face if he was caught again.
Brannal pulled him into his arms, and Perian melted against that strong body. Brannal pressed a kiss to the top of his head.
“I’m very proud of you.”
“I’m very proud ofthem.”
“I’m very proud of all of you,” Brannal amended. “I know it wasn’t easy. It was hard to listen to. But you helped stop him, and that’s something to be proud of.”
Perian sniffed and nodded and just basked in the feeling of the other man’s arms around him. He feltsafe.
