The first week of visiting her family in Rus went by uneventfully. Vanessa spent most of the time hanging around and trying to avoid her family. She’d help out around the house, and usually went with them when they went into town. She’d usually end up fleeing at least once per evening, running for cover, whenever her mother brought up the subject of grandchildren, and how things between her and Edwin were going. Spending those moments when she was hiding from her mother getting in touch with the friends she had in town.

Visiting the school, and being visited by some of her favorite former students.

During the second week Wallace showed up with his friends in tow, Vanessa got a reprieve from her mother’s close attentions, because young Patricia Patterson was also amongst the group, and no matter how she and Wallace tried to hide it, everyone and their grandmother and their grandmother’s dog, could see that there was something between the two.

The third week of Vanessa’s holiday in Rus seemed to be more of the same, at least it seemed so, till one day, a carriage appeared outside the vis-Oddmund house.

If she had her way Vanessa would have pretended not to see it, unfortunately emblazoned on the side of the carriage were the crazy-eyed bull moose and boar that the Count of Otmar used as his personal heraldry.

It wasn’t the McBriar family that had come calling but the count himself, or one his trusted aides.

Not wanting to bring trouble to her family’s doorstep by antagonizing the Count, by refusing to show him face while they were still living in Otmar, she informed her mother of the matter, and after a brief discussion with her parents, went to knock on the door of the carriage.

Inside the carriage sat a face that she’d not seen in quite a while, old Eustice the count’s attendant.

“Hello, Miss.” said Eustice. His wrinkled green face looking as impassive and long suffering as ever.

“I’m a Missus now…” said Van. Not really complaining, just saying the first thing that came to mind.

For his part Eustice simply nodded.

“Ah, so it seems...Congratulations on your nuptials, Mrs.Oedheim.” said the old man. His ready switch of address revealing that he’d been well aware of her marital status and had merely been feeling her out.

Van sighed, having been reminded of why Eustice Forrester was her father’s most favored attendant, and why it was said that despite the count having many wives, the true matron of Otmar’s McBriar household was the old man in front of her.

The man was as unflappable as Hunfred her biological father was volatile. Thus when they worked together, they negated each other. Moving from their personal extremes to a highly functional middle-ground.

In truth had Eustice been a woman, or had the Count been the sort to prefer male company it was highly possible that the two might have actually wed.

“Thank you, Eustice. I do hope you’ve been well since I’ve seen you last.” said Van.

The old man sighed.

“Age is what it is...and the passage of time is ruthless, and yet, I am still alive, as such one can only presume that all is well, Mrs.Oedheim.” said Eustice.

“...Er….right.” said Van.

From there they rode in silence. Letting them carry them to where the mad Count sat waiting.

Two weeks later she’d stand before a panel of judges, dithering over whether or not she should call on her husband for help, or whether she could handle the matter in front of her on her own.

“Vanessa Oedheim-McBriar, you stand accused of the crime sedition, conspiracy and treason. Crimes for which the courts have found you guilty. Now you have been sentenced to be beheaded...Have you any final statements to make?” said a stony faced judge, with horns like an ox.

Vanessa stood in the royal high courts of the Palmas Kingdom’s Capital City Cypress. Heavy irons had been clapped around her wrists and ankles, and she was dressed in a rumpled ball gown.

Having been asked if she had any statements to make, Vanessa unsurprisingly found quite a few coming to mind. Unfortunately she couldn’t say most of them, because using that kind of language before a judge of the royal courts, would have likely had her put in contempt.

An actual charge hidden amongst the heap of false ones.

After mentally heaping abuse upon everyone responsible for her current predicament, and their eighteen generations, including herself, Van calmed down and forced a smile.

Pulling off the look quite nicely. Looking a sky blue rose that had managed to sprout while buried amidst a dung heap.

“Well, your honor...While I can only accept what the courts have decided...I must say that I do still maintain my innocence...and I assure you and your fellows who serve on the bench of Cypress’s Royal High Court that all this is really just a big misunderstanding. As I’ve yet to be given my chance to speak if you’ll just give me a few minutes of your time I’ll....”

The doors of the court slammed open, interrupting the young woman’s words.

In walked the Count of Otmar, standing a little less stoop backed, his wild silver-white mane swept back and combed for once. His clothes sitting regally on his rangey, aged yet muscular, frame.

A look of relief mixed with resentment and annoyance played across Vanessa’s face before she smoothly hid away the latter emotions, leaving only an unconcealed relief.

The man who was most responsible for Vanessa’s current straights strode into the court. Cackling.

“Ka! Ka! Ka!....Archibald, you old goatfucker...They finally got your fat ass up behind the judicial bench, eh?” said Hunfred. His words drawing a gasp from the jury and court’s audience, and a groan from everyone else.

For his part, Head Judge, Archibald Rainstone remained unmoved, his expression seeming to grow even stonier, as he took the Count’s verbal barb.

“You’re not supposed to be here, Count Hunfred...According to the king’s decree you’ve been exiled.” said another Judge. A skinny, pinch faced old man who looked more like a weasel-kin than the jotun that he’d been born as.

Hunfred pretended to look flustered for a moment before giving sheepish look that wasn’t fit man his age to be wearing.

“Ah...that’s true...It really is...but you see, I sent my little girl to the capital to take in some culture and sign some things for me, and it looks like some chucklehead thought it safe to bully her. And well....you guys know how I am…”

It would be the first time that either Van or Archibald lost their composure, with Head Judge Archibald realizing that someone had used him and his courts as pawns, and Van feeling aggrieved hearing her biggest bully pretending to be concerned for her.

Well aware that if weren’t for him she wouldn’t even be there, fighting with her life on the line. She’d have been home with her real family instead of getting tangled up in the melodrama that lay between the McBriar household and the Palmas Kingdom’s royal family.