The glittering chandelier was her focal point. She'd been staring at it while listening to the many other decrees and suggestions for consideration the magistrates had brought up. They'd greeted the laity earlier, and even a few nobles had joined in the fray today. Among them was Lord Aconia. She was doing her best not to meet his eye. The hundreds of crystal prisms were helping with that.

"Very good. I do believe we have one more item for today's business..."

Will squeezed her hand and she didn't dare smile. This was the item she had been waiting for. They'd talked about it at length after her visit to the dungeons. Along with other standards of living and general well being of the guards stationed there.

"Yes, your highness."

The short and stringy man who was Viscount Alsage, held some lands near Kuchen. Chammielle knew him to be an often cantankerous person though he had a soft spot for children. He and his wife had eight. He shuffled the papers and came to the last piece for the day.

"The sentencing of Lady Aconia. Lord Aconia has come here today to see what will become of her, and to give his statement in regards to his daughter."

The Viscount stepped back and Lord Aconia took his place. He was a tall man. The same raven hair as Ammorettallia, but his face seemed drawn and a bit sad. Perhaps not for her, but sad.

"Your highnesses, the day my daughter brought in an assassin to remove the Lady Kuchen who now sits on the throne...I was on my way here. I was not aware of her actions, but as a father I am deeply grieved. These things cannot be overlooked, and I dare not ask for mercy. If you have chosen execution as the law requires, I beg that it would be swift and painless. And if my absence as her parent has created this disturbing notion she harbored...I beg of you, spare my family."

Her eyes seared into the man.

He wasn't sorry. He was sorry she'd been caught. Alfrina had briefed her of their family dealings shortly before the wedding. So many secrets covered up with blood. It was simply the first time one of their own had gone after another noble. ...And had been held accountable for it.

"Very well, we shall consider beheading as the swiftest form of action...yes, my dear?"

She'd touched Will's arm and the room whispered. Her actions had interrupted his sentencing, and the crowd felt uneasy.

"William, I hope you don't mind, but I went to see Lady Aconia yesterday."

The voices grew louder and she saw in her periphery Lord Aconia's shock and sweat. She almost grinned. Fortunately, Will's eyes kept hers and she continued on with their plan.

"The conditions are not good down there, but it's her state of mind that gives me pause. I do not believe we should be so hasty."

"Her state of mind? Go on."

Their voices carried as they had this practiced conversation, but it was quieter than his normal crowd voice. It gave it a more natural feel and the attendees of the High Court hushed to hear what they would say.

"Lady Aconia is suffering deeply. I'd desired to be her friend during the candidates ceremony, but then she'd presented these visions of grandeur and a vile tongue towards me. I'd suspected it then, but after yesterday I'm afraid it is true."

"What is true? Darling, out with it."

She sighed and faced the crowd. She clasped her hands together and stood from the throne and took a step forward. Looking back to Will he gave her a nod, and she turned her eyes down before announcing her verdict.

"Lady Ammorettallia Aconia is touched in the mind."

The room swirled with the chaos of this news. Lord Aconia seemed he would faint and she felt reassured their house would go down for this. Such things were never overlooked.

"She has a madness that leads her to believe she will be Queen at any moment, even in the darkest cell of the dungeon. She rails against me, her object of hatred and person of fixation to which she would try to kill again if given the chance."

Someone helped Lord Aconia to a chair off to the side.

"Therefore, I put it to this High Court, and to the Crown Prince my husband, that Lady Aconia be stripped of her title and live out the rest of her days under the care and watchful eyes of the keepers of the Royal Tower."

Viscount Alsage hurried up to her at the last step.

"Your highness! If you do not strip her of both her title and her family name it will reflect poorly upon the House of Aconia..."

She shook her head and saw his face fall. She lowered her voice for only him to hear.

"I'm afraid Viscount, that this madness may also be an inheritance from that family. I cannot in good faith let the people of Garten look up to the House Aconia without question. Should my fears be true, they may strike out violently upon the inhabitants of their estate. And no recourse will be given to the people harmed."

The Viscount bowed to her deeply and turned back to the mob. She returned to the throne beside the Prince.

"Her highness has made an assertion of extenuating circumstances. What say you keepers of the law?"

The magistrates and officials whispered and murmured amongst themselves. A few daring speak a little louder.

"But an assassination attempt still requires greater punishment!"

"The tower is well guarded enough...but a madwoman?"

"We must agree!"

Finally they quieted and the Viscount returned before them.

"If your highness so chooses, The Tower is a suitable sentence for the crimes committed by Lady Aconia even with the state of her brain."

Will nodded and Chammielle kissed his hand.

It was all they needed.

"Henceforth! The Lady Aconia shall be known only as Ammorettallia Aconia! She is hereby stripped of her title! And sentenced to live out her days in the Tower! Long live the Prince! Long live the Princess! Long live Garten!"

They echoed back in a jubilant cry.

It was done. In one fell swoop the family of Aconia had been taken down. Their deeds were receiving their just reward. And it was all Ammorettallia's fault.

...

"So, why didn't anyone request a physician to check her?"

Chammielle lay on the bed with sheets tangled around her. She wore a far more comfortable chemise and they'd scared the maids away earlier so the bed could not be made. The velvet gown from earlier lay across the couch and she was now snacking on a light luncheon. Will was playing with her toes.

"Because that would have been questioning your authority. Whether or not they believe Ammorettallia is mad, you're the Crown Princess sitting over High Court. You also presented a very good case for it. Any doctor would agree with you regardless if they had previously thought her sane."

She stretched and popped another grape in her mouth. Will took advantage of her hem riding up and smoothed his hands over her calf.

"That's an abuse of power I don't think I want to have."

"It worked in our favor this time. It was the most merciful and the most direct way of breaking up the family's power."

She huffed even though he had taken to kissing her toes.

"Still, I feel like there should be a salvation for such sad cases should the crown ever go to someone of purely devious motivations. So much blood has been shed in the past, and I don't want to see my grandchildren doing such things for no reason."

She was still mulling this over when she felt her leg pulled so that she was suddenly under Will.

"What's this talk of grandchildren I hear?"

She blushed and pushed at his chest that had freed itself from the confines of his shirt.

"I'm warming up to the idea...just...relax, alright?"

He chuckled and nibbled on her neck. Her breathing picked up and her hands went to his hair.

"Will..."

"Any chance I could help you warm up a little faster?"

She groaned and sat up, pushing him off of her and back onto the pillows.

"You have been doing all the warming for the whole Palace, your highness. We need to take things easy... Sadly, I think I'm coming up on my monthly."

He pulled her into an embrace and kissed her forehead.

"Is there anything you want?"

"There will be items I will need...but I can't think of anything. Why?"

"Because I was thinking of having you in my office tomorrow. There are a lot of approvals I need to go over. And I'd like to finish them early."

She rested her head on his chest and played with one of his curls.

"Why? There's always more and more work for you to do."

"I'm thinking of taking you on a honeymoon. Somewhere where you don't have to think about being royalty and we can blend in. Then perhaps we can swing the coach by Kuchen after and you can visit with your family."

Her eyes widened and she sat up from him so she could see his eyes. The light steel blue was thoughtful and concerned. He sucked his lower lip in and took a quick breath.

"Is that alright? I can take us to Carté in Franca instead--"

"No! No that's perfect! But where would we go?"

He smiled and kissed her cheek.

"There is a small fife in the Columbine Ducal estate. It is kept free of politics and the people there are oblivious to most happenings in the palace or most of the country. They see Alfric and he is the only face they know of as a higher authority apart from the magistrate there who is also kept out of high court. They won't recognize us at all."

Her jaw dropped.

"How? It's the Columbines, excellent in all things knowledgeable. How could an entire village not know about who sits on the throne?"

"You forget, the Columbine Duchy has been known for their frippery and foolishness. It wasn't until Alfrina came of age that anything in that family changed. She's remained a hidden figure even within the Duchy. She goes to that village at times just to check on the general intelligence of the people. She says it's therapeutic to be around such ignorance."

Alfric suddenly made much more sense to her and she laughed. His bizarre clothes and desire to be fashionable fit perfectly with an airheaded family line. Anything to look the part.

"Is it far?"

"Quite. About a day's ride. There is a small house there, a little smaller than your home in Kuchen, and we can stay there as a merchant and his new bride on honeymoon. I'm thinking we can spend a week there."

She kissed him and felt his fingers kneading into her sides. Traveling towards a previously untouched span of her personal property.

"Mmh...Will..."

"It isn't yet, is it?"

She grinned and bit his earlobe.

"No..."

"Good."

He rolled them so he was on top of her. His fingers at the ribbon at her throat.

"I haven't memorized all these new constellations yet. I'd like to name them..."

...

Ammorettallia felt herself growing sick. This place had a musty and detestable smell only made worse by the dampness. Some sort of commotion had happened at the guard's station earlier, whatever they were happy about she hoped was laced with poison.

They must be about to sentence her. Why had she not been brought before the High Court? Once such things were brought up they brought out the prisoners. It was the perfect time for her people to steal her away.

Still, no news had reached her.

The red dress had grown filthy. The cotton fraying st the seams. What was the point of changing a prisoner into something more suitable if you were just going to leave them to rot?

Then again, that was the little ragweed's intention now wasn't it?

She heard footsteps and tried to stand. The abruptness of her movement made her dizzy and she fell to the floor and retched. The vile food she'd been given all coming up at once.

"Ammorettallia, you're being moved."

She'd barely wiped her mouth when she turned and fixed her stare upon the three guards who had opened her door.

"It's Lady Aconia you fools! Finally! My sentencing! I am free from this rodent's dwelling!"

The guards wore full armor and entered, picking her up by the arms.

"You have been sentenced. You are stripped of your title, and shall live out your days in the Royal Tower. Her highness Princess Chammielle has seen fit to show you mercy due to your condition. Take her away."

"Condition! What condition?! You can't take me! Let me go!"

They dragged her from the cell, her legs kicking out without much strength in them. She kicked one of them well enough in the leg, but at the second kick she screamed as she had broken her toe.

"No! I am not mad! I AM NOT MAD!!"

"Here, get her legs. We can't have her harming herself. Someone tell them we need comfortable bindings for her. She's lashing out."

"I'M NOT MAD!"

They rounded a corner and she heard a deep chuckle she couldn't mistake.

"Bram! Bram! Tell them! You must tell them the truth!"

He stepped from the shadow and the guards paused, she writhed within their grasp but was too weak to escape them.

"The truth? Such a sad state you are in... Now the body reflects what pains the mind has been in..."

He pulled a piece of her hair from her mouth and tucked it back behind her ear. He sighed and smiled, and she could not believe what she was hearing. He turned to the guards then, stepping back out of their way.

"Do be careful with her, and call for a doctor. And see that someone bathes her. Her highness is seeing to it that every prisoner gets a bath once a week and the dungeon is disinfected biweekly."

"Yes, m'lord."

She railed against them, unable to accomplish anything in her withered state. Tears of rage streamed from her eyes and she felt the nausea overtake her but for a moment. She screamed, unwilling to be so humiliated.

"I'll wear the crown yet Bram! And when I do, you will hang from a gallows! I will hold your entrails in my hands and sprinkle the ground with your blood! Do you hear me! I WILL RULE!"