Comments | glacial_witch: Inside the Estate, Sidra, Glacia, Late Afternoon

glacial_witch

Inside the Estate, Sidra, Glacia, Late Afternoon

Oct 13, 2013 20:32

There were a lot of things Karla had wanted to do as soon as they entered the estate. Look around again and see how much had changed from her memories. Find old servants and friends and see if they were as glad to see her as she was them. Drag her friends by the hand and show off the home she'd grown up in. Make an inventory of every hideous ( Read more... )

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Re: In the Antechamber... glacial_witch October 14 2013, 01:05:52 UTC

And they would find Karla knocking back her second glass of wine. Because the first hadn't lasted long at all.

"Kiss kiss," she said, raising her glass at their entrance. "This Queening thing is great!"

Re: In the Antechamber... blondecanary October 14 2013, 01:07:32 UTC

Dinah took a second to get her bearings when she landed, and huffed out a breath. "Made of awesome. And win. And..." She took a breath. "Okay, what are we going to do?"

Re: In the Antechamber... glacial_witch October 14 2013, 01:11:10 UTC

"Do?" Karla shrugged at them. "I am going to drink another glass or two, then I'm going to go out and sentence my miserable uncle to exile while he gets off scott free and then I'm going to go put a Queen only a few years older than myself to death. After that, I figure I'll cap off the evening with a light salad and maybe a good book or two."

Re: In the Antechamber... heromaniac October 14 2013, 01:15:56 UTC

"We can't kill her! She didn't do it."

Re: In the Antechamber... glacial_witch October 14 2013, 01:17:21 UTC

"No, but she's taking the fall for it," Karla reminded her. "I gave her every opportunity to recant and give Hobart and the rest up. She knows full well what the consequences would be and chose them anyway. So, she gets a cup of poison and Hobart gets a full and happy life. Huzzah for all!"

Karla was feeling just a bit bitter here.

Re: In the Antechamber... heromaniac October 14 2013, 01:20:57 UTC

"And that's totally sweet and noble of her, but she's innocent! She wasn't even really in charge! Not really a Queen at all, don't you agree?"

Re: In the Antechamber... glacial_witch October 14 2013, 01:27:00 UTC

"She might have been the Queen in name only, but she was still the Queen," Karla said, staring up at the ceiling as if it might hold all the answers. "Her signature appears on documents allowing the landens to be tithed more harshly, on forces for the Ruling Council to deal with 'dissenters' in whatever ways they deem appropriate, and on the decree outlawing Black Widows and cutting off their ring fingers as a show of loyalty. She was Queen enough, Momoko."

Re: In the Antechamber... heromaniac October 14 2013, 01:32:44 UTC

"I know. I know. And I agree, but this isn't right!" Momoko paced in the air, trying to figure out how to fix this.

"If we had time we could look into thing. I could do some checking! Get more evidence! If we can confront her with it, maybe she'll recant... Name the real people involved."

Re: In the Antechamber... glacial_witch October 14 2013, 01:47:17 UTC

"What more evidence is it going to take, you think?" Karla asked, fighting the rising urge to just beat her own head against a wall. You think she hasn't realized yet that Hobart was behind Yllestad? The landen uprisings?"

At the beginning of the trial, Karla had shown pictures, had people describe the bone-chilling horror of the savage landens. Ludmilla herself had broken down into tears during the various retellings and had turned agonized eyes at Hobart.

She knew. Oh yes, she knew.

"If that's not enough to make her recant, what do you think will? A report that he also kicks puppies?"

Re: In the Antechamber... heromaniac October 14 2013, 02:19:19 UTC

...

...

"Maybe?!" Momoko was desperate, here, okay? "I don't know, but realizing it and being forced to see proof it was him... maybe after a few weeks in prison she'll see that he needs to take his own punishment and not hers!"

Re: In the Antechamber... not_a_parakeet October 14 2013, 02:43:02 UTC

"She won't." It was Warren who spoke up now, frowning at Momoko from where he was sitting across the room. "You think it's as simple as locking her away, hoping she'll see reason? She stood back and turned a blind eye on what Hobart was doing for years, Momoko. Proof isn't going to make any difference. She saw proof. Everyone did."

He shook his head.

"Karla has no choice but to make this call. We all want to see Hobart face the justice he deserves instead of Ludmilla, but if she's going to rule the Territory the way she just promised all of Glacia she would, then Kaeleeran law needs to be followed."

Re: In the Antechamber... heromaniac October 14 2013, 03:05:36 UTC

"How do we know what she knew?" Momoko turned on Warren, almost relieved. She knew Karla was facing a difficult decision, and not just because she was sitting here drinking instead of moving on. Warren... Warren was her friend, but she could yell and be mad at him. he wasn't the one making the hard decision.

"Ludmilla's taking the honour route! That's not justice, that's... that's not!"

Re: In the Antechamber... not_a_parakeet October 14 2013, 03:10:28 UTC

"You think we don't know that?" Warren's voice was calm. Almost cold. If he'd been Blood, the room might have even dropped a few degrees. "Do you really think we wouldn't let her walk in a heartbeat, if we had the choice? Ludmilla knows, because we showed her. She was there to see the evidence, right along with everyone else, Momoko. And she still chose to take the fall... not only for Hobart, but for everyone who carried out those crimes in her name. For the brainwashed landens. For Yllestad. She made a choice to die so that Hobart's pack of murderers could go free, and she owned that when Karla pointed it out."

His feathers were bristling, but his voice was still low and calm and even.

"She's letting the man who murdered Karla's family off the hook. Do you think this is an easy call for her to make, Momoko?"

Re: In the Antechamber... heromaniac October 14 2013, 03:22:46 UTC

"I never said it was an easy call for Karla to make," Momoko bristled right back. "And I don't think Ludmilla should walk. I think she can be used to get the real people who are to blame for all of this and that her execution is an injustice! To her and to Glacia as well as to Karla."

Re: In the Antechamber... not_a_parakeet October 14 2013, 03:33:08 UTC

"And if you can get her to talk between now and her execution, that would be amazing," Warren replied. "But the sentence has already been handed down, Glacia knows the law. It doesn't bend just because we don't like it. It's law. It's been that way for millions of years."

Literally millions, here.

"Breaking it on Karla's first day isn't going to keep her the love and adoration of the people who have placed their trust in her."

Re: In the Antechamber... heromaniac October 14 2013, 04:09:57 UTC

"If you were thinking half as clearly as you think you are, Warren," Momoko's voice went even stiller and calmer than his had. "You'd know what you just said was impossible. I can't even ask to speak to Ludmilla; if I even made the request, it would be breaking with my Queen's orders. I wouldn't do that to the Queen and especially not to my friend."

"I have experience in both criminal justice and law and believe me, I know the difference." She took a breath, trying to hold back the incredible desire to punch him, then turned to face Karla. "I think you're making a wrong decision, Karla, listening to law rather than justice. I think that there are possibilities that could be explored and that even if I am wrong, taking the time to look for them would be a better decision. One both you and Glacia could better live with. In this, I can't offer my powers - just my advice and experience; the decision is yours to make and I respect that. I always will. Just like I will always be your friend. Even if I don't agree with you."

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