Lawyers, Swords and Secrets, part 14 of 14
Title: Lawyers, Swords and Secrets part 14 of 14
Author:Tamoline
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: The Good Wife (Crossover with Chronicles of Amber)
Pairing: Alicia/Kalinda
Notes: This is a completely different continuity to Flames of a Different Hue. Really. Do not carry assumptions about characters over.
Summary:
Alicia Cavanaugh is given a job offer she can't refuse after her divorce, putting her lawyering skills to work in a very different setting. And, if you don't count the somewhat antiquated society, the lack of electricity and the completely different universe she's found herself in, it's all going fairly well.
Up until the point where she encounters Princess Kalinda of Amber, that is.
Today has the air of an ending.
For better or worse, I can't help feeling that the case will be over before this day is through.
From the slight tension radiating from Kalinda as we walk towards the courthouse, I suspect that she's feeling it too.
"I've made arrangements," she says suddenly. "No matter what the verdict, you will get back to your children, and you will be compensated for your work."
A weight lifts off my chest. I can't say that the prospect of what happens if I lose hasn't been a nagging worry in the back of my mind. "Thank you."
She stops and I halt with her. "There is one more favour I'd ask." She turns to look at me, dark eyes glinting in the morning light. "If you'd hear me out."
I think for a moment. I've come to trust her enough to be fairly sure that, whatever it is, she won't force me into anything.
And it can only help me to know my client's wishes.
"Go on," I say.
Bran's waiting for us outside the courtroom.
"This is the last chance," he says. "All it will take is a public apology, and the charges will be dropped."
I look towards Kalinda.
She doesn't even bother replying, just shaking her head.
"No," I tell him.
"Are you sure?"
For a moment, I can't help hoping that Kalinda will bend her pride, and just do the easy thing for once.
With Random in play, I'm really not sure whether we can win this case.
But she doesn't even acknowledge that he's said anything, and just enters the door ahead of us.
"We're sure," I tell Bran.
"What is your name?"
Random manages to both look like he wishes he were anywhere else apart from here and *still* seem somewhat amused at the proceedings. The pro forma question Bran just asked him hasn't helped the latter impression.
"Prince Random." As if everyone in the courtroom - now even including me - didn't know this already.
Of course 'everyone in the courtroom' is a much more select number than yesterday. Before he brought Random to the stand, Bran requested that anyone non-essential be removed from the courtroom for 'security reasons'. And essential turned out to be Adair, Bran, myself and various members of the Amber royal family.
"Can you explain to the court what the defendant was working on for you?"
He shifts uncomfortably. "Yeah. A lot of the castle magical protections went down during the war. With Oberon dead and the more mystically trained members of the family having buggered off, sorry, *relocated* to Chaos, there hasn't been anyone to repair them. Kalinda offered to have a look and, considering who her mother is, I agreed."
Security reasons indeed. Not that I didn't already know the gist of this, courtesy of Kalinda, but I didn't need to be told what would happen if word of this weakness in Amber's defences spread beyond these walls.
All three non-family members present would come under grave suspicion.
We might even be interrogated.
Well, I can't think of this now.
"What do these wards do?"
"If they're fully active, potentially a lot of things, from keeping track of power usage to being able to bar or even kill certain classes of being."
"Did the defendant have any success with this work?"
"She'd managed to get the tracking wards online recently. At least partially."
"What do you mean by 'partially'?"
"They're only capable of tracking certain classes of phenomena at the moment."
"Would one of these classes be 'shapeshifters'?"
He grins a little. "That seemed to be her main priority. For some reason," he says dryly.
"Would the infiltrator have been within range of the wards?"
"She lived and worked within the castle, so, yes."
"And was she detected by them?"
"Not according to any display that *I* was able to access."
Oh no. Kalinda had forgotten to mention *this* tiny detail.
"But other shapeshifters did appear."
"Yes, various visiting delegates from Chaos."
"And do you have any reason to believe that the defendant had superior access to what the wards were detecting?"
"Well, she's the person who worked on them. And the timing of the capture - shortly after reactivation - is kinda suggestive."
"So, in your expert opinion, the defendant not only planned the capture of the spy with premeditation, but actually stopped the proper authorities from carrying out their rightful business?"
Kalinda! I think with a fair amount of frustration. This would have been *really* useful to know *ahead* of time.
Clients. Can't work without them, and it isn't legal to shoot them. Even if guns worked in Amber.
"Objection," I say before Random can answer. "Argumentative."
"Sustained," Adair says.
But the damage is already done.
"No further questions," Adair says, sitting down.
This is bad. I'd known that Kalinda had used the wards to locate the spy, and that Random might be able to pin that on her. It's just that Random - firm supporter of the queen, despite his close friendship with Corwin - had previously shown every sign of wanting to keep out of this. Even after last night, I'd still hoped... Well, I'd hoped that he would be less definite.
But actively covering up the presence of the spy?
Oh, *Kalinda*.
Well, I still have the same questions that I had been preparing before, though slightly modified. The spy was a trained infiltrator, concealing her signature. Unlike the delegates. Wasn't it possible that Kalinda had seen a slight anomaly, and gone to check it out before reporting it?
Except it's clear that Random doesn't believe that, and that's going to count against us.
But there's always the hail Mary.
I'd been hesitant about it before - it relies on backing a prince of Amber into a corner, which doesn't strike me as a desperately wise thing to do.
And yet...
I think it's Kalinda's best shot.
Especially at the moment.
"Did you say that if it was up to you, you wouldn't prosecute the defendant?"
"Objection!" Bran says. "Relevance."
"If I can beg the court's indulgence for a few minutes, I'll demonstrate the relevance."
There's a long pause.
Any trace of Random's good humour has disappeared, and he's eyeing me narrowly.
Like a target.
His right hand is twitching, though he isn't carrying a sword at the moment.
Having heard the tales of the royal family's abilities, and having seen Kalinda in action, I'm not sure it'll make a difference.
Breathe, Alicia, breathe.
One and two and...
"The witness may answer the question," Adair finally says.
The wording does not elude me, and for a moment I wonder if Random is actually going to say anything.
But he does. "Yes."
I try not to let the relief flooding through me show.
I'm not sure how successful I am, but I certainly try.
That's the most dangerous part out of the way.
Which isn't to say the rest is assured just yet.
"What is your position? In addition to that of Prince."
"Captain of the Castle Guard," he says, a glint of amusement returning to his eyes.
"You report directly to the Queen? And not to, say, the Commander of the City Guard?"
"Someone has been doing their homework, haven't they? Yes."
"And the spy worked and lived in the Castle, and she was captured there too?"
This time he doesn't say anything, and just nods.
I turn towards Adair. "I move that the case against my client be dismissed, as the City Guard has no standing to prosecute this case. Not to mention that the Castle Guard, who do, have indicated that they do not wish to press charges."
Adair considers me for another long moment, then brings down his gavel. "I find for the defence in this matter. Unless the Castle Guard wishes to uphold the charges, I have no option but to dismiss them."
Corwin plunges past me towards Random, and begins talking furiously in a low voice.
Random just shakes his head. "Sorry," he says clearly. "You're my brother, and I love you, but you've got to be absolutely insane if you think that I'm sticking my nuts on *this* chopping block."
But my attention is drawn to Kalinda, who has gotten to her feet, eyes glowing with pride, as well as some less defined emotion.
"Would you do me the honour?" she asks.
I drop to one knee.
"In recognition of your services to me on this battlefield, I, Kalinda, Princess of Amber, do knight you and bestow upon you the holding of Twinich." She draws her sword, and rests it once, against each shoulder.
The noise from near the stand halts.
"She can't do that," Corwin says loudly. "The lawyer is a woman, an outlander, and it isn't as though this is a real battlefield!"
"Oh," Kalinda says, looking at Adair levelly. "Is that a fact. How do you rule, your honour?"
There's a pause, but, unlike the prior ones, this one I'm not worried about.
In our research on Adair, we came across some interesting facts.
Adair may have served in the army.
A not inconsiderable amount of his self-image may come from that time, even.
But that's not where his title comes from.
"Princess Kalinda is within her rights, as set by tradition and precedent," Adair says.
No, that came as a reward from King Oberon, for successfully managing to prosecute a case against one of his own sons.
And now that Corwin has made it a matter of whether or not this is a real battlefield, Adair really has no choice.
Kalinda helps me to my feet as Corwin protests again.
"Drinks?" she asks.
"I can't believe Kalinda managed to persuade you to take that title," Ciara says.
Everyone's back at the house, celebrating. Even Julian and Bleys have turned up, and are currently occupying Kalinda's attention.
I raise an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"She's wanted to have more female gentry, lords in their own right, for some time now." She rolls her eyes. "Just needed an excuse, according to Amber law. She's tried to get me to accept a title several times now 'for my services during the war'." She shrugs, but I can see tension in her shoulders. "I wasn't going having any of it, though."
I'd had... some of that from Kalinda. Though she'd emphasised how much I deserved it a little more, I must admit.
"Then I came along."
"Then you came along," Ciara says, toasting me. "Even better, you're of commoner stock. And an outlander, too." She brings her cup to her lips again, her eyes mocking me gently over the rim, "I can only imagine just how pleased she must have been to have *this* little opportunity."
"You're certainly doing your best to make me feel better about this," I say lightly, drinking deeply from my own wine cup.
"Oh, trust me, it's nothing next to what the other nobles are going to do," Ciara says darkly. "And just let me know when anything happens. I'll enjoy challenging them on your behalf."
"I'll have to give them extra marks if they manage to insult me," I say dryly. "I'm going back to Earth after this, remember? My kids await."
Ciara chokes on yet another mouthful of wine. She coughs for a moment, before grinning at me. "Really?" she asks. "After being made a noble of the realm of Amber, you're going back to some provincial shadow?" She laughs delightedly. "You have *no* idea how much that is going to chap their arses. If only I could see their faces when they get the news."
"So glad I could amuse you."
"I'm going to miss having you around," she says, clapping me on one shoulder. "Sure I can't tempt you with a job?"
"Thanks, but no. Amber may be many things, but it's certainly no place to raise children."
"Well, it's been good knowing you, Alicia Cavanaugh," she says formally, before tilting her head. "Excuse me. I think I hear someone at the door."
Good ears. I can't hear anything over the sound of Bleys demonstrating his (dubious) skill with the lyre. Julian is watching him, one eyebrow raised, whilst Kalinda seems to be arbitrating a 'discussion' between Gerren and Morrian.
As I'm watching her, she glances towards me, and our eyes meet.
I can't help smiling a little.
Maybe there are some things about Amber that I'll miss. But she accepted my decision after asking me to stay, once, and I can't help respecting her more for that.
I raise my glass to her, and she does the same to me.
Then there's a tap on my shoulder, and I almost jump out of my skin.
It's Ciara.
I glare at her, and she gives me an apologetic smile. "There's a messenger for you. Apparently the Queen requests your presence."
And then there are the things I won't miss about Amber. I'm still here at the moment, though, and there's no sense antagonising Florimel.
"Lead on," I tell Ciara.
Florimel is waiting for me inside the same study in which she received me last time.
"Good evening," she says politely. "I would like to talk to Lady Cavanaugh alone," she says, very obviously to Ciara, who insisted on accompanying me.
Ciara bows, and leaves the room, closing the door behind her.
"Thank you for attending me at this late hour," she says, returning her attention to me. She rises gracefully to her feet. "May I offer you tea?"
I nod. "Yes, please."
She walks over to a counter, where a steaming pot and two cups are placed.
"Congratulations on your victory today," she says as she pours boiling water into both cups.
"Thank you."
She hands me one cup, before sitting down again. "I understand that you'll be leaving for Earth in the morning."
"Your majesty is well informed," I say.
She smiles, a little wistfully. "I enjoyed my stay on your world. It's a pity I'm not going to have the opportunity to visit any time soon. Especially because it changes so quickly. That's one of its charms, but it does make it a little hard to keep up if one is away for any length of time."
It reminds me that I've been away for over a year, and I can't help wondering what's changed in that time.
"Even staying doesn't always help, as you get older. There were so many things that I'm not sure that I fully got, which my kids didn't seem to have problems with."
"Quite," Florimel says.
There's silence for a moment as we both take a sip from our drinks. It's as delightful as it was last time, but, in addition, I can feel my head clearing from the slight buzz of alcohol.
"Why have you asked to see me?" I ask finally, a little bluntly.
She smiles. "To the point. I'd like to offer you a job, Lady Cavanaugh."
"Thank you, but no. I have children that I need to take care of, and I can't do that if I'm here."
"That would not necessarily be a problem." She eyes me over her cup. "Though a little flexibility might help."
"I'm not sure what you can offer me."
"Do you have a job waiting for you back on Earth?"
Well, no. But... "Kalinda has offered to make sure that my family and I can live comfortably." More than comfortably, even.
"So you're happy being a kept woman?" she asks me shrewdly.
And there it is. Do I really want to go back to a life where I stay in an empty house during the day, waiting with a glass of wine in hand, for the children to come back?
Can I really return to that woman?
Fine.
"What are you suggesting?"
"What this business has made clear to me, above all else, is that we need a source of lawyers in Amber that is not controlled by my brother. Throughout this trial, you've demonstrated impartiality and a willingness to do the best thing for your client, even if that may not be the best thing for you personally."
"Some people would say that doesn't exactly make me smart."
"You won a trial in an unfamiliar court, with the odds stacked against you. I'd say that makes you very smart."
"So what do you actually want me to do? Recruit some lawyers on Earth, have them transported here, and try and run things as best as I can from a different world?"
"Concisely? Yes. I have the resources to enable you to make periodic visits, to make sure everything is in order. And, in a few years, when your children are grown... who knows? Maybe you could take a more full time role here."
"I'm not sure that I'm interested in just being a recruiter, with a side order of long distance boss."
"Well, there's also the fact that I have not inconsiderable holdings on Earth." She smiles calmly. "I'd expect that you'd take care of their legal needs. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if a princess of your acquaintance decided to make some acquisitions of her own. I imagine that she'd appreciate a lawyer she can trust."
The offer's tempting, but... "Can I ask you a few questions?"
"Please. Go ahead."
"Why the trial? Why did you allow it to go ahead?"
Kalinda, I more or less understood.
Corwin, I think I got.
But the queen?
If I'm going to work for her, I want to know what kind of games she plays.
"Can I rely on your discretion?" she asks, a glint entering her eyes, reminding me that she *is* the queen, no matter how polite, no matter how gentle she seems.
"Of course."
She purses her lips. "I don't know how much of our family history you know, but we typically settle our grievances in blood. Generally not to the death - at least the deaths of family - but the collateral damage can be... ruinous. But if, hypothetically, I managed to encourage a family member to try and settle things in a court of law..."
That... actually makes a scary amount of sense. "Change has to start somewhere."
"Quite. And the fact that the family member in question happens to be my most ardent critic - so much the better."
Of course, that doesn't explain the writ confining Kalinda to Amber...
Not unless I take into account that, by creating this precedent, and getting her 'most ardent critic' to endorse it, she has created a weapon that she can use again. With Corwin's support even, since he'll have a hard time backing away from it now.
And, likewise, it's not just *other* family members that can use these judicial means now.
It's her as well.
And she's also made the positions of authority within Amber - the positions that she has the power to grant, and the power to strip someone of - more valuable.
Oh.
*Oh.*
She watches me as I digest her words, a gentle smile on her lips. "Of course, your win today did undermine the rule of law a little - a win by nepotism instead of fact."
"That would be more compelling if this trial hadn't only taken place because of an abuse of power," I say, a little dryly.
She tilts her head, conceding the point. "Still. Kalinda did cause me not inconsiderable trouble. Though she's far from the first member of my family to do so, and I highly doubt that she'll be the last."
The reminder gives rise to another question, one that's bothered me more and more ever since I came to Amber.
"If you don't mind me asking, and forgive me if this seems impertinent, how did you manage to become queen? From everything I've seen, Amber doesn't seem welcoming to a female ruler."
She contemplates me for a moment over the rim of her cup before answering. "During the recent war, as a result of things that I'm not going to go into, a wave of power came surging towards us while most of the family were away fighting in Chaos. It would have destroyed us utterly if I and my two surviving sisters had not joined together in a ritual to avert it. Afterwards, well, power has a way of writing its own rules. Between the three of us, it was decided," a smile, hinting at some secret joke, "That I would become queen of Amber. My brothers were not in a position to refuse us. And shortly thereafter, by decree of the Serpent - the goddess of Chaos - Fiona was made Empress of Chaos."
"And your third sister?"
"Llewella?" Again, that smile. "She's always been fond of doing her own thing."
Which isn't an answer, but is probably as much of one as I'm going to get,
"So," Florimel says. "Have you considered my offer?"
I close my eyes to think, to try and make a decision.
And, to my surprise, I have already made one.
"Yes," I tell her.
This place, these people, no matter how crazy, have already sunk their roots into me, and I find myself unwilling to let them go just yet.
"I accept."
And, through the sudden excitement, the nervousness, the anticipation, I can't help my thoughts turning to one particular question.
I wonder what Kalinda is going to think of this.
Author's note:And so ends Lawyers, Swords and Secrets. I was originally going to write all three cases under this title, but I also originally thought that each case was going to be 12-20k words long. And we can see how well that turned out.
I may well add another chapter of interlude material onto this, bur I can't promise that at the moment. There's also likely to be a short gap before I start working on the next part, because sweetjamielee's The Good Wife ficathon starts next week, and I'll hopefully be taking prompts from there.
To everyone who stuck this out, thank you!
Author:Tamoline
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: The Good Wife (Crossover with Chronicles of Amber)
Pairing: Alicia/Kalinda
Notes: This is a completely different continuity to Flames of a Different Hue. Really. Do not carry assumptions about characters over.
Summary:
Alicia Cavanaugh is given a job offer she can't refuse after her divorce, putting her lawyering skills to work in a very different setting. And, if you don't count the somewhat antiquated society, the lack of electricity and the completely different universe she's found herself in, it's all going fairly well.
Up until the point where she encounters Princess Kalinda of Amber, that is.
Today has the air of an ending.
For better or worse, I can't help feeling that the case will be over before this day is through.
From the slight tension radiating from Kalinda as we walk towards the courthouse, I suspect that she's feeling it too.
"I've made arrangements," she says suddenly. "No matter what the verdict, you will get back to your children, and you will be compensated for your work."
A weight lifts off my chest. I can't say that the prospect of what happens if I lose hasn't been a nagging worry in the back of my mind. "Thank you."
She stops and I halt with her. "There is one more favour I'd ask." She turns to look at me, dark eyes glinting in the morning light. "If you'd hear me out."
I think for a moment. I've come to trust her enough to be fairly sure that, whatever it is, she won't force me into anything.
And it can only help me to know my client's wishes.
"Go on," I say.
Bran's waiting for us outside the courtroom.
"This is the last chance," he says. "All it will take is a public apology, and the charges will be dropped."
I look towards Kalinda.
She doesn't even bother replying, just shaking her head.
"No," I tell him.
"Are you sure?"
For a moment, I can't help hoping that Kalinda will bend her pride, and just do the easy thing for once.
With Random in play, I'm really not sure whether we can win this case.
But she doesn't even acknowledge that he's said anything, and just enters the door ahead of us.
"We're sure," I tell Bran.
"What is your name?"
Random manages to both look like he wishes he were anywhere else apart from here and *still* seem somewhat amused at the proceedings. The pro forma question Bran just asked him hasn't helped the latter impression.
"Prince Random." As if everyone in the courtroom - now even including me - didn't know this already.
Of course 'everyone in the courtroom' is a much more select number than yesterday. Before he brought Random to the stand, Bran requested that anyone non-essential be removed from the courtroom for 'security reasons'. And essential turned out to be Adair, Bran, myself and various members of the Amber royal family.
"Can you explain to the court what the defendant was working on for you?"
He shifts uncomfortably. "Yeah. A lot of the castle magical protections went down during the war. With Oberon dead and the more mystically trained members of the family having buggered off, sorry, *relocated* to Chaos, there hasn't been anyone to repair them. Kalinda offered to have a look and, considering who her mother is, I agreed."
Security reasons indeed. Not that I didn't already know the gist of this, courtesy of Kalinda, but I didn't need to be told what would happen if word of this weakness in Amber's defences spread beyond these walls.
All three non-family members present would come under grave suspicion.
We might even be interrogated.
Well, I can't think of this now.
"What do these wards do?"
"If they're fully active, potentially a lot of things, from keeping track of power usage to being able to bar or even kill certain classes of being."
"Did the defendant have any success with this work?"
"She'd managed to get the tracking wards online recently. At least partially."
"What do you mean by 'partially'?"
"They're only capable of tracking certain classes of phenomena at the moment."
"Would one of these classes be 'shapeshifters'?"
He grins a little. "That seemed to be her main priority. For some reason," he says dryly.
"Would the infiltrator have been within range of the wards?"
"She lived and worked within the castle, so, yes."
"And was she detected by them?"
"Not according to any display that *I* was able to access."
Oh no. Kalinda had forgotten to mention *this* tiny detail.
"But other shapeshifters did appear."
"Yes, various visiting delegates from Chaos."
"And do you have any reason to believe that the defendant had superior access to what the wards were detecting?"
"Well, she's the person who worked on them. And the timing of the capture - shortly after reactivation - is kinda suggestive."
"So, in your expert opinion, the defendant not only planned the capture of the spy with premeditation, but actually stopped the proper authorities from carrying out their rightful business?"
Kalinda! I think with a fair amount of frustration. This would have been *really* useful to know *ahead* of time.
Clients. Can't work without them, and it isn't legal to shoot them. Even if guns worked in Amber.
"Objection," I say before Random can answer. "Argumentative."
"Sustained," Adair says.
But the damage is already done.
"No further questions," Adair says, sitting down.
This is bad. I'd known that Kalinda had used the wards to locate the spy, and that Random might be able to pin that on her. It's just that Random - firm supporter of the queen, despite his close friendship with Corwin - had previously shown every sign of wanting to keep out of this. Even after last night, I'd still hoped... Well, I'd hoped that he would be less definite.
But actively covering up the presence of the spy?
Oh, *Kalinda*.
Well, I still have the same questions that I had been preparing before, though slightly modified. The spy was a trained infiltrator, concealing her signature. Unlike the delegates. Wasn't it possible that Kalinda had seen a slight anomaly, and gone to check it out before reporting it?
Except it's clear that Random doesn't believe that, and that's going to count against us.
But there's always the hail Mary.
I'd been hesitant about it before - it relies on backing a prince of Amber into a corner, which doesn't strike me as a desperately wise thing to do.
And yet...
I think it's Kalinda's best shot.
Especially at the moment.
"Did you say that if it was up to you, you wouldn't prosecute the defendant?"
"Objection!" Bran says. "Relevance."
"If I can beg the court's indulgence for a few minutes, I'll demonstrate the relevance."
There's a long pause.
Any trace of Random's good humour has disappeared, and he's eyeing me narrowly.
Like a target.
His right hand is twitching, though he isn't carrying a sword at the moment.
Having heard the tales of the royal family's abilities, and having seen Kalinda in action, I'm not sure it'll make a difference.
Breathe, Alicia, breathe.
One and two and...
"The witness may answer the question," Adair finally says.
The wording does not elude me, and for a moment I wonder if Random is actually going to say anything.
But he does. "Yes."
I try not to let the relief flooding through me show.
I'm not sure how successful I am, but I certainly try.
That's the most dangerous part out of the way.
Which isn't to say the rest is assured just yet.
"What is your position? In addition to that of Prince."
"Captain of the Castle Guard," he says, a glint of amusement returning to his eyes.
"You report directly to the Queen? And not to, say, the Commander of the City Guard?"
"Someone has been doing their homework, haven't they? Yes."
"And the spy worked and lived in the Castle, and she was captured there too?"
This time he doesn't say anything, and just nods.
I turn towards Adair. "I move that the case against my client be dismissed, as the City Guard has no standing to prosecute this case. Not to mention that the Castle Guard, who do, have indicated that they do not wish to press charges."
Adair considers me for another long moment, then brings down his gavel. "I find for the defence in this matter. Unless the Castle Guard wishes to uphold the charges, I have no option but to dismiss them."
Corwin plunges past me towards Random, and begins talking furiously in a low voice.
Random just shakes his head. "Sorry," he says clearly. "You're my brother, and I love you, but you've got to be absolutely insane if you think that I'm sticking my nuts on *this* chopping block."
But my attention is drawn to Kalinda, who has gotten to her feet, eyes glowing with pride, as well as some less defined emotion.
"Would you do me the honour?" she asks.
I drop to one knee.
"In recognition of your services to me on this battlefield, I, Kalinda, Princess of Amber, do knight you and bestow upon you the holding of Twinich." She draws her sword, and rests it once, against each shoulder.
The noise from near the stand halts.
"She can't do that," Corwin says loudly. "The lawyer is a woman, an outlander, and it isn't as though this is a real battlefield!"
"Oh," Kalinda says, looking at Adair levelly. "Is that a fact. How do you rule, your honour?"
There's a pause, but, unlike the prior ones, this one I'm not worried about.
In our research on Adair, we came across some interesting facts.
Adair may have served in the army.
A not inconsiderable amount of his self-image may come from that time, even.
But that's not where his title comes from.
"Princess Kalinda is within her rights, as set by tradition and precedent," Adair says.
No, that came as a reward from King Oberon, for successfully managing to prosecute a case against one of his own sons.
And now that Corwin has made it a matter of whether or not this is a real battlefield, Adair really has no choice.
Kalinda helps me to my feet as Corwin protests again.
"Drinks?" she asks.
"I can't believe Kalinda managed to persuade you to take that title," Ciara says.
Everyone's back at the house, celebrating. Even Julian and Bleys have turned up, and are currently occupying Kalinda's attention.
I raise an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"She's wanted to have more female gentry, lords in their own right, for some time now." She rolls her eyes. "Just needed an excuse, according to Amber law. She's tried to get me to accept a title several times now 'for my services during the war'." She shrugs, but I can see tension in her shoulders. "I wasn't going having any of it, though."
I'd had... some of that from Kalinda. Though she'd emphasised how much I deserved it a little more, I must admit.
"Then I came along."
"Then you came along," Ciara says, toasting me. "Even better, you're of commoner stock. And an outlander, too." She brings her cup to her lips again, her eyes mocking me gently over the rim, "I can only imagine just how pleased she must have been to have *this* little opportunity."
"You're certainly doing your best to make me feel better about this," I say lightly, drinking deeply from my own wine cup.
"Oh, trust me, it's nothing next to what the other nobles are going to do," Ciara says darkly. "And just let me know when anything happens. I'll enjoy challenging them on your behalf."
"I'll have to give them extra marks if they manage to insult me," I say dryly. "I'm going back to Earth after this, remember? My kids await."
Ciara chokes on yet another mouthful of wine. She coughs for a moment, before grinning at me. "Really?" she asks. "After being made a noble of the realm of Amber, you're going back to some provincial shadow?" She laughs delightedly. "You have *no* idea how much that is going to chap their arses. If only I could see their faces when they get the news."
"So glad I could amuse you."
"I'm going to miss having you around," she says, clapping me on one shoulder. "Sure I can't tempt you with a job?"
"Thanks, but no. Amber may be many things, but it's certainly no place to raise children."
"Well, it's been good knowing you, Alicia Cavanaugh," she says formally, before tilting her head. "Excuse me. I think I hear someone at the door."
Good ears. I can't hear anything over the sound of Bleys demonstrating his (dubious) skill with the lyre. Julian is watching him, one eyebrow raised, whilst Kalinda seems to be arbitrating a 'discussion' between Gerren and Morrian.
As I'm watching her, she glances towards me, and our eyes meet.
I can't help smiling a little.
Maybe there are some things about Amber that I'll miss. But she accepted my decision after asking me to stay, once, and I can't help respecting her more for that.
I raise my glass to her, and she does the same to me.
Then there's a tap on my shoulder, and I almost jump out of my skin.
It's Ciara.
I glare at her, and she gives me an apologetic smile. "There's a messenger for you. Apparently the Queen requests your presence."
And then there are the things I won't miss about Amber. I'm still here at the moment, though, and there's no sense antagonising Florimel.
"Lead on," I tell Ciara.
Florimel is waiting for me inside the same study in which she received me last time.
"Good evening," she says politely. "I would like to talk to Lady Cavanaugh alone," she says, very obviously to Ciara, who insisted on accompanying me.
Ciara bows, and leaves the room, closing the door behind her.
"Thank you for attending me at this late hour," she says, returning her attention to me. She rises gracefully to her feet. "May I offer you tea?"
I nod. "Yes, please."
She walks over to a counter, where a steaming pot and two cups are placed.
"Congratulations on your victory today," she says as she pours boiling water into both cups.
"Thank you."
She hands me one cup, before sitting down again. "I understand that you'll be leaving for Earth in the morning."
"Your majesty is well informed," I say.
She smiles, a little wistfully. "I enjoyed my stay on your world. It's a pity I'm not going to have the opportunity to visit any time soon. Especially because it changes so quickly. That's one of its charms, but it does make it a little hard to keep up if one is away for any length of time."
It reminds me that I've been away for over a year, and I can't help wondering what's changed in that time.
"Even staying doesn't always help, as you get older. There were so many things that I'm not sure that I fully got, which my kids didn't seem to have problems with."
"Quite," Florimel says.
There's silence for a moment as we both take a sip from our drinks. It's as delightful as it was last time, but, in addition, I can feel my head clearing from the slight buzz of alcohol.
"Why have you asked to see me?" I ask finally, a little bluntly.
She smiles. "To the point. I'd like to offer you a job, Lady Cavanaugh."
"Thank you, but no. I have children that I need to take care of, and I can't do that if I'm here."
"That would not necessarily be a problem." She eyes me over her cup. "Though a little flexibility might help."
"I'm not sure what you can offer me."
"Do you have a job waiting for you back on Earth?"
Well, no. But... "Kalinda has offered to make sure that my family and I can live comfortably." More than comfortably, even.
"So you're happy being a kept woman?" she asks me shrewdly.
And there it is. Do I really want to go back to a life where I stay in an empty house during the day, waiting with a glass of wine in hand, for the children to come back?
Can I really return to that woman?
Fine.
"What are you suggesting?"
"What this business has made clear to me, above all else, is that we need a source of lawyers in Amber that is not controlled by my brother. Throughout this trial, you've demonstrated impartiality and a willingness to do the best thing for your client, even if that may not be the best thing for you personally."
"Some people would say that doesn't exactly make me smart."
"You won a trial in an unfamiliar court, with the odds stacked against you. I'd say that makes you very smart."
"So what do you actually want me to do? Recruit some lawyers on Earth, have them transported here, and try and run things as best as I can from a different world?"
"Concisely? Yes. I have the resources to enable you to make periodic visits, to make sure everything is in order. And, in a few years, when your children are grown... who knows? Maybe you could take a more full time role here."
"I'm not sure that I'm interested in just being a recruiter, with a side order of long distance boss."
"Well, there's also the fact that I have not inconsiderable holdings on Earth." She smiles calmly. "I'd expect that you'd take care of their legal needs. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if a princess of your acquaintance decided to make some acquisitions of her own. I imagine that she'd appreciate a lawyer she can trust."
The offer's tempting, but... "Can I ask you a few questions?"
"Please. Go ahead."
"Why the trial? Why did you allow it to go ahead?"
Kalinda, I more or less understood.
Corwin, I think I got.
But the queen?
If I'm going to work for her, I want to know what kind of games she plays.
"Can I rely on your discretion?" she asks, a glint entering her eyes, reminding me that she *is* the queen, no matter how polite, no matter how gentle she seems.
"Of course."
She purses her lips. "I don't know how much of our family history you know, but we typically settle our grievances in blood. Generally not to the death - at least the deaths of family - but the collateral damage can be... ruinous. But if, hypothetically, I managed to encourage a family member to try and settle things in a court of law..."
That... actually makes a scary amount of sense. "Change has to start somewhere."
"Quite. And the fact that the family member in question happens to be my most ardent critic - so much the better."
Of course, that doesn't explain the writ confining Kalinda to Amber...
Not unless I take into account that, by creating this precedent, and getting her 'most ardent critic' to endorse it, she has created a weapon that she can use again. With Corwin's support even, since he'll have a hard time backing away from it now.
And, likewise, it's not just *other* family members that can use these judicial means now.
It's her as well.
And she's also made the positions of authority within Amber - the positions that she has the power to grant, and the power to strip someone of - more valuable.
Oh.
*Oh.*
She watches me as I digest her words, a gentle smile on her lips. "Of course, your win today did undermine the rule of law a little - a win by nepotism instead of fact."
"That would be more compelling if this trial hadn't only taken place because of an abuse of power," I say, a little dryly.
She tilts her head, conceding the point. "Still. Kalinda did cause me not inconsiderable trouble. Though she's far from the first member of my family to do so, and I highly doubt that she'll be the last."
The reminder gives rise to another question, one that's bothered me more and more ever since I came to Amber.
"If you don't mind me asking, and forgive me if this seems impertinent, how did you manage to become queen? From everything I've seen, Amber doesn't seem welcoming to a female ruler."
She contemplates me for a moment over the rim of her cup before answering. "During the recent war, as a result of things that I'm not going to go into, a wave of power came surging towards us while most of the family were away fighting in Chaos. It would have destroyed us utterly if I and my two surviving sisters had not joined together in a ritual to avert it. Afterwards, well, power has a way of writing its own rules. Between the three of us, it was decided," a smile, hinting at some secret joke, "That I would become queen of Amber. My brothers were not in a position to refuse us. And shortly thereafter, by decree of the Serpent - the goddess of Chaos - Fiona was made Empress of Chaos."
"And your third sister?"
"Llewella?" Again, that smile. "She's always been fond of doing her own thing."
Which isn't an answer, but is probably as much of one as I'm going to get,
"So," Florimel says. "Have you considered my offer?"
I close my eyes to think, to try and make a decision.
And, to my surprise, I have already made one.
"Yes," I tell her.
This place, these people, no matter how crazy, have already sunk their roots into me, and I find myself unwilling to let them go just yet.
"I accept."
And, through the sudden excitement, the nervousness, the anticipation, I can't help my thoughts turning to one particular question.
I wonder what Kalinda is going to think of this.
Author's note:And so ends Lawyers, Swords and Secrets. I was originally going to write all three cases under this title, but I also originally thought that each case was going to be 12-20k words long. And we can see how well that turned out.
I may well add another chapter of interlude material onto this, bur I can't promise that at the moment. There's also likely to be a short gap before I start working on the next part, because sweetjamielee's The Good Wife ficathon starts next week, and I'll hopefully be taking prompts from there.
To everyone who stuck this out, thank you!