The Trial

[King Caspian X]

Caspian sat in court. Things were going rather brilliantly for him, but still he frowned. He didn't like this business. He wanted her dead. He didn't like sitting here and having to show all the obvious proof, but he did it anyway. His family had always believed in fairness. Though what she had done to him and Susan wasn't fair. He drummed his fingers on the table, waiting. The sun was sleeking down over the sky, and he watched it out the window eagerly.

[katrina]

She was kept in the back, behind Caspian who would be her judge though she didn't know why. There was no point in this time consuming trial if he had already planned her death. But until she was called out she would stay where she was hidden from the Narnians and held back by several guards. She wasn't going anywhere anyway. Without a wand she was as helpless as a newborn puppy, yet they treated her like she had control over whether and time. Now she only waited for Caspian to call this trial to order, regardless of how stupid it was. All it did was embarras her, expose what she was to the world, not that it mattered.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

Susan stayed beside Caspian, but not once had she looked at him, much less spoken to him since he had set the trial up. She couldn't let the girl die, no matter what she had done, if not for the sake of her own morals then out of curiousity and fear of what Caspian's brother had thought to her. Caspian, Katrina, and Susan are what can save Narnia, without one all fall.

[King Caspian X]

Caspian stood and spoke his part, and then it was Katrina's turn to do so. He allowed himself to gaze out the window again. Snow was falling on this day in December, and the sun was still inching closer towards evening. He waited to hear what Katrina had to say, though he really didn't care. He had given her a chance, even at friendship, and she blew it. She was a liar, a bitch, and a victim of sanity loss in his book.

[katrina]

When Caspian called for her they pushed her forward and shoved her into a chair beside Susan. Her skin shuddered and her hair bristled at being so close to the one who had taken Caspian from her, the one who caused this, but forced herself into submission. She bowed her head to her king, but did and said nothing else.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

Susan nodded to Katrina, the only thing she could think of to try to tell her everything was alright. She would fight on Katrina's side this time, even though she knew Caspian would hate her for it. But when she thought of her husband it went to her children as well. If Caspian's brother had been right then the demons would come and kill all but Galen. Any help they could salvage, no matter where it had come from, was welcome.

[King Caspian X]

"Well?" Caspian asked. "Have you the desire to defend yourself?" he asked. Time was ticking. If she didn't have one, it would make things a lot faster.

[katrina]

"I can tell of my innocense, but you would care nothing of it." She told him refusing to stand, "If you are set to kill me do it now, don't bother with all this and try to claim that you tried to save me. I already know you won't."

[King Caspian X]

"I'm not trying to save you." Caspian told her the flat out truth. "But we believe in trials. If you want your sentence now, so be it." said the King. "Last chance. Do you wish to defend yourself?"

[katrina]

She looked away, something that, if anything, would have been seen as a sign of disrespect. "No."

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"The quesion isn't whether or not she will die, it is what we will do. I will not allow any death sentence to be carried out in Narnia. It never has, and never should. Aslan has never killed before, why should we."

[King Caspian X]

"Fine." said Caspian. It was fine by him if she didn't defend. But then he turned to Susan, and spoke softly. "This is Telmar." he reminded her. True, he was King of both lands, but that gave him right to choose one of two things. And he chose to sentence Katrina to death. He almost smiled when she disrespected him. It was, for once, an unloving gesture. "And Aslan has killed. Remember the White Witch? She died at his jaws, did she not?" But he didn't wait for an answer. Caspian covered Susan's ears, knowing that she wouldn't like what came next. "Katrina Ravenfrost, I here by sentence you to a public beating of thirty lashes, and death by burning at the stake. You will be stripped of all things in your possession, including your title." It was a cruel punishment, but for a cruel deed. "I have declared these actions for your high treason, and your role in the murder of the Queen Susan." He let go of his wife's ears.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"This is Narnia as well." She reminded him, "When Aslan made you king Narnia and Telmar became one nation, you cannot divide it now." She spent only an instant thinking, but only because she hadn't been to what Lucy and Edmund had told her about. "And the white witch isn't dead, only sealed away. You almost brought her back, remember, with one drop of Adam's blood." Caspian covered her ears and she wanted to rip his hands away. She knew he was punishing her, but couldn't tell how. It wouldn't matter simply because she would hear or see it sooner or later. But did he do it simply because he didn't want her hearing him actualy give the punishment himself, as if the words alone would tear her heart. She pulled his hands away, but by then he had already finished talking.

[katrina]

She watched as they fought. If they loved each other so deeply then why did they fight so often. But at the sound of her sentence she tossed back her head, laughing. "I expected something harder," She laughed, but it wasn't hard. She didn't have much of a laughing soul. All happiness left with Caspian, making it worse when he broke her wand and now was set on destroying his past lover. But what hurt worse than Caspian was the fact that no one was willing to try to save her except the one she almost killed.

[King Caspian X]

"We'll see who has the last laugh, Katrina." he said, climbing down from the judge's podium and helping Susan down. Katrina would be punished straight away, with no time for her to escape. Caspian took her from the guards by the back of her shirt, almost lifting her off the ground as they walked. He lead them all outside, down the hill and into the valley. Already there was a man with a whip, waiting. And a burning stake stacked with straw and hay and kindling upon many logs. Caspian had ordered its construction so early as when she was in the dungeon. He had already planned this. Word spread fast in Narnia, and already there were people flocking like chickens and gossiping.