Chương 82: Book 2, Chapter 21: Persuasion

The restaurant Iris finally deemed acceptable occupied the rooftop of a hotel near the Basilica Adalet, far enough from the bustle of the bazaar that the noise of the city had softened into pleasant murmurs mingled with the sound of water flowing from ornate fountains. Fortunately, the place was shaded by a floral canopy, which, together with the breeze drifting in from the strait, made it almost as pleasant as the Arcadian embassy's magically cooled halls.

A server led Clara, Warren, and Iris to a low table ringed with cushions, and a steady procession of small dishes began arriving before they'd even properly settled in. The variety was impressive—there was yogurt speckled with mint, baskets of all sorts of breads, charred peppers, and even the glistening vine leaves stuffed with rice and minced meat that Clara had been craving since they were brought up during the trial. She immediately bit into one, then another. Ah, this is the life.

Warren was using a fork to take a piece of grilled lamb off its skewer with joyless efficiency, while Iris, for her part, happily dug into a dumpling dipped in yogurt and spiced butter, still in a good mood from the shopping spree. By now, the four rugs she'd selected were probably being wrapped and delivered to the embassy. Clara hadn't heard what the price was, and she was glad for that; she wouldn't be surprised if they'd cost over a hundred marks, or ten thousand dinars, each.

"So." Clara wiped her fingers, deciding to save some room for the next courses, and turned to Warren.

"There's something I wanted to tell you." Warren raised an eyebrow.

"About?"

"About me. Or rather, about what I want to do after we get back to Arcadia."

"I was under the impression you'd be busy with the canonization ceremony," said Warren.

"Aren't there significant preparations for you, as the miracle's recipient?" Clara sighed. She was not looking forward to a stuffy religious ceremony and having to be involved with the Church.

"That's probably true. But that's not what I'm talking about right now."

"Oh? Then, if you mean to talk about the future, have you reconsidered my generous offer of employment?" he asked, turning to Iris with a smirk." Employment?" Iris frowned.

"With you? As if she'd downgrade herself like that after serving House von Rhenia!" Clara held back a laugh. It seemed Iris was the type to be mean to the one she had a crush on. I guess that's fitting for a villainess.

"No, it's not that either. I'm not returning to anyone's service." Clara paused and let that sink in.

"I'm opening my own practice. A law firm."

"A law firm?" asked Warren. Clara nodded, and explained it to him the same way she'd explained it to Iris aboard the Esperança. She told him she was going to register as a solicitor and do day-to-day commercial work, while also arguing court cases as they came. When she finished, Warren simply sat in silence, turning his gaze to his cuffs. Iris covered her mouth and let out a small, satisfied sound.

"Something to add, my lady?" Clara asked.

"Nothing at all. I am simply enjoying watching Lord Warren learn something I have known for over a week. As is the proper order of things, of course." Warren turned to Iris.

"So you knew."

"Of course I knew. I am her first and most prominent client. In fact, one of the rugs I just bought will decorate her brand-new office." Iris lifted her chin.

"Do keep up, Lord Warren, and maybe one day you'll get to hear the rest of Clara's secrets."

"The rest? What rest?"

"It's nothing." Clara cleared her throat. She earnestly hoped she could tell Warren about their shared past in the other world one day. But not yet. The Albions were too close to the Church, and there was still the mysterious memory-wiping magic at play. It was too dangerous. She tried to pull the conversation back on track.

"What do you think of my firm idea, Righton?"

"A professional services firm to provide both solicitor-style commercial services and trial advocacy." He closed his eyes and tapped his index finger thoughtfully on the table. Eventually, he spoke.

"It's a risky venture, potentially scandalous, not to mention completely unprecedented, and yet… I can't find it in me to oppose it. Not that you'd listen even if I did." Oh. That's a much better reaction than I expected. He looked into her eyes. His gaze was sharp and analytical, yet also held something else that she couldn't quite place.

"That idea suits you, Casewell. I…" He coughed and turned away.

"Apologies. I am not sure what came over me. Do go on."

"Thank you, Righton," she said, and she meant it. It suits you, too. You just don't know it. I really wish you did. She ate another vine leaf to give herself time to regain composure, then continued, "The firm is just the foundation of what I want to do. My real goal is changing how trials work in Arcadia. And that's what I wanted to talk about with both of you."

"What kind of change?" he asked.

"I want to draft a proposal for an experimental court. A single court in Westwick that runs on different rules, evidence-led from start to finish, taking specially selected cases as a trial run. Formalized roles for the defense, the prosecution, and a judge, with proper procedures for the Blessing. And when there's a case, a defendant gets told what they're accused of, in plain terms, granted the right to representation, and given time to prepare, instead of being marched in front of a chalice the next day."

"A judge? Do you mean to exclude the Church from the justice system? Casewell, that's not—""Even I'm not arrogant enough to think I can pry the Goddess out of the courtroom like that, Righton. That's not what I mean. In fact, I actually want to keep Bishop Dicton—but he'd be bound to follow legal procedures and fairly uphold the rights of the defendants. He's reasonable, the people trust him, and he's already had the educational experience of watching me run circles around his court." She smiled.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Watching you? I would imagine the good bishop has mostly learned from my lead, with your occasional interventions simply complementing my lessons," said Warren with his usual sly irony. Clara chuckled.

"Of course, you'd have a role in this new system too, in recognition of all your invaluable expertise. We do need a prosecutor." Iris scoffed.

"Surely you can find a better opponent than him. I could draw up a list of learned public servants at the Duchy of Rhenia, focusing on those with more pleasant personalities." Warren shook his head.

"Naturally, if a prosecutor is required, I should be the one to undertake that role, Lady Iris. Even you cannot deny that I am the only non-inquisitor with prosecutorial experience in Arcadia. Not to mention that Casewell is already a former von Rhenia servant. While I am sure there are plenty of capable people in your employ, what would the other duchies and Parliament think if something like this were staffed solely by those with ties to your family?"

"Hmph." Iris crossed her arms. Warren turned back to Clara.

"That aside, you mean to overthrow a system that has worked for centuries."

"Has it really worked? Would it have worked for Professor Morris or Dame Rowena if I hadn't intervened? Or if Bishop Dicton hadn't been inclined to humor me? He could simply have removed me from the court, and then Marcella Skerrington and Father Leofric would be walking free, while two innocent people might've been executed. Fortunately, the bishop didn't do that, but how many other bishops would think like him?

Righton, justice can't depend on a friendly bishop on a good day or a corrupt inquisitor on a bad one," said Clara.

"Besides, a small-scale test run in a minor city like Westwick is hardly overthrowing anything. I just want to show people what the alternative looks like." Warren turned his cup slowly between two fingers.

"You are aware that the inquisition will despise this. It's as good as telling the world that the Blessing of Truth is insufficient."

"Yeah, I do realize that. The Blessing will still have its place—even I can't deny that it has value—but I have no doubt the inquisition, and maybe even the Church as a whole, will oppose this." Iris shrugged.

"Then they will get what has long been coming to them."

"Lady Iris, your personal history with the inquisition aside, whether or not they deserve this is not the point that I intend to make," said Warren.

"Rather, I mean to ask why the Church would ever allow this?" Clara gave a pleased smile.

"I don't need the Church to allow it."

"What do you mean? By law, they have the authority to run Arcadia's courts. You won't be able to run this experiment of yours without their consent."

"Ah, Righton. Always so square in your thinking," she said, taking another bite of the flatbread.

"You said it yourself. The Church runs the judiciary because that's the law. So all I have to do is change the law. I plan to draft a proposal and put it to Parliament."

"Parliament," Warren repeated.

"Surely you don't intend to have House von Rhenia sponsor that. The optics alone—" She raised a finger.

"Not House von Rhenia. House de Bragança. A certain Admiral-Duchess now owes me a favor."

"Ah, so this is why you did not want Auntie Bel's money," said Iris.

"Clever."

"Hmm. Even if House de Bragança sponsors the bill, you will have to convince a majority of the Chamber of Lords," said Warren.

"Not to mention the Chamber of Commons. A bill needs approval in both to become law, and the Church wields significant influence with many of the representatives."

"I know. And I won't pretend I've solved the Commons yet—I have at least one promising lead there, but it's going to take some work," said Clara.

"But with the Lords, I'm hoping I won't be standing alone. Besides House de Bragança, House von Rhenia has reasons to want the inquisition reined in, so I'm hoping that perhaps you could talk to your family and the other lords from the duchy, Lady Iris." Iris's eyes lit up before Clara had even finished the sentence.

"Oh ho ho! Consider it done—let us speak to Papa about this as soon as we return. Most of the eastern lords practically eat out of his hands, and even those who don't know better than to cross him. I daresay most of them will fall in line simply because the request bears the von Rhenia seal, and the rest can be persuaded with good wine and veiled threats."

"That would be a tremendous help, my lady. Thank you."

"And we mustn't stop there." Iris put a finger on her chin, the gears in her mind clearly turning.

"We should speak to Mama about Valois." Clara raised an eyebrow.

"Valois? Aren't they very conservative?"

"That they are. Dreadfully old-fashioned, all of them. Which is precisely why I shan't promise you the whole duchy. But a few of the younger Valois lords are the sort who fancy themselves modern thinkers, so it may be possible to peel away some of them. Every vote you steal from the opposition is worth two of your own, after all."

"That's… a good point." Spoken like a true politician, Iris.

"I am full of them." Iris took a delicate sip of her tea, radiant with self-satisfaction. In theory, Clara could get the support of two out of four duchies, and a fraction of another. That was a majority already. But of course, just as there were more liberal-minded lords in Valois, there would also be more conservative lords in Rhenia and Bragança, so she couldn't count on it being that simple.

"Righton. I'd like your help, too. If you're willing." She inclined her head.

"I had a feeling you would."

"There's something I need from you. Or perhaps two things, considering what Lady Iris just said."

"Only two? It seems I have been grossly underestimated. You wound me, Casewell."

"Don't worry, they're both important. First, for the proposal itself, I'm more than capable of coming up with all the procedures, the rights, the structure, and whatnot. But even if I can build a good system, I'm not sure I can do it in a way that's persuasive enough for the Members of Parliament to swallow it."

"So you want me to help frame it to be palatable," he said, leaning forward.

"We will need to emphasize that it is simply a test—as you said, a single court, in a single city. We can propose a fixed term of two or three years, renewable only by another act of Parliament after reviewing the results. A lord can vote for an experiment far more easily than a revolution. If it fails, he can say he was simply curious and indulgent. If it succeeds, he can claim he saw the wisdom of it from the start." Clara grinned. Now we're cooking.

"Furthermore," Warren continued, clearly in his comfort zone, "we limit the matters the experimental court has jurisdiction over. It should hear only certain categories of cases: not every petty squabble, but also not the most serious crimes the Church would want to keep total control over. If we do that, and make sure the Church understands that the clergy would still be the judges—maybe even get Bishop Dicton's public support—it may be possible to reduce their opposition.

We can frame it as the Church gaining training for its judges, instead of losing its power."

"That makes sense. If I had to do this alone, I would have led with the part about defendant's rights and lost the room in the first sentence."

"You have many talents, Casewell, but subtlety is not chief among them," he agreed, insufferably. She let it slide.

"And the second thing," she continued, "is the matter of the northern lords. You know them better than I ever will." Warren's face tightened. She knew that his father, the Duke of Albion, was probably the Church's greatest supporter among the high nobles. He would never vote for something like this.

"Perhaps there are a few minor lords like the liberals in Valois," she went on.

"Lords who might be convinced—or more realistically, might simply be persuaded to stay home on the day of the vote. An abstention is worth half a yes." Warren gave a cautious nod.

"I can think of three or four houses that might be reachable, or at least convinced their interests may be better served by silence. House Vainglory, to start with." He met her eyes.

"But the Albion name will not be on your list, Casewell. The duke will not support this."

"I'm not asking for Albion. Only for you."

"Very well. Then you shall have me."