‘I only need to ask one. Mistress Blackthorn.’ Mathuin made the title into an insult, and I cringed despite myself. ‘You know you’ve told a pack of lies, just as you did when you stormed into my council chamber back in Laois and accused me of all manner of foul things. Quite an imagination, you have. That’s about all you do have. You may have provided a testimony, setting out names and times and more disgusting details than any man would have the stomach for. But where are your witnesses? You haven’t produced a single one. That makes these proceedings a total sham. A nonsense. A waste of everyone’s time. No accusation will stick on the word of one person alone. Especially if that person is of dubious character, and a woman.’

Grim took a deep breath. I waited for him to shout a furious response. But he spoke quietly, not to Mathuin but to Prince Oran. ‘I’m a witness, my lord. Not to all of it. But that time in the lockup, I was there. What she saw, I saw. Folk beaten and abused. Folk tortured to death. Men smashing themselves against the walls because they couldn’t go on. Guards ordering folk to hurt each other. Folk doing it so they wouldn’t get hurt worse. Some prisoners in there hadn’t done anything wrong. Like her. Blackthorn. Stood up for people with no voice, that’s all she did. Spoke out against that man you see there. Risked her own neck doing it. Should be more like her. Me, I stopped that man’s thugs from beating a lad to death. So Mathuin threw me in the lockup. Doesn’t like folk to challenge him. Doesn’t like folk to speak up. I’m speaking up today. Never been good with words. Not like her. But I know how to tell the truth.’

It felt as if everyone in the chamber let out a breath.

‘Thank you, Grim,’ said Prince Oran. ‘Mistress Blackthorn, do you wish to speak further?’

‘Everything Grim said is true. Both of us have told only the truth. I have nothing more to say, except that I trust this assembly to see justice done.’

‘Thank you, Mistress Blackthorn. You and Grim may leave the chamber now if you wish, and wait in the other room. Master Saran? Master Bress? Do you concur that the question Lord Mathuin posed has been adequately answered?’

The lawmen nodded. No need for discussion.

‘Very well. Master Bress, does Lord Mathuin wish to question Lord Cadhan on the other matter? Or will you speak for him?’