If so, it was a relief to those who had secrets to hide and a vast disappointment to those who wanted to learn those secrets that the King himself ordered it to be a trial by Coercive Truth Spell. Given Remp’s history with Mags’ family, King Sedric had Herald Jered set it, rather than Mags or Amily.

The courtroom was literally a Court Room; one of the common rooms of the Palace that had had the furniture cleared from it, a podium brought in for the judge, a seat for the accused, and benches for the jury and audience. Afternoon light streamed in from the windows on the right hand side of the wood-paneled room, and though they were open, the air felt stale and stuffy.

Abi was in the courtroom, although she took care to disguise herself thoroughly with a ginger wig, abundant freckles, and a very expensive gown borrowed from Kat. She was within eyeshot of Dudley Remp, whose eyes skimmed right past her as he scanned the crowd. She wondered what he was looking for. Friends? He wasn’t likely to see any. Enemies? Possibly. Or maybe just people his father had leverage over, who might betray themselves by their nervousness—Fenris Remp probably hadn’t handed over the secrets of those names to his son, and those names would be very valuable indeed.

The judge in the case was the High Court Judge of Haven, the Honorable Bader Genberg, whose reputation was as spotless as his white judicial robes. There was no hope for preferential treatment there. Abi watched with amusement as Remp was brought into the court, objected to being subjected to the Truth Spell, had his objections dismissed on the spot, and then sat down in front of Herald Jered.

Within moments, Fenris Remp was surrounded by a bright blue glow as he scowled and sweated.

“State your name,” the judge ordered.

“Fenris Iven Remp,” Remp growled.

“Why were you in the tent from which you were seized at the Fair in Haven four days ago?” the judge asked crisply.