…

Dinah and Dante handled themselves well. From where they stood at the foot of the stairs leading to the throne, they greeted and heard the pleas of some hundred petitioners. 

One farmer claimed there had been an increase in wolves near his property, and that he and his neighbors had suffered a great many losses in livestock because of this. He was accompanied by a group of seven, which proclaimed to be said neighbors. After hearing the case, the siblings decided to send a trio of scouts from the army with the farmers to confirm the location of the wolves. The scouts were to locate the wolves, then conscript guards or soldiers from the nearest hold to dispatch the pack. It was a rather mundane solution, but the group of farmers were elated to receive it. 

A woman that had come alone claimed corruption in the local administration within the capital. This was a serious issue, and while her story was unverifiable at present, Dinah took the initiative and sent the woman with a scribe to take down her full story. Additionally, Dante assigned a pair of guards to stand watch outside her home until the matter was settled. The woman had been worried that speaking out would make her a target, and the siblings shared her concern. They promised to personally see to the investigation with their own staff, and the woman tearfully thanked them as she went with the scribe. 

A landlord with noble blood came demanding help with collecting rent from his tenants. He claimed they were failing to pay and that the city administration would do nothing about it. The siblings asked for the case number he had been assigned from the city officials, then sent it off with an official that was present for just such occasions. They instructed the official to look into it and report the information directly to their offices. The nobleman looked pleased, and haughtily walked out after thanking them. 

That particular exchange was draining, especially for Dante. While Dinah was much more well-versed in politics and etiquette, Dante was a soldier to his core. He had never taken to the hobbies of aristocracy beyond those that overlapped with his interest in martial training. He could handle a fox hunt, riding horses, and even board games fairly well, but a battle of words was largely beyond him. He was well learned, but not particularly adept as an orator.

Additionally, nobles were not allowed in these sessions. This was supposed to be purely for the common folk. That particular man, however, fell into a gray area. He was born into a petty noble family with only a minor title, and he was not the heir. He had bought his land after running a successful trading company, and thus was not a noble with granted title or lands. 

Still, the man grated on Dante's nerves and it almost showed on his face. When he looked to his sister for support, she was a mask of perfect poise and nobility. He was jealous of her for that skill, although he did not envy the years of practice she had suffered to attain that level of composure. 

Dinah, on the other hand, was much less irritated by the man. The haughty attitude aside, that man had no other way of petitioning the crown. A letter from a non-inherited petty noble would be little more than kindling if it was received by the palace, and the man had worked hard to amass his wealth. She heard him out with understanding and promised to look into the matter. 

All the while, their father looked on with a small smile hidden by the distance from his throne and the children. He was proud, and in his fatherly joy he was growing wistful as he thought of the future these children of his would build. 

So long as these two remain, this kingdom will prosper. Those were his honest thoughts. 

The afternoon crept on like this, and the line showed no sign of ending. Two hours after the midday break, scribes began to take down the names of those lined up beyond the doors to the audience hall. Those that were not heard today would have their place in line saved for tomorrow. That was the policy of the palace. In this way, it was assured that they did not drive away petitioners just by the sheer volume of the line. It was another policy that earned goodwill from the people, and another decision of the king.

Fifteen minutes after the scribes began this task, the prince was taking a drink of water and the princess was discussing something with an attendant while the next petitioner was being guided to meet them. 

The petitioner looked to be a woman, tall and thin and dressed in black robes. She was being led by the arm by an attendant as if she was blind, and even stranger yet was the mask covering her face. It looked to be painted wood, carved into a beautiful–if slightly alien–woman's face and painted white. A red hand print was also painted across the face, the thumb and middle fingers stretching to touch each temple, and there were no holes in the mask for her eyes. It was a strange sight, and it immediately caught the siblings' attention.

The prince stared at the handprint mask. There was something in the back of his mind telling him it reminded him of something, but he couldn't quite place it. Dinah began feeling antsy. She felt as though something was watching her.

The attendant released the woman's arm and stepped aside, informing the woman "You now stand before their highnesses Prince Dante and Princess Dinah Andrade."

The woman bowed deeply, a strange motion that accentuated the rigidity of her posture. Her robes were tied in such a way as to allow free movement, and there was a practiced ease with which she moved despite her apparent disability. 

"Good afternoon, your highnesses. My apologies, I asked that man to help on account of my condition."

Dante looked to his sister, and when she didn't move he took the initiative. "Please," he said, "rise. There is no issue, I am only struck by the design of your mask. If I may ask, is there a significance in it?" He approached the woman as he spoke, projecting his voice enough for the rest of the chamber to hear. There was a certain amount of pageantry involved in these hearings. They needed to make a show of hearing each petitioner, and they needed those in line to hear how they handled each case. This was to build trust, and to nurture the image of the royal family.

The woman rose back to her full height, and now that he was closer the prince could see that she stood some few inches taller than himself. He was not a small man himself, although he was not especially tall. He was briefly shaken by her stature, but brushed it off.

"There is, your highness. It was given to me by my mentor. I suffered an incident, you see, and lost the use of my eyes." The woman pulled the mask aside to show a slender, teardrop-shaped face with bandages covering the eyes and parts of the face. 

Where there were no bandages, the skin was pale and smooth with soft features. She was beautiful, objectively speaking, which made the contrast of the bandages strike Dante. Something had disfigured this woman, and that seemed a shame even if just on an aesthetic level. He immediately felt guilty for asking and rushed to amend the situation.

"You have my condolences, then. I apologize for asking, that was rude of me. My curiosity got the better of me." He made a slight bow, drawing murmurs and gasps from attendants and petitioners alike. This gesture may be lost on the blind woman, but a prince bowing even so slightly was something that wasn't done. Dante kicked himself slightly, remembering this as he corrected his posture. To some present, it would look as though he were lowering himself beneath this woman. He didn't see it that way, but that was the etiquette of the situation.

Why did I do that? He asked himself. Dante had never made that mistake before, but for some reason he had let his guard down and slipped up.

This breach in etiquette seemed to bring the princess back to herself, and Dante felt a slight pinch on his arm as she came up to stand beside him.

"Think nothing of it, your highness. There is no sin in taking interest in your subjects. Your concern is appreciated."

The woman's voice was gentle, yet to Dante it also held a conviction that reminded him of a soldier. While that may be lost on some, this meant to Dante that the woman had been through much. He felt saddened by the thought, and could only imagine what path she had taken to earn those bandages and that resolve.

"What is your name, dear, and what business do you bring for us?" Dinah chimed in, driving forward the petition. It was not lost on her that they still had hours ahead of them, and dallying would only make things worse. Even if she was uncomfortable, they needed to do their duty.

"My apologies. My name is Charlotte, and I am a priestess of Saso Rhanna. I come with the business of our faithful. Two of our followers have been wronged, and I come on their behalf to lay their cases at your feet. I apologize for this, as we usually handle these things ourselves, but circumstances dictate that I must bring this to the royal family."

That was a strange thing, a priest coming on behalf of parishioners, but it wasn't as if there was no precedent. Still, even stranger yet was the name of their deity.

"I'm afraid I am not familiar with your sect," the princess said. "Could you provide us with some details?"

"Of course, your highness," the woman replied, her volume matching that of the siblings. "We are a small temple to the North that takes in any and all who have been wronged. Our lady, patron of the beset and beaten, seeks to right the wrongs done to those who seek deliverance from those with more power than themselves. As a priestess, I carry out that will on her behalf."

The princess opened her mouth to speak, but the woman continued talking. Dante, however, felt something click together in his mind as he listened. 

"One of our followers, a woman named Hana, has been assaulted by a soldier repeatedly over the course of many years. That soldier is currently serving here in the city under the command of the royal army, and as such I must bring her case here.

"Another of our faithful, a man named Julian, escaped from prison recently and brought to us the tale of his experience while incarcerated. He was tortured by two men while in captivity, and the men claimed to be pursuing research. This also occurred here in your city, and so I bring it to you."

The woman bowed again, and Dinah took this to mean she had said her piece. She looked to her brother, hoping for some help, but he was lost in thought.

"As for the case of the woman, if you can provide us with details of the accusations and the name of the offender, we will be able to investigate. It is an issue that the woman is not here herself, as she could provide us with more detail, but we can make do as is.

"The case of this Julian is more troubling. You freely admit that this man escaped prison? Did you misspeak? That would make your follower a criminal, as I'm sure you know, which means we must insist on his return. His accusations are grave, and they will be taken seriously, but we cannot allow him to go free. We cannot bend the law for anyone, regardless of their circumstance."

Dinah looked up at the woman, trying to gauge her reaction. There was no hint of anything in her posture, and the mask obstructed the face. This made the woman seem daunting in a way. She was unreadable.

The woman, however, replied with the same even tone with which she had been speaking prior.

"That's a shame. I cannot allow that. There is a reason why it is me standing before you and now our followers. All three of the men involved in the two situations are men that, by your standards, have considerable power. If Hana and Julian were to stand here themselves, they would be killed before you had the chance to investigate properly."

One of the retainers, from their place to the side of the room, took a step forward.

"Young lady, I would remind you that you are before the royal family! It is not your place to allow anything, and your insinuation that their highnesses would be unable to protect these citizens is an insult to the crown!"

Dinah furrowed her brow at the words of the woman, but nonetheless kept her composure. "Hush, Benjamin. There is no issue." What did she mean by our standards?

The princess collected her thoughts, again looking to her brother to no avail, then spoke once more. "I understand your concerns, but we will be unable to move forward with Julian's case until he is remanded into custody. Nevertheless, please name the accused for both cases and provide details so that we may begin investigation into the case of the woman."

The woman was silent for a long moment. It was an uncomfortable silence, and Dinah felt as though the feeling of being watched only increased in that time. Then, finally, the woman clicked her tongue and spoke.

"That's a shame. Nevertheless, two of the accused are present in this room. We can put this to rest right now."

Dante stirred from his deep thought and began looking searchingly at the woman. He was on the verge of something, he could feel it. If only he could just remember...

"The man who assaulted Hana is called Jack Ames-Bough. The men who tortured Julian are called Dorian Millson and Trey Strong."

And then there was chaos.