Chapter 5: Trial by Earthquake (1)
The sword point at Seo-yeon's throat was polite but insistent, and the young captain's eyes held the kind of loyalty that killed without hesitation.
"Papers." His voice carried the clipped authority of someone who'd sent people to the gallows before breakfast. Behind him, three guards in the sun-sigil livery of Astra fingered their weapons with practiced ease.
Seo-yeon's mouth went dry. "I don't—I mean—" The words tangled between Korean and the medieval dialect she'd crammed for her dissertation. Think. Think like a historian. What would someone from this era say?
"She doesn't have papers because she's a spy."
The new voice rolled across the checkpoint like thunder wrapped in silk. An ornate carriage had appeared, black lacquer gleaming in the torchlight, drawn by horses that looked too well-fed for a starving kingdom. The man who emerged wore furs that cost more than most citizens earned in a year, his graying beard trimmed to aristocratic precision.
Duke Hammond. Seo-yeon recognized him from portrait descriptions in her research—though those had failed to capture the casual cruelty in his smile.
"Look at her, Captain Kai." Hammond circled Seo-yeon like a predator examining prey. "Foreign accent. Expensive materials." He seized her hand, yanking the pocket watch from where she'd clutched it against her chest. "Gold. Royal craftsmanship. Stolen, no doubt, from some murdered traveler."
"It's mine!" The protest escaped before Seo-yeon could stop herself.
"Then explain how a vagrant possesses artifacts worth a year's wages." Hammond's fingers dug into her shoulder. "Vipera sends its spies well-equipped these days."
Vipera. The word sent ice through Seo-yeon's veins. In her research, anyone accused of being a Vipera agent faced immediate execution. No trial. No appeal.
"My lord, we should question her properly—" Kai began.
"We should hang her at dawn and spare ourselves the trouble." Hammond gestured sharply. "Take her to the castle. The Noble Council will enjoy watching this one squirm."
The council chamber could have been designed specifically to crush hope.
Cold stone walls stretched three stories high, lit by torches that made shadows dance like executioners practicing their craft. Ten nobles sat in a semicircle of elevated seats, wrapped in furs and judgment, while Seo-yeon stood in the center of the floor with her hands bound.
Duke Hammond presided from the highest seat, looking like a man savoring a particularly fine wine.
"State your name and origin." His voice echoed off the vaulted ceiling.
"Seo-yeon Kang." She kept her chin up through sheer stubbornness. "I'm a trav—a scholar. I study ancient languages and history."
Murmurs rippled through the nobles. One woman in crimson leaned forward. "What village claims you?"
Trap question. Name any village, and they'd have people there by morning to verify her story. "I've been traveling for months. My home is—it's far from here."
"How convenient," Hammond purred. "And your accent? I've traded with merchants from every kingdom within a thousand miles. I've never heard its like."
Seo-yeon's mind raced. Her Korean-influenced pronunciation must sound as foreign to them as Klingon would to her. "My mother was—she came from distant lands. She taught me differently."
"Another convenient answer with no proof." Hammond stood, addressing the other nobles. "She appears at our gates with stolen goods, speaks with a spy's evasive tongue, and cannot name a single person to vouch for her character. The Vipera Empire wants our kingdom's throat, and here stands their blade."
"Wait—" Panic clawed at Seo-yeon's chest. This is wrong. This is too fast. I'm supposed to help Theodore, not die in some medieval kangaroo court—
Movement caught her eye. On a balcony overlooking the chamber, barely visible in the shadows, stood a figure. Tall. Motionless. She couldn't make out features, but something about his stillness made her think of winter storms and held breath.
Theodore.
The realization hit like electricity. The king was watching her die.
"I've heard enough." Hammond's pronouncement fell like a blade. "Guards, take her to the cells. We'll hang her at dawn and display the body as warning to other Vipera dogs—"