In Guards We Trust

  Chapter 20 – A summary trial

  By the next morning, it was clear that Renate’s prediction of a decent night’s sleep had been as hopelessly optimistic as had been her wish that the gravity of their plight might fade against the rays of the new dawn. Jason arrived to an empty Chamber of Knights shortly after seven. He found himself pacing in circles around the circular table. He paused occasionally only to switch pacing from clockwise to counter clockwise. Two hours passed before the Duke joined Jason.

  ‘I could do with a large serving of your advice right now,’ Jason confessed after he had updated the Duke regarding his conversations of the previous night with Oliver and Ruan.

  ‘I am afraid that none of my experience is of much use in this matter, your highness. The head that wears the crown is made heavier when confronted with a choice between two or more equally unpalatable options.’

  Jason and the Duke were joined by Colonel Petard and Major Clemens at ten that morning.

  ‘Will either of their highnesses be attending?’ enquired Colonel Petard.

  ‘No,’ Jason replied. ‘We considered the presence of the crown prince to be inappropriate in all the circumstances. The princess, being the sister of the crown prince, considered that her attendance might also not be conducive to the sort of frank exchanges which this situation requires.’

  ‘Of course,’ said the Colonel considerately. ‘Their decisions are most commendable.’

  A long silence prevailed during which Jason politely waited for the Colonel to place his cards on the table. The Colonel in turn placed reliance upon his inferior status to that of the prince in order to excuse his continued silence.

  ‘It might be helpful, Colonel, if you were to reveal which of the two versions of the alleged event is the version subscribed to by your good selves and by the three royal guards who apparently witnessed the incident in question.’

  The two officers remained poker face in response to Jason’s question.

  ‘We do not wish to come across as impertinent or to be seen to be in any way uncooperative, your highness, but I feel compelled to mention that we are possessed of only one version of the facts to which we all subscribe.’ A look of anxiety overwhelmed the Colonel’s face as he noticed the Duke and Jason exchange fleeting glances. ‘Perhaps, I can pre-empt any trepidation your highness and your grace might be entertaining if I mentioned that the version I speak of involves an unspeakable crime committed by the Earl of Somerset against our beloved prince.’

  ‘It may please you to know, Colonel, that the version you have just espoused is the same version endorsed by the palace pursuant to a thorough investigation conducted by, amongst others, myself.’

  ‘Indeed highness, it is most welcome,’ the Colonel responded with a wry smile. Neither officer had any reason to conclude that the palace’s investigation had included interviews with the guards who had attended at the scene. It was unnecessary to point out that this oversight compromised the integrity of the investigation.

  ‘Of course, an offence such as that under discussion falls within the jurisdiction of the Montugan High Court,’ Jason pointed out. He hesitated briefly before continuing. ‘You will appreciate, however, that the palace fears that a prosecution of this offence in open court will expose the crown prince to humiliation and embarrassment. It is no secret that the crown prince’s popularity with the citizenry is arguably not on a par with that enjoyed by his father. The palace also fears exposing the prince to any possible ridicule which might flow from any defence of consent which the Earl might consider himself forced to rely upon.’

  ‘As his grace, who has commanded the royal guard with distinction for many years will confirm, the royal guard stands committed to protect not only the persons of the royal family of Montuga, but also their reputation and their continued rule.’ The Colonel’s words were followed by a confirmatory nod from the duke.

  ‘In that case, I presume that we all view the prospect of a public trial as undesirable, not only for the reasons we have already canvassed, but also because the royal family cannot afford such a trial in these sensitive times,’ Jason declared.

  ‘Indeed, highness,’ the Colonel agreed cautiously.

  Jason realised that he was being closely scrutinised by both officers. They obviously sensed that the outer limit of the spirit of consensus between them had been attained and that Jason was preparing to probe beyond it.

  ‘If a trial is to be avoided, the only remaining option is to strip the Earl of his rank in the Montugan navy and to banish him permanently from Montuga,’ suggested Jason.

  The dismayed expressions on the faces of the two officers were unmistakable. ‘Of course, this would only occur after the Earl has served an appropriate sentence in the dungeon on your estate.’ Jason’s belated addition elicited no change to the expressions on the faces of either officer.

  ‘If your highness will permit, there is another more appropriate option which the palace might employ. It may not only address all the palace’s legitimate concerns about publicity, but it will also permit justice to be done.’ The Colonel’s tone was as cautious and as respectful as was his deferential demeanour.

  ‘We are listening,’ Jason responded.

  ‘The earl is a naval officer with a duty to protect the crown prince. The offence he committed was to do the exact opposite. There is no reason why he cannot face a military trial for treason instead of a trial held at the High Court. Of course, for reasons already canvassed, we cannot hold a court martial. Your highness could authorise a closed summary trial which Major Clemens, or I, could conduct in secret. Evidence of the offence could be led by the Captain and, if found guilty, the Earl could be executed by a firing squad consisting of the two guards who witnessed the offence. The Earl’s death could later be announced by the palace as the result of a private duel with one of the many men cuckolded by the Earl. That explanation should raise no eyebrows amongst anyone in the Montugan navy.’ The Colonel and the Major’s expressions left neither Jason nor the Duke in any doubt that the suggested plan met with the mutual approval of both officers.

  ‘You could not be persuaded to consider imprisonment, cashiering and banishment?’

  ‘With great respect your highness, I would venture to remind your highness that the Earl has previously escaped appropriate sanction for another serious offence. Such is the gravity with which the Earl’s offence against the crown prince is viewed, that I fear that principle precludes any of us from countenancing anything but the maximum penalty. We intend no disrespect to your highness if we say that we regard this as a matter of principle and that we are prepared to resign from the royal guard if necessary. In such an event, we cannot guarantee that confidential details of what occurred might not become public.’

  ‘You dare to blackmail a prince of Montuga?’ roared the duke as he banged his fist loudly on the table. ‘I should have you executed for treason for this.’

  ‘Forgive me, your grace. We do not mean to blackmail the palace. We simply wish to explore a solution which might find favour with all of us. It is unavoidable that someone will have to be sacrificed. If the palace prefers to save the Earl notwithstanding his numerous offences, then I fear it will become necessary for the palace to execute myself, the major and the three other royal guards in order to ensure our silence. My loyalty, and that of Major Clemens to the royal family is such that if the palace so prefers, we would volunteer to die now. What we do, we do not do for personal gain, your highness … your grace. We do it on principle and out of loyalty to the royal family. I would respectfully suggest that in these times, the palace can ill afford to do without loyalty such as ours.’

  Jason held his hand up to prevent another outburst from the enraged duke.

  ‘Colonel Clemens, I do not perceive your conduct as blackmail. Your claim that you are acting out of loyalty to the palace has merit. Would you both kindly leave us in order that I may discuss the matter with his grace. An usher will escort you to a waiting room a
nd you will be summoned to return here shortly.’

  ‘Of course, highness,’ the Colonel said as the two officers left the chamber.

  ‘Your grace, can they be trusted or should we have the five of them removed?’

  ‘Your highness, despite my outburst, I do believe that both officers are loyal to the royal family. Although their agenda is not without some self-interest, it has to be said that the Earl’s lack of restraint has repeatedly placed the kingdom at risk. I believe they are not wrong to regard him as a threat which requires elimination. The Earls lack of respect for the members of the royal guard, and his exploits with their wives was likely to split the Montugan military. I realise that the Earl is popular with the men in the navy. But the example he sets as an officer is not something, which, if I may be permitted to say so, I would have tolerated from any of my officers.’

  ‘Even so, your grace, I remain to be convinced that he deserves to be executed. I have to accept that he may be telling the truth when he says that the crown prince seduced him. I have not known him to lie to me before.’

  ‘A lesser sentence may be appropriate in an ideal word, highness. However, you now have to consider that your hand is, to some extent being forced by senior military officers who you will need on your side if the Montugan monarchy is to survive the death of King Julien. At the same time, by targeting a member of the royal family as he cannot deny he did, the Earl betrayed you and Montuga.’

  ‘He says Ruan targeted him.’

  ‘If he was loyal to you, he would have realised that he had a duty to protect the crown prince. Instead this one act of his may well end up destroying this monarchy and this kingdom.’

  ‘You may be right.’ Jason emitted a deep sigh as he excused himself and stepped out onto the main balcony. The scent of the sea carried by the prevailing onshore breeze served notice that, despite the bright sunshine, rainclouds were on their way. Jason considered approaching Renate and Ruan to obtain their opinions. He decided against it. Oliver was his friend. If Oliver was to be sacrificed, it would be his decision. He stared at the Phoenix and the other warships in the harbour. His heart sank as he realised that he would probably never sail with Oliver again. Despite his shortcomings, Oliver tended to transform once at sea. As he contemplated Oliver’s execution, he could not avoid reflecting on his dependence on Oliver’s reliability and skill when they were at sea. He would be difficult to replace. He departed from the balcony in an endeavour to avoid the flood of memories the sight of his fleet seemed to have provoked. Before long the meeting with the two officers was re-convened.

  ‘Given the gravity of the circumstances and the consequences for the kingdom if the facts of this case were to become public knowledge, I consent to the special summary trial. Know this, however, Colonel. I despise any violation of the rules of natural justice. It is only in these special circumstances that a trial of this nature is to be permitted.’

  ‘I understand, your highness.’

  ‘I take it that the evidence of the officer who arrived after the guards first raised the complaint will be sufficient to arrive at a conviction.’

  ‘Yes your highness. Having been caught in flagrante delicto, the Earl is hardly in a position to deny most of the facts in any event.’ The Colonel cleared his throat and added. ‘Might I also say that the Major and I are aware that the Earl is a close friend of yours, your highness, and that he is second only to you in the Montugan navy. The fact that your highness has declined to afford him special treatment in this matter has caused your highness to increase even further in my already high estimation and in that of the Major’s.’

  ‘In that case I intend to rely on your discretion and that of each of your subordinates who are aware of the facts of this matter.’ Both officers nodded as Jason spoke. ‘It should also not escape either of you that if I am prepared to permit a close friend to be sacrificed for the good of Montuga, I would think nothing of dealing decisively with anyone who reveals or who so much as threatens to reveal anything about this matter to anyone at all. I trust that we understand each other clearly.’

  ‘Your highness can rely on our discretion and our utmost loyalty.’

  Jason excused the two officers but asked the duke to remain.

  ‘Did I do the right thing?’ Jason queried.

  ‘As I mentioned earlier, your highness enjoyed no palatable choices. The fact that you took the part of a French speaking Colonel who is the second in command of the Royal Guard, and who was born in Montuga against a fellow Englishman who is a friend of yours demonstrates to him that your loyalty lies with Montuga, its royal family and its people. You acted in a manner expected of a Montugan prince. I know you think the Colonel was simply trying to flatter you with his remarks, but I know the man. I think he meant was he said about you and I am certain that you will be repaid with their loyalty countless times over.’

  Later that day the Colonel sent word that the summary trial had been held in a secure location and that the Earl had been executed after being found guilty of treason by his commission of an assault of a sexual nature on a member of the royal family. The ease with which Jason had come to terms with his decision to sanction Oliver’s execution had come as something of a pleasant surprise to him that morning. It had lulled him into a false sense of reassurance. The impact of being told of the fact of his friend’s execution arrived as a rude awakening. He was compelled to make frequent visits to the commode in response to repeated bouts of nausea. The sense of power he had felt after having made that difficult decision was replaced by a heaviness and by one constantly recurring thought which replaced all the others. It was the sickening realisation that his power to decree his friend’s execution, once implemented, was not accompanied by the power to undo it. It was the latter power that he now suddenly and desperately craved as all the justifications and reasons for his earlier decision fled in the face of an ungainly procession of suggestions that any harm occasioned by Oliver had plainly been unintentional, and that tolerance and forgiveness instead of censure would have been more appropriate. It took hours before Jason managed to repel the invasion of most of these unsolicited thoughts in order to afford the former justifications and reasons an opportunity to regain lost ground.

  Jason arranged for it to be announced to the public that the husband of a lady who had committing adultery with the Earl had chanced upon both adulterers in his bed. It was further announced that the Earl was killed in self-defence by the husband in an ensuing affray. The Earl was popular with most of the sailors who had travelled a long road with Jason and Oliver. At a hastily arranged meeting with the Montugan sailors, Jason took it upon himself to assure them that he had personally investigated the facts relating to the death of his friend. He declared that he was satisfied that the circumstances warranted a finding of self-defence. Jason’s men seemed generally satisfied with this explanation. Although Jason felt deceitful about misleading his sailors, he also realised that the real circumstances which had precipitated the Earl’s death would have not been well received by them. They regarded the Earl’s exploits with the ladies with fond admiration. In fact, many of the men expressed the view that the circumstances leading to the Earl’s death befitted his reputation and his lifestyle. He died doing what he loved most, the men concluded as they raised the first of many glasses in a series of toasts to the Earl’s memory which was set to last for several days.

  Jason returned to the palace later that evening. He located his wife in one of the palace’s libraries. He poured himself a stiff drink before he joined her. She put the book she was reading on the glass table next to her recliner.

  ‘I assume that you feel as bad as you look,’ she observed.

  ‘I suppose I do,’ Jason conceded without much emotion. Exhaustion and whiskey permitted Jason to feel some sense of release from the emotional sojourn he had endured for much of the late afternoon and early evening.

  ‘So you permitted the execution of the Earl when you knew what actually happened?
’

  ‘Yes I did. Would you have preferred it if we sacrificed your brother and the kingdom instead?’ Jason asked.

  ‘No,’ Renate answered immediately.

  ‘Exactly. I detest what I did, but what I did had to be done. And that is all there is to it.’

  ‘Yes,’ Renate agreed. ‘I spoke to Uncle Emile,’ Renate continued. ‘He says he also thinks you made the correct decision.’ Renate changed the subject. ‘Have you spoken to Ruan today?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘He is devastated about Oliver’s death. He has taken it rather badly. I think you should speak to him.’

  ‘Ruan can take care of himself,’ Jason responded bluntly.

  ‘I have never seen you this dismissive of Ruan. What has brought this on?’

  ‘I am angry with Ruan. I blame him for this too. I feel betrayed by both of them. At the same time, I feel that I was not there to protect Ruan and I feel annoyed at myself for that.’

  ‘Sometimes I think it suits Ruan to have you perceive him as your younger brother. Maybe he is not the one who requires protection?’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Jason asked lazily as whiskey and fatigue merged with a welcome numbness.

  ‘Oh I don’t know.’ Renate yawned as she spoke. ‘Perhaps Oliver does,’ she added eventually as she nodded off in her recliner. Jason reached out for her hand and held it as he also drifted into a state of slumber.

  Ruan entered the chamber of knights two days later, interrupting Jason’s breakfast as he did so.

  ‘Oh this is where you eat now.’

  ‘Yes,’ Jason said without looking up.

  ‘I received a note from you saying that I am expected at Oliver’s funeral and that no excuses will be accepted. I do not appreciate the fact of the note nor the tone of it. Your duties have ostensibly caused you to forget that I am the crown prince.’

  ‘Then it is incumbent upon you to act like one,’ Jason responded firmly as he briefly made eye contact with Ruan. ‘Renate told me that you don’t think you can bring yourself to attend Oliver’s funeral. Oliver was the second highest ranking officer of your royal navy. Your attendance as crown prince is expected, and by god, I will not have you disappoint the sailors. Bear in mind that you may need them one day to escape to safety if all hell breaks loose.’ Jason paused. ‘Besides, Oliver would still be alive if it were not for you.’

  ‘You ordered his execution, your highness.’ Ruan’s retort lacked conviction.

  ‘Yes. To save your crown. To protect your reputation. Never forget that!’

  Ruan did not respond. He changed the subject after several moments.

  ‘What will you do if I don’t attend the funeral?’

  ‘I will send ten royal guards and ten naval marines to fetch you and ensure your attendance.’

  ‘They wouldn’t dare,’ Ruan eventually retorted.

  ‘The military take their orders from me. You would be a fool if you presumed otherwise.’ Jason responded. ‘Of course, if you wish to dilute my control over them, you could do a lot worse than to start by attending Oliver’s funeral of your own accord.’

  That remark elicited a slight smile from Ruan which he tried to suppress.

  ‘Fine,’ he relented. ‘You’ve made your point. I will be there.’ Ruan sat down on the far side of the table, opposite Jason. Jason continued with his meal without saying anything.

  ‘I’m sorry about Oliver,’ Ruan said eventually. ‘I realise that you are angry with me. If I could take it all back, I would.’

  ‘The absence of the power to undo that which we instigate obliges us to consider our intended actions with prudence.’

  ‘Is that an acceptance of my attempt to apologise?’ Ruan asked.

  ‘It is simply good advice.’

  ‘It would be a pity if such good advice were only to arrive after it was too late to rescue a friendship.’

  ‘A greater pity if such good advice never arrived at all,’ Jason replied curtly. ‘Or if it were never to be acted upon,’ he added.

  ‘I imagine I shall just have to wait until you aren’t so angry before you’ll consider my apology favourably.’

  ‘Possibly,’ Jason replied.

  ‘Then I will try again in a few days,’ Ruan responded. ‘You won’t be able to resist me forever.’

  ‘Is that what you said to Oliver?’ The question did not seem to bother Ruan as much as Jason had intended it to.

  Ruan studied Jason carefully. He did not answer.

  ‘Before Oliver,’ Jason persisted, ‘Was there anyone else….like that?”

  ‘No.’ Ruan’s reply seemed genuine. ‘Why is that important to know?’

  ‘You’re the crown prince.’ Jason pointed out. ‘And Oliver. Did you have any feelings for him?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Then why?’

  ‘We were both there, we were drunk and it just happened. I wish it had not happened but now it is too late.’

  ‘I assume you understand that nothing like that can ever happen again.’

  ‘Yes of course,’ Ruan responded swiftly.