Despite the handful of meetings the judge had previously had with her, this was the first time a meeting was to take p her office. It still held a clear imprint of her father, shelves and shelves of ly arranged books along the walls. Despite the afternoon sunlight falling through the open window, shadows thrived and they seemed rather partial to her, ging to her, as if a widow’s veil which hid her expression.

  After he took his seat, she wasted no time and slid over a stack of papers. “My Lady?” he asked, only sparing the top page a gnce before looking bato the darkness.

  “Master Schulz, pray do at least skim over these before we discuss anything.”

  Her voice, gentle and warm, floated over amongst the whispering breeze. He heard her, yet hesitated for a long moment until he gave in to her request. So he picked up the loose papers, his gaze flickering down eae—and his eyes grew that little wider with each page. Once he fihe st, a long few seds passed before he gently pced the papers back down.

  “Sir uands the gist of the proposal,” she said.

  It wasn’t a question and, even if it was, he would not have disagreed. He very muderstood. “What does My Lady mean by all this?” he asked, his voiing out thin.

  “I told sir I inteo speak to people well-read on this matter and so I did. We discussed, not just the ideal set of ws, but the philosophy and history of ws too, as well as engaging in a greater discourse of what it means to be a society and how ws i with societies.”

  He let out a trolled breath, then gave the table a sharp tap as if banging a gavel. “That is not an ao the question I asked.”

  “I suppose not; however, I have o answer sir’s questions if I do not feel ined to,” she said, a lighto her voice which was apanied by idly pying with a pen. “After all, I have spent a lot of effort on this. Does sir think it is easy to meet so many talented people? To then have to pamper them aice them to the topics I wish to discuss, still then to have to ingratiate myself with them so that they would expin their points in ways I may follow….”

  Trailing off, she let out a huff and, the sunlight falling on her face for a moment, she shoout before leaning bato the shadows.

  “Of course, we are all very thankful for having such a diligent ruler. It is not that I am questioning your hard work, rather that… it is a rather rge ge, so I am curious how you see all this,” he said with an attempt at a smile, gesturing at the pile of papers.

  Silence followed for a while, soon broken as her maid entered and brought her a cup of tea. “Would sir like anything to drink? My butler could fetch a brandy or some other some such liquor my father left behind,” she said, looking past the judge.

  “No, thank you. I couldn’t impose,” he said.

  “Very well.”

  For a moment, he stayed puffed up, ready to speak, only for it to set in that she would not be asking him again. A kind of pain struck him at not knowing the taste of the te t’s liquors, almost painful enough to have him speak up. In the end, though, he mao keep from doing so.

  Oher side of the table, she took a sip of her tea and then spoke. “The heart of this matter is that the people feel safe. There is nothing which may deter all crime; and there is no crime which God shall not know. So I am asking sir to work towards that.”

  Pulled out of his thoughts, he listened closely and couldn’t keep his mouth from thinning. “To ‘feel safe’? What is even the purpose of such a goal,” he said.

  “Sir, I do not io imply ignorance, but pray uand that to feel safe is very much the entire purpose of a city. In our discussions, we agreed that there are three key reasons why it is that people would leave their home: safety, work, and leisure—in that order.”

  His gaze turo the window, mouth still thin, a wriween his brows.

  “Augstadt must be a pce where people feel safe to live, otherwise they will leave, and it must seem safe to others to attract them here,” she said, her voice soft, only to grow firmer when she tinued. “This is the most important responsibility and it is the one I shall be entrusting to sir and the guild. The responsibility of the mayorship shall be to facilitate businesses and trade such that there shall be ample work avaible. Last of all, it shall be the responsibility of the nobility to provide patronage for the arts.”

  Although his expressio unged, he became rather still, only to then give a shake of his head as he brought his gaze back to her. “While you have given this much sideration, what I read therein….”

  “Perhaps it will help sir to sider that, ultimately, nothing of substance shall ge. The judges shall still sit in their courtrooms and administer justice. The ge, then, is in our uanding of justice.”

  She spoke of it as if it was a simple matter and he could only just keep himself from ughing, his mouth twisting into a smirk. “Justice is not something which may ge—”

  “It is,” she said, firm, yet not cold nor heated.

  At her interruption, he pouhe table, her cup rattling on its saucer. “Now listen here. I have been a judge lohan you have been alive and I assure you that, even if not perfect, we know justice. Ask any experienced judge and they will tell you the same. These thinkers you spoke to—they are just that: thinkers. They do not know what it is like in a courtroom, they do not know what it is like to look evil in the eye without fling. All this talk of leniend juries when it is us who makes this city safer with the hardest decisions. Has any of those philosophers had to face the mother of a child dead to a murderer shown mercy?”

  While he did not grow angered in his respo was hardly spoken in a calm and collected manner, instead full of restrained passion that spoke of a man long-dedicated to his cause.

  For her part, she met his gaze the eime, unfling to the end, then took a sip of tea befiving her simple reply. “I ordered the execution of the hundred-odd meraries who had rebelled after the te Lr’s death and I watched every single death. Pray do not think me naive. What sir sees in those pages is mercy, whereas I see mer a man hanged for he is spared from living in dread of fag his maker.

  “However, this is not about punishment. As I said, it is a ge in our uanding of justice, that we now shall look at crime as something which must be atoned for. A criminal must repay the society he has injured—with an appropriate amount of io deter those with questionable morals.”

  At her s reminder, his righteousness died down and he posed himself once more. “My Lady speaks of givihis responsibility and at the same time intends to limit my powers to enforce the ws. Five me if I am flicted,” he said, his voice without the bitterness he spoke of.

  “Sir is better than to demand the power to hang whatever criminal he wishes.” A statement, not a question.

  He shifted in his seat, keeping up his attempt at a polite smile as his hands ched.

  “Perhaps sir goo lightly. After all, I uand it as the guild shall be expanding its powers,” she said, her gaze ing down to the stack of papers at the end.

  After hesitating, he followed the cue and once more picked up the pile ahrough them carefully this time.

  Once he put them back down, she spoke. “One aim of these ges is to ence safety for others. Muslims and Jews, for example. If we could prove ourselves as a pce where they may live in peace, then I am fident we would be able to attract a great many of them.”

  “For what reason would we want… those people here?” he said—and his disdain was not at all cealed.

  She regarded him for a long moment. “The reason is the same as ould wish for ao move here. That is, the more people iy who are w, the greater the wealth for us all.”

  Rather thae this matter further, she pulled the topic back around as she tinued.

  “Sir should uand that this is also an important step in ly separating the Church from these matters. We are to define ws which apply to all men, regardless ion or creed. For matters ious w, we shall provide a separate court which would, of course, still be uhe guild’s authority.”

  His i piqued, he let out a chuckle. “I do wonder what the good bishop thinks of this arra.”

  “If I may be did, which man would give up power without pint? Of course he shall be pensated; however, this arra is not open to iation,” she said.

  Good humour lingered on his lips a moment longer before fading away. “Separate courts,” he said, a thought spoken aloud.

  “We shall also be making the city safer for business. Merts abhor risk. If we could provide certain guarantees and prove ourselves as reliable in enf them, there would be more work and greater avaibility of goods. So it should fall uhe mayorship’s responsibilities… however, it seems to me that the judges would be better suited to mediating disputes, especially with how many educated people the guild employs. After all, it would require reading tracts and cheg ats.”

  “A third court,” he said, his expression bnk.

  She raised her hand, showing four fingers. “Last of all, there would be a court to mediate… lesser disputes. Such things which do not warrant being called a crime. For example, if a piece of expensive clothing is actally ruined.”

  “One must wonder why would a judge waste time over such… unwarranted cases,” he said, a caution in his voice.

  “That would bring us back t: the illusion of the pursuit of justid the maintaining of good order. We provide this court so that the people do not tury matters into viole need not be a sophisticated court—in fact, the simpler, the better. Let it be little more than both people speaking their piece, presenting any evidence, and the judge making a decision. When put like that, sir might even find it familiar….”

  Her st sentenarrowed his eyes as, for a moment, he fell into thought, then he sucked in a breath. “Yes, much like petitioning the King.”

  “Precisely,” she said with a lopsided smile. “Sir may well find other simirities between the papers and how the King governs the nobles. After all, whether or not the King’s judgements are truly just matters little. What does matter is that the nobility is willing to subject themselves to them.”

  It was not a simple line of thinking to sider and he fell into deep thought.

  However, she had better uses of her time than leaving people to think. “I imagine sir has reservatiarding the guild’s rearra.”

  Not a subtle cue, her statemeainly provocative, he put aside his other thoughts for now. “Please, reservations is putting it too harshly. My Lady has sidered these matters thhly and so I would wish to hear some of her reasoning,” he said, g his hands together and f a polite smile.

  “Well, it is quite simple,” she said, idly fiddling with her teacup. “I believe that things should be clearly defihere are judges, there are wyers, and there are notaries. Each has their own responsibilities and authority. While it makes sehat a judge should first have experience as a wyer, and that a wyer should first have experience as a notary, it is rather different to, say, a bcksmith who, whether an apprentiaster, is still perf the same job.”

  He nodded along. “Indeed… it is perhaps time to reflect the guild’s growth.”

  “Precisely. The guild’s current premises is far from suffit to aodate all the work that shall be ing its way, especially if we are to begin training the keepers of the peace.”

  “Ah yes, the militia-like group,” he said lightly.

  She gave a smile that was then hidden by her cup, taking a sip. As she pced it back down on the saucer, she gestured, speaking shortly after. “It shall be necessary for new criminal courtrooms to aodate juries too. I know sir is relut to trust justice to them, yet he should keep in mind that the jury, their only power is to decide guilt. Every other power still belongs to the judges….”

  As she trailed off, her gaze lowered to the cup in front of her, then slowly climbed baeet his. With a finger in front of her lips, she leaned forward.

  “Not to mention, these are oners, people who are easily influenced. It shall be up to the judges to ehey are not… mislead.”

  Her implication could not have been more deliberate; however, he simply smiled, pretending as if he had not heard the insinuation. “Of course. It is a judge’s responsibility to keep the proceedings in good order.”

  After returning his smile, she let her gaze fall once more, this time settling on the pages. “I am sure sir has oher discussion in mind regarding the nobility.”

  The levity left his expression, his response only ing after a deep breath. “Indeed.”

  Although she waited, he made no attempt to begin the discussion. It was almost enough to make her smile an ironic smile. Almost, but not quite enough.

  “There are two key pieces to keep in mind. First of all, I shall be… inf them that the judges a—and with—my authority, which means that the judges should be respected as they would respect me. Sed of all… whioble would be found guilty by a jury of his peers?”

  As she asked that question, she met his gaze, sunlight falling on her amused smile.

  After a moment’s pause, she tinued. “Whether or not justice is served—what matters is the illusion of the pursuit of justice. For the an to see the nobles be summoo court like any other man is a good enough start.”

  For a while, a long while, he said nothing, simply looking at her veiled expression, until finally he broke into chuckles.

  “My Lady certainly is wise to look to the King for inspiration. Indeed, it is easy tet she spent much time at the Royal Pace. She thinks of everything at a higher level than us.”

  C her mouth, she let out a titter. “Which is why I hose who uand the lower levels.”

  Their versation lingered for a little longer before she dismissed him along with the stack of papers, a silence falling in the office as her butler led the guest away. The wind whispered, cold, tugging at her clothes. Eventually, the door opened once more and her butler entered once again, her maid slipping in as well with a fresh cup of tea, sing it with the cooled one upon the desk.

  “Why would anyo an achievement to order around their subjects,” she said, a whisper, yet one which carried through the room.

  Her butler smiled. “My Lady, the achievement is not in issuing the order, but in having it be thhly and faithfully acted out.”

  “So Mr er thinks Schulz has been swayed?” she asked, soundiher curious nor accusatory, but instead rather disied.

  He gave a chuckle and, after sparing the maid a smile, gave his answer. “Master Schulz is a ing man when he so wishes. As long as My Lady tio tip the ban his favour, he has no reason to put his ing to use.”

  The teacup at her lips, she smiled, taking a sip, the out a long sigh as she lowered the cup. “Mr er has a way with making politics seem so simple.”

  “My Lady is too kind,” he said with a bow. “I am merely blessed to have observed how My Lady’s father and maged with these matters.”

  “Always a ftterer,” she said with ughter in her voice, which she theled with another breath.

  Her gaze wandered over to the open window and the distant sights far beyond.

  “What iing times we shall soon be living in,” she whispered.