The Lady Justice

Chapter VI: I Convince, I Convince Not

Lady Therese De Beauharnais of Roche

2 October, Year 32 of King Frederick V of Monrique's reign

Bordeux Castle, Bordeux

Monrique

The whole of Lady Madeleine's case came down to the following clause, one that juries all over the country followed so religiously that it was bolded and underlined by the author of this law book:

Of Monriquan land no portion of

the inheritance shall come to a woman:

but the whole inheritance of the land

shall come to the male sex.

I sighed heavily, tapping my quill against the page. Prejudice did not belong in a justice court, yet it was all I saw in these books, and through the research I had been doing since yesterday.

However, I was hoping that the plan I was coming up with would at least warrant Lady Madeleine an opportunity to argue her case, and to set in motion a momentum for change in our current succession laws.

As I released another sigh, a commanding voice broke into my reverie.

"Give me that one."

My best friend, Lady Olivia of Tessensohn, stood in the middle of her chambers, surrounded by gowns of all colours, sizes and materials, and by the Modiste and her assistants. She grabbed each one at random, examined their hue against the candlelight, and then held it up against her body to view herself in the looking-glass.

This has been going on for over three hours, and I had long begun to regret coming over to her chambers to study.

"That looks very nice on you, my Lady," the Modiste supplied helpfully at that moment, "but then again, you look remarkable in every one of these gowns."

"I am aware. That is why I am finding it so difficult to choose," Liv snapped, before, "what do you think, Tess?"

I did not look up from my book. "I think that you are wasting your time, as well as that of your Modiste."

"Oh, come now, Tess," she whined, stamping her feet, "it will hardly take you a few seconds to give me your opinion."

Releasing an exasperated breath, I glanced up at her. She was holding up a bright, yellow gown, which had puffy lace sleeves and black sequined hemming at the edges.

"You look like a bumblebee," I told her bluntly, "if you would like to have everyone's eyes constantly on you at any event, go ahead and purchase it."

The Modiste's eyes grew round at my honesty, and she attempted to salvage the situation. "I am certain Lady Therese meant that you look as fresh as a bee in the break of dawn – "

I raised an eyebrow. "Do not put words in my mouth, Madame."

She flushed at once. "I – "

Liv waved her off. "My friend is correct," she sighed, tossing the yellow gown at the poor woman, "the colour clashes with my eyes, in any case."

Raising my eyes to the heavens above, I returned to my thoughts.

In the meanwhile, Liv was scowling at me. "You have become such a bore, Tess," she complained, "in the past, you used to look through these dresses right alongside me."

"The past is long gone."

"I can see that," she eyed me warily, "what do you keep reading about all day?" She tried to peer at my law book.