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The defendant’s eyes were made of ice, yet there is a fire that burned in them, raged in them, that made the Chief Justice decide to be quiet for the whole trial. The audience had seen his silence as judgment, and they called for something exciting—something sensible—something else. Yet, the Iudex remained in his seat, deep in thought.
The Court of Fontaine was not a new observer to the silence of the Iudex; his silences were a mark of his thoughts, wherein he weighs the crimes and cases presented with care. His Majesty is a cunning man, one who wields his sense of justice as tried and true, and as unbiased as he can be. With the help of the Oratrice Mecanique d’Analyse, the justice system of Fontaine runs smoothly, only a bit flourished with the antics of the Hydro Archon, Focalors.
However, the case presented among them—one full of aghast and excitement—was… too smooth.
There were no words uttered by the defendant except, I am guilty. There was no fanfare, no pleading for a lighter sentence; he accepted it with nary a protest, which had stumped both the Hydro Archon and the people of Fontaine. The case was between the deigned prosecutor, the People of Fontaine, versus the defendant Wriothesley.
The crime, murder of his foster parents.
It should be the perfect story to write in the papers. A tragedy of the highest degree; a drama that could span for days and days and even weeks. The announcement of the trial had been set up one week before, and the Steambird had hounded for information in every way they could. From the pro-bono lawyers that will be defending the case, the victims of the defendant, the victims of the murderers, even Lady Furina herself—everyone was expecting something more.
But the defendant stands in his place, head bowed. He does not attempt to move. The handcuffs on his wrists glisten in the bright lights of the Opera, a stark contrast to the dark clothing that he sported.
The Chief Justice observes the defendant with a tightness to his chest that he cannot fully explain.
He is but a teenager.
A teenager that had been dealt with the wrong cards.
A teenager that had been wronged by Fontaine.
He had read the case when it had landed upon his desk in the Palais Mermonia, after a moment of categorizing the cases to be dealt for that week. It had taken him ten minutes to shuffle the cases by gravity. It had taken him twenty minutes to cross-reference other materials with the other cases, and so he was left with two unique cases, one of which was the current one.
Then, it had taken him two whole days to fully digest the reports given by the Marechausse Phantom and the Maison Gardenniage.
The defendant for the case is named Wriothesley, though the Maison Gardenniage have penned a note regarding that this might not be his real name. The given name was written in red, an inquiry to the Iudex; it asked if the unofficial (and obvious) name change would be legitimized in the Court of Fontaine, seeing as name changes were to be filed for official recognition. Doing so may result into unfavorable matters, but quite extraneous to the case—still, it could be something that the prosecutor might raise.
Neuvillette had shaken his head immediately at the question and wrote down, ask if this change in his name shall be an official decision, and processing of such files will take only a few hours. There were many things that the Iudex can focus on in Wriothesley’s case, and it shall not be the false name that he had taken upon himself.
As he read on further, he found himself sitting down onto his chair, cane clutched on his left hand.
----REPORT CASE FILE: 855 ----
Marechausse Phantom Assigned: Menthe, Veleda.
Maison Gardenniage: Adal, Faustina
The Marechausse Phantom immediately pinpointed that the crime belongs to the defendant, who did not leave the premises of the crime scene. Officers in the crime scene immediately handcuffed him and he did not indicate any objective in running away from the authorities. Aside from signs of struggle from the defendant himself, the victims of the crime seemingly had been asphyxiated with the aid of metal equipment, due to the depth of marks on their necks.
The Maison identified that the crime scene was actually a house that indicated several tenants, most likely children. Children’s books are strewn about, clothes and toys found in different parts. However, no children were found around the premises. Signs of immediate escape were found, through doors and broken windows, though the Marechausse clarified that they were deliberate acts due to the force done onto them. They also catalogued the ages of the clothes, and found different smells upon them. A Marechausse officer had remarked to check the samples of the clothes and toys, identifying a different substance that could not be identified as of the moment.
Beside the victims, an armband with the writing TRANSACTION: CXXXV-III-XIV. Neighbors of the area were noticeably either new and did not know the family, or have decided not to talk to the Maison. The Marechausse identified indicators that pertained to obfuscation on their part, and the Maison will pursue this matter in time.
The suspect immediately went into shock for unknown reasons, but due to the state of his constitution, it may have been due to intense exhaustion, malnutrition, and of other emotional capacity. It was only thereafter it was identified that the suspect had wounds covered under the shirt wrapped around his neck, with jagged edges as lacerations. He was immediately brought to the nearest medical facility and treated. The nurse had identified marks on the suspect’s neck, most likely pinpricks of an injection, as the appointed medical officer identified.
Before the suspect was put into trial, a teenager had pleaded for the suspect’s sentence to be lightened, and be given a chance for defense. With this in account, the Maison makes another report, CASE FILE NO. 856. For brevity, the new testimony necessitated an apt lawyer for the suspect in the case, as there may be details that shall be considered in giving the sentence to him. Included in the testimonial is the teenager showing their own markings on the neck, saying that the suspect had done what the others had not been able to do.
The Maison will investigate such markings with other suspected members, as their usage of the plural was noted by the officer-in-charge.
Once the suspect had regained consciousness and his health declared by the health officer assigned to the case to be sufficient, the suspect immediately confessed to his crimes and asked for his trial to be prompt, and without fanfare if possible. The Maison cannot promise this, but it is to be noted that the suspect did not plead for any angle except for the proper atonement of his sins.
---
DATE: XX-XX-5XX AC
TIME: Approximate – 19: 50 in the evening
PLACE OF OCCURRENCE: Lower Court of Fontaine
Background/Brief facts of the case
Suspect: Wriothesley [Given Name]. Real name: [REDACTED].
Crime: Murder of Clementine and Beaux Bonnette.
Sequence of Events
Gardes in one of the upper-class neighborhoods of the city detected a commotion and immediately checked upon the stirring. Witnesses pointed to the Bonette residence, and the officers arrived in the crime scene. Victims of the crime was found on the ground, blood pooled in their mouths due extreme asphyxiation and possible crushing of the trachea. Suspect was found minutes after, icing his injured hands, though not present during questioning.
Officers of the Marechausse Phantom, as well as the Quartier Medecines were dispatched after receiving a request from the Gardes. Marechausse immediately confirmed that the victims identified were connected to the suspect. After a declaration of their deaths, timed 20:13 in the evening, the suspect immediately collapses. He is brought to the nearby facility for treatment.
Disposition/Findings
Identification of blood markings and injuries coincide with the method. All evidence points to the suspect, as confirmed by the Maison and the Marechausse.
The Gardes focused on identifying the marker found nearby the victims, and were traced to be a sort of tracker and receipt for transaction. Further and ongoing investigations brought through that the Bonnette residence had been used as a base headquarters for human trafficking and child smuggling operations, with children’s belongings being used to traffic cartel into the city.
Note: The Spinel de Rosula has offered assistance in identifying the rings.
Conclusion:
Suspect “Wriothesley” found guilty of the crimes perpetrated.
Recommendations:
Results of related investigations, which are still in motion, may also contribute to his judgment. Motivations may incur a lesser sentence. As of the current report, the Gardes and the Marechausse determines that the act was done with premeditation, and as an act of defiance and protection to the children and teenagers that were housed in the Bonnette residence.
---SIGNED: MAISON GARDENNIAGE OFFICER-IN-CHARGE ---
--- CO-SIGNED: MARECHAUSSE PHANTOM OFFICER-IN-CHARGE---
---CO-SIGNED: QUARTIER MEDECINES OFFICER-IN-CHARGE---
Neuvillette does not tear his gaze away from the young man who had not moved a single centimeter from his position.
He, as the Iudex of Fontaine, has handled several cases throughout the decades. Different cases had brought him a range of emotions, from disappointment to joy; that is the folly of the heart of a dragon, in the middle of humanity. There were many things that humanity can do in the name of their desires and needs, and it is not always something that Neuvillette can process on his own. The trials gave him a looking glass to the motivations and beliefs of people, and they have always fascinated him, regaled him with the different colors and paths a single individual could walk—depending on what life has dealt them with, and what their response was to theirs.
Wriothesley, he knows, is a guilty person. The Oratrice will see to it. He will see to it. All evidence points to him killing his foster parents, and there was nothing else that can sway the jurisdiction of both the Oratrice’s and his. No amount of pleading from the lawyers—whom he can hear give case after case of consideration for the defendant—can lessen the sentence. Some things, while could be considered as grey in this world, could be black and white. Sentencing a Fontanian to prison due to the crimes they have committed is merely one of those black and white aspects of life.
Yet, Neuvillette can feel his heart constrict as Wriothesley accepts the details of his sentence without question. Even Lady Furina, starting out with such fire and excitement for the drama the case could have brought, seemed subdued as more details about the case came into light. The clamor of the audience was more focused on the fact that the teen should get a lighter sentence, not one that will make him age in a “hopeless and dangerous” place such as the Fortress of Meropide. He can hear the different justifications—a teenager that was brought with such people should not be isolated in a place that is full of criminals and exiles of Fontaine!
A part of Neuvillette disagrees—criminals who have placed the name of judgment in their hands deserved to serve the sentence appropriate to them.
The majority of Neuvillette agrees. This young man—teenager, who had made decisions probably due to emotional distress and need to change such things—reacted poorly, but not unjustifiably.
If I had been less inclined to holding to the strictness that I conduct myself to, Neuvillette thinks, remembering Vautrin and Carole, would I have not bared my teeth against the prejudice of Fontaine? Would I have not placed justice in my hands as well, just as Vautrin had done? Years and years of trying to reform people’s outlook on Melusines, and people still treated them wrongly… to the point of Carole’s demise. Of Vautrin’s emotional distress and disappointment clouding his judgment in carrying out his thoughts to the light.
Would I have acted differently, if it was my family being brought into extremes?
There are many things he wants to say, because as he had watched the young man throughout the trial, he noticed that there was no doubt in his voice. Wriothesley had believed that what he had done was judgment and worthy of being exiled to, but he had done what he could, in the light of their situation. He cooperated with everything, from showing the gloves that had dealt the final blows, to the declaration that he was guilty. It was mostly an open-and-shut case.
The awful thing was the fact that his trial did not end so easily.
“Please understand! They were evil! They… I would never see my brother anymore!”
“Please, he had done what he had to do—”
“He saved my sister from being… from being—”
In an unprecedented turn of events, brought by the Gardes and the Spina (as they promised in their notes), more children and teenagers showed up to advocate for a lighter sentence. Lists of children’s names—and they were spine-chillingly numerous—that were brought to the discussion. They were to give the argument that the defendant’s action—his crimes—had saved more children from their demise.
Those that did not know, those that were not able to fight back, those that were not given a chance to live—they had been abused, trafficked, and others were disposed of. The murders of Clementine and Beaux Bonnette brought safety to the children of Fontaine.
“They deserved to die. Can you not see that he was just protecting us?”
“Monsieur Neuvillette!”
Furina, had already left her place. Though she loves the pomp that trials gave, there were cases that she did not handle well—ones that involved the youth, for example, but especially for crimes that needed a heavier hand and a steel heart. She uses excitement to combat every emotion that she feels, and probably felt that this was a case that did not warrant fanfare. She was probably still listening.
Neuvillette puts down his cane, and stands up. The Opera Epiclese quiets down.
The decision of the Oratrice may highly be in line to my own, he wanted to say. But I want to convey to you that this is not the end of your journey. You have brought an understanding in me, wherein some things are to be given attention to. Your crimes had brought more to the light, ones that the Maison Gardenniage and the Marechausse Phantom were not aware of. If not for you, we would have been blind, still.
He says none of those. There is no sentiment that should be brought in making decisions regarding carrying out judgment, especially to one’s hands. The law exists for bringing everyone equal treatment, and the judicial process an equal opportunity to defend themselves.
What he says is something different, one that he seldomly does.
“Monsieur Wriothesley,” he calls. “Please. Speak your piece.”
The Opera Epiclese hushes, an atmosphere of somberness coating the area.
The young teenager looks at everyone, from the audience, to the stage, to Lady Furina, and then to him.
Neuvillette holds his gaze.
To his shock, Wriothesley sends him a determined nod, and he breathes in deeply. Resolution and acceptance deign on his features, and Neuvillette, not for the first time since this case was brought into his office and till the trial had gone through, was amazed at the resolve that seemingly was innate in different people, from different walks of life. Even from different places, humanity has a common denominator, and Neuvillette knows that this young man will not perish in the Fortress of Meropide.
“I am guilty.” Wriothesley accepts. “Do not fight for me. I will serve what I should.”
The Oratrice tilts and declares him guilty, amidst the dead silence of the Opera. Neuvillette sentences him to not less than twenty years in prison, with a chance for petition and reduction if the defendant displays improvement and positive merit regarding conduct of his activities.
Wriothesley nods, and accepts the hand cuffs given to him. The Opera Epiclese officially ends session for the week, and the audience seems subdued.
The trip back to Palais Mermonia is accompanied with some of the heaviest rains that Fontaine experiences in a while. The Melusines they pass by look at him in concern, and others even try to accompany him and the Hydro Archon as they walk through the deluge. Neuvillette, however, only offers them a small smile in return. His thoughts are far, far away, circling around their latest case.
He had personally sent the young man to the boat heading to the Fortress of Meropide, and was struck at how…different Wriothesley was in comparison to the one that he had observed during the trial. The one on the stands was almost…determined to be sent to the Fortress, eyes tired yet accepting. The one on the boat looked… for the lack of better words, anticipatory.
Wriothesley seemed to look forward to the place that exiled Fontainians from. Neuvillette, had been perplexed.
“You alright?” Lady Furina asks, once they settle in their office in Palais Mermonia. Even she was either surprised or exhausted by today’s conclusion of the trial, maybe miffed about how easy everything was, but simultaneously horrified by how much gravitas the trial had. She does not even ask for cakes or tea, or even a glass of water. She just sits on the couch in the office, and Neuvillette finds himself standing just opposite her.
“I… am unsure, Lady Furina.” Neuvillette admits after a few moments of silence. She nods. “It had been a case that was free of fuss and any complications. The defendant acquitted seconds after I read his crimes. The lawyers and the audience were the only ones to actually clamor for everything—”
“—and me,” Lady Furina adds, and Neuvillette nods absently. “I got really bored… disappointing, really.”
“—yet he did not even react to them." He continues. "The only time he uttered anything beyond agreeing to his sentence, as well as changing his expression beyond of his acceptance, was when I let him speak his piece. Even then, it was to… repeat my words.”
He doesn’t know what to think of it, really. The thought of it leads him to get a pitcher of water, and he pours one for himself, and one for the Hydro Archon that seemed to be observing him as well.
“It wasn’t just to repeat your words, you know that right?” Lady Furina asks, and Neuvillette lifts his gaze from his cup to look at her. She sighs, and shifts in place, getting one of the throw pillows of the couch. “Monsieur Neuvillette, he was reassuring the other victims of the couple that he will be able to survive the Fortress.”
“What?” he murmurs, reviewing the words of the young man. Then, his eyes widen in realization. “I almost had forgotten. They had showed up during the trial.”
“Indeed.” Lady Furina nods, bringing out her hand. Neuvillette pours her a glass of water without question. “It was at that time when I realized I couldn’t just… you know. I tried, but it felt a bit… I’m not that bad.”
“Lady Furina…”
“It’s okay, I know I tend to be a little dramatic,” she grins, but it falters in the next second. “Monsieur. I did not realize it had gone that bad… we need to do something about it. That was the only faction that they identified, right? Who knows how much has been going under noses… especially without our supervision. It gives me chills.”
“I will see to it that the Marechausse Phantom does their best to identify the rings, though I would not know how effective it would be. The kids… used as mere cartel,” he hisses, bringing his hand to his temples. “Politics have always been a murky subject to delve into, but if we had to collaborate with other factions of Fontaine to identify others… I know that the Maison Gardenniage had contacted the Spina de Rosula.”
“As they should.” Lady Furina sighs. “Beyond this, there must be something else that is bothering you, Iudex. Want to share it?”
Neuvillette watches the rain fall outside, making the skies darker as the night rolls in. He thinks about what the teenager—now claiming to be called Wriothesley, for reasons that he may understand better now—and the desperation he had probably felt in order to enact one of the worst crimes.
“To be pushed to the brink of taking a life.” Neuvillette murmurs, and sees Lady Furina sit up in attention to the words, so softly spoken that it would’ve been lost amidst the downpour of the rain. “Could… could that be viewed as what others have said about it? That… it could be used as a way to enact justice for the wronged?”
“This is not the first time you’ve had a case like this.” She states, not even in a question.
“No.”
“But it has haunted your mind for the whole time.” She surmises, and she sends him a gentle smile. “I understand it, though. Monsieur Neuvillette… there are things that will not be so easy to just determined. Even now I feel awful knowing that I sent a young man down there, but we uphold ourselves to the laws that we decided to enact on others. It’s not great, but it’s a step to true justice. We know that Wriothesley was pushed to the brink. We know that he had felt that it was the only way. Yet that is not a justification to murder.”
“It is, if viewed in a certain light.”
“Then the sentence should not be the same as those that have premeditated murder due to other circumstances.” Lady Furina points out. Neuvillette nods, and sighs.
“I apologize, Lady Furina. I surmise that this… doubt also stems with my case with Vautrin,” he shakes his head, remembering the fury in his dear friend’s voice. “Even now, I think about it from time and time again. I wish I could have done something differently… but also not. This case is remarkably similar.”
“Do you view Wriothesley as… a person of trust?” She asks, curiosity clear in her voice.
“Not so much of trust, as we have not established that so. Trust is difficult to give and receive if the parties in the discussion are merely passers-by, and even then it is the judge to the criminal.” Neuvillette shakes his head. “No. It is… it is akin to a strange sort of respect.”
He sees Lady Furina repeat the words silently, and continues. “In the same way that Vautrin had carried the matters into his own hands due to the injustice dealt to Carole, Wriothesley had done so as well for the people he cares about—or at least, to the people that he wanted to remove from the dangers the Bonnettes pose to. It is respectable that… while the laws do not support him, he has a strong sense of morality in his heart. I have sentenced him to exile in the Fortress, but I do believe that…”
Lady Furina stays quiet, intrigue in her eyes. There is interest in her eyes that she seldomly gets when they talk to one another when tackling cases, and for that strange realization, Neuvillette shares his thoughts.
“I hope that he will find something that will be worth fighting for, something new that he might find in the Fortress,” he murmurs, clutching his cane. “I seldomly see such a person with that innate strength and justice. I have no doubts that a person who fights for what he thinks is right is destined for something greater than the cards he was dealt with.”
“That’s high praise, coming from you, Iudex,” Lady Furina whispers, a bit of awe in her voice.
“It is befitting for those that move in the name of others’ safety.” Neuvillette envisions the young man as he descends into the Fortress, and hopes that he is right. “I have found throughout my life that they are those befitting of my trust.”
The life of a being like Neuvillette stretches long and wide, and thus it surprises him that a request for accompaniment—something that reformed criminals get as assistance for their adjustment to the Overworld—graces his report. It is a familiar one at that, and Neuvillette looks at it immediately.
Promptly, he finds himself laughing at loud in surprise. It even startles poor Sedene, as she was the one to bring the papers to him. Apparently, the volume—and the suddenness, whatever it is— attracts even the attention of the Hydro Archon, who was a floor above him.
“What? What was it?” Lady Furina asks, bounding next to him. She peers to look at the papers he’s holding, and covers her mouth in surprise.
“Wriothesley, the—”, she starts, and squints. “Wait—wait a minute!”
“It says here that he is also the one to formally, and personally, request for the accompaniment,” Neuvillette blinks in incredulity. There are several reports attached to the request—a thick, expandable folder, as a matter of fact. “Or, if not, a request for my presence in Meropide.” He scans the letter’s contents faster. “For… reform. A request since the past Administrator is not found.”
“There’s a note here,” Lady Furina almost elbows him from trying to reach it, and Neuvillette grunts in displeasure. “Sorry. Here. I’m currently holding down the fortress, Monsieur Neuvillette or Lady Furina. We need assistance, immediately. I can only do so much.”
“Good gods,” Lady Furina laughs as well, now understanding why Neuvillette had reacted that way. "What's he doing with the administration under there?"
Neuvillette is already reaching out to check his files for any reports regarding the Duke of the Fortress of Meropide, and comes to the conclusion that the disappearance of the Administrator was probably connected to his file for a leave… two months ago. He grumbles in displeasure, and even Lady Furina shakes her head.
“That means he’s been manning the position for a while now,” she realizes. “Okay, Monsieur Neuvillette. Your move.”
“My move? It should be approved by you, too.”
“You should know by now that I trust you in these things,” she huffs. “But whatever, I do approve for any type of assistance that he’ll need. But—we probably need someone that will take the position if the past Administrator had just upped and left.”
Neuvillette stares at the paper, eyes scanning the page over and over again. Something...he could do something about this.
Furina probably notices his apprehension and places her hands on the table. “Hello? Monsieur?”
“He has been manning the position of the administrator for a while,” he says without preamble, and then stands up from his seat to check previous reports of the Fortress. “At least a month or so. This means that these,” he takes a folder of reports from the category of Meropide he had in his office, “—were made through his orders.”
“The reports are still made by the Fortress of Meropide’s designated secretary.” The sign of their correspondent of the Gardes, Jacques, is indeed still there. Neuvillette cannot imagine that she would back down from a fight against a convict, fiery woman that she is. Which probably meant that she… had signed it willingly. “But if this is true, then that means that he had been assisting in the reports…”
“Taking over the Fortress without anybody’s knowledge, huh,” Furina finally giggles out loud, realizing how absurd it was. She places her hands on her waist. “Well then! I can’t be too mad since the Fortress is a separate entity from us, but wow, the audacity of that guy! I’d applaud it—that’s quite the dramatic turn! If this was a trial, I'd probably be hollering with how amazing that twist is! I wonder if it the position take down was dramatic...”
“Indeed.” He’s still trying to process the changes that have gone through after almost…a decade and a half, was it? Has it really been that long? “If Jacques had determined that he’s competent enough to continue the duties of the Administrator, then…” he pauses, weighing his next words, and promptly shaking his head.
Well. It's not as if it will be said without merit. A month or so into the position and there have not been any reports of dissent or difficulties in the crowds in Meropide. Rather, from those that served their sentences, they seemed to be normal... or even more approving.
Thus, he voices out his thoughts.
“Should we not give him the chance to officially become the Administrator of the Fortress of Meropide, Lady Furina?”
“No idea who to put into the position-- whoa, whoa, whoa, wait,” Furina blinks at him. “No way, are you just—going to just—”
“Why not?”
“Why not?” She repeats, mouth agape. “You’re just—going to concede that somehow, he will be the new administrator? I doubt that there was a whole process of appointing the man to the position!”
“Yet, as you have said earlier, the Fortress is a self-operating entity divorced of the operations of the Court of Fontaine. We are obligated to check on its status as your extension as the Hydro Archon, as well as my title, but other than that—their operations are to be operated by them. We could ask for the report of the Maison Gardenniage of their evaluation. Actually,” Neuvilette shakes his head. “I may even head down there to check upon its operations.”
“Seriously!”
"I am very serious."
Lady Furina looks at him with a look of incredulity on her face. When he does not budge-- he's had plenty of conversations with the Hydro Archon that usually ended up with both of them at a stare down--Furina gasps dramatically. “Well then, you sound like you’ve made up your mind… somehow. Wow! You’re seriously just entrusting him to the position, huh? Should I inform our dear Sedene to prepare the necessary paperwork? He does need to be recognized officially, especially with his title.”
The drama of the Hydro Archon always exhausts him, but Neuvillette finds himself just shaking his head with how everything had been absurd. Besides, he had said it before—he had believed that Wriothesley would become something more, despite how his life had turned out. These turns of events were indeed a shock, but to say that Neuvillette was not approving of it—that was not right.
Instead, Neuvillette believes that this may be what he had seen in the young man’s eyes, back then in the trial. A conviction that burned brightly—and if by his power, he will try to give that conviction a chance to prove its worth.
“Then that settles it, Lady Furina. I shall make the official invitation for the new Duke of Meropide.”
----OFFICIAL EVALUATION REPORT----
Appointed Officer: Jacques, Maison Gardenniage.
On behalf of the Maison Gardenniage stationed in the Fortress of Meropide, I shall detail the conduct of acting Administrator, Wriothesley.
Wriothesley is a former convict that has served his fifteen-year sentence, originally twenty. Due to positive behavior and attitudes, proactivity to working and excellent camaraderie with other inmates, previous evaluators have deigned that his sentence could be reduced. He is determined to be a hard worker with an excellent grasp of making social connections and economic motivations. Wriothesley has used Credit Coupons to bring about change to his own dormitory room and to his fellow inmates, which had earned the ire of the previous Administrator who had disposed of his Credit Coupons.
[See Report 126 for the Administrator’s confrontation to convict Wriothesley, attached.]
Upon completing his sentence, it was discovered that the Fortress Administration Office had been operating without the Administrator for an extensive amount of time that may have extended from weeks to a month, as per the investigation of the Gardes. Those stationed there on behalf of their service were able to give a rough estimate and speculation as to why the Administrator had disappeared and gone AWOL. Related to this, as Wriothesley had been an active participant in conducting activities done by the Administrative Division, he had offered assistance. Stationed officers, who seemingly had trust even beforehand, brought the reports back on track.
As a personal note, this is when I had returned for my correspondence with the Fortress. The change in authority had surprised me, but I found myself being offered with a cup of tea in the Administrator’s Office, and Wriothesley—amusingly still donning on his clothes of a prisoner, but now with a coat of some sorts—told me of the situation.
Throughout the months under his supervision, I can say that there is notable improvement regarding the activities conducted in the Fortress. It is a slow but impressive change, and from his thoughts and reforms he had shared with me, they might bring upon a change of how reform should be truly brought out in the Fortress. It is no surprise that previous conditions of the Fortress were abysmal, but my reports regarding decommissioned meka and unproductive zones were apparently just the tip of the iceberg; there are more to focus on.
The inmates are equally frightened but respectful of Wriothesley. It is obvious that he is not officially-in-charge, but from his actions and the others’ treatment of him, he might as well be. It may be due to his previous interactions, his defense against the previous Administrator, or just general conduct, but inmates and guards alike approve of his leadership. Please refer to the aforementioned attached report regarding the power play that the Administrator had done in the past, and the steps that the current leadership under Wriothesley had started to change about it.
Conclusion:
Wriothesley is a competent individual that can carry out the operations of the Administrator.
Recommendations:
From the previous report detailing the events that led to the leave filed by the previous Administrator, Wriothesley had merely responded with a formal duel akin to the propositions of the Champion Duelists. This is permitted in the Fortress for settling disputes, and thus the Gardes had allowed it to be done as an act of demand for remuneration since the previous Administrator had abused his power. Related investigations have shown that more activities and people have been manipulated by the previous Administrator, hence the inaction of the Gardes and the inmates alike.
As of the current report, the Maison Gardenniage and the administrative officials of the Fortress of Meropide determines that Wriothesley’s handling of the office has been an ongoing act of improvement and atonement, wherein plans for reform for the improvement of inmates and staff alike are underway.
---SIGNED: MAISON GARDENNIAGE REPRESENTATIVE TO THE FORTRESS OF MEROPIDE ---
---SIGNED: FORTRESS OF MEROPIDE ADMINISTRATIVE REPRESENTATIVE ---
It takes them a lot of letters and back-and-forth correspondence with the Fortress until Neuvillette gets a semblance of acceptance to the ceremony. Or, lack thereof, since Wriothesley specifically asks that his investiture be a quiet matter. Lady Furina had thrown a massive tantrum, though not that bad to the citizens of Fontaine, but merely to the eardrums and the patience of the Chief Justice, unfortunately.
Neuvillette, on his part, looks at the insignia of the Duke specifically made for those that earned the title. It was the head of a wolf, the insignia of rulership of the Fortress of Meropide and acceptance of the Court of Fontaine. In a few minutes—if the man was on the dot for their meeting—he will be awarding it to a former convict that had somehow risen through life in a manner that Neuvillette both foresaw and did not see.
There is a knock to his door, and he hears the voice of Sedene on the other side.
“Monsieur Neuvillette! His Grace Wriothesley is here now!”
Neuvillette is a bit curious at the title—His Grace?—as he walks to the door. He hears the muffled conversation behind it, and he finds himself shaking his head in amusement at the disgruntlement heard from the other speaker.
“Why are you calling me that, Miss Sedene? That title even reached you?”
“How could it not? Sigewinne talks about you a lot, you know.”
“Sigewinne what? Oh, come on, seriously… what kind of a first impression…”
Neuvillette pauses at the door, trying down to tamp down his surprise. Wriothesley’s voice was something so different from what he had heard in his trial, back then—of course, he was merely a teenager back then, and humans do tend to change based on their age and environment. But the joking tone was something surprising; he was warm to the Melusines. It was such a stark contrast to the almost-moody and desperate young teenager in the trial.
Was that what life had robbed from young Wriothesley in his childhood, being brought up in such a hellish living situation?
He opens the door, shaking his head from his thoughts.
“Good day, Monsieur Neuvillette.”
Neuvillette becomes face-to-face with familiar blue eyes, though now they were closer. Back then, he had only seen this gaze from the box of the Iudex in the Court of Fontaine; now, he and Wriothesley were of speaking terms, in the Palais Mermonia.
Neuvillette’s gaze is pulled towards the glowing orb chained to his clothes.
A Cryo Vision, he realizes in surprise. That was not something that was present before his trial. Whatever his conviction may be, in his time of service… there was something that he really wanted to do, and he had been granted the Vision.
In the back of his mind, Neuvillette thinks about the wonder of how life works.
“Good day as well, Monsieur Wriothesley,” he nods. “Forgive me for this, but I could not help but notice. It seems as if you have earned something else in your time of service, beyond our ceremony for today.”
Wriothesley looks at the Vision hooked onto his clothes, and shrugs. It felt like it was an affable response—he has probably possessed it for a while.
"Congratulations," Neuvillette says, pleased. Vision Holders were an interesting part of humanity. Though he does not treat them differently from those without, it would be remiss that there is a matter of awe to have when knowing people with Visions—especially due to the insinuation of their existence, of course. "You have found something you wish to do at last, I see."
“Yeah, I guess.”
Not minding the tone-- though, if he thought about it more, it certainly did not seem to be one of pride-- Neuvillette steps back and gestures to the sofa in the office. “Please, make yourself comfortable. I understand that you are not one for fanfare, but it would also be befitting that your instatement as the official Administrator be celebrated of some sorts.”
Wriothesley looks to the side, where numerous cakes donned the table. Neuvillette watches as his expression morphs from the placid, almost fake aloofness to a more animated bafflement. The expression makes Neuvillette smile for a fraction, and he bids Sedene a nod before closing the door.
“That’s… a lot of food,” Wriothesley says, furrowing his eyebrows. “Er, I hope it’s not just for us. I’m not much of a sweet tooth.”
“Lady Furina will be joining us,” he answers plainly. He hopes that is ample explanation. “Please, help yourself to a cake that fancies your taste. She will not mind if you take one.”
“Hm. Yeah, okay.”
Wriothesley shifts from one leg to another in place, and Neuvillette, for the lack of anything to do, returns to his table. The other man doesn’t move towards the sofa, nor get a cake. In fact, he seems content to just stand in place.
A few minutes pass when Neuvilette realizes that the metallic sounds he’s hearing is Wriothesley fidgeting in place, whether it was the gloves he summoned randomly, or the heavy boots he wore.The man radiated disquiet.
Ah, the Iudex startles. The last time he has interacted with me face-to-face was…
“I apologize, I am not one for these pre-official visits.” Or well, he did not make the habit of having non-professional visits in his office, at all. Usually, his interactions were merely limited to Melusines, a few of his staff, and people who did not immediately run away and hide in Fontaine. That probably meant his circle of interactions were more of different interloping circles that never really was large enough to stay constant, except for the Melusines. “Would you prefer to stay and wait for Lady Furina?”
“I’d rather get it over with, really,” Wriothesley mutters, rubbing his head. “I’m not one for too much formalities… I understand the official ceremony, but we don’t really need to, right? Can you just,” he makes a motion towards his table, and then to him. “Bestow upon thee, the title of Duke, as a sign of cooperation between the Court of Fontaine and the Fortress of Meropide, and as an official recognition to your assignment as the Administrator. Or something. Jokes aside, that's what I thought would happen.”
Neuvillette blinks, and he feels himself smile amusingly. “I could perform the ceremony, yes. There are more words, and a reading of your duties as the Administrator towards the Court, but more or less, I shall give this,” he raises the Wolf insignia, “—and the ceremony will end.”
“You need to practice on your people skills,” someone says behind Neuvillette, and he sighs when Lady Furina finally shows up, arms poised to her waist. “I cannot believe I listened to nothing for the past few minutes, except for your clinking right there, Monsieur Wriothesley.”
“… I apologize?” Wriothesley tries.
Furina groans and heads to brew her tea, sitting down on her designated couch for the session. “You are a very boring man. I cannot believe you.” She states, and Neuvillette already has an apology on his lips when he sees Wriothesley actually move to settle down on the couch. He seems—more relaxed, interestingly enough, despite being insulted to the face. Or was it really an insult if it was a dramatic person such as Lady Furina talking about how boring another person is? Even she says it to him.
“Alright, I think I definitely need to apologize then, for dis… for boring you,” Wriothesley says lightly. There is a strange look on his face.
She clicks her tongue. “Hmph. Your presence could compensate for it, anyway. It’s fine, not everyone’s for the stage.” She tilts her hand to their set of drinks. “Well then, unlike the Iudex here, I could be a good host. Tea, or Fonta?”
“I’ll take tea, thank you. I can see the Marcolette Tea that you have there—if that’s okay, I’d love that.”
“Oh?” Now, Lady Furina seems to be intrigued, her boredom—or, since Neuvillette knows her far, far longer now that he can identify that it was feigned boredom for his sake—seemingly dissipating. “Not all would try that. Are you a connoisseur, Duke?”
“I wouldn’t say connoisseur, but I do love tea,” Wriothesley gives him a relaxed smile. “I have a collection, some that I’ve amassed using my Credit Coupons, some due to personal barter with other inmates. Some, Sigewinne gives me because she knows I like tea. And oh,” he tilts his head. “I’m not officially the Duke as of yet, am I not?”
“Well… you are, didn’t Monsieur Neuvillette give the title to you?”
Neuvillette takes it as a signal to enter the conversation, sitting down opposite of the Hydro Archon. “Not officially, Lady Furina. I do believe that there is a whole ceremony for it, and I needed your presence as such.”
“Eh!” Lady Furina sighs out loudly. “Not even a party but we’re still holding the ceremony? Cut the slack, Monsieur. The man requested for absolutely nothing except for the endowment of the title. You’re making it more complicated than it should be.” She sees their guest nodding, which she immediately gives the stink eye. “Don’t be so proud of yourself. I expected some sort of celebration, but all I got was your letter to keep it down low. Honestly! You really love being a quiet guy, don’t you.”
“I prefer it, yeah,” Wriothesley smiles, though it wasn’t very open. “I’d rather that my…accomplishments speak, than any title whatsoever. I’m only here as a formality, I guess. Also, it’s because the Melusines that drop by wouldn’t stop pestering me about it." He raises his plate. "Aren’t the cakes here a good equivalent? I’m okay with this.”
“I still think we should have done something more bombastic,” Lady Furina sighs. “I demand tea as payment.”
Wriothesley blinks. “I—okay? I mean, if you want…”
“Apologies,” Neuvillette intervenes, bowing his head for a fraction. If the Hydro Archon is not stopped from her tea and cakes tirade, she would go on forever. The headache is already building its own residence in Neuvillette's brain. “I understand that there are many things that should be done in the Fortress of Meropide. We can go through the short ceremony later, if that’s alright.”
Wriothesley nods, taking it as a signal to begin eating. Lady Furina, with a rather noticeable pout, starts as well.
The ceremony is short.
Neuvillette does really just reward Wriothesley with his official title, and other things that Lady Furina actually stays to listen to— though she’s noticeably holding herself back from making any unwanted or unnecessary pompous declarations. It takes only twenty minutes of their time, and ends with Neuvilette pinning the Wolf insignia on the uniform of the newly-appointed Duke of Meropide.
Almost immediately, Lady Furina leaves to attend to a party being held in the Café Lucerne. Wriothesley nods and promises her a box of his favorite tea before she closes the door, and Neuvillette spots a smile before she closes the door.
He’s a shrewd fellow, knowing how to butter up to Lady Furina, he thinks idly.
There is a short pause, before Wriothesley looks back at him, and then the insignia.
“Right. Chief Justice. “ He sighs, rolling his shoulders. “I'd like to formally express my gratitude. While we technically are separate entities of government in Fontaine, I do think that there is more benefit in being in constant correspondence that without. It means a lot, especially to the Fortress, that you have recognized my leadership.”
“It was of no difficulty.” Neuvillette shakes his head; from the stellar evaluation of the Gardes and the Fortress staff, the Iudex found that their judgments to be sufficient enough. Especially for the fact that they know more about the culture and inner workings of the Fortress more than he—though, if Neuvillette was being honest, he would want to know more about their conduct of activities. It was only right that the Judge must understand the place where he sent the guilty to live in exile. He is innately pleased that the man has the same ideas regarding their plans to improve correspondence in the region.
“No difficulty, huh,” Wriothesley murmurs. “I see.”
The man in front of him is silent, and once again, the Iudex is reminded that Wriothesley was a former convict that he had personally sentenced to the life of exile in the Fortress. He thinks of bringing up an apology—something, to appease his mind for his doubts in the past, especially in his power as the Chief Judge of Fontaine.
There were many things he wanted to say, with all of them boiling down towards I am glad that you seem well despite what life has thrown upon you.
Neuvillette remembers that he had identified the man as an individual that operated on righteousness; he remembers the eyes that burned with fervor, with determination to serve the sentence that had been dealt upon him. Despite that his actions would bring—and had brought him—to exile from the City of Fontaine for a decade and a half, Wriothesley acted upon what he believed in what was just. For the siblings he had grown up with, to potentially numerous children of Fontaine, even those that dealt with illicit drugs, he had accepted the sentence on two accounts of murder.
The case of murder was not something that could immediately be walked away from. Even if they have served their sentence, their continued living in the Overworld—as others have termed it— would be a taboo for others. There is no doubt that once word gets out that the new Duke of Meropide was a former convict, he would be subjected to the same treatment as others—despite undeserving of their volatility.
Neuvillette is reminded of the time when he had just introduced the Melusines to Fontaine. He is reminded of Lady Furina’s surprise, when he had just agreed so readily to Wriothesley’s induction as the Administrator of Fortress. Knowing the severity that the ignorance of people could bring, Neuvillette understands the gravitas of his decision to recognize Wriothesley as the Duke of the Fortress of Meropide.
Yet that… is an endeavor worth fighting for.
The statement rings true in his mind, clear and absolute. He has dealt many decisions throughout his long life, some that weighed heavily in his mind more than others. The sight of the Opera Epiclese brought memories both pleasant and unpleasant, though his sentencing was as impartial and as professional he could be. Sometimes, if he allows himself to think and grieve, there are decisions that he has come to doubt as time went on.
Carole, Vautrin.
Wriothesley.
And many, many more.
But here, he feels that his decision to formally recognize the man as his ally in bringing out justice in Fontaine to be… definite. Here is a man that was wronged, but sought for justice in the way that he could when he—and the people around him—was helpless. In a position of authority, this can be exercised into a path that will improve or decline the state of judicial authority in Fontaine. Yet, from what I know of him, from what I have read through reports and evaluations…
“This is merely a step towards what I believe would become the betterment of the judicial system of Fontaine.” He clarifies with a severe tone, making the Duke look up in wonder. “Under your leadership, I shall expect much progress.”
Wriothesley stands up straighter, a renewed fire in those eyes—so similar to that day of the trial.
“I believe in the fact that you are a trustworthy man.” Neuvillette says simply, because while there are many things he would like to say, there are things better left unsaid. "From your constituents, they seem to believe it as well. Even Melusines have willingly visited the Fortress, even though back then they would not even try to do so... Your Grace."
“Oh no, it reached you too, huh. Sigewinne really should not try to spread that name outside.” Despite the feigned annoyance in his words, the new Duke of the Fortress of Meropide grins back. “Thank you again, Monsieur Neuvillette.”
The Iudex of Fontaine offers a smile, knowing that many wrongs will be made right with the help of this man.
“I look forward with working with you, Duke Wriothesley.”