Tom slowly rose from his seat and strolled up to the lectern, passing Jay Martin on the way there. Once he'd ascended fully, he took a few deep breaths and collected his thoughts. 

"This situation is far from ideal." Tom asserted, "As Sir Martin has so well demonstrated, we have no way to prove any one man's guilt to a certainty. Only a direct admission would carry any satisfactory reliability with it." 

"What are you saying?" Alden asked. 

"I'm saying, Grandfather, that I think we're going about this the wrong way. Our focus is on this matter amongst ourselves, when what we should be doing is getting as many men as possible out on a search for this unmarked swordsman. Once found, we need to capture him so we can discover his identity and question him." 

Juan cleared his throat. "But that still leaves a traitor in our midst." 

"Ah, but what more would he stand to gain from the treachery, with his accomplice already caught? For that matter, what would the accomplice himself have to gain from continuing the deception?" 

"You assume much, young man." said a streaky-haired councilman who crossed his arms over his big belly, "What if we are incorrect, and there are in fact several unmarked swordsmen? Hmm? What have you to say to that?" 

Tom didn't miss a beat. "Then instead of catching him, we catch them." 

"So you would have us to hack off branches rather than strike the root. Why am I not surprised?" 

"It seems to me," began another balding councilman, "that you are attempting to dissuade us from further investigation here, as if to protect someone who could not stand under the scrutiny." 

"That's not at all what I'm saying." Tom said, "My point is that we stand a high risk of accomplishing nothing but injustice this day, founding decisions on nothing but assumptions and scattered occurrences. I'd argue it's better to leave the issue unsettled than to settle it wrongly. On the other side of the equation, we have this...cloaked menace. We are sure of him; we only need to bring him to Monterayne for examination." 

All the members of the High Council shook their heads in disapproval of Tom's assertion. They stared up at him with unimpressed expressions and closed body language. Only Jay and Peter gave any indication of agreement, but their input mattered little, if any. 

Alden peeled himself from the wall. "If that is all you had to say, Thomas, you may descend." 

Tom shook his head and rolled his eyes before returning to his seat. As I feared, the decision has been made already. 

Alden's single eye travelled over the row of heads slowly as he made his footing sure on the platform. Only after a deep clearing of his throat did he begin. 

"I have known you for a great many years, Sir Raska, and out of anybody here, I believe I know you and your character best. I know you are passionate about this style of swordsmanship you have created, and you have also expressed frustration over its relative lack of success. You have told me many a time that you wish more novice swordsmen would come to you and learn your ways over the Halotinian and Torlenian masters we have so many of. Have I spoken correctly thus far?" 

Peter nodded. "You have. I fail to see the relevance, but you haven't spoken amiss." 

"All will become clear, I assure you. So, thus far, the Raskan style has gained only a minimal foothold in the world of Monteraynian martial arts, and I'd venture a theory as to why that is." 

"What's that?" 

Alden coughed. "The very philosophy behind your style hardly blends well with the other concepts taught to all knights. We encourage serenity, meekness, and humility, but your teachings stress attack and aggression. I have observed that those taught by you have their eyes always set on the downfall and defeat of their foes, always searching for a way to take another man down in the most fatal manner possible, with the least effort." 

Peter squinted and crossed his arms. "I would argue that's an oversimplification, Alden. You make it sound as if—" 

"Perhaps it would be best to allow Sir Holt to make his point first?" Juan asked, "Objections can come later." 

With some grumbling and shuffling back into his seat, Peter went silent. Alden scratched an itch on his neck. 

"As I was saying," the elderly knight continued, "Monterayne's ideals and values, her very culture, for that matter, stand in opposition to the teachings of the Raskan style. So I assert that Sir Raska would have much to gain from training a foreigner, for if his art not gain a foothold in his homeland, it may bear more fruit elsewhere. After all, imagine how well the style would fare in a country like Innutuk!" 

"Exactly!" exclaimed a councilman whose entire head of hair seemed to have migrated from his scalp to his chin, "They seem to have such trouble constructing comfortable and articulated armor, but these teachings would entirely eliminate the need for it." 

Alden nodded. "That thought did cross my mind. It cleaves well to their warlike culture as well. Not to mention that Sir Elmont had a very good point there. We are only assuming this unmarked swordsman is the only one. There could be dozens of them, and we would be none the wiser." 

The streaky-haired knight grinned and bowed his head in mock humility. "T'was only a speculation, but I am glad you appreciate its merits." 

Peter rose up suddenly with a glare imprinted on his features. "You have spoken rightly, Edward. This is all speculation! I love my country! I love my people, and I love my king! You have no desire for justice, but only a want to find a scapegoat so you can report to his highness that you have dealt with this threat, and even if it not be true, how can he know otherwise? You're all scoundrels!" 

"Spoken like a true traitor." the man with streaked hair muttered, "All the emotion and sentiment that sounds so good on paper, but—" 

"Damn you!" Peter snapped, "You bastards may as well execute me now, for surely you intend to do so already! This examination is nothing but a farce to save your honor!" 

Alden pounded on the lectern's surface with his fist to gather the room's attention back to him. "Enough of this disorder! If you find our conclusions unjust, explain how. If not, there is no substance to your resistance." 

"You attempt explaining a theory of why I would do something I haven't. The fact remains, whether you believe or not, that I love Monterayne and would never commit this evil against her." 

"Anyone can say that. We require more—" 

"Anyone can say what you say." Peter retorted, "There is nothing to be done here, if we pursue justice. It's your speculations pitted against my facts, but they have one common denominator: They are equally unprovable." 

Alden closed his eye and sighed deeply. "No matter what, Peter, we should have had you executed long ago, or indefinitely banished at the very least." 

"Why is that?" 

"Even you will have to admit you have murdered many people over the years of your knighthood, and usually entirely unprovoked. So even if we were to execute you this day only for that, we would still be performing righteousness." 

Tom frowned. "So you've been postponing justice only to hold it over his head now?" 

"That is not at all the meaning I intended." Alden said. "Now, I believe we have exhausted this matter, so the time has come for the casting of votes." 

Tom rolled his eyes as the procedure commenced. Alden gave Keely a fresh sheet of parchment, and then he asked each member of the assembly separately whether they voted Peter Raska innocent or guilty, and asked them to explain in one sentence why they thought so. All ten members of the High Council predictably voted him guilty, including Alden and Juan. 

Peter only got four votes for innocence, those being Tom, Jay, and a pair of Torlenian warriors who only attended because they were grandsons of one of the councilmen. With ten votes against four, the matter had been settled. The members of the High Council rose and converged on Peter. 

Before they could usher him to the black curtain, Tom rose, and Jay with him. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves." Tom asserted, "This is injustice and unholiness before the Lord. You would do well to reflect on what He would want done in this matter." 

Alden stared at Tom coldly. "You would do well to respect your elders, as the Lord has commanded." 

Tom bristled at the retort, but found himself speechless to reply to it. He watched with a tightening throat as the ten councilmen escorted Peter to the black curtain. One by one, they passed through, Alden last. 

Just before Alden stepped through, Tom cleared his throat to catch his attention. "Grandfather, listen to me." 

Alden paused with a long sigh and turned to eye his grandson. "What is it?" 

"I know I'll change nothing by this, but just know...I will have no allegiance with murderers." Tom gritted his teeth and ripped the ceremonial purple patch from his left shoulder. "I hereby resign my knighthood!" he cried as he tore the patch from his other side. 

Jay stepped beside Tom and ripped the red patches off his shoulders. "As do I, Sir Holt. May the Lord deal with you as He sees fit. As for me, I also refuse to stand with men of no honor such as yourself." 

Alden's mouth opened in shock at their gesture, but they didn't linger long enough for him to say anything about it. With powerful strides, they exited the Council chamber. Tom spared Keely a glance as he passed her table, and her concerned gaze followed him. 

Tom slammed the chamber door shut behind them and walked alongside Jay in a silent rage for several moments. 

"You do realize we're basically outlaws now, right?" Jay asked. 

"I know. No longer bound to only going where the Council wishes, we can dedicate ourselves to whatever we see fit." 

"That's true. What would that be for you?" 

Tom rolled his shoulders. "I will search for that unmarked swordsman, and when I find him, I will deal with him harshly." 

"I will accompany you." Jay said, "It is a worthy cause." 

Tom offered Jay the biggest smile he could muster, which wasn't much. "Thank you. Your teacher will have died unjustly, but not in vain." 

"Yes, we have now been spurred to action. And I think I know another man who would gladly join us." 

"Who?" 

"My younger brother, Trevor. We do everything together, Tom, and I'm sure he would gladly serve a worthy cause like yours." 

Tom nodded. "It will be worth it to ask him." 

As the two approached the stairway, Tom looked up to see a familiar man ascending the steps, the young man with a flawed face covered in blemishes. It seemed Tom was always passing him on the stairs. Grief struck his heart as he realized an important fact, so he resolved to stop him. 

"Good afternoon." Tom greeted the young man, slowing to a halt, "I have...terrible news for you, James." 

The man rubbed a hand over his face, brushing over a few pimples as he did so. "What's...that, Sir Holt?" 

"The High Council, I regret to inform you, has voted to execute your grandfather, as they have convinced themselves he is guilty of training the cloaked menace, that unmarked swordsman." 

James' eyes widened in shock and anguish. "That's terrible! Did they even hold a proper trial?" 

Jay rolled his eyes. "They held a trial, sure, but not a proper one. The verdict had clearly been decided beforehand." 

"Well...I confess I knew him very little, but still, this grieves me." James frowned at the men's frayed shoulders. "What happened there?" 

Tom and Jay exchanged a glance. "We've resigned." 

James took in a deep breath, held it for a moment, and released it. He glanced at his own shoulders and shrugged. 

**** 

Four mounted swordsmen galloped toward the Monteraynian ring to the south, hooves thudding on the soft earth as they sped across the countryside. A massive fire crackled behind them, fueled mostly by discarded knightly uniforms and related memorabilia. Strategically situated atop a prominent hill, the flames would surely attract the attention of Monterayne's remaining knights. 

Tom glanced over his companions with a grim smile, feeling a certain exhilaration coursing through his veins despite it being repressed by the weight of Peter Raska's death. The brothers Jay and Trevor Martin rode contrasting horses, Jay atop a pure white stallion, and Trevor riding a horse blacker than the darkest night. James Raska galloped along on a fiery mare. 

"Let's end this matter rightly, men." Tom said, instantly earning a trio of nods. 

The four horsemen disappeared over the horizon, new robes fluttering in the breeze from both the wind and their own momentum. The end of one man's book proved the turning to a new chapter for a quartet of other men who hoped to right the wrongs done to him. Tom found it remarkable so much good could arise from a knight's trial. 

The End 

**** 

A/N: Well, what a bittersweet ending that was, am I right? An honestly pretty upsetting trial that certainly felt rigged if you ask me, for one thing. And it forced Tom to leave! If that's not upsetting, then nothing is. But I hope it felt conclusive, closing one chapter of his life and leaving us curious what's next for our favorite [former] knight. 

If you enjoyed this final chapter, please remember to vote and comment. Thanks! ❤️

And don't worry, this isn't the last we'll see of Tom and his newfound friends. We have a whole third book upcoming to explore the final chapter of their adventures in seeking out the unmarked swordsman, so definitely keep an eye out for that in the coming weeks. 

But nonetheless, we have reached the end of this specific installment, so I guess I'll ask you some questions before we go to assess your experience here, if you wouldn't mind. 

So first, who were your favorite and least favorite characters here, and why? 

Next, do you happen to have a favorite chapter/scene/arc? If so, which one, and why? 

What would you say is the key thing you take away from this little ten-chapter novella? 

And finally, any miscellaneous thoughts?  

Well, thank you so much for reading this! I really hope you enjoyed it, as that's pretty much my only reason for sticking around here. I'm not getting paid for this stuff, because to me, your enjoyment alone is worth all the effort. 

Well, again, the third book in this series will be coming soon, although I can't say for sure when. I still need to get a cover and do some editing, so we'll see. Though by the time you read this, it'll likely already be up, so just check to make sure. Again, thanks for reading, and I hope you have an amazing day!