View attachment 983998
With a confident smile Katherine takes a breath "i plead not guilty your worships"
"The plead is not guilty" calls the lead judge. Please now lets proceed with the trial.
"Your worship" calls the defence with a sly grin "before the trial begins i believe a certain issue needs to be resolved as to the currant status of Lady Gvin"
"I put before the court that she is no longer a Lady, all her titles have ceased at the death of her husband...i also propose that it is heinous for her to use the title of his lordship while on trial for his very murder. No benifit should be afforded her in this regard and she should be tried not as a lady but as a single woman a slave..."
Katherine looks shocked and confused she turns to her councilman Rupert who looks shocked himself... "your honour a brief moment so i can confer with my client"
"Granted" calls the judge.
Katherine is pulled into her chair by Rupert. "Of all the damn dirty tricks to play...Katherine they are going to try to proceed with you as a slave."
"But i am not a slave Rupert i am a lady" Katherine replies
Rupert grimaces..."under our strict law any woman without a man and with no title is a slave. You know how cruel our legal system can be on slave women you have seen the weekly punishments in the town square. As a lady you had some protection as a slave...." Rupert trails off...
"I am still Lady Gvin Rupert surely i cannot be tried as a street rat!"
"My Lady that is not what i am worried about...as a Lady if found guilty you would have faced a fine at the least or even a light whipping or imprisonment or banishment at the worst....as a slave you would be tried in the most base way and if found guilty you could face torture in the dungeon and the death penalty in the public square"
Katherine felt a jolt through her gut of fear but also something else something dangerous...a jolt of excitement maybe or just anxious fear...
The Judge banged his gavel...
"Councilmen, Lady Gvin we have all made our judegment in regards to this" with a cruel smile he turned to his fellow smirking judges...
"The Judges side with the defence. Without Lord Bolton Gvin alive Katherine Gvin has no such claim to any title or position we hearby strip her of all titles"
Katherine stammers and clutches a hand to her chest as Rupert supports her and the crowd roar in upheavel.
"Therefore" continues the judge "Katherine Gvin is a woman without husband or purpose and under our laws is a slave. As a slave on trial we have no choice but to proceed as befits a slave woman accused of murder."
A set of chains is brought before the two benches in a space in full view of the auditorium...
"Lady Gvin please present yourself to the guards to be stripped and shackeld as befits a woman on your position" calls the judge as he smiles to himself..
A. Katherine walks forward as a Lady in mind and strips as requesyed presenting herself to the guards.
B. Katherine tries to flee from the courtroom.
C. Katherine stands and refuses the judges order.