"If you execute Vetra by imperial decree alone," Magistrate Thorne said, his voice echoing in the vaulted Council Chamber, "it will appear tyrannical. Regardless of her crimes, she was the Empress for thirty years. She still has pockets of fierce loyalty in the Western Territories."
Soren sat at the head of the table, Eris at his right hand. Aldric, Ryse, and various senior officials sat in the shadows of the flickering torches. Caelen was there too, an observer representing the interests of Solmire.
"Then we convene a High Imperial Tribunal," Soren said, his voice firm, leaving no room for argument. "I will not give her the satisfaction of being a martyr. She will face judgment by her peers. Every law she broke, every life she snuffed out, will be laid bare in the light."
"To do that," Aldric added, leaning forward, "we need the provincial authorities. The legitimacy of the verdict depends on the presence of the Great Dukes and the Temple."
