章 120: Chapter 119: Judgment
The sparks of stars had not yet been discovered by anyone.
Inside the castle's great hall, Princess Rhaenys continued to preside over her first trial in her life.
She had just unexpectedly made a playful joke, instantly making the solemn atmosphere in the hall not as serious as it once was.
However, Maester Gunther was helpless; Princess Rhaenys had always been of such a character, and he could not control this lively girl. Moreover, the person who could scold her had not returned for three months now.
The man standing below still seemed to have not quite understood the situation, scratching his head in confusion.
Wasn't the king his niece's uncle?
Why would Princess Rhaenys call him 'brother'?
He hadn't figured out whether he had genuinely misheard or if there was another reason, but he didn't forget that he had important matters to attend to.
The man then took a moment to gather his emotions, and his feelings quickly welled up. He fell to the ground with a thud, and started to weep bitterly.
It turned out that this man's wife had betrayed him, committing adultery with his neighbor and even taking his savings.
The man cried hysterically, wiping his snot and tears on the castle floor. The surrounding guards couldn't bear to watch, and Princess Rhaenys, sitting on the highest throne in the hall, felt goosebumps all over her body.
"Uh... Maester Gunther."
"What should be the punishment for adultery?"
The girl then hurriedly turned her head to seek help from Maester Gunther.
Before this, it was Maester Gunther who had been handling the city-state's affairs in place of Viserys. Today was Rhaenys' first day on the job, and she never expected to deal with such a trivial matter.
Maester Gunther also felt a bit uneasy. He only wanted to find a small dispute for Rhaenys to practice, but he didn't expect it to be something like this.
Afterwards, the maester cleared his throat and quietly told Rhaenys that she should start with small matters and not aim too high.
Then, he explained what the crime of adultery was.
"Adultery is not tolerated by the Seven Gods. The wife and sister of the Conqueror Aegon, Queen Rhaenys..."
Maester Gunther paused for a moment, then explained.
"Your Highness, this respected queen shares your name."
Rhaenys nodded to indicate she understood. In fact, she had known for a long time that she shared her name with that queen.
"Queen Rhaenys once sat on the Iron Throne in place of her husband, and she established the 'Six Strike Law', which dictates that an adulterous woman may only be whipped six times, and the wooden rod used cannot be thicker than a thumb."
"Rhaenys later persuaded her husband Aegon to legislate against forcibly taking women, which struck a blow against the Iron Islands' salt wife system."
Maester Gunther was knowledgeable and provided a comprehensive explanation.
An adulterous woman would be whipped six times, and the man who was cuckolded would also retain the right to challenge the other party to a duel. Even if he killed the other man, he would not be punished.
This was a case of one reaping what they had sown. ...
In the realm of religion, the Faith of the Seven could never tolerate the sin of adultery, and perhaps the perpetrators would be sentenced to public shaming in the streets.
However, it all depends on how the local nobles exercise their judicial authority over cases in their territories.
"But, Your Grace... remember not to take only one side of the story," advised Maester Gunther after explaining the situation to Princess Rhaenys, suggesting that she couldn't rely solely on the man's account.
Maester Gunther then summoned the man's wife and the other party involved in the adultery to the great hall.
As more sides of the story were revealed, the situation took a series of subtle turns.
It turned out that the man had a habit of heavy drinking and frequently abused his wife, causing her to harbor resentment towards him.
Eventually, the wife had an illicit affair with a neighbor, who even took some of the man's money, although she was unaware of it.
Sitting on the throne, Rhaenys frowned upon hearing about the man's habit of abusing his wife, and even saw the numerous scars displayed by the wife in court.
"Maester Gunther, I believe intentional harm warrants a penalty of dismemberment."
Rhaenys demanded that one of the fingers on the hand the man used to beat his wife be chopped off as punishment.
However, her sentence was halted by Maester Gunther.
"Wait, Your Grace, please hold on a moment."
With a bitter smile on his face, the Maester hurriedly advised the angered young girl.
"In fact, there is a better way to judge this matter."
Maester Gunther then took his seat at the side and presided over the trial independently.
Since the city-state was newly established, there was no established law to rely on. As such, Andalos merely adopted some rudimentary laws commonly used among the noble territories of Westeros.
In the end, Maester Gunther concluded the case and, in the name of the Seven Gods, suggested that Rhaenys rule for the plaintiff and his wife to divorce. The man was not charged with intentional harm, nor was the wife charged with adultery. Both were released.
The neighbor who had stolen the man's savings and committed adultery with his wife, however, was sentenced to lose a hand as punishment.
Rhaenys didn't understand why her teacher made such a judgment, but she followed his advice and announced the verdict.
Afterward, Maester Gunther waved his hand, signaling the guards to drive away the people involved, especially the neighbor whose hand was to be chopped off. His loud wailing had been quite annoying.
Once the great hall had quieted down, Maester Gunther turned to the young, brown-haired girl wearing the crown.
"Your Grace, do you understand?"
"Understand... what?"
Rhaenys had been sitting on the throne, watching her teacher preside over the entire trial. Besides the final verdict, which she announced in the name of Viserys and the Seven Gods, the trial seemed to have little to do with her.
The young girl blinked, somewhat confused, not knowing what Maester Gunther wanted her to understand. She had been somewhat angry, but upon reflection, both parties seemed to be at fault. So, how should she judge fairly?
"Your Grace, are you pondering fairness?"
The gray-robed Maester looked into the girl's eyes and suddenly asked.
"Uh... yes?"
Rhaenys was reminded by the Maester's voice, and then she nodded at him.
"Maester Gunther, shouldn't we uphold justice?"
"Indeed, we should uphold justice. There is no doubt about that," the Maester agreed, nodding in approval of Rhaenys' view.
"But, Your Grace, as a noble, you have judicial authority over cases within your territory, and you can adjust within the framework to strive for a good outcome."
"Because the purpose of the law is not to punish but to admonish..."
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