"Mm. I do think people need certainty about what the law is and what the consequences are, and I imagine that not actually seeing the consequences makes them seem less certain. Especially in combination with a broad push towards leniency."

"Maybe when the convention restarts we can pass a law that executions must be public, may not for serious crimes be swift, and maybe that the victim's families should be consulted in the manner of the death. Probably too late to get it done properly for Wain but maybe not too late to keep order in the city."

He wishes he could blame this on her being a recovering Asmodean but this opinion wouldn't actually have been out of place in old Taldor.

"—as a point of clarification, was attendance at public executions mandatory, under the old regime?"

"Not in Seguer." At least not formally. That would be a lot of work, and kind of unnecessary. People attend executions because they like seeing justice done, and because there aren't many other sources of entertainment around. "That I wouldn't think much of, as a policy; if a man's got work to do, what's achieved by demanding he abandon it?"

"Most countries do executions in public, but deliberately making spectacles of them seems distinctly Asmodean. From what I've heard of how the old regime did it, it seemed less about encouraging fear of the law than it was about training the audience to think that watching a man be tortured to death was entertaining rather than horrifying."

"I have no desire to encourage men in cruelty, Archduke. I fear only that leniency, too, can encourage men in cruelty, for they learn that no matter what they do to someone -" is he vulnerable to her voice trembling very slightly - "they need never fear answering for it. If a man contemplates stirring up a mob, and thinks of his fate, and decides not to do it, that's less cruelty in the world, not more."

"I'm not suggesting that we stop executing people, just that we do it in private—Lord Cansellarion, how is justice done in Lastwall?" He wouldn't normally interrupt but the man would probably in fact prefer to discuss public executions than yet another proposal of marriage, and while he is in a manner of speaking introducing Cansellarion to yet another young, single noblewoman, this one does appear to have her sights set on someone else.

Yeah Eulàlia has zero desire to marry a paladin. He hasn't offered to duel for her at all and probably isn't allowed to because paladins suck.

Three vassals give the man the benefit of the doubt.

"With regard to executions? Civillian courts usually carry them out in private, military courts carry them out in front of a gathering of soldiers - the involved or affected company, usually. In either case it's as swift and painless as possible. Usually beheading."

A Chelish person - so, Llei, but probably not the Archduke or the paladin - can tell that Eulàlia is very very scared and very very angry. "Thank you, Lord Cansellarion. That makes sense. I suppose it is in any event little matter what the procedure would be, when the leader of the mob who came to my home in any event does not appear to stand accused of anything and most probably is not even in custody."

"That's very unfortunate. I know a lot of the mobs dispersed before they could be arrested, but while tracking down every participant would be difficult I think an effort should be made to catch the instigators and leaders, at least. Hopefully such an effort is underway and he'll be caught soon."

"No, no, he was caught. The Archduke Xavier caught him in the midst of slaughtering his way through the home after mine, and took him in. He simply has not been charged with any crimes, nor have inquiries been answered about whether he is still in custody. I of course trust wholly in the wisdom of Her Majesty and do not imagine it ever possible to be inappropriately merciful."

"Oh." What possible reason could the queen have for - OK, no, probably this is a result of the watch being corrupt or incompetent or something else besides 'the queen personally decided to spare this one rioter for evil archmage reasons.'

"Would you like me to look into this? My inquiries might not be answered any more readily than yours, but I can try. Did you learn his name, or anything else about him?"

"He identified himself proudly though of course perhaps falsely as Rui d'Argent, he killed - the lords of Solpont and Altama and several more but I didn't recognize them. He acted proudly in the name of Good and justice, told us so, and was sure that the Queen supported him wholly -" She should stop, she's going to get herself killed. 

"I will see what I can learn of his fate."

"I am very grateful, my lord, and do not doubt that Good and justice are in this and all things ultimately triumphant." She wants to be not here. She wants to be - with Joan Pau, except she can't afford to come across clingy - 

- no, wait. She wants from him a feat of wizardry. And wizards sometimes are perfectly delighted to be asked by pretty girls to do feats of wizardry. "If you'll forgive me -"

"Of course."

"Archduchess! Nasty business, this week. Have you spoken with Her Majesty about it? It occurs to me that you alone, of us, has experience of governing a city inclined to rebellion without falling to the comprehensible temptation to either let the rebels burn it or do it yourself."

"Duke Puigventós, a pleasure to see you again. I haven't; I've been spending most of my time dealing with the people of the city directly. Doing favors, establishing my presence. I've found it's vital, in keeping a city calm, to have someone they know, who they believe will listen to them, so that they will listen in return."

"Well, I hope it works, and it sounds more credibly like the sort of thing that might than most of the proposals I've heard thrown around. I think a few years back, at Eodred's ill-fated wedding, you were introduced to my son, Guifré, now count of Palnes."

"Archduchess. I am honored."

Well, she wasn't going to avoid this forever. He's so young...

"So much has happened since, it seems much longer. Has Palnes been proving manageable, Count Guifré?"

"We've had peace, praised be the gods, and plenty of trouble but less of it now than a year ago. In your capable hands of course Kintargo is flourishing."

"You're too kind; anyone with as much experience would do fine." Ravounel has been overwhelming, but how to say that in a way that doesn't encourage him to 'offer his support'... "It's left me with entirely the wrong retainers for securing an archduchy against monsters, sadly; I really ought to find some veteran adventurers to tie myself to."

"What needs doing?"