Kumi's still there in the morning. 

What to give her?

Sunaira could try to break her out. Liberating Command is better than the shackles that Absalom uses while transporting prisoners, and Charm Person is in her domains. But she is not Milani; yes, the guards are enforcing an unjust law, but Kumi chose this of her own free will. And the chance she could actually escape is quite low. It's better for Sunaira's goals to drag the matter through court and bring as much publicity to the cause and the new faith as possible.

Kumi picked this scene. She's fine with being arrested. She's fine with being harassed. She's fine with being punished. She consents to all this. 

That's what Sacrifice is.

Sunaira sends her Tap Inner Beauty, Owl's Wisdom, and Remove Fear. 

She supposes it was too much to hope for a rescue.

Kumi waits in the cell. She knows what the guards will be discovering around now. Her worshippers' escape will be traced back to her, and from there she is dead to rights on several charges under property law. 

It was still the right thing to do. 

She's terrified. 

She saves the Remove Fear, though. She needs that for when the guards come.

It takes them a while.

Meanwhile, a certain wizard client who's pretty fond of his favorite lay has found out about the news, and is hiring a lawyer.

The guards arrive first. 

"You can cut the bullshit," the guard who brought her in yesterday says. "We've identified several missing women who were last seen in your company. Former slaves, all. You've been aiding and abetting slaves to escape."

"I said I won't be answering any more questions."

"You'll go before a judge tomorrow. The evidence is open and shut. You're sure you don't want to confess?"

"I won't be answering any more questions." 

Fuckers don't respect a safeword when they hear one.

"Suit yourself." 

The guards give her a hunk of bread and leave her alone.

She is left to eat her bread. 

No-one will be coming to save her. 

She doesn't remember what the punishment is for aiding and abetting the escape of slaves. It can't possibly be anything good. Execution? No, surely not... She has too much to deal with here in the Material. It must be something less than that. She hopes.

Eventually, her lawyer comes and speaks to her. 

She is required to pay a fine of five hundred gold pieces per slave she assisted to flee. There were eight. She is subject to a fine of four thousand gold pieces if the charges are sustained.

Her personal vibrator is worth about a quarter that much. She didn't keep the rights to the design, she just transmitted the idea and took a finder's fee. The sparker's worth another five hundred. That's her major expensive items. She makes good money serving adventurers, but not so good that she can absorb another two thousand five hundred gold pieces. 

She cannot actually afford that and still pay rent. 

They'll take all her assets, then. She'll have to declare bankruptcy. The remaining fine will translate to corporal punishment; she'll be whipped in public as "payment."

Kumi breaks down laughing. 

She thought this was going to be hard.

Instead her goddess arranged a kink scene for her.

Her lawyer is very confused by the sudden laughter!

Kumi takes shaky breaths, giggles again, and presses her hand to her forehead. 

"It's okay," she says. "I just - was worried it'd cost me something that mattered."

She'll miss the vibrator and the sparker, to be sure, and they won't be easy to replace, and she's going to regret being so blasé about the whipping, but... For eight lives? 

That's a fucking bargain.

"My recommendation is that we plead guilty and hope to get the fine reduced, assuming you can't pass a truth magic exam."

"That makes sense. It'll reduce the amount of pain I have to suffer through. But honestly, I kind of want to force them to the whipping. Make the people see them bloody the back of a cleric of a good goddess in public for having the temerity to free women from their pimps."

"I would recommend against antagonizing the court. You can't Regenerate a lost hand, not yet anyway."

That sobers her. 

"... Noted. I will do my best to stay civil."

"So, we'll enter our guilty plea tomorrow. You will have to ask for mercy if you wish to receive it." 

Yeah, she gets it, Lady of the Blackberries, she doesn't know her own limits. This is the first scene of this kind she's done.

She will be good and not beg to be hit harder.

The trial is the next day. She's hauled roughly to the courtroom and forcibly Dispelled before being placed on the stand.

The judge looks sternly at her. "Madam Shiromusume. You stand accused of eight counts of aiding and abetting the escape of slaves. How do you plead?"