"Guilty, your honor."

Good. That makes this a little easier. 

"Do you have anything to say that might impact your sentencing?"

"I was unaware of the punishment for aiding slaves to escape, and only acted in the interests of what I believed to be right and those of my Neutral Good Goddess, the Lady of Blackberries."

Another name for Calistria? No, she's not Neutral Good. 

Calistria is probably paying attention to this verdict. And it's not going to be one she'll like. Damn. 

Well, you don't become an Absalom judge without expecting to make a few enemies. He'll just have to keep an eye out for wasps. 

Madam Shiromusume is saying this all under truth spell, so it must be what she genuinely believes. He's going to be wrung through the press for this one - supporting the sexual slavery of women is a terrible look - but the law is unfortunately clear and he cannot arbitrarily contravene it.

There's nothing to be done but to rule on the law as it exists. Good luck to this woman. 

"I understand that you were only doing what you believed to be right, but the law exists for a reason, and binds all regardless of their conscience. It is thus with regret that I sentence you to be fined three thousand Absalom gold pieces. Any funds you cannot produce from your assets will be converted to lashes at one hundred gold pieces per lash."

"I understand, Your Honor."

"Bailiff? Take her back to her cell until such time as her remaining assets have been liquidated."

She is politely but firmly escorted back to her small stone room.

She might just be able to cover that from her assets. One thousand five hundred gold pieces from her remaining assets after her magic items is... a lot. But maybe manageable.

She's not sure if she wants the lashes or not, now, honestly.

This is when she'd usually lay a gentle hand on her scene partner's shoulder. 

She can't do that because of the protocol of the scene, though. 

She waits. 

Before she goes to sleep she casts Remove Fear to give herself a small break. It helps her get to sleep rather than pacing her cell.

Good girl, resting strategically. 

Tomorrow is going to be awful for you. I'm proud.

When she wakes in the morning she has Remove Fear twice and Cure Moderate Wounds.

That is not a good omen.

One of the guards comes to her after a few hours. 

"Your remaining balance, after selling your vibrator and striker, comes to seven hundred fifty eight Absalom crowns. You will be whipped eight times at noon in the public square. That's in three bells."

She has nothing to do but wait.

When she hears the third bell, she waits until she can't stand it anymore and then casts Remove Fear on herself. 

Things are easier with it on her. 

She made a calculation at the start of this, and it was the right decision. 

She doesn't have to enjoy the pain. She just has to get through it.

Her lawyer comes with her to the whipping grounds.

There is a small crowd. She recognizes two of the faces in it; a couple of her free worshippers are present. They must not have been connected to her.

The guard locks her in the pillory and leaves her there. She can't turn her head to look over her shoulder: she's forced to look out into the crowd.

... Well fuck. This is kind of hot, in an awful way. 

She holds still and tries to keep her composure. 

The Remove Fear runs out. 

... It is ALSO pretty terrifying!!!

She hears footsteps behind her and the soft crack of a whip - but she's untouched.

She tenses up all instinctually. 

But she hasn't been touched. 

She is okay. 

She's okay.

Just breathe.

A man's voice announces from behind her: "Kumi Shiromusume. Failure to pay fines resulting from the aiding and abetting of runaway slaves. Eight lashes."

It's going to happen any second now.

The whip cuts the air, and slams into her back. It digs deep into her skin through her top, cutting a line of pain from her waist to her shoulder.

She cries out. It hurts like a motherfucker. 

"One," announces the man behind her.

Another line of pain comes down across her back.