Page 48 of Betraying Korth

“Then we fix the system.”

“Again, that takes time. Scared, hungry people can’t think rationally. If your child is starving, you won’t stop to abide by thelaws. You’ll feed your child. Isn’t that a parent’s role? To always provide for their sons and daughters?”

“Well, yes…”

“So sometimes, a right justifies a wrong. Yes, stealing is wrong, but it would bemorewrong to watch your child starve when you could have prevented it.”

I could almost feel Korth’s mind working furiously to fit the problem’s puzzle pieces together and find a way in which one solution would abide by all the rules. His shoulders became more rigid, and the arm I held tensed.

In order to spare him from answering right away, I noted, “I think the intent of the criminal plays a large role. If they were working toward a good cause, their less honorable actions could be more excusable.”

“But we have rules for a reason!” Korth burst out, propelling his feet forward again. “We can’t condone every action simply because a person had noble intentions.”

“No, but I’m saying that in order for a ruler to be just, they must look at all the perspectives.”

“What about those who are attacking your father? You could never justify their actions. Your father, the ruler of your kingdom, is suffering because of criminals. Do you think they have justification?”

The air between us thickened, and my heart plummeted. As much as I wished I could open up to Korth and tell him the truth, it would only drive a wedge between us. I ran my tongue across the back of my teeth, taking great care with how to phrase my response, but nothing I came up with seemed adequate.

“You see?” Korth’s tone softened. “Some people cannot be forgiven. Those who rebelled in your kingdom, Peter Pan…those people already chose their fate long ago, and they knew the consequences when they committed their crimes.”

My throat closed up. “You’re right,” I whispered. “They all knew exactly what they were doing.”

He would never understand.

I was finalizingsome wedding details that evening when I heard an outburst just outside my door.

“You mean he went free?” Korth’s heated voice permeated the walls. As the servants hurried out with my final choices of flower arrangements and seating assignments, the door was open so the next bit of conversation drifted in.

“Life in prison is hardly walking away free, but he wasn’t sentenced to execution, no.” Godfrey’s droning voice would normally put me to sleep, but talk of an execution had me instantly alert.

“She heard all the evidence against him, didn’t she?” Korth sounded much more upset than I had ever heard him before, even more upset than he had been during our brief argument earlier, and I inclined my ear to the open door. Korth and Godfrey were in the hallway beyond, trying to keep their voices low, but failing as tension rose.

“—all week, Your Majesty. She said it would be unjust to sentence a child to death, no matter his crimes.”

“He’s not a child though,” Korth growled. “This was supposed to be a simple case. Peter Pan deserves to die for what he’s done. He even admitted it!”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, I’m simply relaying the information I was sent to pass on?—”

Korth let out an irritated huff. “I know, I know.” After several deep breaths, he went on, “Send for Tess. I’d like to discuss it with her.”

Godfrey’s footsteps retreated, and I poked my head out the door.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I didn’t want to interrupt you and it seems that I failed.”

“Tess let Peter Pan off?”

“Life in prison, so not getting off entirely, but now…” He sighed heavily. “I thought this would be a simple case for her.” He leaned against the wall and ran a hand down his face.

“What was your first case? Do you remember?”

“A man had impersonated one of the royal guard in order to demand taxes from citizens. He stole a great deal of money.”

“What sentence did you give him? Surely not death.”

“No,” Korth agreed. “He had to repay what he had taken and served five years in a workhouse.”

“Death would be a difficult sentence to pass down for someone’s first trial.”

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