"You're not going anywhere, Lori.  I hereby place you under arrest for the
murder of Al'dairan and the attempted assassination of the DragonLady."

	A grim-faced Evelle ignored the look of panic that flashed over Lori's
face.  Wynn stood with fists clenched struggling to control his inner rage.

	"You are also charged with aiding and abetting the escape of Roland and as
an accessory before the fact to the kidnapping of Evelle, WarrenLady of
Keldarra."

	Lori's eyes darted around the room.  Her mind was frantically processing
information as it searched desperately and in vain for an avenue of escape.

	"Don't even think about it, Lori," Wynn ordered in a voice low with fury. 
"Just give me an excuse."

	Michel moved protectively closer to the woman lying in the hospital bed. 
Outside the med center, Wyndelie keened in reaction to her rider's terror. 
Michelle Blademistress also moved towards the prisoner, hand resting
lightly on her sword.

	"Don't kill me!" Lori pled.

	"WE do not kill dragonriders," Evelle replied with no attempt to conceal
the contempt she felt.  "That is YOUR province.  You will stand trial and
accept the punishment deemed appropriate.  I shall preside."

	"YOU?!"  Lori's dread grew as she remembered what Evelle had suffered at
the hands of Roland.  "You can't be impartial.  It's not fair!" she
protested.

	"It was fair for you to come here and accept the hospitality of Keldarra,
then commit murder?  Why did you do it, Lori?  For money?" Evelle asked. 
Lori's guilty look told everyone in the room that the WarrenLady's
intuitive leap had been on the mark.

	"I'm not like that anymore.  Wyndelie and Michel they changed me.  Wynn?"
 She looked pleadingly at the WingLeader but found no ally there.

	"Perhaps you have changed, maybe you haven't," he said tightly.  "It
hardly matters.  Al'dairan lies dead and little Mista might not have had
the chance to take her first breath while you lie here carrying a child of
your own."

	Lori's hand moved without thought to her abdomen and Mila quickly checked
her vital signs.

	"Go easy," the healer requested.  Mila was as appalled at Lori's actions
as any of them, but her natural instinct to care for a patient overrode her
distaste.  "Her labor has been stopped, but we must take care that it does
not start again."

	Evelle turned toward the healer.  "She will remain here, under guard,
until you determine she can be safely released.  At that time, she'll be
escorted to a prison cell where she will remain until her trial.  It will
be a speedy one, I assure you."

	Michel spoke up.  "I should also be placed under arrest as an accessory
after the fact."

	Evelle looked him square in the eye.  "Were you aware of Lori's intent
prior to her actions?"

	"Of course not!"

	She believed him.  Michel's life before coming to Keldarra and joining
with his dragon had not been the most savory, but he had been both loyal
and trustworthy ever since.

	"Did you become aware of her intent and fail to report it?"

	"No, WarrenLady."

	"Did you learn about any of her actions after the fact and fail to report
it?"

	"I did not," he admitted.  "As soon as Lori told me what she had done, I
went to the DragonLady and asked her to put me under arrest.  But, I
-should- have known.  There were signs.." His voice trailed off in misery.
 He could not condone what Lori had done, but it did not stop him from
loving her.

	Evelle's voice softened.  "Then you were perhaps blinded to things you
should have seen by your feelings.  That's not a treasonable offense,
Michel.  You are free to go or to remain here, but you  -will- be expected
to give testimony at her trial."

	"She will appear," Michelle Blademistress said with assurance.  "I will
stand guard."

	"And I will schedule some dragonriders to assist you," Wynn added.

	The swordswoman nodded.  They all knew that Michelle needed no help, but
what they didn't know was what Wyndelie might try to do to help her rider.
Of course, the other dragons would be alert for trouble.  Kaeryth would see
to that. But, a dragonrider on guard would be prudent.

	Evelle turned on her heal and marched out of the room, Wynn following
close behind.  Only when the door closed behind her, did she let her body
relax and find comfort in the embrace of her mate.

	"I really -hate- this," she said softly into his chest.
	
	"I know, love.  I know.  We all do."  Wynn stroked the luxurious copper
curls of his lover.  "Are you really going to preside at her trial?"

	Wynn was concerned for her.  He knew that sitting in judgment of Lori
would only bring back in force Evelle's memories of what she had suffered,
and almost suffered, when Roland had snatched her.

	"I'll probably have to, love, but I'll talk to Christalla about it.  If I
don't do it, D`neor will have to and Christalla will need to supervise him
closely."

Evelle shuddered at the thought of Keldarra's newest Queenrider.  His
lessons had not been going smoothly.  They walked in silence, hand in hand,
back to where Alicynth and Malekith were playfully nuzzling each other and
mounted their dragons for the short flight back to the green.

"Are you all right?" Wynn asked as they dismounted.  "I've got a practice
drill scheduled that I'm already late for."

"I'll be fine," she assured him.  "Go on to your drill and I'll get back to
my office and start preparing for the trial.  We don't want any delay."

"No, we don't," he agreed and bent down as Evelle tilted her head up for
his kiss.  "I'll meet you in the dining hall for lunch."

"And frosting?" Evelle smiled, lifting the mood.

"We'll save the frosting for tonight," Wynn laughed.

Evelle watched as her mate left for his drill, feeling the little tingle of
sorrow she had grown accustomed to whenever there was distance between
them.  After spending some private time in commune with Alicynth, the
WarrenLady felt much better as she headed for her office hoping to find
Christalla in hers.

Evelle
Queenrider of Alicynth
WarrenLady of Keldarra