Punishment

[[Roll: 18]]

In the weeks following the theft of the Golden Gavel, a trial was quickly conducted by the Ministry of Justice. There were numerous witnesses to the crimes of Count Hines, as well as multiple victims who could speak on their own behalf. The shattered remnants of the artifact were recovered, and a court appointed mage was able to confirm its abilities.

Count Hines remained confident that he would receive a pardon. But when word reached him that the Golden Gavel had been stolen in the chaos, that confidence vanished. The disappearance of a national treasure that had been placed in his care earned him the queen's ire, and she had no intention of pardoning him. And so, he received a sentence of several decades in prison.

Runa was able to sit in the gallery alongside Patience as the ruling was read out, and she gently placed her hand atop her ally's. This was a small victory, as the now former Count had been succeeded as Minister of Justice by a deputy who was equally devoted to the queen. But the man who had sentenced Patience's father now had a cell of his own, which brought her some satisfaction.

Around the same time, the process for Patience to succeed her father was concluded, meaning that she was officially Countess Calmwell. While this much had been an inevitability, she felt more comfortable taking the title now that justice had been served.

And Patience was not the only new Countess to claim her title. After the conviction of former Count Hines, his sister became the family head and took on the title.

There was also the matter of the spread of Hal Jacobs' drugs, which Runa had almost forgotten about in the chaos of the heist. She relayed this to Patience the morning after the heist, and casually mentioned that her body and mind had been dulled a bit by her exposure to the drug.

"Why have you not mentioned this before?" Patience interrupted, the morning after the theft of the Golden Gavel where Runa had been giving her full report.

"But we were too tired to discuss this last night?" Runa asked.

"No, that you were exposed to the drug previously. I only allowed this because I believed you were at your best."

"I was pretty close to my best. And it's not like it's just the drug. I also had my breasts expanded by a cursed item. That's just what happens when I mess around with these folks. Who knows what Hines would have had if I'd gone through more of his stuff," Runa explained.

"You were CURSED? You're taking some time off, at least until the trial is over. And you will see a healer I trust." Patience would brook no argument, and Runa was forced to relent.

The healer could do nothing for her breasts, it seemed she'd let the curse linger too long, making it permanent. But she could feel her body and mind growing sharper than they'd been recently thanks to the care.

And so, Runa was forced to rest for the weeks where the trial went on and as Patience took up her new title.

But once the ruling was in, she went to Patience. "I've been thinking of my next heist."

"I have my own thoughts as well, but you may go first," Patience replied.

"I'm used to just stealing for money, maybe finding something incriminating that can be turned into the guards. But taking the Golden Gavel felt different. I've heard people in the streets talking about it, and Count Hines, far longer than anything else I've done. And so, I wondered if there was someone I could go after that might cause a similar buzz. I thought maybe I should target the palace."

Patience shook her head. "I was in agreement with you until the end. The palace is off limits, at least for now. It was already far better defended than anywhere else you've broken into, and they've only increased the defenses in the wake of the theft of the Golden Gavel. No, I think we need to strike while the iron is hot. Baron Jeremy Wiles was recently promoted from Vice Minister of Justice to the Minister of Justice after former-Count Hines. He threw his former boss under the carriage to avoid the queen's ire, but his position is tenuous. Should you manage to make a show of stealing from him, it could undermine his credibility."

Runa thought about it and laughed. "Making a point of targeting the Minister of Justice until we get one that doesn't blindly follow the queen could be funny. Alright, for now, I'll investigate Baron Jeremy Wiles."

With that, Patience explained what she knew of the man. He was known to purchase valuable portraits, similar to Count Hines' collection of statues. But he was far more private, only letting a close circle of friends enter his manor. His lower standing meant it would be smaller and less defended than Count Hines', but it would also be difficult to gather information on the inside.

"I'd try to get us an invitation, but I worry about letting a pattern emerge with our presence and the thefts," Patience explained.

Runa nodded. "Don't worry, I've got plenty of experience with fish of this size. I'll get to my usual work," she said with confidence.