>>5481988>>5482043Well said, but he will steal again if he has both his hands. You are really very kind good sirs.
>>5482071You were definetely too good, some would even call you weak, but you thought that chopping off the hand of someone only because of the testimony of two imbred peasants was too much. Maybe the Holy Virgin appeared to you and told you to be merciful, or maybe you didn't want to shock your subjects (but who cares about the people's opinion, it is already scandalous that they have one, commoners are made to obey, not to have an opinion) whatever, you decided to risk to let the man repeat his offence by sparing him. You ordered.
-Give this man twenty lashes, it will teach him to steal.
Lady Takable seemed to approve, while some peasants murmured, Oldfossil told you.
-My lord, twenty lashes, my be it is too harsh, we could simply throw him in a cell for three days...
-I would have ordered his hand to be chopped off if I was in a bad mood, but I am merciful. He will learn.
You then told the people.
-And let this be an exemple, the peasantry work hard, stealing from them should be punished. Ancel, you shall whip this vagrant tommorrow. Next case.
The people seemed to understand your logic. Even Oldfossil understood that now the time for playing was over and that you rule shall be harsh but fair. You had trouble understanding the indians, your mercy was called harsh here while you saw the Baron impale people on his castle. Local had maybe very different customs than Someplace ? It could happen even with neighbouring villages in France.
The next case was the divorce, Oldfossil introduced the two protagonists, a fat man and a thin but angry looking woman. You ordered the male and the female Kramer to advance and you let the lady begin, gallantry was a virtue after all. She spoke in a terrible voice, the voice of a shrew, but she tried to pity you.
-My husband is a good for nothing idiot, he beats me, he does nothing, he only thinks about drinking with his friends and always comes home late and drunk. He beats me and the children, look.
Your hangover stopped you from criticising this man for drinking too much. But when she showed you marks of bruises on her arms you took pity of the shrew. You disliked violence against women, a knight should never strike a lady. But, on the other hand this man was a commoner, and commoners generally were drunk (with alcohol of poor quality) and came home to beat their wives and children, it was the pastime of the third estate. What could you do ? Stop commoners from being drunks cheaters and imbeciles ? You were sure that it was a battle who would not be won even if it was waged for one thousand years. But the woman continued.
