Case #8: The Silver Earrings
Judge Celestia: Upon the Throne of Justice
Part 14: The Silver Earrings
“Your Majesty this is case number 11134 in the matter of Silver versus Trot. Parties have been sworn in, you may begin when ready,” Celestia’s eyes followed Noble Cause until he’d come to a stop to one side of her. But she quickly regained herself.
The white alicorn straightened her manila folder, flipping briefly through the papers and photos she’d been given beforehoof. Ah yes, she remembered this one. A nice short case to end the day with, thankfully. “Names and vocations, please?”
To her left, a young-faced stallion and his wife. To her right, a young mare with a torn ear. The Princess didn’t allow herself the wince that was boiling behind her poised expression. “I am Shining Silver. I run the Silver Stallion silver shop in lower Canterlot. Mostly tableware, but on occasion the odd piece of jewelry comes up. I don’t shy from it, it’s all valuable,” he smiled. “This is my wife Smooth Silky. She’s mute, I’m sorry.” He paused for the mare to make a couple of hoof-taps and gestures. “She says she helps run the shop with me, and that it’s an honor to stand in your presence.”
“Would you like an interpreter, Miss Silky?” The Princess didn’t ask why they didn’t share the same last name, it had nothing to do with the case. The mare shook her head politely. Celestia gestured to the waiting stallion that stood as the voice of the deaf or mute in her court.
“No, please send him away.” Shining Silver said less than politely.
The interpreter bowed and politely returned to his seat, but did not leave the room. Noble Cause was impressed. Having such a pony on hoof all the time took forethought. “Very well. Gesture for me if your husband does not speak for you word-for-word. Remember you are both under oath,” the Princess reminded them.
Celestia turned her head. “My name is Glamor Trot,” the young mare said, a bit of her mane coming shyly over her face.
“Of the Trottingham herd?” Celestia asked.
“Yes, my family owns most of Trottingham’s real estate,” she said softly. If she hadn’t had a microphone in front of her, nopony would’ve heard her speaking. “But I-I’m a student, you see. Just a student.” She looked to one side as she spoke, the tear in her ear flapping just a little.
“If I understand, Miss Trot, you are suing the business ‘Silver Stallion’ for… stolen earrings?” Celestia said slowly. “Please tell me what happened.”
“W-well you see, I’ve never been much for jewelry. But Daddy bought me a pair of wonderful silver earrings with heart-shaped rubies in them,” she explained. “I’d gotten good grades on all my term papers and graduated third in my class, sized over fifteen hundred.”
“Well done,” Celestia praised. “And a suiting gift, no doubt?”
“Oh, they were very pretty,” the shy little mare whispered. “But, I only got to wear them once.” She hung her head like it was her own fault. “I got mugged, you see…” she trailed off.
“Do you believe the Silver Stallion itself had something to do with this?” Celestia asked.
“I do, yes,” she nodded twice, though her voice had stayed low.
“What happened?”
“I was on the train from Canterlot to Trottingham. It hadn’t started moving yet, and there was this tall stallion. He had this little group with him, you see…” she trailed off a moment, her eyes seeing the fearful past.
“Yes?” Celestia prompted.
“The tall one shouted to the others to ‘run the earrings’,” she reached and touched her torn ear. “They pounced on me, and the first one got torn out!” she mewled a little. “I surrendered and they unhooked the other properly, then ran before anypony could stop them.”
“Oh my,” Celestia said, eyeing the injury. No doubt the poor thing would need a rather expensive surgery to seal such a scarring wound. Her body had done all it could, the rest would need magic. “But tell me, Miss Trot, what makes you think the store that sold these earrings to your father would just steal them back from you straight away? Have you any proof?”
“Oh yes,” she nodded, turning over one of her papers. “I went back to the shop to buy another pair, you see,” she could barely meet the Princess’ eyes, much less her opponents’. “I was going to replace them before my father noticed. I didn’t want him to know I’d been mugged.” She looked at the floor. “B-but when I saw my own earrings back in the display case, I knew something had to be wrong.”
“How so?” Celestia asked. She saw Smooth Silky looking at the floor uncomfortably, scratching a hoof at the floor.
“Well, that particular shop only buys silver during the first and second week of every month. Their rotating flyers say so,” she gestured.
“We do that to help ponies along!” Protested Shining Silver, pushing his grey mane to one side as he spoke. “Sometimes paychecks don’t cover everything at the end of the month, so we buy silver at the start of the new month so ponies can have the cash they need to get by.” His wife nodded that it was true.
“An interesting business practice,” Celestia said, nodding along. In truth it probably meant they could buy silver for cheaper from ponies desperate to make a few bits. “One fact eludes me, though, Miss Trot,” Celestia lifted a gilded hoof. “How did you recognize your earrings in the display case? Surely there are hundreds of silver earrings with heart-shaped rubies in them in the world.”
“W-well, one was lying flat on the little display pillow. The other was turned on its side. You know, for display purposes?”
“Yes?”
“The serial number was showing, on the inside-curve of it,” she gestured.
“Our serial numbers are twenty digits long! And they’re tiny! You’d never be able to see them through the glass!” Shining Silver snorted. Smooth Silky nodded firmly.
“He does raise an interesting point,” Celestia said. “How could you have possibly memorized a twenty-digit code, then recalled it while under such stress?”
“My degree is in physical alchemy,” Glamor Trot said, scuffing a hoof on the marble floor a bit bashfully. “Long numbers are sort of my… thing.”
“Name pi to the eleventh place,” Celestia practically barked before she could stop herself. She would not allow such a blanketing statement without a little proof.
“One-four-one-five-nine-two-six-five-three-five-nine,” the mare said automatically, without hesitation.
“That doesn’t prove anything!” Shining Silver snapped after Celestia had asked pi from her throne-side calculator.
“Hush,” Celestia bade him. “Now tell me the third magical law of thermo-dynamics.”
“The exponential fall-out of an endless loop of energy would destroy the universe,” The young mare said. “The last mare to attempt infinite magical energy was sealed in stone by… w-well, you, Princess. She stands in the royal garden, the scroll she used turned to stone as well. Unleashing her would mean the turning Equestria into a glass crater.”
“Noble Cause, come,” Celestia bade, nodding that it was true. “Stand by my throne.” Her bailiff obeyed and she gave him the manila folder, the magic number highlighted for him. “Tell Noble Cause the twenty digits of your lost earrings.” Celestia glanced at Noble, who nodded. Celestia held the mare’s eyes with her powerful gaze, then let her speak.
Glamor Trot looked over at Noble Cause, never breaking her stride. No hesitation, no scratching of the head, nothing. She didn’t look down at any papers. It was like breathing for her. She rattled down the twenty numbers of the serial number like anypony that was reciting the time of day or the weather. “She’s correct,” Noble reported, closing the folder and returning it to Celestia.
“Return to your post,” the Princess thanked him.
“She could’ve gotten that number from anywhere!” Shining Silver protested. Smooth Silky was scowly-faced.
“Is that to say she memorized it after she saw it in the display case?” Celestia asked. “And then fed it to me to get a free pair of earrings?”
“Maybe!”
“But those numbers are quite long, and tiny, and she couldn’t have possibly seen them through the glass!” Celestia chuckled lightly, feeding his words back to him. The young stallion blushed, flustered. “Or is it perhaps, she memorized them from the receipt of purchase?” she looked over at Miss Trot, who nodded a bit. “How else would you know to match them, huhm?” Celestia made a gesture and the young mare obediently produced the receipt in question. It was the original, serial number intact and initialed. “As I thought,” the Princess said. “So the question becomes… how did Miss Trot’s stolen earrings get back to their store of origin?” her pleasant demeanor fell a bit to a rather alarming frown.
“N-no telling, your Majesty!” Shining Silver said.
“And, another question that truly bothers me,” the Princess shuffled her papers. “If you were buying silver during the wrong two weeks of the month, why would you take that particular pair of earrings when you’d just sold them, less than a day prior, to an upper-class young mare… when they were brought by a scruffy-looking herd of four or five stallions?” she flipped the folder closed. “Were you not suspicious? Did you not check the serial numbers and have questions on the origins of the jewelry?”
“I did no such thing! My store is squeaky clean!” Shining Silver said, miffed at the mere idea. “I turn away half a dozen stolen things a day! I require paperwork, receipts, points of origin, everything!”
“With your store sitting in lower Canterlot, you must be approached quite often by ponies trying to make a quick bit,” Celestia pressed him just a little. When ponies were angry they often spoke more truth than lies, especially if they were indignant.
“Mayhap,” the stallion scowled at his Princess. “But I know better. My wife knows better. She’s been keeping our books meticulously since we got together.”
“Oh?” Celestia turned to the mute mare, who coughed lightly. “Tell me, Smooth Silky, did it not strike you as odd to sell a pair of earrings then get them back so quickly if your books are so meticulous?”
Smooth Silky gestured back and forth, her horn lighting a bit. Shining Silver watched her. Celestia’s sign-language interpreter frowned, sitting up a bit straighter. “She says if she had, she would’ve reported it right away. Along with the descriptions of the ponies that brought the earrings to us. The Canterlot Guard are no strangers to us. Sometimes dishonest ponies try to sell us things. We turn them away, noting what they look like. When law enforcement asks about a particular stolen item, we match item with face so they can catch them,” Shining Silver said, putting a foreleg around his wife’s shoulders. She nodded, confirming what she’d said. The interpreter’s eyes narrowed, suspicious.
“I see…” Celestia slowly sat back in her throne. No doubt if she looked up the records the local guard houses would confirm them. Pawn shops and precious metal shops had to be very, very careful these days on what they bought and from whom. “Did you not simply check your records and compare numbers, Smooth Silky?” the Princess asked.
The young mare started to gesture, but the stallion to one side jumped up onto his hooves. “Alright that’s enough!” he said angrily.
“Silent Sign?” Celestia turned with a frown. She watched the stallion tramp out from his little alcove to stand before her. Noble Cause bristled a little. “What is the matter?”
“This mare is a sham!” The signing pony exclaimed, thrusting an accusing hoof at her. Shining Silver stood sideways to protect her from his shouting when she shrank back a bit. “She’s not saying anything in sign-language! It’s gibberish!”
“Oh?” Celestia said, a little shocked at his boldness.
“She’s speaking through telepathy or something, you see her horn lighting?!”
“Is there something you don’t want me to know, Miss Silky?” Celestia said with a frown, leaning with interest. Noble Cause shifted a little, his wings opening and his chest inflating. He had a bad feeling about all this.
“Please, your Majesty, forgive my rudeness,” Silent Sign said, bowing twice. “But let me speak for Smooth Silky and you’ll see!”
“Very well…” Celestia said cautiously.
“No! We refuse!” Shining Silver said angrily. “I speak for my wife, we don’t need you!” Smooth Silky flushed, nodding and hanging onto her stallion.
“Do as I command,” the white alicorn said, her wings half-opening. Everypony present shuddered just a little. “Be seated, Shining Silver, there at the little row of chairs.” The grey stallion slowly left his love by herself before the signer and the Princess. Glamor Trot blinked in confusion, watching and wisely not speaking. There was a long silence as the white mare slowly turned to look Smooth Silky in the eyes. She was frightened. “Good afternoon, Smooth Silky.”
“Welcome today,” the interpreter said blandly when Smooth Silky signed at her.
“Are you well?”
“We continue… a circle… once more,” the interpreter said slowly. “I love a group. Ferris wheel.”
“Is it possible she’s speaking griffonian sign-language? Or minotaur?” Celestia asked curiously.
“No. I know all three, your highness,” the stallion grumped at the imposter. “This is an insult to deaf and mute ponies everywhere.”
“Once more, who, I frown upon you.” The interpreter said. Smooth Silky looked very upset and reached towards her husband like a frightened foal.
“You don’t understand her like I do!” Shining Silver said angrily. “Stop tormenting her!”
“There are only four primary sign languages on this continent, Princess. I know three of them,” the interpreter said. “This is garbled Equestrian at best.”
“What is the fourth?”
“Changeling,” he said off-hoofedly, then froze. Everypony present went hush and the courtroom looked at Smooth Silky. She winced, lowering herself like she might be struck. The grey mare with dark grey mane whimpered audibly. Shining Silver disobeyed at last, rushing to stand over her and shield her from any oncoming assault. Guards started angrily forward, armor and spears clanking.
“Halt.” Celestia’s hoof snapped against the marble dais under her. “I will Court Marshal the first guard to touch her, and imprison the first civilian. Return to your posts.” There was freezing, questioning eyes, but obedience.
“Your Majesty?” Noble Cause said, slowly turning his head.
Smooth Silky hung her head, a green fire slowly lighting on her spiraling horn. “No don’t,” Celestia lifted a hoof. She looked up at the alicorn, trembling. “If this is how you wish to look, then that is how you will look before me as well.” Smooth Silky swallowed, then nodded. Her eyes didn’t dare leave the floor. Shining Silver turned slow, angry circles in case the guards should come charging in anyway. “Let me guess: You were included in the changeling-pony exchange program from beyond the badlands border, after the Canterlot Wedding fiasco.”
Smooth Silky nodded, then gestured.
“I am little.” The interpreter said.
“I am a drone,” Shining Silver corrected angrily. Celestia politely dismissed the interpreter. “She-- came here with the exchange program a couple of years ago, but the rampant racism is pretty thick with all the high society ponies in Canterlot. So she disguised herself like this. I love her, though,” he said bravely. “She is my wife! We’re married!” he seemed to be shouting at the crowd of onlookers more than at Celestia. “She’s my Silky!” He huffed and puffed, snorting at the staring crowd he was trying to defend her from. The Princess was afraid the poor thing might hyperventilate if he wasn’t careful.
Smooth Silky looked up at her husband, flushed and trembling. He sat on his haunches, his arms around her. Celestia smiled sympathetically. Such a protective thing. This was spiraling out of control though, and this was not the point to linger. “Tell me, Miss Silky. Did you knowingly buy back the stolen silver?”
The mute mare nodded once, ashamed, unable to lie to her.
“Did you recognize it?”
She nodded, ears wilting.
“Did tell your husband of this?”
She shook her head no, hanging her head at the shocked look he gave her.
“And when Glamor Trot came looking, you denied they were hers?”
Smooth Silky nodded that it was true, sighing.
“Honey why?” Shining Silver said softly, cupping her cheek. “I know the shop’s been struggling hard lately, but we’ve got nest eggs put away! There was no need to buy stolen goods from anypony!” Smooth Silky gestured a long and complex series of motions. The Princess looked at the stallion. Word-for-word it was, then. “She says… ‘I see you with your calculator and bills some nights, instead of in bed with me where you should be. You worry so much about making ends meet in such a risk-reward business. I didn’t want you to suffer over such a useless, shiny metal.’”
“How much are those earrings worth?” Celestia asked.
“Nine-Hundred bits, give or take,” Shining Silver said. “They’re good silver with perfect rubies.”
“Glamor Trot?”
“Daddy bought them for me, the receipt says nine-hundred thirty-seven,” she produced the paper and Celestia’s magic took it from her.
The Princess nodded slowly. “Judgement for the plaintiff in the amount of nine-hundred and thirty-seven bits, plus legal fees,” she stamped a hoof once to make it final. Glamor Trot beamed. A victory! “In the meantime, Miss Silky, you are under arrest. Noble, please be gentle and respectful with her.” She gestured lightly with a large wing.
Noble Cause stepped forward and the mare hung her head as she was cuffed. “Anything you say, or sign, can be used against you. You’ve a right to an attorney,” his voice faded as they left the room. Noble quickly returned to his post when she’d been handed off and taken to the nearest dungeon cell.
“Will you send her away?! Out of Equestria?! Back to the badlands?!” Shining Silver had to know.
Celestia considered for a time, carefully constructing her answer. “For knowingly buying stolen property, lying to the crown, misleading authorities and a few other things she’ll be facing some jail time. How much is up to a lower court and was not the point of today’s proceedings. You will have to attend her hearings.”
“But she’s my wife!” he said desperately. “She’s a changeling! Equestria’s courts will eat her alive!” His eyes were starting to brim with tears.
“This court does not, nor any other in Equestria, take species into account when it comes to sentencing,” Celestia rose from her throne, gesturing to Noble Cause to follow. “Diversity under the crown is a blessing, not a thing to fear. Changeling or no, if you feel she is mistreated because of what she is, send word to me and she will walk from that courtroom back into my own...” she assured. “-And I will sentence her myself.”
“I-I… yes, your Majesty!” The stallion was very upset, but cowed and thankful at the same time. It was hard to be all three at once. Celestia left, Noble Cause at her side, and the judge’s chamber doors slowly closed. The sound was enough to stir every pony into talking amongst themselves.
Glamor Trot happily put her things into her little saddlebags and started away. Shining Silver stopped her in the archway out of the throne room. The guards leaned at him, but he was not trying to be a threat. “Listen,” he said softly, “I… I’m sorry for what happened to you. My wife didn’t arrange for you to be mugged or anything, but she was enabling those thugs that got you by buying their dirty silver and that’s almost as bad.” He fished out a business card. “I know you don’t need help, being from such a rich family, but if you wanna send one of your medical bills our way we’ll try to help.” His smile was not unkind. “A-as best we can, that is. My shop’s prolly going under after all this. You understand.” His ears were sideways, stressed.
“Oh?” the shy mare said, pushing her mane out of her eyes to look at the card. “A-alright then. Thank you.” She was away after that. He stood there in the archway, sighing to himself. Then he was away to see about helping his dear Silky.
End of Part 14
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See? These immigrants are destroying the country! We need to build a wall between Equestria and the badlands!
...damn.
That was a great deal more intense than I was expecting. Kinda sad, too.
Either way, good to see a new chapter to this.
Hmmmm *Tilts my Furry Head* I Wonder if we'll be seeing them again......
IT'S ALIVE!!!
Didn't see that twist coming, expected a completely different twist.
6927505 Nope it's here. Have a new chapter!
Well this was certainly a surprise update! Hopefully this means this story will be back to at least somewhat regular updates.
Awesome chapter! I feel a bit bad for Smooth Silky, despite her mistake. I wish we could find out about her court case, but I'll just have to hope that Celestia is right that she'll receive a fail trial. I also hope that gang of thieves is caught for assaulting Glamor Trot. It's their fault this happened to begin with!
Unrelated to the case, that bit about a mare essentially being sealed in stone for eternity was a bit chilling in its own right. Did she have ill intentions, or was she sacrificed to prevent a potentially devastating calamity? Either way, unsettling.
I'm happy that we got a new chapter ^_^. Hopefully it's just one of many more to come, that and I hope we find out what happened to the couple.
6944269
I'm going with to prevent a calamity. Since Golden Trot said that the resulting experiment would have turned Equestria into a glassy crater. So less of what she did, as much as the catastrophe that would arise from what she was planning to do.
6943954
I sure hope so.
Damn, glad to see its still alive. Good chapter, and with the best twist as always!
Ever had a judge bring their pet to work?
Wow, that chapter tore big gaping holes in my heartstrings.
I see you got inspired by a certain incident in South Africa...
6943871 Apparently some people's hatred for Trump is so great that it outweighs their sense of humour, which is understandable, but still...
Hey, an update! This has been missed, Aegis! Good to see you writing again, man.
Dang... poor Silky though.
at least thanks to marriage she's an equestrian citizen, they can't deport her short of banishment and those powers are saved for the crown alone. glamour trots post trial actions have me a bit worried.
6943871 How would a wall keep out what can both dig, AND fly?
Yeah, regardless of Celestia's protestations to the contrary, I have my doubts that the courts will treat Silky fairly, and the prison guards definitely won't (when has a jail ever treated prisoners right?). Her husband shouldn't have folded so easily.
6957176
Magic.
In all seriousness, considering the cannon rocks that Chrysalis's own throne is made from, a wall could be made... and the changelings would pay for it!
I made myself sick with that joke...