In my humble opinion as a 127-years-old, I believe a fair trial is only
possible if it is conducted under the scrutiny of the public eyes,
rather than limiting the court to a selected few.

I count myself as the most unbiased mortal you may find in Sapience, but
then, like Tu'eras, the Mhunna, the Mayor of Thera, the Baron of the
Orcs, I have my own station in my life and have served my city and guild
with unswerving loyalty and dedication. I don't see myself as any
different from the Mayor of Thera, for example. For a fair trial, we
need a jury made up of people from all walks of life, not just a
selected few, excluding the others.

Now, this dispute between Hashan and Shallam does not only involve the
two cities themselves, but also Ashtan, which has declared war on
Shallam in support of Hashan, so it is reasonable to expect the trial to
be conducted in a public manner.

Lastly, I'd like to add, contrary to what you have observed, I have seen
Shallam in both good and bad relations with Hashan. The same can be said
of the relations between Hashan and Ashtan. There is neither everlasting
friend nor perpetual enemy in the political scene.

Mistral

Penned by my hand on the 12th of Phaestian, in the year 290 AF.