A Contract of Honor
Copyright© 2025 by Megumi Kashuahara
Chapter 15:The Paternal Petition
Judge Harlan granted the expedited hearing grudgingly. Steward’s urgency, fueled by the official interference of the Special Guardian, had successfully boxed the court into another rapid, high-stakes decision. The courtroom was quieter this time, the curiosity replaced by a somber recognition that this was the final, definitive move to dismantle the indenture system entirely...
Arthur Billings, the Special Guardian, sat prominently next to the Territory’s Counsel, smugly convinced that his report on the girls’ lack of “social grace” would be enough to halt the adoption.
“Mr. Grainger,” Judge Harlan began, his voice weary but sharp. “The court is deeply unsettled by this petition. You seek to dissolve a legal, binding contract—the indenture—by substituting it with a lifetime contract of adoption. This is highly irregular. Present your argument.”
Kroll stood first, his usual nervousness replaced by the quiet certainty of a man holding four aces. He didn’t defend the ranch; he attacked the court’s overreach.
The Attack on the Special Guardian
“Your Honor, the purpose of this petition is to remove an illegal threat and secure the constitutional rights of the petitioners,” Kroll began. “We are not here to debate the curriculum, but the jurisdiction.”
Kroll fixed his gaze on Billings. “The court appointed Mr. Billings as Special Guardian to oversee the welfare of wards under an indenture contract. However, the Deed Gambit established that Elara and Miya are Proprietors and Partners in the Grainger Ranch. This ranch is not only their home but a constitutionally protected, deeded private business run by a U.S. citizen.”
He delivered the critical counter-argument: “There is no legal basis whatsoever for the injection of an additional party—the Special Guardian—to dictate curriculum, operational duties, or management decisions within a U.S. citizen’s private business. Mr. Billings is attempting to claim jurisdiction over properly deeded personal property and the profitable daily operations of a partnership.”
Kroll continued, his voice gaining momentum. “In effect, the court is maintaining an intrusive outsider whose sole purpose is to harass two young people and potentially disrupt a highly successful business, based purely on perceived social deficiencies. The law has no right to dictate what kind of production is acceptable, only that they are productive. This interference violates the spirit of the U.S. Constitution and threatens the economic stability the court purportedly sought to foster.”
Steward’s Paternal Plea
Kroll stepped back, and Steward rose. He approached the bench, dismissing the legal papers and speaking straight to the Judge. His words were not those of a wealthy rancher, but of a desperate, protective father.
“Your Honor, I ask you to look past the contracts and look at the truth,” Steward said, his voice deep and resonant. “The law demands I prepare these children for self-sufficiency. I have not only succeeded; I have created two young women who are financially independent, literate, and capable of managing a substantial fortune. The indenture contract has run its course. Its value is exhausted. It has served its purpose.”
He leveled his gaze directly at Judge Harlan. “The only legal impediment left is the lingering contract itself, which enables harassment via the Special Guardian. The law cannot create a more beneficial, legally unassailable status than the status of daughter.”
Steward leaned slightly toward the bench. “I petition for adoption because the girls need permanence, not scrutiny. They need the legal shield of the American family. His wardship has proven to be a beneficial relationship; an actual parent/child relationship would solidify that bond and permanently supersede the indenture contract. Adoption invokes the highest legal protection—the sanctity of the American family—against the kind of unlawful intrusion Mr. Billings represents.”
He concluded with quiet but fierce determination: “If you grant this petition, the indenture is void. The Special Guardian is dismissed. The girls are legally, morally, and permanently my daughters, and this court will never again have cause to interfere in the private, protected matter of their upbringing. This is the only action that guarantees the full and permanent welfare of Elara and Miya Grainger.”
The Territory’s Counsel stood to object, citing the girls’ Native American lineage and the legal precedent against mixed-race adoption in certain contexts, but Judge Harlan cut him off with a weary wave of his hand. The Judge recognized the legal box Steward had constructed: to deny the adoption was to uphold the right of the Territory to violate a citizen’s property rights and private family life, and to confirm the racist intent of the indenture. Steward had given him a path out of the constant legal challenge.
Judge Harlan stared down at the petition, the quiet of the courtroom broken only by the scratching of his clerk’s pen.
Now that we have confirmed Chapter 16: The Paternal Petition and Chapter 17: The Final Verdict, what would you like to explore next in the narrative?
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