“The vote to change the rules of the noble court fails five to three, with one abstaining,” the Judge announced calmly. “Lord Proudglade, move on to your next order of business.”
Drake had just thwarted one of Lord Proudglade’s plans to defeat him. It was also one of the only attacks he could easily anticipate. As much as he wanted to believe he’d knocked the wind out of the Proudglade’s sails by convincing Brightwater to abstain, he knew it wouldn’t be near that easy. At least he finally knew which manor lord had betrayed him.
He was not going to invite Lord Ashwind to the Christmas party.
“In this matter, I defer to Lord Redbow,” Lord Proudglade said coldly. He sat down.
So Lord Proudglade was tagging out to lick his wounds. Good.
Still wearing his creepy ass grin, Lord Redbow rose and inclined his head to the Judge. “Thank you, Lord Proudglade.” He had the voice of a snake oil salesman, one that oozed false sincerity and hinted at the metaphorical knife he held behind his back.
“What business do you bring before the noble court today?” the Judge asked.
“The real reason Lord Proudglade wishes Lord Gloomwood removed from his role as manor lord.” Lord Redbow’s eager gaze fell upon Drake. “This man can defy even the Eidolons.”
Drake inwardly groaned as he remembered Samuel’s words from the night he’d told the man he could lie. That was the reason Samuel wasn’t as the cabal today. Samuel couldn’t lie.
“It means you speak with the confidence of a madman.”
It seemed Lord Redbow and Samuel had read some of the same books.
“Explain your words,” the Judge said firmly.
Drake didn’t miss the change in her tone and posture. The very idea of someone who could lie obviously offended her, though she hid it well. This was not a good sign.
“Sadly, I can only speak to what I have personally witnessed,” Lord Redbow said smoothly. “Weeks ago, I extended an invitation for a parley to Lord Gloomwood.”
So the bastard was just going to come right out and admit he’d had Captain Ro use Anna to abduct Drake from his own manor. Drake wondered if he could use that against Lord Redbow. He suspected, given the way the court worked, it wouldn’t matter to anyone. Fortunately, this was also an attack he’d prepared for. He hoped.
“One of my trusted hunters invited Lord Gloomwood to a summit on my behalf,” Lord Redbow continued. “When he arrived, Lord Gloomwood gave his word to my man that he would remain in our camp and not harm my hunters until I arrived. That night, Lord Gloomwood stole my property, left the camp, and murdered every last man I sent.” Lord Redbow paused for dramatic effect. “After assuring my hunter he would not do this.”
“Explain your words,” the Judge said again.
The implication was obvious to everyone in the room, but the Judge seemed intent on forcing Lord Redbow to spell it out anyway. Again, Drake could only watch and listen as he mentally prepared his defense. Possible lies whirred in his head as he struggled to find a way out. It didn’t matter how Lord Redbow knew about Captain Ro, only that he did.
“I believe,” Lord Redbow said with great aplomb, “that because he was born on a world outside the reach of the Eidolons, Lord Gloomwood can speak words he does not believe.”
Several audible gasps filled the auditorium. That pissed Drake off. Still, he had known this might come up and planned for it. And already, as he replayed the events after Anna teleported him to Captain Ro’s camp, he knew how he would answer.
As the Judge turned to Drake, there was no doubt at least some of her impartiality was gone. She looked like she was about to bring the hammer down. Rather than looking calm, Drake thought back on every unfair challenge he’d faced since he was brought here. Looking pissed was exactly how a manor lord who couldn’t lie would react.
“Lord Gloomwood, how do you explain your actions?”
Drake didn’t just have to explain. Now that Lord Redbow had directly accused him of a crime, a direct attack of one manor lord on another, he had the right to demand further clarification and evidence. He didn’t just have to sit back and take it.
“Before I answer,” Drake said, “I demand to know why Lord Redbow believes this. I imagine the court would like to know that as well, given he wasn’t there.”
He couldn’t deny what Lord Redbow had said was “true” because truth and lie didn’t exist in this world or this court. There was only what people believed, and Lord Redbow obviously believed this. So he simply had to find some way to explain why Lord Redbow was mistaken, some nuance to the situation he’d missed or misinterpreted.
“Lord Redbow?” the Judge asked.
“Revealing that information for compromise my manor’s security,” Lord Redbow said.
Drake had expected exactly that answer. He also knew now was the time to pounce.
“Don’t bother,” Drake told Lord Redbow coldly. “I withdraw the question, because I already know how you know about my meeting with the mercenary captain you paid to abduct me. I also know how you are mistaken.”
Lord Redbow raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
“Judge.” Drake looked to her. “I have brought evidence I wish to show the noble court.”
“Present it,” she ordered flatly.
Drake looked to Lark. “See that bag at your feet? Open it and hand me what’s inside.”
She complied immediately, opening the bag and hesitating only a moment before pulling out Robby. Drake had told Anna Robby would be coming to the cabal today. Anna had been thrilled, though she had been a bit disappointed he wouldn’t come to see the city.
Drake sat the creepy doll on the wooden riser ahead of him, green eyes and all. The reactions were as he expected. Lord Redbow grinned in obvious delight, Lord Proudglade’s scowl deepened, and Lords Mistvale and Frostlight appeared intrigued.
“This is the doll Lord Redbow’s employer, a man who called himself Captain Ro, gave to the underage child he kept in a cage. He repeatedly forced her to abduct his enemies using threats of violence against her father. His name is Robby. Say hello, Robby.” He raised the doll’s hand in a tiny wave and pitched his voice up. “Hi there, everybody! I’m a spy for Lord Redbow!”
Beside him, he could swear he heard Viktoria huff in disbelief. Didn’t matter. The way Lord Proudglade’s left eye literally twitched was worth it.
“Lord Gloomwood,” the Judge demanded. “Make your point.”
He’d pushed her far enough. “You see the green eyes on this doll? They are actually gems that allow a distant user to see and hear anything the doll sees. After Captain Ro’s soldiers attacked me under a flag of truce, Captain Ro reported this fact to Lord Redbow.”
The Judge pivoted to Drake’s enemy. “Lord Redbow? Is this how you learned the information that you presented? About Lord Gloomwood’s words to your Captain Ro?”
The Judge didn’t ask if it was true. There was no lying in this world. But people could be mistaken and truly believe things that were not correct.
Lord Redbow frowned. “Answering that question would compromise my manor’s—”
“You will answer the question,” the Judge said firmly. “You made the accusation. You must satisfy the noble court to its veracity. Did you receive your information through this doll?”
Drake again grinned... mentally. By bringing this accusation directly against Drake, Lord Redbow had forfeited any claim to protecting his manor’s security. He could simply say that the doll wasn’t how he knew about what went down in Captain Ro’s camp, which would allow him to keep his secrets... but Drake already knew that wasn’t the case.
Lord Redbow’s grin faded. “It is, Judge.”
The Judge pivoted back to Drake. “You stand accused of speaking words you do not believe. This is not possible without defying the Eidolons. You claim Lord Redbow is mistaken?”
Thank you for summing that up so eloquently, Drake said silently. “I do. Now, with your permission, I will tell the noble court what actually took place that night in Captain Ro’s camp.”
It wasn’t time to lie his ass off. Not yet. The truth would serve him for now.
“Proceed,” the Judge said.
“As I mentioned, Captain Ro, at the behest of Lord Redbow, caged and tormented an underage child he forced to abduct people by threatening to feed her father to the dogs.” That statement was specifically to incite Lord Brightwater. “This child, Anna, came to my manor under the guise of requesting my help to save her father. Her rarity allows her to teleport people, and she teleported me leagues across the realm to Captain Ro’s camp without asking. She abducted me on Captain Ro’s orders, and worse, Lord Redbow offered no invitation to any summit. I fully believed I had been abducted to be killed.”
“My apologies, Lord Gloomwood,” Lord Redbow said at once. “I had no idea Captain Ro was so sparing in his explanation. I made it clear I wished him to extend my invitation to open negotiations with you peacefully. That a misunderstanding occurred is unfortunate.”
Just like I suggested Samuel switch our route to the Merchant’s Roadway, Drake thought silently. Lord Redbow, like all manor lords, relied on unspoken orders for his dirty work.
The Judge pivoted to Lord Redbow. “Is Lord Gloomwood mistaken in his words?”
Lord Redbow raised his hands. “Until today, I had no idea Captain Ro had failed to clearly convey my invitation for a summit between our manors. I also did not know he was treating my thrall so egregiously. Had I known, I would never have let him borrow her.”
Plausible deniability. That was like how Lord Redbow handled all of his matters with his lesser assassins. Drake would remember this and take it into account in the future.
“She wasn’t your thrall,” Drake reminded the court. “She’s ten.”
“Of course,” Lord Redbow concluded smoothly. “Now that I know that Captain Ro was treating the child so poorly, I would never allow the man to borrow her again. Of course, since Lord Gloomwood assassinated Captain Ro after swearing not to do so, the matter is moot.”
The Judge pivoted back to Lord Gloomwood. “How do you explain the actions Lord Redbow reported? Did you murder Captain Ro and his soldiers after swearing not to do so?”
“Lord Redbow does not have all the facts,” Drake said. Now it was time to lie his ass off. “He only knows what Captain Ro told him, through the doll, after his men attacked me.”
Lord Redbow pounced. “You gave Captain Ro your guarantee you would not harm him or his men or leave his camp. Are these more words you do not believe, Lord Gloomwood?”
“I said I wouldn’t attempt to harm him if he didn’t attempt to harm me,” Drake reminded everyone in the room.
“And yet I know he clearly stated he would not,” Redbow said triumphantly.
“You’re right about one thing,” Drake said. “Captain Ro did give such orders to the men in his camp, but here’s the thing. He didn’t give the order to the man who rode in after.”
Lord Redbow’s features went disturbingly flat.
“That’s right,” Drake told those gathered. “That is how Lord Redbow instructed Captain Ro to assassinate me. By having a man who was not in the camp when we agreed to a truce attack me.”
“I gave no such order,” Lord Redbow said.
“Be silent.” The Judge glared at Lord Redbow. “If you speak again before I address you, you will be censured. You have made your accusation. Lord Gloomwood will defend himself.”
Drake was liking this old lady more and more. She might be a hardass, but she was looking more and more like an impartial hardass. He could work with this.
“Perhaps Captain Ro acted without Lord Redbow’s direct order,” Drake amended, simply to smooth things over with the other manor lords. “Regardless, that is why Captain Ro and his soldiers are dead. Ro did not attack me first. The men in his camp also did not attack me first. But the man who rode into his camp after we agreed not to harm each other did attack me in my tent, and once I knew Ro had used doublespeak to break our truce, I defended myself.” He smiled his most hungry smile. “With prejudice.”
Lord Redbow was not smiling now. He looked incensed, and Drake mentally dared him to speak up again.
Go ahead, asshole. Get yourself censured right now.
“The vote to change the rules of the noble court fails five to three, with one abstaining,” the Judge announced calmly. “Lord Proudglade, move on to your next order of business.”
Drake had just thwarted one of Lord Proudglade’s plans to defeat him. It was also one of the only attacks he could easily anticipate. As much as he wanted to believe he’d knocked the wind out of the Proudglade’s sails by convincing Brightwater to abstain, he knew it wouldn’t be near that easy. At least he finally knew which manor lord had betrayed him.
He was not going to invite Lord Ashwind to the Christmas party.
“In this matter, I defer to Lord Redbow,” Lord Proudglade said coldly. He sat down.
So Lord Proudglade was tagging out to lick his wounds. Good.
Still wearing his creepy ass grin, Lord Redbow rose and inclined his head to the Judge. “Thank you, Lord Proudglade.” He had the voice of a snake oil salesman, one that oozed false sincerity and hinted at the metaphorical knife he held behind his back.
“What business do you bring before the noble court today?” the Judge asked.
“The real reason Lord Proudglade wishes Lord Gloomwood removed from his role as manor lord.” Lord Redbow’s eager gaze fell upon Drake. “This man can defy even the Eidolons.”
Drake inwardly groaned as he remembered Samuel’s words from the night he’d told the man he could lie. That was the reason Samuel wasn’t as the cabal today. Samuel couldn’t lie.
“It means you speak with the confidence of a madman.”
It seemed Lord Redbow and Samuel had read some of the same books.
“Explain your words,” the Judge said firmly.
Drake didn’t miss the change in her tone and posture. The very idea of someone who could lie obviously offended her, though she hid it well. This was not a good sign.
“Sadly, I can only speak to what I have personally witnessed,” Lord Redbow said smoothly. “Weeks ago, I extended an invitation for a parley to Lord Gloomwood.”
So the bastard was just going to come right out and admit he’d had Captain Ro use Anna to abduct Drake from his own manor. Drake wondered if he could use that against Lord Redbow. He suspected, given the way the court worked, it wouldn’t matter to anyone. Fortunately, this was also an attack he’d prepared for. He hoped.
“One of my trusted hunters invited Lord Gloomwood to a summit on my behalf,” Lord Redbow continued. “When he arrived, Lord Gloomwood gave his word to my man that he would remain in our camp and not harm my hunters until I arrived. That night, Lord Gloomwood stole my property, left the camp, and murdered every last man I sent.” Lord Redbow paused for dramatic effect. “After assuring my hunter he would not do this.”
“Explain your words,” the Judge said again.
The implication was obvious to everyone in the room, but the Judge seemed intent on forcing Lord Redbow to spell it out anyway. Again, Drake could only watch and listen as he mentally prepared his defense. Possible lies whirred in his head as he struggled to find a way out. It didn’t matter how Lord Redbow knew about Captain Ro, only that he did.
“I believe,” Lord Redbow said with great aplomb, “that because he was born on a world outside the reach of the Eidolons, Lord Gloomwood can speak words he does not believe.”
Several audible gasps filled the auditorium. That pissed Drake off. Still, he had known this might come up and planned for it. And already, as he replayed the events after Anna teleported him to Captain Ro’s camp, he knew how he would answer.
As the Judge turned to Drake, there was no doubt at least some of her impartiality was gone. She looked like she was about to bring the hammer down. Rather than looking calm, Drake thought back on every unfair challenge he’d faced since he was brought here. Looking pissed was exactly how a manor lord who couldn’t lie would react.
“Lord Gloomwood, how do you explain your actions?”
Drake didn’t just have to explain. Now that Lord Redbow had directly accused him of a crime, a direct attack of one manor lord on another, he had the right to demand further clarification and evidence. He didn’t just have to sit back and take it.
“Before I answer,” Drake said, “I demand to know why Lord Redbow believes this. I imagine the court would like to know that as well, given he wasn’t there.”
He couldn’t deny what Lord Redbow had said was “true” because truth and lie didn’t exist in this world or this court. There was only what people believed, and Lord Redbow obviously believed this. So he simply had to find some way to explain why Lord Redbow was mistaken, some nuance to the situation he’d missed or misinterpreted.
“Lord Redbow?” the Judge asked.
“Revealing that information for compromise my manor’s security,” Lord Redbow said.
Drake had expected exactly that answer. He also knew now was the time to pounce.
“Don’t bother,” Drake told Lord Redbow coldly. “I withdraw the question, because I already know how you know about my meeting with the mercenary captain you paid to abduct me. I also know how you are mistaken.”
Lord Redbow raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
“Judge.” Drake looked to her. “I have brought evidence I wish to show the noble court.”
“Present it,” she ordered flatly.
Drake looked to Lark. “See that bag at your feet? Open it and hand me what’s inside.”
She complied immediately, opening the bag and hesitating only a moment before pulling out Robby. Drake had told Anna Robby would be coming to the cabal today. Anna had been thrilled, though she had been a bit disappointed he wouldn’t come to see the city.
Drake sat the creepy doll on the wooden riser ahead of him, green eyes and all. The reactions were as he expected. Lord Redbow grinned in obvious delight, Lord Proudglade’s scowl deepened, and Lords Mistvale and Frostlight appeared intrigued.
“This is the doll Lord Redbow’s employer, a man who called himself Captain Ro, gave to the underage child he kept in a cage. He repeatedly forced her to abduct his enemies using threats of violence against her father. His name is Robby. Say hello, Robby.” He raised the doll’s hand in a tiny wave and pitched his voice up. “Hi there, everybody! I’m a spy for Lord Redbow!”
Beside him, he could swear he heard Viktoria huff in disbelief. Didn’t matter. The way Lord Proudglade’s left eye literally twitched was worth it.
“Lord Gloomwood,” the Judge demanded. “Make your point.”
He’d pushed her far enough. “You see the green eyes on this doll? They are actually gems that allow a distant user to see and hear anything the doll sees. After Captain Ro’s soldiers attacked me under a flag of truce, Captain Ro reported this fact to Lord Redbow.”
The Judge pivoted to Drake’s enemy. “Lord Redbow? Is this how you learned the information that you presented? About Lord Gloomwood’s words to your Captain Ro?”
The Judge didn’t ask if it was true. There was no lying in this world. But people could be mistaken and truly believe things that were not correct.
Lord Redbow frowned. “Answering that question would compromise my manor’s—”
“You will answer the question,” the Judge said firmly. “You made the accusation. You must satisfy the noble court to its veracity. Did you receive your information through this doll?”
Drake again grinned... mentally. By bringing this accusation directly against Drake, Lord Redbow had forfeited any claim to protecting his manor’s security. He could simply say that the doll wasn’t how he knew about what went down in Captain Ro’s camp, which would allow him to keep his secrets... but Drake already knew that wasn’t the case.
Lord Redbow’s grin faded. “It is, Judge.”
The Judge pivoted back to Drake. “You stand accused of speaking words you do not believe. This is not possible without defying the Eidolons. You claim Lord Redbow is mistaken?”
Thank you for summing that up so eloquently, Drake said silently. “I do. Now, with your permission, I will tell the noble court what actually took place that night in Captain Ro’s camp.”
It wasn’t time to lie his ass off. Not yet. The truth would serve him for now.
“Proceed,” the Judge said.
“As I mentioned, Captain Ro, at the behest of Lord Redbow, caged and tormented an underage child he forced to abduct people by threatening to feed her father to the dogs.” That statement was specifically to incite Lord Brightwater. “This child, Anna, came to my manor under the guise of requesting my help to save her father. Her rarity allows her to teleport people, and she teleported me leagues across the realm to Captain Ro’s camp without asking. She abducted me on Captain Ro’s orders, and worse, Lord Redbow offered no invitation to any summit. I fully believed I had been abducted to be killed.”
“My apologies, Lord Gloomwood,” Lord Redbow said at once. “I had no idea Captain Ro was so sparing in his explanation. I made it clear I wished him to extend my invitation to open negotiations with you peacefully. That a misunderstanding occurred is unfortunate.”
Just like I suggested Samuel switch our route to the Merchant’s Roadway, Drake thought silently. Lord Redbow, like all manor lords, relied on unspoken orders for his dirty work.
The Judge pivoted to Lord Redbow. “Is Lord Gloomwood mistaken in his words?”
Lord Redbow raised his hands. “Until today, I had no idea Captain Ro had failed to clearly convey my invitation for a summit between our manors. I also did not know he was treating my thrall so egregiously. Had I known, I would never have let him borrow her.”
Plausible deniability. That was like how Lord Redbow handled all of his matters with his lesser assassins. Drake would remember this and take it into account in the future.
“She wasn’t your thrall,” Drake reminded the court. “She’s ten.”
“Of course,” Lord Redbow concluded smoothly. “Now that I know that Captain Ro was treating the child so poorly, I would never allow the man to borrow her again. Of course, since Lord Gloomwood assassinated Captain Ro after swearing not to do so, the matter is moot.”
The Judge pivoted back to Lord Gloomwood. “How do you explain the actions Lord Redbow reported? Did you murder Captain Ro and his soldiers after swearing not to do so?”
“Lord Redbow does not have all the facts,” Drake said. Now it was time to lie his ass off. “He only knows what Captain Ro told him, through the doll, after his men attacked me.”
Lord Redbow pounced. “You gave Captain Ro your guarantee you would not harm him or his men or leave his camp. Are these more words you do not believe, Lord Gloomwood?”
“I said I wouldn’t attempt to harm him if he didn’t attempt to harm me,” Drake reminded everyone in the room.
“And yet I know he clearly stated he would not,” Redbow said triumphantly.
“You’re right about one thing,” Drake said. “Captain Ro did give such orders to the men in his camp, but here’s the thing. He didn’t give the order to the man who rode in after.”
Lord Redbow’s features went disturbingly flat.
“That’s right,” Drake told those gathered. “That is how Lord Redbow instructed Captain Ro to assassinate me. By having a man who was not in the camp when we agreed to a truce attack me.”
“I gave no such order,” Lord Redbow said.
“Be silent.” The Judge glared at Lord Redbow. “If you speak again before I address you, you will be censured. You have made your accusation. Lord Gloomwood will defend himself.”
Drake was liking this old lady more and more. She might be a hardass, but she was looking more and more like an impartial hardass. He could work with this.
“Perhaps Captain Ro acted without Lord Redbow’s direct order,” Drake amended, simply to smooth things over with the other manor lords. “Regardless, that is why Captain Ro and his soldiers are dead. Ro did not attack me first. The men in his camp also did not attack me first. But the man who rode into his camp after we agreed not to harm each other did attack me in my tent, and once I knew Ro had used doublespeak to break our truce, I defended myself.” He smiled his most hungry smile. “With prejudice.”
Lord Redbow was not smiling now. He looked incensed, and Drake mentally dared him to speak up again.
Go ahead, asshole. Get yourself censured right now.
