The Judge pivoted to Lord Redbow. “Did you order Captain Ro to assassinate Lord Gloomwood under cover of truce?”
“I did not,” Lord Redbow said smoothly. “Nor did I have any part in this supposed plot to assassinate him. As I have already stated, I only wished to arrange a summit to discuss our shared interests. Anything else Captain Ro did or did not do was done without my instruction.”
The Judge turned back to Drake. “Did you kill Captain Ro and his men as Lord Redbow claims?”
“I did.” As powerful as his ability to lie was... or rather, to speak words he did not believe... it would work better when blanketed inside truths. It was obvious having his ability to lie known would get him removed from his post as manor lord or worse. Fortunately, he’d always been mentally quick on his feet.
“After the assassin Captain Ro brought to the camp failed to kill me, it became clear to me that Ro had no intention of honoring our agreement. I left under cover of night and attempted to free the young girl Ro had imprisoned. Unfortunately, I was unable to open the manacles restraining her father, and Anna would not leave without him.” He glanced at Lord Redbow once more, hoping Lord Brightwater would see his disgust. “I fled the camp fully intending to return for Anna and her father when I could, but Captain Ro tracked me down.”
Lord Redbow offered nothing in response. He simply watched Drake with cold eyes.
“Continue,” the Judge ordered.
“Given what I now know Captain Ro told Lord Redbow through this creepy doll, I now believe he only told Lord Redbow that I had left the camp after swearing not to. He did not mention he had a man not sworn to our truce attack me beforehand, thus breaking our deal.”
The Judge pivoted to Lord Redbow. “Do you dispute any of this?”
Redbow remained silent. The man was obviously running the same scenarios Drake already had. Drake now knew this manor lord operated on plausible deniability. That meant Redbow’s subordinates only told him the bare minimum about what they were doing. This allowed Redbow to “believe” he did not know they had undertaken underhanded actions.
In other words, if Lord Redbow wanted to clear himself of this so-called assassination attempt, he had no choice but to back up Drake’s suggestion. He had to accept that Captain Ro had gone after Drake without telling him. He had no way to prove otherwise.
“Captain Ro told me that Lord Gloomwood left his camp after swearing not to do so,” Lord Redbow finally admitted calmly, as he turned back to the Judge. “I cannot speak to the veracity of these other claims.”
Drake had him beat. Now, all he had to do was stick the landing. He waited until the Judge returned her gaze to him.
“What happened next?” she asked.
“As I said, Captain Ro and his soldiers followed me into the woods after I tried to leave and attacked me.” Drake swept his eyes across his enemies. “Ro had perhaps twenty soldiers in addition to himself. The night they betrayed me, I singlehandedly killed every last one of them.”
That was no lie, and it was a bold claim. Drake also knew it would give the other manor lords pause as they considered how powerful he was. Lord Redbow might know Drake shifted into a dire rat and torn apart Captain Ro’s camp, but the others might not. In fact, judging from the way Lord Frostlight was now eying him—with keen interest—she might not have known.
The Judge pivoted back to Lord Redbow. “Lord Gloomwood has answered your accusation. Do you have anything to add?”
Lord Redbow shook his head. “This is a man capable of speaking words he does not believe. He could make up any story to explain away his blasphemy.”
“Do you have anything to add?” the Judge said again. She was more forceful this time.
“Only that I demand we hear from Lord Gloomwood’s own thralls on the matter,” Lord Redbow said smoothly. “Starting with the testimony of his steward, Lydia Estoria. If anyone can speak to Lord Gloomwood’s blasphemous abilities, it is his steward.”
“Do you call Steward Lydia Estoria as your first witness?” the Judge asked.
“Yes,” Lord Redbow said smugly. “And I call his spymaster, Samuel the Rope Tree, as my second witness. If anyone can speak to the veracity of Lord Gloomwood’s words, it is they.”
This was what Drake had been preparing for since last night. Without rules, manor lords could call endless thralls and keep a cabal going forever. They could compel all sorts of embarrassing secrets from other manor lords. Therefore, the rules stated that each manor lord could only call two thralls to testify at any cabal, either their own or others.
The Judge turned to Drake. “Lord Gloomwood, send Lydia Estoria to the witness stand.”
Drake gave it a beat before responding. “I’m sorry, Judge. I can’t do that.”
Her glare was immediate and sphincter-clenching. “You defy the noble court?”
Drake inclined his head. “Never, Judge. I am simply incapable of answering Lord Redbow’s summons. My steward, Lydia, is not in the cabal. I do not know where she is today. In addition, my butler, Samuel, is also off on other matters.”
Lord Redbow now looked absolutely thrilled. “You dare speak what you do not believe in front of the court?”
Drake offered the man a cool gaze. “You know I can’t do that.”
“Your steward is sitting right next to you!”
Drake looked to Lark. “Please stand and remove your veil.”
The courtesan stood smoothly and, without hesitation, pulled back her veil.
Lord Redbow’s eyes narrowed as his lips pressed together in a hard line. Lord Proudglade looked disgusted as he realized what Drake had done, and Lord Frostlight gasped and smiled in delight. Human hunting aside, at least she appreciated a good joke.
Drake looked to Fox. “Stand and remove your hood.”
Much more hesitantly, the male courtesan did so. In the full light of the cabal, the charcoal that made up his fake beard looked ridiculous. Still, it had to be done.
Beside him, Viktoria spoke softly. “You are playing a very dangerous game.”
“Lord Gloomwood.” There was no question, now, that the Judge was truly pissed. “Did you come here today intending to make a mockery of the noble court?”
“Never, Judge!” Drake assured her as sincerely as I could. “May I explain my actions?”
“Yes,” the Judge said coldly. “Explain why you invited two courtesans to this holy cabal in the guise of your steward and spymaster.”
Oh yeah. She was definitely pissed at him. Still... Drake hadn’t broken any laws, and Lord Redbow had just blown his only two witness calls just as Drake hoped. Moreover, Lord Redbow had also tipped his hand. He believed Lydia and Samuel could implicate Drake.
Now, all Drake had to do was figure out why Lord Redbow thought that.
“Judge, I simply didn’t expect anyone to call upon my steward or butler to testify today,” Drake lied. “I had no idea Lord Redbow would level this ridiculous accusation, but I also knew I couldn’t appear weak before the other lords at my first cabal.”
“That does not explain why you invited courtesans to our holy meeting.”
“The prior Lord Gloomwood left my manor and blood thralls in a less than ideal state. Lydia spent many stressful years keeping my manor from falling apart. Moreover, the prior Lord Gloomwood also abused Samuel in ways that left him practically a rotting corpse.”
A murmur went through the court. It seemed even these people frowned upon that.
“Given the many traumas Lydia and Samuel endured under my predecessor, and the fervent loyalty they have shown me since I became Lord Gloomwood, I decided they should enjoy a day of leisure in your fine city. Though I know not all manor lords agree with me, my thralls are people too. Lydia and Samuel have supported me through every trial I have faced. I believed they earned a day of leisure for their good work. I still do.”
That, he hoped, would win him another point with Lord Brightwater. She cared for her thralls as well. The fact that he also sincerely believed this was beside the point. He really had wanted to give Lydia and Samuel a break from murder politics for one fine day.
“However,” Drake continued, “this is my first cabal as a manor lord. I feared that the other manor lords would treat the absences of my steward and spymaster as an invitation to attack me. Therefore, I asked these courtesans to accompany me today to present strength.”
“So you intended to deceive the noble court,” the Judge asked coldly.
“Never, Judge.” Drake inclined his head again. “Had you asked who was with me today, I would, of course, have identified them.” He’d also known she wouldn’t ask, since there was generally no need to ask, but there was no need to say that. He moved on quickly.
“I must also point out that the manor lords assembled here today, many of whom take their orders from Lord Proudglade, have already tried to assassinate me multiple times. I also already knew they had called this cabal to discuss me, specifically. I didn’t know what they were up to, but I did know I had to prepare for anything.”
Another murmur passed through the gallery. Drake wondered if he’d made a mistake by revealing his spymaster had uncovered the purpose of the cabal ahead of time, but he didn’t see how. It would likely just make the other manor lords even more wary of Samuel.
Drake held the judge’s hard gaze as he moved in for the close. “I couldn’t appear weak today. But if my ploy to defend myself, my manor, and my thralls offends the noble court, I apologize for any offense I have given. Disrespecting the noble court was never my intent. I only sought to protect myself and my manor. Protecting them is my responsibility as a manor lord.”
The Judge watched him for a dangerously long moment. She still didn’t look pleased about his latest ploy, but she also didn’t look quite so keen on censuring him. He hoped. She was so stern and unforgiving it was hard to tell what she might truly be thinking.
“Lord Redbow has called your thralls to testify,” the Judge said calmly. “They will testify today. Where did you send them?”
“I do not know exactly where they are,” Drake said truthfully. “I only told them to take a tour of the city and to enjoy themselves. “
“And how do you contact them?”
“I do not have a way to contact them today, Judge, since I did not know their presence would be required at the cabal.” This was still the truth, but also doublespeak. Sky was the only one who could contact Samuel and Lydia, on the magic mirror she still had in her possession.
The Judge looked to the capital guards stationed behind Drake. “Put out a call across the city. The guard is to detain Steward Lydia Estoria and citizen Samuel Marcos and deliver them to this court to testify.” The Judge frowned. “Until they arrive, we will move to other business.”
Except the Judge wasn’t stating aloud what Drake already knew. The cabal was one day only. It ended at sundown. A new cabal would have to be called before any further announcements, accusations, or grievances could be aired, and a minimum of three months had to pass between cabals... unless six manor lords voted to change the rules.
So if Lydia and Samuel remained out of sight today—as Drake suspected they would—they could not testify. And judging from the look on Lord Redbow’s face, he was fully aware of this. Now that he’d expended his witness calls, he also couldn’t call anyone else.
“Is there other business?” the Judge asked. “Or shall we adjourn for lunch?”
Was it time for lunch already? It seemed like Drake had only just arrived, but with all the waiting and ceremony, perhaps time had gone faster than he perceived. Or the Judge was simply so annoyed by how this cabal had gone she needed some time to cool off.
No manor lord presented new business. Lord Proudglade was already talking quietly with Westin, his youngest son, likely trying to dig up ammo for his next barrage. Lord Redbow sat among his trained assassins and idly stroked his goatee. He was plotting as well.
“Let it be known that the manor lords have no more morning business,” the Judge declared. “The cabal is suspended until this afternoon. We will resume at fourth bell.”
Drake glanced to Sky’s box to find her watching him with a faint grin. She obviously wanted to strategize now, and there was no reason he couldn’t take lunch to speak with an allied manor. That was one advantage of making an alliance official in the noble court.
“Emily, will you lead us out?” Drake asked.
“At once, lord!” Emily walked to the gate of the box. “Oh, and lord?”
“Yes?”
“You verbally pummeled them today.” Her grin was infectious. “I’m so proud of you!”
Drake snorted despite his best efforts to remain dignified. “Thanks.”
As Viktoria rose, Drake turned to her. “Lady Skybreak, given we have some time before we resume, could you extend a lunch invitation to Lord Skybreak? Given the developments in the cabal, I think we should strategize before we resume.”
“I feel the same,” Viktoria said. “Except Lord Skybreak already instructed me this morning to invite you to take lunch with us.”
“Great,” Drake said. “We’ll do that then.”
Next Week: Drake hits back at the enemy manor lords and intentionally incriminates himself.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Read Ahead on the Patreon
Chat on the Discord
The Judge pivoted to Lord Redbow. “Did you order Captain Ro to assassinate Lord Gloomwood under cover of truce?”
“I did not,” Lord Redbow said smoothly. “Nor did I have any part in this supposed plot to assassinate him. As I have already stated, I only wished to arrange a summit to discuss our shared interests. Anything else Captain Ro did or did not do was done without my instruction.”
The Judge turned back to Drake. “Did you kill Captain Ro and his men as Lord Redbow claims?”
“I did.” As powerful as his ability to lie was... or rather, to speak words he did not believe... it would work better when blanketed inside truths. It was obvious having his ability to lie known would get him removed from his post as manor lord or worse. Fortunately, he’d always been mentally quick on his feet.
“After the assassin Captain Ro brought to the camp failed to kill me, it became clear to me that Ro had no intention of honoring our agreement. I left under cover of night and attempted to free the young girl Ro had imprisoned. Unfortunately, I was unable to open the manacles restraining her father, and Anna would not leave without him.” He glanced at Lord Redbow once more, hoping Lord Brightwater would see his disgust. “I fled the camp fully intending to return for Anna and her father when I could, but Captain Ro tracked me down.”
Lord Redbow offered nothing in response. He simply watched Drake with cold eyes.
“Continue,” the Judge ordered.
“Given what I now know Captain Ro told Lord Redbow through this creepy doll, I now believe he only told Lord Redbow that I had left the camp after swearing not to. He did not mention he had a man not sworn to our truce attack me beforehand, thus breaking our deal.”
The Judge pivoted to Lord Redbow. “Do you dispute any of this?”
Redbow remained silent. The man was obviously running the same scenarios Drake already had. Drake now knew this manor lord operated on plausible deniability. That meant Redbow’s subordinates only told him the bare minimum about what they were doing. This allowed Redbow to “believe” he did not know they had undertaken underhanded actions.
In other words, if Lord Redbow wanted to clear himself of this so-called assassination attempt, he had no choice but to back up Drake’s suggestion. He had to accept that Captain Ro had gone after Drake without telling him. He had no way to prove otherwise.
“Captain Ro told me that Lord Gloomwood left his camp after swearing not to do so,” Lord Redbow finally admitted calmly, as he turned back to the Judge. “I cannot speak to the veracity of these other claims.”
Drake had him beat. Now, all he had to do was stick the landing. He waited until the Judge returned her gaze to him.
“What happened next?” she asked.
“As I said, Captain Ro and his soldiers followed me into the woods after I tried to leave and attacked me.” Drake swept his eyes across his enemies. “Ro had perhaps twenty soldiers in addition to himself. The night they betrayed me, I singlehandedly killed every last one of them.”
That was no lie, and it was a bold claim. Drake also knew it would give the other manor lords pause as they considered how powerful he was. Lord Redbow might know Drake shifted into a dire rat and torn apart Captain Ro’s camp, but the others might not. In fact, judging from the way Lord Frostlight was now eying him—with keen interest—she might not have known.
The Judge pivoted back to Lord Redbow. “Lord Gloomwood has answered your accusation. Do you have anything to add?”
Lord Redbow shook his head. “This is a man capable of speaking words he does not believe. He could make up any story to explain away his blasphemy.”
“Do you have anything to add?” the Judge said again. She was more forceful this time.
“Only that I demand we hear from Lord Gloomwood’s own thralls on the matter,” Lord Redbow said smoothly. “Starting with the testimony of his steward, Lydia Estoria. If anyone can speak to Lord Gloomwood’s blasphemous abilities, it is his steward.”
“Do you call Steward Lydia Estoria as your first witness?” the Judge asked.
“Yes,” Lord Redbow said smugly. “And I call his spymaster, Samuel the Rope Tree, as my second witness. If anyone can speak to the veracity of Lord Gloomwood’s words, it is they.”
This was what Drake had been preparing for since last night. Without rules, manor lords could call endless thralls and keep a cabal going forever. They could compel all sorts of embarrassing secrets from other manor lords. Therefore, the rules stated that each manor lord could only call two thralls to testify at any cabal, either their own or others.
The Judge turned to Drake. “Lord Gloomwood, send Lydia Estoria to the witness stand.”
Drake gave it a beat before responding. “I’m sorry, Judge. I can’t do that.”
Her glare was immediate and sphincter-clenching. “You defy the noble court?”
Drake inclined his head. “Never, Judge. I am simply incapable of answering Lord Redbow’s summons. My steward, Lydia, is not in the cabal. I do not know where she is today. In addition, my butler, Samuel, is also off on other matters.”
Lord Redbow now looked absolutely thrilled. “You dare speak what you do not believe in front of the court?”
Drake offered the man a cool gaze. “You know I can’t do that.”
“Your steward is sitting right next to you!”
Drake looked to Lark. “Please stand and remove your veil.”
The courtesan stood smoothly and, without hesitation, pulled back her veil.
Lord Redbow’s eyes narrowed as his lips pressed together in a hard line. Lord Proudglade looked disgusted as he realized what Drake had done, and Lord Frostlight gasped and smiled in delight. Human hunting aside, at least she appreciated a good joke.
Drake looked to Fox. “Stand and remove your hood.”
Much more hesitantly, the male courtesan did so. In the full light of the cabal, the charcoal that made up his fake beard looked ridiculous. Still, it had to be done.
Beside him, Viktoria spoke softly. “You are playing a very dangerous game.”
“Lord Gloomwood.” There was no question, now, that the Judge was truly pissed. “Did you come here today intending to make a mockery of the noble court?”
“Never, Judge!” Drake assured her as sincerely as I could. “May I explain my actions?”
“Yes,” the Judge said coldly. “Explain why you invited two courtesans to this holy cabal in the guise of your steward and spymaster.”
Oh yeah. She was definitely pissed at him. Still... Drake hadn’t broken any laws, and Lord Redbow had just blown his only two witness calls just as Drake hoped. Moreover, Lord Redbow had also tipped his hand. He believed Lydia and Samuel could implicate Drake.
Now, all Drake had to do was figure out why Lord Redbow thought that.
“Judge, I simply didn’t expect anyone to call upon my steward or butler to testify today,” Drake lied. “I had no idea Lord Redbow would level this ridiculous accusation, but I also knew I couldn’t appear weak before the other lords at my first cabal.”
“That does not explain why you invited courtesans to our holy meeting.”
“The prior Lord Gloomwood left my manor and blood thralls in a less than ideal state. Lydia spent many stressful years keeping my manor from falling apart. Moreover, the prior Lord Gloomwood also abused Samuel in ways that left him practically a rotting corpse.”
A murmur went through the court. It seemed even these people frowned upon that.
“Given the many traumas Lydia and Samuel endured under my predecessor, and the fervent loyalty they have shown me since I became Lord Gloomwood, I decided they should enjoy a day of leisure in your fine city. Though I know not all manor lords agree with me, my thralls are people too. Lydia and Samuel have supported me through every trial I have faced. I believed they earned a day of leisure for their good work. I still do.”
That, he hoped, would win him another point with Lord Brightwater. She cared for her thralls as well. The fact that he also sincerely believed this was beside the point. He really had wanted to give Lydia and Samuel a break from murder politics for one fine day.
“However,” Drake continued, “this is my first cabal as a manor lord. I feared that the other manor lords would treat the absences of my steward and spymaster as an invitation to attack me. Therefore, I asked these courtesans to accompany me today to present strength.”
“So you intended to deceive the noble court,” the Judge asked coldly.
“Never, Judge.” Drake inclined his head again. “Had you asked who was with me today, I would, of course, have identified them.” He’d also known she wouldn’t ask, since there was generally no need to ask, but there was no need to say that. He moved on quickly.
“I must also point out that the manor lords assembled here today, many of whom take their orders from Lord Proudglade, have already tried to assassinate me multiple times. I also already knew they had called this cabal to discuss me, specifically. I didn’t know what they were up to, but I did know I had to prepare for anything.”
Another murmur passed through the gallery. Drake wondered if he’d made a mistake by revealing his spymaster had uncovered the purpose of the cabal ahead of time, but he didn’t see how. It would likely just make the other manor lords even more wary of Samuel.
Drake held the judge’s hard gaze as he moved in for the close. “I couldn’t appear weak today. But if my ploy to defend myself, my manor, and my thralls offends the noble court, I apologize for any offense I have given. Disrespecting the noble court was never my intent. I only sought to protect myself and my manor. Protecting them is my responsibility as a manor lord.”
The Judge watched him for a dangerously long moment. She still didn’t look pleased about his latest ploy, but she also didn’t look quite so keen on censuring him. He hoped. She was so stern and unforgiving it was hard to tell what she might truly be thinking.
“Lord Redbow has called your thralls to testify,” the Judge said calmly. “They will testify today. Where did you send them?”
“I do not know exactly where they are,” Drake said truthfully. “I only told them to take a tour of the city and to enjoy themselves. “
“And how do you contact them?”
“I do not have a way to contact them today, Judge, since I did not know their presence would be required at the cabal.” This was still the truth, but also doublespeak. Sky was the only one who could contact Samuel and Lydia, on the magic mirror she still had in her possession.
The Judge looked to the capital guards stationed behind Drake. “Put out a call across the city. The guard is to detain Steward Lydia Estoria and citizen Samuel Marcos and deliver them to this court to testify.” The Judge frowned. “Until they arrive, we will move to other business.”
Except the Judge wasn’t stating aloud what Drake already knew. The cabal was one day only. It ended at sundown. A new cabal would have to be called before any further announcements, accusations, or grievances could be aired, and a minimum of three months had to pass between cabals... unless six manor lords voted to change the rules.
So if Lydia and Samuel remained out of sight today—as Drake suspected they would—they could not testify. And judging from the look on Lord Redbow’s face, he was fully aware of this. Now that he’d expended his witness calls, he also couldn’t call anyone else.
“Is there other business?” the Judge asked. “Or shall we adjourn for lunch?”
Was it time for lunch already? It seemed like Drake had only just arrived, but with all the waiting and ceremony, perhaps time had gone faster than he perceived. Or the Judge was simply so annoyed by how this cabal had gone she needed some time to cool off.
No manor lord presented new business. Lord Proudglade was already talking quietly with Westin, his youngest son, likely trying to dig up ammo for his next barrage. Lord Redbow sat among his trained assassins and idly stroked his goatee. He was plotting as well.
“Let it be known that the manor lords have no more morning business,” the Judge declared. “The cabal is suspended until this afternoon. We will resume at fourth bell.”
Drake glanced to Sky’s box to find her watching him with a faint grin. She obviously wanted to strategize now, and there was no reason he couldn’t take lunch to speak with an allied manor. That was one advantage of making an alliance official in the noble court.
“Emily, will you lead us out?” Drake asked.
“At once, lord!” Emily walked to the gate of the box. “Oh, and lord?”
“Yes?”
“You verbally pummeled them today.” Her grin was infectious. “I’m so proud of you!”
Drake snorted despite his best efforts to remain dignified. “Thanks.”
As Viktoria rose, Drake turned to her. “Lady Skybreak, given we have some time before we resume, could you extend a lunch invitation to Lord Skybreak? Given the developments in the cabal, I think we should strategize before we resume.”
“I feel the same,” Viktoria said. “Except Lord Skybreak already instructed me this morning to invite you to take lunch with us.”
“Great,” Drake said. “We’ll do that then.”
Next Week: Drake hits back at the enemy manor lords and intentionally incriminates himself.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
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Chat on the Discord
