Escorted by several capital guards and Valentia, Drake arrived at the manor lord chambers set aside for Lord Skybreak about half an hour (by his judgment) after the cabal broke for lunch. To him, the break felt like two boxers had just gone a round in the ring. Both had taken blows, tired themselves out, and gone to the corners to recharge.
So both could come out swinging once the break was over.
Still, Drake remained pleased with his performance today. He’d already thwarted what he suspected was Lord Proudglade’s greatest hope—to remove him as a manor lord by changing the rules—and while he hadn’t expected Lord Redbow to straight up accuse him of being able to lie, at least he knew what his enemies knew about him... or what they suspected.
It was possible Lord Redbow had only limited information from Captain Ro. Perhaps the man had combined that with information from whatever book on Earth Samuel had also read. The best case was that Redbow had taken a high-risk gamble with low odds and lost.
The less best case was that Lord Redbow did know that Drake could lie, somehow, and simply had no way to prove it. Not without compelling testimony from Lydia and Samuel, both of whom knew Drake’s secret. In retrospect, he wondered if he should have kept his ability a secret from those two as well... but he didn’t see how he got this far without revealing it.
He shouldn’t be alive. Not without taking big risks and without a great deal of luck. The choices he’d made to get to this cabal couldn’t be changed. So if Lord Redbow did know he could lie, Drake would deal with that later. For now, he had another idea to pitch.
With Lord Proudglade and his allies finally on the back foot, it felt like a good time to go on the offensive. The only problem would be convincing Sky and her mother it was a good idea. He suspected Samuel would speak up against his idea as well... but Samuel wasn’t here today.
The capital guards stopped within sight of the doors to Lord Skybreak’s chambers and took up position on each side of the hall. There was nowhere for anyone to hide in the narrow hall leading to the closed double doors (unless you were Nicole) yet even so, Valentia quickly took the lead. Drake let her, if only to make her more comfortable.
Valentia rapped on the door once they arrived. Since they were expected, the doors opened not long after. A woman stood in red silverweave—Ali, if he remembered properly—and she looked them both over like he’d expect his battle maids to do. Never could be too careful when guarding your manor lord, even if you could shift into a demon.
Ali nodded and stepped inside, holding the door open. “You are expected.”
Valentia strode in calmly to take in the room beyond. Drake walked in behind her. Ali closed the door and stood by it, which was probably where she planned to remain for the rest of the lunch. Drake hoped she’d gotten something to eat before they arrived.
These chambers looked identical to his own. There was the same big main room he’d been using to meet with his thralls, along with open-air archways leading out to a balcony overlooking the capital below. To the right would be the bedroom reserved for the manor lord, while to the left was the kitchen and the dormitories reserved for a manor lord’s staff.
Now that he saw how similar the layout of Lord Skybreak’s chambers was to his own, Drake suspected there were twelve sets of rooms just like this arranged around in the same way as in the Chamber of Council. Given Sky’s chambers seemed to be located relatively close to his, it was possible they were right next door... though a thick wall separated them.
Such a layout also explained the odd route he’d taken here. He’d had to walk down an almost straight hallway to the center of the temple, and then he’d made almost a complete 180 and walked up another long hallway to get here. The hallways must run parallel without being connected. Otherwise, he supposed, it would be too easy for one chamber to invade another.
He was also pleased to see that Lord Skybreak’s thralls had set up a long wooden table that had actual food on it. Drake’s stomach rumbled as he took in all sorts of fruit, including luscious-looking grapes, as well as steamed meat that was likely venison, boar, or whatever else her rangers had hunted up. After his light breakfast, he could definitely eat.
Valentia completed one more visual sweep of the room before she glanced at him and offered a nod. He’d considered bringing Emily as his second instead, mainly because she would likely be far more chill, but he needed Valentia here to make sure she wasn’t surprised by his latest nefarious plot. Assuming Sky even went for it. Which she might not.
Another woman in red and black silverweave emerged from the kitchens. Given the rapier she wore on her belt, Drake pegged her as Kari: the woman with a rarity that made her blows as heavy as those from a much larger sword. That meant Mary, the thrall who could make you bleed from every pore in your body, was elsewhere.
“Please help yourself to anything you like,” Kari said. “Lord and Lady Skybreak are currently in chambers. They will join you as soon as they are free.”
Drake suspected Sky must be having yet another big argument with her mother outside of where their thralls or allies could hear. He hoped those two managed to sort it out sooner rather than later. They both had such strong wills he doubted it would be so easy.
In the meantime, however, there was delicious meat just begging to be eaten.
Drake helped himself to a plate of food and some of Sky’s delicious Moonberry mead, though he sipped instead of chugged. The stuff was mild, but he didn’t need a buzz going into the afternoon cabal. He suspected the Judge remained on the verge of censuring him for his trick... but he couldn’t stop grinning as he remembered the look on Lord Redbow’s face.
He glanced at Valentia, who stood with her hands clasped at her back. She hadn’t touched anything on the table. “Hey, Val? You can eat.”
She offered a small shrug. “I’m not hungry.”
“You should still eat,” Drake said. “You need your strength for this afternoon.”
She glanced his way. “Is that an order, lord?”
When she called him lord, he knew he was pushing it with her. “Just a suggestion from a friend. One who wants to make sure you don’t faint in the afternoon cabal.”
It surprised him when Valentia smiled, though perhaps it shouldn’t have. She seemed far more willing to trust him now... and to give him the benefit of the doubt.
“When the air is this warm, it makes me nauseous. That is why I have no appetite. However, with Nicole’s help, I did manage to eat last night once it cooled down. I will be fine.”
In other words, Drake thought, I appreciate your concern, but you don’t need to worry about me. That was reasonable. She must be miserable here.
“Understood,” Drake said. She was handling the heat like a champ.
Meanwhile, Sky and her mother must still be going at it. He didn’t hear any shouting, but Kari, who stood guard at the door Drake knew from his own rooms led into the manor lord’s bedroom, was looking increasingly uncomfortable. She hadn’t expected this delay.
Drake considered getting up and pacing, but that could make him look nervous. So he sat. Valentia chose to remain standing. He finished a full plate of meat and was just thinking about grabbing a second when Sky finally marched from the hall leading to her bedroom.
Her gaze met his immediately. Instead of remarking on the way he was lounging in a chair by an empty plate, she merely inclined her head. “I apologize for keeping you waiting. I was having a difficult conversation.”
Drake belatedly scrambled for a napkin to wipe what he expected might be meat juice from his chin. “It’s fine. You put out a nice spread. I always appreciate a nice spread.”
Sky strode right to where several cups of mead waited. She picked one up, chugged it like she’d just lost a whole game of beer pong, and then grabbed the second. She chugged that one as well, then set the empty cup down as Drake looked on in surprise.
Kari, standing by her bedroom, was looking increasingly embarrassed by her manor lord.
Having satiated what was apparently an incredible thirst, Sky grabbed a third cup of mead, slid a chair out from the table with one boot, and sat down. She then picked up a knife and cut into a slash of venison with force Drake would charitably describe as intense.
What the hell had she and her mother been arguing about in there?
The door to the room Sky had emerged from open again, but it was not Lady Skybreak who emerged. It was Karth, and he was dressed in what looked like noble clothing. As he noticed Drake, his eyes widened noticeably.
“Lord Gloomwood?” The man’s greeting sounded almost accusatory.
Drake eyed him up and down. “Hey, Karth. Looking good.”
“What are you doing here?” Karth demanded.
Drake grabbed another grape. “Having lunch. You?” He popped it into his mouth.
Lady Skybreak—Viktoria—emerged from the hall not long after, looking as composed as she had looked at today’s cabal. At least one of them looked composed. Still, as Viktoria’s gaze swept first to Karth and then her daughter, her composure flexed.
“Karth,” she asked, “don’t you have a patrol to complete?”
The seasoned ranger flinched like he’d been struck and glanced back at Viktoria. “Yes. Of course. I’ll go do that right away.” He looked to Sky again, features tense, but she was still staring at the table as if she intended to burn it to ash with her eyes.
“Right.” Karth met Drake’s gaze. “Good to see you again, Lord Gloomwood.”
Drake simply nodded. “You too, man.”
Inwardly, he was wondering what all of this was about. Sky, Karth, and Viktoria all seemed involved now, and something between them was awkward. Had Karth screwed up some matter during his brief time as Lord Skybreak, and now the three of them were trying to find a way to fix it? That seemed plausible. If so, Drake pitied the man.
Once Karth was gone, Viktoria smoothed down her dress and smiled at him. “Welcome, Lord Gloomwood. I apologize for the delay. We needed to resolve an internal matter.”
Sky ripped off a piece of venison and popped it in her mouth. She said nothing in response. Drake decided to let her get some lunch in her before revealing the latest plot he’d cooked up after the cabal. He just hoped he hadn’t had a plotting look while he did so. Every one of his battle maids (and Sachi) had warned him he had a plotting look.
“Not a problem,” Drake assured them both. “So, on a scale of one to ten, how do you think things went this morning?”
“Is a ten good or bad?” Viktoria asked.
“Uh... we’ll say good.”
“Then perhaps a six.”
Drake was disappointed with that result. “Really?”
“You did well to counter the gambits of Lord Proudglade and Lord Redbow,” Viktoria said. “Yet your use of those courtesans to trick Lord Redbow into calling your steward and spymaster has greatly agitated the judge. She will be harsh on you this afternoon.”
Drake had been afraid of that. “How harsh?”
“She will not rule against you simply out of malice. The Judge will always remain impartial. However, any consideration she might have afforded you due to you recently taking your title is now gone. Do they have leashes on Earth? Ones used to lead animals?”
“We have those,” Drake agreed cautiously.
“Then you may understand this metaphor. You, Lord Gloomwood, will now be on an exceedingly short leash.”
Drake grabbed his cup of delicious mead. “I get it.”
“Be careful the leash does not choke you,” Viktoria added calmly.
Sky thumped a fist on the table. “Oh, come off it, mother!”
Drake blinked at the force of her words. Sky really was pissed.
Viktoria merely frowned. “Lord Skybreak—”
“Lord Gloomwood’s ploy was clever,” Sky said calmly. “Ensuring those who knew my most intimate secrets were not available to testify is exactly the approach I would have taken had I been advised the cabal was called about me. The fact that he forced Lord Redbow to waste his witness calls on people who weren’t in the room only makes the victory sweeter.”
Drake knew better than to grin at Sky’s words. He didn’t want to seem like he was taking sides between her and her mother. Still, he was pleased Sky appreciated the art behind his ploy, even if the Judge and the other manor lords didn’t.
He also appreciated Viktoria’s warning about the Judge. He had suspected the Judge might be annoyed with his antics this morning, but he’d decided the risk worth it to force his enemies to show their hands. Still, he’d play it by the book this afternoon.
Assuming Sky didn’t jump at his new plan to blow the roof off the place instead.
“Should we eat first?” Drake ask. “I mean... I’ve eaten. Val’s going light. Sky, you obviously need some food. Is this a manor lord lunch, or something more casual?”
“I am eating,” Sky informed him calmly. “We have time before the cabal resumes. But if you and my mother have more to discuss, please, don’t let me stop you.” She glared at her mother. “Lady Skybreak has exceedingly clear ideas about how I should run my manor.”
Drake decided to take her words at face value. “Lady Skybreak? Care to join us?”
Viktoria nodded and took a seat at the end of the table, on Sky’s side but as far from her daughter as she could be. Drake suspected that was more Viktoria being cautious of Sky’s foul mood than anything more. He was truly curious about what they kept arguing about. He also knew better than to butt in and risk having his head ripped off by both of them.
Once she sat down, Viktoria grabbed a small plate and then snapped off a portion of grapes. She placed those delicately on her plate and reached for a cup of mead. She took one sip, set it aside, and popped a grape in her mouth. She, too, was going light.
Sky and Viktoria ate in awkward silence as Drake pondered grabbing another hunk of meat. He decided to hold off for now. He wasn’t that hungry, and he didn’t want to be caught awkwardly in mid-chew when Sky or her mother abruptly decided to rejoin the conversation.
Sky finished her venison first, then glanced at Drake. “So?”
Drake eyed her cautiously. “Yes?”
“Why did you invite me to lunch?”
He grinned at her. “Actually, you invited me.”
Her smile barely reached her eyes. “I suppose I did, didn’t I? Very well. I’ll start.” She took a deep breath. “Do you or do you not want to get married?”
Drake was very glad he hadn’t grabbed a second helping of meat.
Otherwise, he might have choked on it.
Escorted by several capital guards and Valentia, Drake arrived at the manor lord chambers set aside for Lord Skybreak about half an hour (by his judgment) after the cabal broke for lunch. To him, the break felt like two boxers had just gone a round in the ring. Both had taken blows, tired themselves out, and gone to the corners to recharge.
So both could come out swinging once the break was over.
Still, Drake remained pleased with his performance today. He’d already thwarted what he suspected was Lord Proudglade’s greatest hope—to remove him as a manor lord by changing the rules—and while he hadn’t expected Lord Redbow to straight up accuse him of being able to lie, at least he knew what his enemies knew about him... or what they suspected.
It was possible Lord Redbow had only limited information from Captain Ro. Perhaps the man had combined that with information from whatever book on Earth Samuel had also read. The best case was that Redbow had taken a high-risk gamble with low odds and lost.
The less best case was that Lord Redbow did know that Drake could lie, somehow, and simply had no way to prove it. Not without compelling testimony from Lydia and Samuel, both of whom knew Drake’s secret. In retrospect, he wondered if he should have kept his ability a secret from those two as well... but he didn’t see how he got this far without revealing it.
He shouldn’t be alive. Not without taking big risks and without a great deal of luck. The choices he’d made to get to this cabal couldn’t be changed. So if Lord Redbow did know he could lie, Drake would deal with that later. For now, he had another idea to pitch.
With Lord Proudglade and his allies finally on the back foot, it felt like a good time to go on the offensive. The only problem would be convincing Sky and her mother it was a good idea. He suspected Samuel would speak up against his idea as well... but Samuel wasn’t here today.
The capital guards stopped within sight of the doors to Lord Skybreak’s chambers and took up position on each side of the hall. There was nowhere for anyone to hide in the narrow hall leading to the closed double doors (unless you were Nicole) yet even so, Valentia quickly took the lead. Drake let her, if only to make her more comfortable.
Valentia rapped on the door once they arrived. Since they were expected, the doors opened not long after. A woman stood in red silverweave—Ali, if he remembered properly—and she looked them both over like he’d expect his battle maids to do. Never could be too careful when guarding your manor lord, even if you could shift into a demon.
Ali nodded and stepped inside, holding the door open. “You are expected.”
Valentia strode in calmly to take in the room beyond. Drake walked in behind her. Ali closed the door and stood by it, which was probably where she planned to remain for the rest of the lunch. Drake hoped she’d gotten something to eat before they arrived.
These chambers looked identical to his own. There was the same big main room he’d been using to meet with his thralls, along with open-air archways leading out to a balcony overlooking the capital below. To the right would be the bedroom reserved for the manor lord, while to the left was the kitchen and the dormitories reserved for a manor lord’s staff.
Now that he saw how similar the layout of Lord Skybreak’s chambers was to his own, Drake suspected there were twelve sets of rooms just like this arranged around in the same way as in the Chamber of Council. Given Sky’s chambers seemed to be located relatively close to his, it was possible they were right next door... though a thick wall separated them.
Such a layout also explained the odd route he’d taken here. He’d had to walk down an almost straight hallway to the center of the temple, and then he’d made almost a complete 180 and walked up another long hallway to get here. The hallways must run parallel without being connected. Otherwise, he supposed, it would be too easy for one chamber to invade another.
He was also pleased to see that Lord Skybreak’s thralls had set up a long wooden table that had actual food on it. Drake’s stomach rumbled as he took in all sorts of fruit, including luscious-looking grapes, as well as steamed meat that was likely venison, boar, or whatever else her rangers had hunted up. After his light breakfast, he could definitely eat.
Valentia completed one more visual sweep of the room before she glanced at him and offered a nod. He’d considered bringing Emily as his second instead, mainly because she would likely be far more chill, but he needed Valentia here to make sure she wasn’t surprised by his latest nefarious plot. Assuming Sky even went for it. Which she might not.
Another woman in red and black silverweave emerged from the kitchens. Given the rapier she wore on her belt, Drake pegged her as Kari: the woman with a rarity that made her blows as heavy as those from a much larger sword. That meant Mary, the thrall who could make you bleed from every pore in your body, was elsewhere.
“Please help yourself to anything you like,” Kari said. “Lord and Lady Skybreak are currently in chambers. They will join you as soon as they are free.”
Drake suspected Sky must be having yet another big argument with her mother outside of where their thralls or allies could hear. He hoped those two managed to sort it out sooner rather than later. They both had such strong wills he doubted it would be so easy.
In the meantime, however, there was delicious meat just begging to be eaten.
Drake helped himself to a plate of food and some of Sky’s delicious Moonberry mead, though he sipped instead of chugged. The stuff was mild, but he didn’t need a buzz going into the afternoon cabal. He suspected the Judge remained on the verge of censuring him for his trick... but he couldn’t stop grinning as he remembered the look on Lord Redbow’s face.
He glanced at Valentia, who stood with her hands clasped at her back. She hadn’t touched anything on the table. “Hey, Val? You can eat.”
She offered a small shrug. “I’m not hungry.”
“You should still eat,” Drake said. “You need your strength for this afternoon.”
She glanced his way. “Is that an order, lord?”
When she called him lord, he knew he was pushing it with her. “Just a suggestion from a friend. One who wants to make sure you don’t faint in the afternoon cabal.”
It surprised him when Valentia smiled, though perhaps it shouldn’t have. She seemed far more willing to trust him now... and to give him the benefit of the doubt.
“When the air is this warm, it makes me nauseous. That is why I have no appetite. However, with Nicole’s help, I did manage to eat last night once it cooled down. I will be fine.”
In other words, Drake thought, I appreciate your concern, but you don’t need to worry about me. That was reasonable. She must be miserable here.
“Understood,” Drake said. She was handling the heat like a champ.
Meanwhile, Sky and her mother must still be going at it. He didn’t hear any shouting, but Kari, who stood guard at the door Drake knew from his own rooms led into the manor lord’s bedroom, was looking increasingly uncomfortable. She hadn’t expected this delay.
Drake considered getting up and pacing, but that could make him look nervous. So he sat. Valentia chose to remain standing. He finished a full plate of meat and was just thinking about grabbing a second when Sky finally marched from the hall leading to her bedroom.
Her gaze met his immediately. Instead of remarking on the way he was lounging in a chair by an empty plate, she merely inclined her head. “I apologize for keeping you waiting. I was having a difficult conversation.”
Drake belatedly scrambled for a napkin to wipe what he expected might be meat juice from his chin. “It’s fine. You put out a nice spread. I always appreciate a nice spread.”
Sky strode right to where several cups of mead waited. She picked one up, chugged it like she’d just lost a whole game of beer pong, and then grabbed the second. She chugged that one as well, then set the empty cup down as Drake looked on in surprise.
Kari, standing by her bedroom, was looking increasingly embarrassed by her manor lord.
Having satiated what was apparently an incredible thirst, Sky grabbed a third cup of mead, slid a chair out from the table with one boot, and sat down. She then picked up a knife and cut into a slash of venison with force Drake would charitably describe as intense.
What the hell had she and her mother been arguing about in there?
The door to the room Sky had emerged from open again, but it was not Lady Skybreak who emerged. It was Karth, and he was dressed in what looked like noble clothing. As he noticed Drake, his eyes widened noticeably.
“Lord Gloomwood?” The man’s greeting sounded almost accusatory.
Drake eyed him up and down. “Hey, Karth. Looking good.”
“What are you doing here?” Karth demanded.
Drake grabbed another grape. “Having lunch. You?” He popped it into his mouth.
Lady Skybreak—Viktoria—emerged from the hall not long after, looking as composed as she had looked at today’s cabal. At least one of them looked composed. Still, as Viktoria’s gaze swept first to Karth and then her daughter, her composure flexed.
“Karth,” she asked, “don’t you have a patrol to complete?”
The seasoned ranger flinched like he’d been struck and glanced back at Viktoria. “Yes. Of course. I’ll go do that right away.” He looked to Sky again, features tense, but she was still staring at the table as if she intended to burn it to ash with her eyes.
“Right.” Karth met Drake’s gaze. “Good to see you again, Lord Gloomwood.”
Drake simply nodded. “You too, man.”
Inwardly, he was wondering what all of this was about. Sky, Karth, and Viktoria all seemed involved now, and something between them was awkward. Had Karth screwed up some matter during his brief time as Lord Skybreak, and now the three of them were trying to find a way to fix it? That seemed plausible. If so, Drake pitied the man.
Once Karth was gone, Viktoria smoothed down her dress and smiled at him. “Welcome, Lord Gloomwood. I apologize for the delay. We needed to resolve an internal matter.”
Sky ripped off a piece of venison and popped it in her mouth. She said nothing in response. Drake decided to let her get some lunch in her before revealing the latest plot he’d cooked up after the cabal. He just hoped he hadn’t had a plotting look while he did so. Every one of his battle maids (and Sachi) had warned him he had a plotting look.
“Not a problem,” Drake assured them both. “So, on a scale of one to ten, how do you think things went this morning?”
“Is a ten good or bad?” Viktoria asked.
“Uh... we’ll say good.”
“Then perhaps a six.”
Drake was disappointed with that result. “Really?”
“You did well to counter the gambits of Lord Proudglade and Lord Redbow,” Viktoria said. “Yet your use of those courtesans to trick Lord Redbow into calling your steward and spymaster has greatly agitated the judge. She will be harsh on you this afternoon.”
Drake had been afraid of that. “How harsh?”
“She will not rule against you simply out of malice. The Judge will always remain impartial. However, any consideration she might have afforded you due to you recently taking your title is now gone. Do they have leashes on Earth? Ones used to lead animals?”
“We have those,” Drake agreed cautiously.
“Then you may understand this metaphor. You, Lord Gloomwood, will now be on an exceedingly short leash.”
Drake grabbed his cup of delicious mead. “I get it.”
“Be careful the leash does not choke you,” Viktoria added calmly.
Sky thumped a fist on the table. “Oh, come off it, mother!”
Drake blinked at the force of her words. Sky really was pissed.
Viktoria merely frowned. “Lord Skybreak—”
“Lord Gloomwood’s ploy was clever,” Sky said calmly. “Ensuring those who knew my most intimate secrets were not available to testify is exactly the approach I would have taken had I been advised the cabal was called about me. The fact that he forced Lord Redbow to waste his witness calls on people who weren’t in the room only makes the victory sweeter.”
Drake knew better than to grin at Sky’s words. He didn’t want to seem like he was taking sides between her and her mother. Still, he was pleased Sky appreciated the art behind his ploy, even if the Judge and the other manor lords didn’t.
He also appreciated Viktoria’s warning about the Judge. He had suspected the Judge might be annoyed with his antics this morning, but he’d decided the risk worth it to force his enemies to show their hands. Still, he’d play it by the book this afternoon.
Assuming Sky didn’t jump at his new plan to blow the roof off the place instead.
“Should we eat first?” Drake ask. “I mean... I’ve eaten. Val’s going light. Sky, you obviously need some food. Is this a manor lord lunch, or something more casual?”
“I am eating,” Sky informed him calmly. “We have time before the cabal resumes. But if you and my mother have more to discuss, please, don’t let me stop you.” She glared at her mother. “Lady Skybreak has exceedingly clear ideas about how I should run my manor.”
Drake decided to take her words at face value. “Lady Skybreak? Care to join us?”
Viktoria nodded and took a seat at the end of the table, on Sky’s side but as far from her daughter as she could be. Drake suspected that was more Viktoria being cautious of Sky’s foul mood than anything more. He was truly curious about what they kept arguing about. He also knew better than to butt in and risk having his head ripped off by both of them.
Once she sat down, Viktoria grabbed a small plate and then snapped off a portion of grapes. She placed those delicately on her plate and reached for a cup of mead. She took one sip, set it aside, and popped a grape in her mouth. She, too, was going light.
Sky and Viktoria ate in awkward silence as Drake pondered grabbing another hunk of meat. He decided to hold off for now. He wasn’t that hungry, and he didn’t want to be caught awkwardly in mid-chew when Sky or her mother abruptly decided to rejoin the conversation.
Sky finished her venison first, then glanced at Drake. “So?”
Drake eyed her cautiously. “Yes?”
“Why did you invite me to lunch?”
He grinned at her. “Actually, you invited me.”
Her smile barely reached her eyes. “I suppose I did, didn’t I? Very well. I’ll start.” She took a deep breath. “Do you or do you not want to get married?”
Drake was very glad he hadn’t grabbed a second helping of meat.
Otherwise, he might have choked on it.
