“You can’t really believe that,” Drake said incredulously.
Yet Westin did believe it. The man couldn’t lie, now more than ever. Westin really did believe he had been doing good... in his own fucked up way.
“I’m sorry for everything,” Westin said. An actual tear rolled down the stubborn man’s stubborn face. “For killing Steward Rodney. For harming your battle maids. For making the Judge believe you were responsible for the sea gate. None of these actions were moral, and all grieve me, but I knew no other way to protect my family and manor after all I had done.”
“You expect me to forgive you?”
“Never.” Westin took one shuddering breath. “I have injured you too grievously. Yet once you began to tear my plans apart one after the other, I had to protect my father. I did all I could to talk him out of calling this cabal to unseat you, but he would not listen to me. He coddles me, but he does not take my council. And as I stated, he knew none of this.”
Drake grimaced. He really wanted to blame Lord Proudglade for his part in all this, but it sounded like, now, Lord Proudglade had been played like everyone else Westin touched.
“My father sought only to defeat an evil manor lord, which, thanks to my machinations, he thought you were. If you must hate someone, hate me. My father was only doing what he thought was necessary to protect our manor and our world.”
None of this changed that Drake would turn Westin over and make him confess. None of it changed the fact that once the Judge knew what Westin had done, she would execute him. Westin had hurt too many people and caused too much havoc to go free.
But, dammit, now that Drake knew the man had done it all to save the people of Gloomwood Manor and bring peace to his realm, turning Westin over to be executed was going to feel like shit. He couldn’t even celebrate by pissing on the grave of his defeated enemy. Unlike Lord Crow, Lord Westin Proudglade wasn’t a man he could completely hate.
He looked to Valentia. “Turn this carriage around.”
She watched him carefully. “And do what?”
“We’re calling a peace summit. We need to get this all out in the open before they execute Lydia, or they find Samuel and Emily and she soul chops forty capital guards.”
“And what if the capital guards and manor lords won’t agree to hear us out?”
“They will,” Drake said. “Because you’re also going to tell them if they don’t accept my summit and allow me to tell them the truth about all that happened, I’ll execute Westin.”
Even if Westin died, Valentia could still testify to everything he’d said... eventually. And she, just like everyone else in this world other than him, couldn’t lie.
After the carriage was back on the road and Valentia had left to arrange a summit with the capital, Drake turned to Westin. “I will execute you if I have to.” They were alone now.
“I know. I also understand why.”
“But I’ll make one last deal with you. I actually do believe your only goal was to protect your realm and your people, so while you fucked me over, I’m still willing to help you protect your family... but only if you help me clean up your mess.”
“I will do anything you ask. I owe you that and more. What would you ask of me?”
Drake told him.
***
The parlay Drake had requested took place outside Korhaurbauten near a forest where he could hide Sachi, Robin, and every ranger Sky brought to the party. In the time it took Valentia to enter the city and arrange it, Drake was able to set up his entire zarovian army, Sky’s rangers, and Nicole to defend him during the negotiations for his “surrender.”
Sachi was out scouting now, and Sky Skybreak once again stood at his side. So long as she did so, her void rarity would ensure no magic could harm him or anyone near her. So even if Lord Proudglade tossed a lightning bolt at them, it would dissipate as it arrived.
After his escape, Sky, Lady Skybreak, and their thralls had reinforced Drake’s vanguard with every one they had, just like allied manors did for each other. Sky had even clasped arms with him again she arrived. That still felt good.
After he told her what he’d uncovered about Westin’s plotting, she shook her head ruefully. “You have the Eidolons’ own luck.” She chuckled. “And perhaps a curse as well.”
The representatives from the capital arrived at mid-afternoon, escorted by capital guards and, unsurprising, Lord Proudglade’s golden knights. Lord Proudglade himself also arrived, flanked by a young man a bit older than Westin in the same ornate armor. He looked like an older Westin, so he must be Westin’s elder brother. The similarity was striking.
Drake saw no sign of Lord Mistvale or Lord Redbow. The Judge also was not present. Inquisitor Grayson was here, however, and Drake assumed he was here on the Judge’s behalf.
Also, they had Lydia. Of course they had Lydia. She was shackled in nothing but loose peasant clothes, not silverweave. Lord Proudglade’s nights marched her forward.
A hostage for a hostage. Drake hated it, but it made sense. The fact that he saw no sign of Samuel and Emily also suggested they had avoided capture. The Rope Tree sure was slippery when he meant to be. He likely had a dozen hideaways inside Korhaurbauten.
Lord Proudglade took the lead of his vanguard, which seemed foolish on its face, yet he was flanked by his armored son, four of his golden knights, and at least twenty capital guards in full ferrocite. Even Drake’s zarovian army would have trouble cutting through that, and ferrocite was also resistant to magic, which meant Valentia couldn’t freeze them.
Valentia walked with the capital’s entourage as well, but not as a prisoner. Lord Proudglade retained his honor. Drake had sent Valentia to the capital as his representative to arrange this summit. It would be dishonorable for Proudglade to take her prisoner.
The first thing he was going to do after he got Lydia back was get that obedience fetish off her and get her some nice tea. She loved tea. He owed her his life, again.
Lord Proudglade stopped at Drake’s perimeter, staring angrily at Cresh. The huge zarovian still towered over his fellows and made an intimidating sight. His fellow zarovians, including Korrag and Xutag, all stood ready for battle, and Drake knew Sachi and Robin were in the trees ready to commit a dozen arrow-based assassinations.
Even with his vanguard and Sky’s, Drake wasn’t sure if he could win a fight with Proudglade’s private army. The man could toss balls of explosive lightning. Fortunately, today, he didn’t have to defeat this man and his army of thralls in battle.
He was going to defeat him by revealing the crimes of his own son.
“Lord Gloomwood!” Proudglade called angrily. “Show me my son!”
Drake snapped his fingers at Nicole, who opened the door to his carriage. “Westin?” Drake ordered. “Step outside and stand beside me.”
Westin emerged from the armored carriage. Proudglade’s eyes visibly narrowed when he spotted the obedience fetish on his son, but it wasn’t like he could call foul. He’d placed the same horrific item on Lydia.
“My thralls will admit you, your second, and Inquisitor Grayson for our summit!” Drake called. “I will not harm you, or order my thralls to harm you, unless you attempt to harm us!”
“You can speak words you do not believe!” Proudglade shouted angrily. “Why should we believe anything you say?”
“I actually can’t do that!” Drake lied. “You’ve been deceived by Lord Redbow and others, including your own son! I committed no crime! Westin is behind everything!”
“Preposterous!” Lord Gloomwood shouted. “Now surrender him or Lydia dies!”
“You kill her, I kill him, and we all kill each other! That seems like a shitty summit!” Drake looked to Westin, and then said his next words very loudly. “Westin, speak freely.”
“Father, Lord Gloomwood is correct!” Westin yelled. “I tricked you! I tricked everyone! Lord Frostlight and Lord Gloomwood did not place the sea gate in the Chamber of Council! I believe that was Lord Redbow! Moreover, it is I who deceived the noble court!”
Lord Proudglade had gone from a man whose glower could kickstart a sun to a man who looked to be as horrified as someone walking in on his murdered dog.
“He’s tricked you!” Proudglade shouted angrily. “He is an outworlder!”
“He is an outworlder, but he has not tricked me!” Westin shouted back. “He saved me from Lord Crow! He stopped a demon summoning! He did not summon those kromians!”
Inquisitor Grayson approached Lord Proudglade and spoke with him quietly. The man glared and trembled, and for a moment, Drake was afraid that Proudglade would simply blow Grayson to cinders. Would this man take them all to war to save his youngest son?
Yet Lord Proudglade wouldn’t start a war simply to hide the truth. Westin had assured him when they talked. Even if it meant sacrificing his own son, if Westin was truly guilty and Drake was truly innocent, Lord Proudglade would not take them to war out of spite or love.
The cursedly pompous man truly had too much honor for that.
“Lord Gloomwood!” Inquisitor Grayson called. “We will listen to what you have to say, but you must meet us in neutral territory! Step out of your lines! We will step out of ours!”
Drake considered. “Agreed! Now back your people the fuck up! And bring Lydia!”
Grayson turned to his capital guards and gave a number of orders too quietly for Drake to hear. Though all of them looked annoyed and angry about it, they backed up a good distance. They were still all in crossbow range, but so were Sachi, Robin, and Sky’s rangers. His zarovians could also take dozens of crossbow bolts in the time it took them to reach the capital guard lines and beat those ferrocite-clad pansies into bloody paste.
Drake looked to his people. “Westin, with me. Nicole? Melt in case we have to fight. And if we do fight, I want you to stab Lord Proudglade first, preferably in the balls.” He looked to Sky. “Could you accompany me as well?”
She smiled warmly. “I will always stand at your side.”
Nicole went invisible as Drake strode forward with Westin on one side and Sky on the other. As they walked, Drake leaned close to Sky and spoke. “Who’s his second?” The blond, armored man standing beside Lord Proudglade looked to be in his late twenties.
“That is Lord Felix Proudglade,” Sky replied just as quietly. “His rarity, dissolve, allows him to melt any substance with a touch of his hand.”
Including flesh. Yikes. He wasn’t about to let that man touch him.
“Felix is actually quite nice,” Sky added. “He and I met often as children, and I would almost consider him a distant brother. He is not so buried in tradition as his father.”
Drake grimaced. “Let’s hope he stays that way when she finds out what his little brother’s been doing. And that he’s gonna’ die.”
Drake, Sky, and Westin met Lord Proudglade, Felix Proudglade, Inquisitor Grayson, Valentia, and Lydia in the open ground between their two armies. Drake couldn’t feel calm despite the fact that he knew he had everything under control.
So many things had gone wrong since he arrived. So many things could still go wrong. Once they were all gathered closely enough to speak, Drake looked to Westin.
“Westin, I order you to tell Lord Proudglade and Inquisitor Grayson everything you told me. Leave nothing out. That is how you save your manor and your family.”
Westin quietly repeated his entire confession in front of an increasingly pale Lord Proudglade, an increasingly incredulous Felix, and an increasingly concerned Inquisitor Grayson. Drake listened closely, prepared to compel Westin to testify again if he left nothing out, but the man was thorough. He revealed everything he’d done.
Westin’s only concern remained ensuring his family didn’t suffer for his crimes. That the crime was his alone, the crime of a lowly thrall rather than a haughty manor lord. Because if not... it was possible the Judge could order Proudglade Manor razed.
When he finished, Lord Proudglade trembled as he started at Drake. “You did this.”
“I did nothing except put a stop to your son’s schemes.”
“It is you who can change people’s memories! You tricked him somehow!”
“Father.” Felix gently touched his arm. “I hate this as well, but we must consider it.”
“No! I will not! This must be some other scheme from Lord Gloomwood!”
“Hey,” Drake said. “Question. Where’s Lord Redbow?”
Lord Proudglade’s desperate glower shattered as his face fell.
“He ran off, didn’t he?” Drake asked angrily. “He took off as soon as I grabbed Westin during my execution, because he knew I could force Westin to implicate him in these crimes. Redbow’s already left the capital, hasn’t he? You idiots just let him get away!”
Grayson now looked visibly uncomfortable. “We had no proof Lord Redbow was involved in any of this. We had no reason to prevent him from leaving with his thralls. With an answer to who had sabotaged the cabal, we had no reason to detain anyone.”
“Well you do now, so fucking go after him! Oh, and Proudglade?”
The man bared his teeth.
“Take that obedience fetish off my steward. Right now.”
“You can’t really believe that,” Drake said incredulously.
Yet Westin did believe it. The man couldn’t lie, now more than ever. Westin really did believe he had been doing good... in his own fucked up way.
“I’m sorry for everything,” Westin said. An actual tear rolled down the stubborn man’s stubborn face. “For killing Steward Rodney. For harming your battle maids. For making the Judge believe you were responsible for the sea gate. None of these actions were moral, and all grieve me, but I knew no other way to protect my family and manor after all I had done.”
“You expect me to forgive you?”
“Never.” Westin took one shuddering breath. “I have injured you too grievously. Yet once you began to tear my plans apart one after the other, I had to protect my father. I did all I could to talk him out of calling this cabal to unseat you, but he would not listen to me. He coddles me, but he does not take my council. And as I stated, he knew none of this.”
Drake grimaced. He really wanted to blame Lord Proudglade for his part in all this, but it sounded like, now, Lord Proudglade had been played like everyone else Westin touched.
“My father sought only to defeat an evil manor lord, which, thanks to my machinations, he thought you were. If you must hate someone, hate me. My father was only doing what he thought was necessary to protect our manor and our world.”
None of this changed that Drake would turn Westin over and make him confess. None of it changed the fact that once the Judge knew what Westin had done, she would execute him. Westin had hurt too many people and caused too much havoc to go free.
But, dammit, now that Drake knew the man had done it all to save the people of Gloomwood Manor and bring peace to his realm, turning Westin over to be executed was going to feel like shit. He couldn’t even celebrate by pissing on the grave of his defeated enemy. Unlike Lord Crow, Lord Westin Proudglade wasn’t a man he could completely hate.
He looked to Valentia. “Turn this carriage around.”
She watched him carefully. “And do what?”
“We’re calling a peace summit. We need to get this all out in the open before they execute Lydia, or they find Samuel and Emily and she soul chops forty capital guards.”
“And what if the capital guards and manor lords won’t agree to hear us out?”
“They will,” Drake said. “Because you’re also going to tell them if they don’t accept my summit and allow me to tell them the truth about all that happened, I’ll execute Westin.”
Even if Westin died, Valentia could still testify to everything he’d said... eventually. And she, just like everyone else in this world other than him, couldn’t lie.
After the carriage was back on the road and Valentia had left to arrange a summit with the capital, Drake turned to Westin. “I will execute you if I have to.” They were alone now.
“I know. I also understand why.”
“But I’ll make one last deal with you. I actually do believe your only goal was to protect your realm and your people, so while you fucked me over, I’m still willing to help you protect your family... but only if you help me clean up your mess.”
“I will do anything you ask. I owe you that and more. What would you ask of me?”
Drake told him.
***
The parlay Drake had requested took place outside Korhaurbauten near a forest where he could hide Sachi, Robin, and every ranger Sky brought to the party. In the time it took Valentia to enter the city and arrange it, Drake was able to set up his entire zarovian army, Sky’s rangers, and Nicole to defend him during the negotiations for his “surrender.”
Sachi was out scouting now, and Sky Skybreak once again stood at his side. So long as she did so, her void rarity would ensure no magic could harm him or anyone near her. So even if Lord Proudglade tossed a lightning bolt at them, it would dissipate as it arrived.
After his escape, Sky, Lady Skybreak, and their thralls had reinforced Drake’s vanguard with every one they had, just like allied manors did for each other. Sky had even clasped arms with him again she arrived. That still felt good.
After he told her what he’d uncovered about Westin’s plotting, she shook her head ruefully. “You have the Eidolons’ own luck.” She chuckled. “And perhaps a curse as well.”
The representatives from the capital arrived at mid-afternoon, escorted by capital guards and, unsurprising, Lord Proudglade’s golden knights. Lord Proudglade himself also arrived, flanked by a young man a bit older than Westin in the same ornate armor. He looked like an older Westin, so he must be Westin’s elder brother. The similarity was striking.
Drake saw no sign of Lord Mistvale or Lord Redbow. The Judge also was not present. Inquisitor Grayson was here, however, and Drake assumed he was here on the Judge’s behalf.
Also, they had Lydia. Of course they had Lydia. She was shackled in nothing but loose peasant clothes, not silverweave. Lord Proudglade’s nights marched her forward.
A hostage for a hostage. Drake hated it, but it made sense. The fact that he saw no sign of Samuel and Emily also suggested they had avoided capture. The Rope Tree sure was slippery when he meant to be. He likely had a dozen hideaways inside Korhaurbauten.
Lord Proudglade took the lead of his vanguard, which seemed foolish on its face, yet he was flanked by his armored son, four of his golden knights, and at least twenty capital guards in full ferrocite. Even Drake’s zarovian army would have trouble cutting through that, and ferrocite was also resistant to magic, which meant Valentia couldn’t freeze them.
Valentia walked with the capital’s entourage as well, but not as a prisoner. Lord Proudglade retained his honor. Drake had sent Valentia to the capital as his representative to arrange this summit. It would be dishonorable for Proudglade to take her prisoner.
The first thing he was going to do after he got Lydia back was get that obedience fetish off her and get her some nice tea. She loved tea. He owed her his life, again.
Lord Proudglade stopped at Drake’s perimeter, staring angrily at Cresh. The huge zarovian still towered over his fellows and made an intimidating sight. His fellow zarovians, including Korrag and Xutag, all stood ready for battle, and Drake knew Sachi and Robin were in the trees ready to commit a dozen arrow-based assassinations.
Even with his vanguard and Sky’s, Drake wasn’t sure if he could win a fight with Proudglade’s private army. The man could toss balls of explosive lightning. Fortunately, today, he didn’t have to defeat this man and his army of thralls in battle.
He was going to defeat him by revealing the crimes of his own son.
“Lord Gloomwood!” Proudglade called angrily. “Show me my son!”
Drake snapped his fingers at Nicole, who opened the door to his carriage. “Westin?” Drake ordered. “Step outside and stand beside me.”
Westin emerged from the armored carriage. Proudglade’s eyes visibly narrowed when he spotted the obedience fetish on his son, but it wasn’t like he could call foul. He’d placed the same horrific item on Lydia.
“My thralls will admit you, your second, and Inquisitor Grayson for our summit!” Drake called. “I will not harm you, or order my thralls to harm you, unless you attempt to harm us!”
“You can speak words you do not believe!” Proudglade shouted angrily. “Why should we believe anything you say?”
“I actually can’t do that!” Drake lied. “You’ve been deceived by Lord Redbow and others, including your own son! I committed no crime! Westin is behind everything!”
“Preposterous!” Lord Gloomwood shouted. “Now surrender him or Lydia dies!”
“You kill her, I kill him, and we all kill each other! That seems like a shitty summit!” Drake looked to Westin, and then said his next words very loudly. “Westin, speak freely.”
“Father, Lord Gloomwood is correct!” Westin yelled. “I tricked you! I tricked everyone! Lord Frostlight and Lord Gloomwood did not place the sea gate in the Chamber of Council! I believe that was Lord Redbow! Moreover, it is I who deceived the noble court!”
Lord Proudglade had gone from a man whose glower could kickstart a sun to a man who looked to be as horrified as someone walking in on his murdered dog.
“He’s tricked you!” Proudglade shouted angrily. “He is an outworlder!”
“He is an outworlder, but he has not tricked me!” Westin shouted back. “He saved me from Lord Crow! He stopped a demon summoning! He did not summon those kromians!”
Inquisitor Grayson approached Lord Proudglade and spoke with him quietly. The man glared and trembled, and for a moment, Drake was afraid that Proudglade would simply blow Grayson to cinders. Would this man take them all to war to save his youngest son?
Yet Lord Proudglade wouldn’t start a war simply to hide the truth. Westin had assured him when they talked. Even if it meant sacrificing his own son, if Westin was truly guilty and Drake was truly innocent, Lord Proudglade would not take them to war out of spite or love.
The cursedly pompous man truly had too much honor for that.
“Lord Gloomwood!” Inquisitor Grayson called. “We will listen to what you have to say, but you must meet us in neutral territory! Step out of your lines! We will step out of ours!”
Drake considered. “Agreed! Now back your people the fuck up! And bring Lydia!”
Grayson turned to his capital guards and gave a number of orders too quietly for Drake to hear. Though all of them looked annoyed and angry about it, they backed up a good distance. They were still all in crossbow range, but so were Sachi, Robin, and Sky’s rangers. His zarovians could also take dozens of crossbow bolts in the time it took them to reach the capital guard lines and beat those ferrocite-clad pansies into bloody paste.
Drake looked to his people. “Westin, with me. Nicole? Melt in case we have to fight. And if we do fight, I want you to stab Lord Proudglade first, preferably in the balls.” He looked to Sky. “Could you accompany me as well?”
She smiled warmly. “I will always stand at your side.”
Nicole went invisible as Drake strode forward with Westin on one side and Sky on the other. As they walked, Drake leaned close to Sky and spoke. “Who’s his second?” The blond, armored man standing beside Lord Proudglade looked to be in his late twenties.
“That is Lord Felix Proudglade,” Sky replied just as quietly. “His rarity, dissolve, allows him to melt any substance with a touch of his hand.”
Including flesh. Yikes. He wasn’t about to let that man touch him.
“Felix is actually quite nice,” Sky added. “He and I met often as children, and I would almost consider him a distant brother. He is not so buried in tradition as his father.”
Drake grimaced. “Let’s hope he stays that way when she finds out what his little brother’s been doing. And that he’s gonna’ die.”
Drake, Sky, and Westin met Lord Proudglade, Felix Proudglade, Inquisitor Grayson, Valentia, and Lydia in the open ground between their two armies. Drake couldn’t feel calm despite the fact that he knew he had everything under control.
So many things had gone wrong since he arrived. So many things could still go wrong. Once they were all gathered closely enough to speak, Drake looked to Westin.
“Westin, I order you to tell Lord Proudglade and Inquisitor Grayson everything you told me. Leave nothing out. That is how you save your manor and your family.”
Westin quietly repeated his entire confession in front of an increasingly pale Lord Proudglade, an increasingly incredulous Felix, and an increasingly concerned Inquisitor Grayson. Drake listened closely, prepared to compel Westin to testify again if he left nothing out, but the man was thorough. He revealed everything he’d done.
Westin’s only concern remained ensuring his family didn’t suffer for his crimes. That the crime was his alone, the crime of a lowly thrall rather than a haughty manor lord. Because if not... it was possible the Judge could order Proudglade Manor razed.
When he finished, Lord Proudglade trembled as he started at Drake. “You did this.”
“I did nothing except put a stop to your son’s schemes.”
“It is you who can change people’s memories! You tricked him somehow!”
“Father.” Felix gently touched his arm. “I hate this as well, but we must consider it.”
“No! I will not! This must be some other scheme from Lord Gloomwood!”
“Hey,” Drake said. “Question. Where’s Lord Redbow?”
Lord Proudglade’s desperate glower shattered as his face fell.
“He ran off, didn’t he?” Drake asked angrily. “He took off as soon as I grabbed Westin during my execution, because he knew I could force Westin to implicate him in these crimes. Redbow’s already left the capital, hasn’t he? You idiots just let him get away!”
Grayson now looked visibly uncomfortable. “We had no proof Lord Redbow was involved in any of this. We had no reason to prevent him from leaving with his thralls. With an answer to who had sabotaged the cabal, we had no reason to detain anyone.”
“Well you do now, so fucking go after him! Oh, and Proudglade?”
The man bared his teeth.
“Take that obedience fetish off my steward. Right now.”
