Once Valentia had disappeared into the back, Drake looked to Lord Skybreak and offered his hand across the table. “Clint.” He felt a little dirty lying to her, but he did.
After a moment, she took his hand and shook it. “Sky.”
“You’re the Lord of Skybreak Manor, and your parents named you Sky?”
“Many people worship the sky here. It is our most popular deity. They wanted to give me a powerful name.”
“So your name is Sky Skybreak?”
Her eyes narrowed once more. “Are you always this random?”
“Only when I’m taking a victory lap.” Still, there was no benefit to rubbing her face in the fact that he’d been right about Valentia’s innocence, and it also wouldn’t be very diplomatic. “But now that we can speak privately, I’d like to know what you think now that you have more information. Why did Oswell see Valentia murder Rodney when she didn’t?”
“One possibility would be you have found some way to change the memories of your blood thralls so they remember events differently than they occurred.”
Drake blinked in surprise. “I actually hadn’t thought of that one. That would be useful.”
She watched him with hard eyes.
“But I can’t change what my thralls see or remember, nor can anyone who serves me.” He left out the fact that he could probably make them confused about handkerchiefs.
She sighed. “Then the other possibility is that during that ambush, one of those mercenaries possessed a rarity that made Oswell see things that didn’t happen.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Drake agreed. “So does this happen often?”
“Does what happen?”
“How often do people get rarities that can make other people see stuff that didn’t happen?”
“I know of only one similar rarity, one that arose almost fifty years ago in a young man sworn to a forgotten manor. Not many know of it.”
“I can see why. So what happened with that guy?”
“After he deceived the noble court at the behest of his lord, he was executed, his lord was executed, and then their manor was razed. That is why they are a forgotten manor.”
Drake whistled softly. Yet more reason to make sure no one in the noble court ever learned about his ability to lie. “But we agree someone now has a similar rarity.”
“I do not know how else to explain the discrepancy in our thrall’s testimony.”
“So you know what that tells me?”
“I’m willing to listen.”
“Someone’s fucking with both of us. Even if whoever just tried to make us go to war doesn’t know we’re secret allies, it’s obvious we need each other.”
She eyed him calmly. “Is it?”
“And even if they didn’t convince us, personally, to go to war, having your people think I murdered your steward and my people angry you executed my battle maid would cripple our relations and spread bad blood between our peoples. It would weaken our secret alliance.”
Sky nodded grimly. “I feel the same. This plot wasn’t targeted only at you and Valentia, though it does seem you were the primary targets. It was targeted at our manors as a whole, and moreover, whoever put it into motion also murdered my steward and sworn swords. When I find out their identity, I am going to personally crucify them.”
“Hardcore,” Drake said appreciatively. “You folks really do that here?”
“Beneath a cold and open sky. Now, we have perhaps three minutes to conclude our negotiation. I’ll begin. I now accept that Valentia didn’t murder Rodney, but I need a way to justify her release that doesn’t reveal someone can make people see falsehoods.”
“I get it,” Drake agreed. “You can’t just tell everyone Oswell got fooled by someone who can make people see things that didn’t happen, because news of a rarity that powerful will spread. People will doubt their own recollections and everyone else. It’d cause chaos.”
“It would,” Sky said. “Moreover, once everyone’s talking about it, our enemy will know their plot was exposed. I’d prefer they think they succeeded until we can crush them.”
Drake liked that idea. “I agree in principle, but I’m not giving you Valentia.”
“Nor would I accept her, given I know she’s innocent of this crime. So the only alternative I can think to you letting me execute Valentia is for you to offer a tithe.”
Drake remembered Zuri’s explanation. A tithe was a fee a manor could pay if it committed a crime to have that crime forgiven. “I can’t imagine there’s any amount of coin that would make up for your steward’s life.” He certainly wouldn’t accept an amount for Lydia’s.
“I appreciate your understanding, but that doesn’t mean I can’t accept a tithe from your manor. It won’t be a popular decision, but my people will believe it, and I don’t intend to keep the tithe once the truth is revealed. I will return it to you once this matter is settled.”
“So you’ll take a bribe,” Drake said. “And you’ll tell your people I offered you that bribe to make up for killing Rodney. And then... we’re good, so far as everyone is concerned?”
“Many will question my judgment. I doubt anyone will be pleased by my decision. Yet coin is the only thing you can legally offer me since we are not officially allied.”
“Since magic weapons can’t be exchanged except in battle.” Drake nodded. “There’s still a problem with that. If we settle on a tithe, your people will continue to think Valentia murdered Rodney. Even if you don’t execute her personally, there’s still a chance they could come after her on their own. That concerns me.”
“I will order my blood thralls to seek no reprisal after we receive your tithe, and I will also make it widely known Valentia acted independently of your orders and manor. But until we know how this happened, I don’t think Valentia should return to my territory.”
“I see.” Drake frowned. “So essentially, we sell both our manors on the story that I paid you off. You accepted my tithe in place of Valentia’s head. And we’ll be gone from your little town before you announce that in public, correct?”
“That would be best. Valentia’s guilt will only remain unchallenged until we find whoever implicated her and bring them to justice. I will join you in clearing her name once the culprit is known... but until we find them, our enemy must think they have succeeded.”
“And me bribing you is a success in their eyes?”
“It’s not all our enemy hoped to accomplish, but it draws blood. They may be satisfied that we distrust each other. More importantly, they won’t know we know what they can do.”
“Tough but fair,” Drake agreed. “I actually hate it, but I also can’t think of a better play. I’m sure Val will be thrilled to make such a noble sacrifice for Gloomwood Manor.” He shrugged. “Plus, if anyone does come after her, she’s going to flashfreeze them.”
“If one of my people defies my orders and attempts to harm your battle maid after I order them not to, I will accept whatever fate they met without complaint.”
“All right. I’m ready to agree to this if you are.”
“I also agree.”
“Great. Agreed.” Drake leaned back in his chair. “How many minutes do we have now?”
She frowned in what might be confusion. “Perhaps two? You just said you agreed.”
“I did. We’re done with negotiation, but I do have other questions. What do you people do for fun around here?”
A frown replaced her confusion. “Are you... attempting to indulge in pleasantries?”
Drake smiled. “Any reason we can’t get to know each other? It seems like we should become stronger allies if we want to take down whoever just tried to screw with us. I’ve only been here a few days, so I don’t have any idea what you people do for fun.”
“And where did you come from?”
“Earth. Heard of it?”
She watched him for a moment. “I have no idea where that is.”
“Most people here don’t. You’re also one of the only people I’ve told where I came from, other than my own staff, so I wouldn’t mind if you kept that quiet.”
“I suppose I can do that, given no one would know what I was talking about.”
“Favorite food?”
Again she stared. “You are serious about this.”
“Mine’s pizza, but you folks don’t have pizza here. I don’t think. My staff does make a pretty mean burger though, and the hot dogs aren’t bad. So what’s your favorite food?”
She looked to the door for help. It remained closed. Finally, she turned back to him. “Roast salmon in cream sauce, seasoned with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.”
“Nice. Have it often?”
“We don’t get salmon up here.”
“So it’s a sometimes food.”
“How many people have you personally killed, Lord Gloomwood?”
Drake straightened in his chair. “That escalated quickly.”
“We’re getting to know each other, aren’t we?” Sky’s voice held both derision and a clear challenge. “We should form a stronger alliance. So you start. How many innocent people have you personally tortured and executed?”
She sounded seriously pissed off. He’d been trying to charm her, and he’d apparently failed his charm roll. She looked almost as annoyed as she had when he’d insulted Oswell. Maybe he should just cut his losses and just end the negotiations right here.
Or... he could double down.
“If we’re talking battle, I think I’ve killed about twenty people since I got here, all of whom were mercenaries who abducted me and enslaved an adorable little girl who I personally freed and took into my manor. I don’t have an exact count of how many I’ve killed in battle because my rarity leaves me a bit... berserk. I also murdered the old Lord Gloomwood, but only because he tried to murder me and Lord Westin. Do you know Westin?”
“I know of him.” She hard gaze did not fade. “You’ve said nothing of executions.”
“That’s not something I do. I’m not into the torture route either, especially with my own people. I have some cells for people to chill in when they misbehave, but I don’t hurt them or force them to hurt each other. But since we’re on the subject, do you have any suggestions for non-fatal, not-torture disciplinary measures?”
As he spoke, Sky’s stern expression changed once more to visible confusion. “Your predecessor did not operate in their manner.”
“He did not. The lord who held this title before me was a walking piece of shit.” He almost called the man Lord Dickcheese, but Sky wouldn’t get the joke. “I have no intention of running my manor as he did. If I can manage it, I’d like to improve our reputation. Part of that will be finding allies who share my values, like you.”
Her features turned absolutely inscrutable. “And what, Lord Gloomwood, gave you the impression I share your values?”
He motioned toward her chambers. “Oswell, for one. Among other observations.”
Sky watched him without saying a word. He took that as an invitation to continue.
“I get the impression you’re livid about your people’s deaths, but not just because you want revenge. You care about all your people. My predecessor did not.”
“So now you’re making assumptions about me.”
“Just educated guesses based on what I’ve seen. When you saw the difficulty Oswell was having getting to his chair, you dropped everything to help him walk. Even though you’re the lord of Skybreak Manor. You also jumped to his defense when I questioned his character.”
Sky was now looking a bit uncomfortable.
“That didn’t feel like you being offended. It felt like you were offended on his behalf. I don’t imagine a lord who didn’t care about her people would care if I hurt Oswell’s feelings.”
Sky looked to the door. “That was careless of me. I haven’t slept for over thirty hours.”
Drake whistled softly. “I’d be dead on my feet after thirty hours. But if you hadn’t just told me that, I would never have known.”
She looked his way again. “And yet I just told you. What do you suppose that means?”
“I hope it means you’re willing to consider a stronger alliance with me with fresh eyes. I imagine you tolerated the last Lord Gloomwood because you needed him and my manor on your flank. You can still have us, but now you can work with someone who thinks like you.”
“You’ve given me new options to consider,” Sky agreed. “And now, your time is up.”
Both the doors leading into the room from the hall and the door at the back opened simultaneously. All three of Sky’s bodyguards and Valentia hurried inside. Did they have hourglasses in there? Or just a freaky precise internal sense of time?
Drake stood and offered his hand. “I agree to your terms, Lord Skybreak.”
She clasped his upper arm instead of his hand. “And I agree to yours, Lord Gloomwood.”
Once Valentia had disappeared into the back, Drake looked to Lord Skybreak and offered his hand across the table. “Clint.” He felt a little dirty lying to her, but he did.
After a moment, she took his hand and shook it. “Sky.”
“You’re the Lord of Skybreak Manor, and your parents named you Sky?”
“Many people worship the sky here. It is our most popular deity. They wanted to give me a powerful name.”
“So your name is Sky Skybreak?”
Her eyes narrowed once more. “Are you always this random?”
“Only when I’m taking a victory lap.” Still, there was no benefit to rubbing her face in the fact that he’d been right about Valentia’s innocence, and it also wouldn’t be very diplomatic. “But now that we can speak privately, I’d like to know what you think now that you have more information. Why did Oswell see Valentia murder Rodney when she didn’t?”
“One possibility would be you have found some way to change the memories of your blood thralls so they remember events differently than they occurred.”
Drake blinked in surprise. “I actually hadn’t thought of that one. That would be useful.”
She watched him with hard eyes.
“But I can’t change what my thralls see or remember, nor can anyone who serves me.” He left out the fact that he could probably make them confused about handkerchiefs.
She sighed. “Then the other possibility is that during that ambush, one of those mercenaries possessed a rarity that made Oswell see things that didn’t happen.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Drake agreed. “So does this happen often?”
“Does what happen?”
“How often do people get rarities that can make other people see stuff that didn’t happen?”
“I know of only one similar rarity, one that arose almost fifty years ago in a young man sworn to a forgotten manor. Not many know of it.”
“I can see why. So what happened with that guy?”
“After he deceived the noble court at the behest of his lord, he was executed, his lord was executed, and then their manor was razed. That is why they are a forgotten manor.”
Drake whistled softly. Yet more reason to make sure no one in the noble court ever learned about his ability to lie. “But we agree someone now has a similar rarity.”
“I do not know how else to explain the discrepancy in our thrall’s testimony.”
“So you know what that tells me?”
“I’m willing to listen.”
“Someone’s fucking with both of us. Even if whoever just tried to make us go to war doesn’t know we’re secret allies, it’s obvious we need each other.”
She eyed him calmly. “Is it?”
“And even if they didn’t convince us, personally, to go to war, having your people think I murdered your steward and my people angry you executed my battle maid would cripple our relations and spread bad blood between our peoples. It would weaken our secret alliance.”
Sky nodded grimly. “I feel the same. This plot wasn’t targeted only at you and Valentia, though it does seem you were the primary targets. It was targeted at our manors as a whole, and moreover, whoever put it into motion also murdered my steward and sworn swords. When I find out their identity, I am going to personally crucify them.”
“Hardcore,” Drake said appreciatively. “You folks really do that here?”
“Beneath a cold and open sky. Now, we have perhaps three minutes to conclude our negotiation. I’ll begin. I now accept that Valentia didn’t murder Rodney, but I need a way to justify her release that doesn’t reveal someone can make people see falsehoods.”
“I get it,” Drake agreed. “You can’t just tell everyone Oswell got fooled by someone who can make people see things that didn’t happen, because news of a rarity that powerful will spread. People will doubt their own recollections and everyone else. It’d cause chaos.”
“It would,” Sky said. “Moreover, once everyone’s talking about it, our enemy will know their plot was exposed. I’d prefer they think they succeeded until we can crush them.”
Drake liked that idea. “I agree in principle, but I’m not giving you Valentia.”
“Nor would I accept her, given I know she’s innocent of this crime. So the only alternative I can think to you letting me execute Valentia is for you to offer a tithe.”
Drake remembered Zuri’s explanation. A tithe was a fee a manor could pay if it committed a crime to have that crime forgiven. “I can’t imagine there’s any amount of coin that would make up for your steward’s life.” He certainly wouldn’t accept an amount for Lydia’s.
“I appreciate your understanding, but that doesn’t mean I can’t accept a tithe from your manor. It won’t be a popular decision, but my people will believe it, and I don’t intend to keep the tithe once the truth is revealed. I will return it to you once this matter is settled.”
“So you’ll take a bribe,” Drake said. “And you’ll tell your people I offered you that bribe to make up for killing Rodney. And then... we’re good, so far as everyone is concerned?”
“Many will question my judgment. I doubt anyone will be pleased by my decision. Yet coin is the only thing you can legally offer me since we are not officially allied.”
“Since magic weapons can’t be exchanged except in battle.” Drake nodded. “There’s still a problem with that. If we settle on a tithe, your people will continue to think Valentia murdered Rodney. Even if you don’t execute her personally, there’s still a chance they could come after her on their own. That concerns me.”
“I will order my blood thralls to seek no reprisal after we receive your tithe, and I will also make it widely known Valentia acted independently of your orders and manor. But until we know how this happened, I don’t think Valentia should return to my territory.”
“I see.” Drake frowned. “So essentially, we sell both our manors on the story that I paid you off. You accepted my tithe in place of Valentia’s head. And we’ll be gone from your little town before you announce that in public, correct?”
“That would be best. Valentia’s guilt will only remain unchallenged until we find whoever implicated her and bring them to justice. I will join you in clearing her name once the culprit is known... but until we find them, our enemy must think they have succeeded.”
“And me bribing you is a success in their eyes?”
“It’s not all our enemy hoped to accomplish, but it draws blood. They may be satisfied that we distrust each other. More importantly, they won’t know we know what they can do.”
“Tough but fair,” Drake agreed. “I actually hate it, but I also can’t think of a better play. I’m sure Val will be thrilled to make such a noble sacrifice for Gloomwood Manor.” He shrugged. “Plus, if anyone does come after her, she’s going to flashfreeze them.”
“If one of my people defies my orders and attempts to harm your battle maid after I order them not to, I will accept whatever fate they met without complaint.”
“All right. I’m ready to agree to this if you are.”
“I also agree.”
“Great. Agreed.” Drake leaned back in his chair. “How many minutes do we have now?”
She frowned in what might be confusion. “Perhaps two? You just said you agreed.”
“I did. We’re done with negotiation, but I do have other questions. What do you people do for fun around here?”
A frown replaced her confusion. “Are you... attempting to indulge in pleasantries?”
Drake smiled. “Any reason we can’t get to know each other? It seems like we should become stronger allies if we want to take down whoever just tried to screw with us. I’ve only been here a few days, so I don’t have any idea what you people do for fun.”
“And where did you come from?”
“Earth. Heard of it?”
She watched him for a moment. “I have no idea where that is.”
“Most people here don’t. You’re also one of the only people I’ve told where I came from, other than my own staff, so I wouldn’t mind if you kept that quiet.”
“I suppose I can do that, given no one would know what I was talking about.”
“Favorite food?”
Again she stared. “You are serious about this.”
“Mine’s pizza, but you folks don’t have pizza here. I don’t think. My staff does make a pretty mean burger though, and the hot dogs aren’t bad. So what’s your favorite food?”
She looked to the door for help. It remained closed. Finally, she turned back to him. “Roast salmon in cream sauce, seasoned with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.”
“Nice. Have it often?”
“We don’t get salmon up here.”
“So it’s a sometimes food.”
“How many people have you personally killed, Lord Gloomwood?”
Drake straightened in his chair. “That escalated quickly.”
“We’re getting to know each other, aren’t we?” Sky’s voice held both derision and a clear challenge. “We should form a stronger alliance. So you start. How many innocent people have you personally tortured and executed?”
She sounded seriously pissed off. He’d been trying to charm her, and he’d apparently failed his charm roll. She looked almost as annoyed as she had when he’d insulted Oswell. Maybe he should just cut his losses and just end the negotiations right here.
Or... he could double down.
“If we’re talking battle, I think I’ve killed about twenty people since I got here, all of whom were mercenaries who abducted me and enslaved an adorable little girl who I personally freed and took into my manor. I don’t have an exact count of how many I’ve killed in battle because my rarity leaves me a bit... berserk. I also murdered the old Lord Gloomwood, but only because he tried to murder me and Lord Westin. Do you know Westin?”
“I know of him.” She hard gaze did not fade. “You’ve said nothing of executions.”
“That’s not something I do. I’m not into the torture route either, especially with my own people. I have some cells for people to chill in when they misbehave, but I don’t hurt them or force them to hurt each other. But since we’re on the subject, do you have any suggestions for non-fatal, not-torture disciplinary measures?”
As he spoke, Sky’s stern expression changed once more to visible confusion. “Your predecessor did not operate in their manner.”
“He did not. The lord who held this title before me was a walking piece of shit.” He almost called the man Lord Dickcheese, but Sky wouldn’t get the joke. “I have no intention of running my manor as he did. If I can manage it, I’d like to improve our reputation. Part of that will be finding allies who share my values, like you.”
Her features turned absolutely inscrutable. “And what, Lord Gloomwood, gave you the impression I share your values?”
He motioned toward her chambers. “Oswell, for one. Among other observations.”
Sky watched him without saying a word. He took that as an invitation to continue.
“I get the impression you’re livid about your people’s deaths, but not just because you want revenge. You care about all your people. My predecessor did not.”
“So now you’re making assumptions about me.”
“Just educated guesses based on what I’ve seen. When you saw the difficulty Oswell was having getting to his chair, you dropped everything to help him walk. Even though you’re the lord of Skybreak Manor. You also jumped to his defense when I questioned his character.”
Sky was now looking a bit uncomfortable.
“That didn’t feel like you being offended. It felt like you were offended on his behalf. I don’t imagine a lord who didn’t care about her people would care if I hurt Oswell’s feelings.”
Sky looked to the door. “That was careless of me. I haven’t slept for over thirty hours.”
Drake whistled softly. “I’d be dead on my feet after thirty hours. But if you hadn’t just told me that, I would never have known.”
She looked his way again. “And yet I just told you. What do you suppose that means?”
“I hope it means you’re willing to consider a stronger alliance with me with fresh eyes. I imagine you tolerated the last Lord Gloomwood because you needed him and my manor on your flank. You can still have us, but now you can work with someone who thinks like you.”
“You’ve given me new options to consider,” Sky agreed. “And now, your time is up.”
Both the doors leading into the room from the hall and the door at the back opened simultaneously. All three of Sky’s bodyguards and Valentia hurried inside. Did they have hourglasses in there? Or just a freaky precise internal sense of time?
Drake stood and offered his hand. “I agree to your terms, Lord Skybreak.”
She clasped his upper arm instead of his hand. “And I agree to yours, Lord Gloomwood.”
