02.55: Truth

Ludwin began, “My lord, I have urgent business—”

“It can wait,” I cut him off. “Justice cannot. The sooner we deal with the instability, the sooner I will leave this barony, and trust me, you would much rather deal with her,” I pointed to Eirica, “than me.”

“If we are talking about justice,” Eckmar burst out, pointing a trembling finger at Ludwin, “then you should seize him this instant! He tried to kidnap my son!”

“Lies! You will find his whelp safe in his estate!”

“Only because your thugs failed!”

“Our liege will not be swayed by whining of a cur!” Ludwin barked, spittle flying from his mouth. “I, on the other hand, have proof of his vile crimes. He burned my grain stores, my lord. Enough to feed the entire city for two months. All gone!”

“Enough,” I said out loud.

The chamber went quiet.

“We will uncover what happened,” I added, “and punish those responsible. As I said, we have been riding since morning without rest. Let us discuss the issues later.”

“My lord, we can—”

Ignoring their words, I turned and left the chamber.

Reshma, Eirica and Grimhart followed.

“Would a day be enough to gather evidence about the wrongdoings of every fat rat?” I asked them.

Reshma looked to Eirica.

“If they are kept from interfering,” Eirica said slowly, “and I have free reign to collect testimonies and seize records, then… perhaps.” Her eyes sharpened. “Can we rely on the fingerprint method again”

“Yes. Just make sure the items bearing prints are handled carefully with a cloth.”

I looked to the knight. “Sir Grimhart, please provide the ladies with whatever help they need.”

“You’re going to leave it all to us, my lord?” Reshma asked mockingly.

“I’m tired of all this politicking, nor am I good at it,” I said, waving a hand. “I’ll aid your investigation and preside over the court as the stern new Count, but that is going to be the limit of my involvement. I leave the rest in the hands of those more adept.”

She gave me a knowing smirk which said, someone is finally learning.

“By the way, what about this Wolfram? Are you really fine with giving him amnesty?”

Eirica looked around, and finding no one, spoke, “For now. He’s an opportunist and his crimes aren’t as severe as some others’.”

“Opportunists will back-stab you if it is in their self-interest. I would rather you didn’t keep him close.”

Her eyes bore into me, as if searching for something, before answering. “I won’t. I will sideline him the moment he has served his purpose.”

Eirica and Reshma asked the knight for multiple squads of soldiers and began planning on whom to go after first.

While we ate dinner, Royal troops barged into the nobles’ residences, turning them upside down in search of ledgers and every shred of evidence.

All the servants were rounded up and shoved into the castle’s jail.

I didn’t like the heavy handed method, but time was of the essence.

A few hours later, as the blanket of stars covered the sky, hooves thundered through the town until they stopped at the castle’s gatehouse.

Sir Hagen and Thurvald arrived, soaked in sweat, and promptly knelt in front of me.

“Good job being here this quick. The entire force is here?”

Hagen shook his head.

“Seventy men are still there, detaining those trying to pass through. All but five riders are here.”

“Hmm. Someone found out a large force was hidden there. How did that happen? There are plenty of hills to hide in.”

Nervousness flashed on their faces, before Hagen spoke up. “Some riders saw us detaining a wagon and turned around. We gave chase but they had a lead and good horses.”

“What did they look like?”

“A nobleman’s retinue.”

“Whose?”

“My apologies, my lord. They were far away, all wearing black.”

A sigh of exasperation left me. We were not going to capture every rat. Putting the fear of being captured in each and every one of them would have to be enough.

The next morning, we had the servants taken out from the cells, one by one, and began questioning them.

I sat behind a simple unadorned table in a small chamber.

Reshma sat to my left, with ledgers and empty parchment in front of her. Eirica sat to my right, hands folded, face composed.

A house steward from Ludwin’s estate hobbled in, jaw slightly trembling with fear.

“Sit,” I pointed to the chair opposite me.

He did so with some effort.

“What is your name?”

“Harald, my lord.”

“How long have you been working for Ludwin?”

“Thirty-four years.”

“Then you should know where everything is hidden.”

His lips pressed shut.

Reaching into a small chest beside me, I took some coins, then placed them on the table.

Clink.

Clink.

Clink.

“Speak truthfully,” I said, “and I will have you and your entire family moved beyond your master’s reach. Lie and you will find me as merciless as I am generous.”

He looked from the coins to the soldiers wearing the colors of the crown, standing behind us, still as statues.

“My lord…” he swallowed before continuing, “there is a false wall behind the cellar. Account books are kept there. Real ones, not the ones shown to tax collectors.”

Reshma’s quill moved on the parchment.

“Anything else?”

“Two widows were forced from their holdings last harvest. Their marks were forged.”

Eirica’s face hardened.

The next to arrive was a kitchen maid in her late teens. She came in sniffling, ready to topple.

“We just want some answers,” I said. “No one is going to hurt you.”

She nodded frantically.

Her eyes popped out as I placed a gold coin in front of her.

“Do you know any secrets?”

“Lord Eckmar’s son sometimes visits milady after dark when Lord Ludwin is away,” she blurted the entire sentence out as a single word.

Third was a groom with a swollen eye and lip.

“Who did that?” I asked with clenched teeth.

“My master’s men, milord. Said I talk too much. Took all the silver I’d saved for my ma.”

“I’ll be happy to compensate you if you remember something useful.”

Crooked teeth shone through a reluctant smile.

Reshma’s quill quickly scratched the parchment as the boy named the guards who did his lord’s dirty work, which merchants helped him evade taxes and hidden stores of undeclared grain.

We let them take one coin with them back to the cells.

Not everyone believed their words, but slowly, the dam broke.

They came in shaking with fear and left clutching gold.

Stable boys. Maids. Cooks. Washerwomen.

Secrets poured out like grain from split sacks.

Who owed money to which merchant.

Who had forged seals to steal land.

Who had arranged beatings to extort money.

Who had plotted kidnappings, and worse.

Every time two testimonies confirmed each other, Reshma marked the margin with a tick.

By midday, she complained of her wrist aching.

Raiding parties returned in intervals, dumping ledgers and strongboxes containing letters and contracts on the pile of growing evidence.

One noble had hidden blackmail letters in the lining of his mattress.

Another had his transactions recorded in a cipher.

Too bad it was so simple it took me less than two minutes to figure out.

By evening, only three of us remained in the room, our backs aching from sitting and poring over the documents for hours.

I got up, cracking my back.

“Most of them are ripe bastards, but is it just me or does it feel like they were deliberately placed at odds with each other?”

Eirica’s eyes found the ground. “My late husband believed it kept the vassals in line.”

I looked at the mountain of evidence lying on the table.

Like the Czars. Didn’t work out that well for them either.

“Why is the Church so quiet?” Reshma asked her.

“The local priests were close to my late husband. They are keeping their heads down so they won’t be targeted themselves.”

Sensible.

“So, what do you want to do with all this?” I pointed to the stack of testimonies and ledgers full of proof. “We can make an example and execute one of them, but that might make life difficult for you.”

She shook her head. “No. Getting rid of Grunric and his two lackeys should be enough.”

“Alright. I will have gallows built in the square.”

Both of them stared at me.

“You want to hang them?” Reshma asked. “In public?”

“Yes.”

“No,” Reshma said firmly.

My eyes narrowed. “Justice needs to be seen. Remembered.”

“You are ignoring the political reality, again,” she snapped. “They did not raise weapons against the Crown. If you execute nobles like commoners in front of a cheering crowd, every single noble will turn against you, and by extension, her.”

“We will hold a proper court. It’s not as if I would be executing him on a whim.”

“No. A noble’s pride is everything to him. You cannot wound it.”

I paused to think.

The whole realm was in a fragile state. The county even worse. This was not the time to rock the rickety boat of ours.

I let out a short sigh. “Fine. We’ll do it privately. Can I at least put their heads on the gate?”

“Yes, but only for two days,” she replied after a pause. “I thought you were from a more peaceful place?”

I almost snorted.

“How do you think we got there? Lady Guillotine had to work day and night,” I said, my hand moving in a chopping motion, “to show everyone no one is above the law. This caste privilege nonsense has to go.”

They looked at me, horrified.

“That— that is the very foundation of society.”

“This society, not every single one. Letting me change it was the price for my weapons, current and future ones, and Laira agreed to it.”

“You’re really not going to stop?” Reshma asked.

“I did promise to stop until we have secured our realm against external threats, didn’t I?”

She exhaled in response.

Eirica, however, looked at me as if I were an alien.

Which, in a way, I was.

“Welcome to my world,” Reshma said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you going to punish their families as well?” Eirica asked gingerly, as if walking on glass.

“No. I am not a savage. Just confiscate their ill-gotten wealth. How are our guests doing?”

“Whining constantly, but I told them to enjoy your ‘hospitality.’”

I smirked

“Tomorrow, we finish this.”

The next day, the nobles were led back to the meeting chamber at midday. They arrived with dark circles surrounding sleepless eyes, even though they had been given accommodations no peasant would ever know in life.

The moment they sat, Eckmar opened his mouth.

I stopped him with a raised hand.

“In front of you are records documenting your crimes. Read them.”

They picked up the parchments and began reading. The more they read, the higher their eyebrows rose. Anger and despair flashed across their faces before they smoothed their expressions.

All except the elderly Wilmar, who seemed like an honest man. Still splattered with mud, as it was impossible to remain clean when living amongst pigs.

“Many of you,” I said, “have committed terrible deeds, enough to justify stripping you of your lands and titles.”

Their faces paled.

“But, lady Eirica has asked for mercy.”

They breathed in relief.

“I can grant it, if certain conditions are met.”

They hurried to nod in agreement.

“You might have heard that every barony in Nobart will henceforth have a stewardship council?”

“That is true?” Ludwin asked, voice breaking.

“Yes. You will support it. You will also compensate the victims of your abuses.”

Mouths tightened, but no words of protest left them.

“Seeing how the late Baron had mismanaged the barony, I grant Dowager Mondgrove the powers of a regent for some time, after which a stewardship council will be formed under her leadership. I would appreciate your cooperation.”

Eyes slid towards Eirica.

Hesitation flashed on their faces, but eventually all of them nodded in agreement.

“Good,” I said, “now let us decide Grunric’s fate.”