The Axe Falls -Ch21-

Claudia had led Nick straight back to her father. She hadn’t even given him time to re-equip himself or even read Julie’s letter.

Nick didn’t have to think very hard as to the reason why. Claudia likely wanted to go straight to her father to talk about the situation. Chances were the count already suspected something but wouldn’t be quite sure.

Unfortunately, Nick felt like this wasn’t an ideal situation. This was entirely predicated on what he’d been told by an enemy who held him hostage. There was also the problem that Nick wasn’t exactly an extremely well known entity.

His relationship with the count was rather new.

There were a lot of weak points in this accusation, least of which being the complete lack of any evidence. It all came down to what the count could be convinced of without any proof.

When the trio reached the count’s tent, Claudia dismounted and headed straight for the entrance. The two guards outside the opening didn’t get in her way or even look at her.

They’d clearly already identified her long before she arrived on sight alone.

Both of them though did certainly hold Cynthia and Nick in place with a flat stare.

While Claudia was welcome to come and go, Nick and Cynthia were most certainly not. They would be denied entrance without the count giving them direct permission to enter.

Seconds ticked by in silence.

Turning in the saddle of the borrowed horse, Nick looked to Cynthia. This was a perfect opportunity to talk to her.

What he’d done with Julie was fun and kinky, but it most certainly wasn’t anything lasting. They were on opposite sides of the war and it was more of a one time thing.

Except Nick had realized that he really wanted someone in his life. Someone he could maybe share his burden with.

Or at least some of the lesser ones while excluding his claim on the throne.

“So, how are ya?” Nick asked in a curious tone. He planned on not talking to anyone about what’d happened between himself and Julie. While he hadn’t been in a relationship with anyone when it happened, he still didn’t want to tell of the experience to anyone.

“I’m unmolested, safe, and whole,” said Cynthia, her eyes snapping to his own. “And very thankful. I find that the battlefield is no place for someone such as I. I… don’t think I’ll be remaining in her lady’s service.

“I want nothing more with this bloody work. It’s not for me. I’m not strong enough. Mentally or physically. At all.”

Ah… that’s fair.

I guess being the son of an executioner set me up for a very different mentality from the get go. Didn’t it, Gramps?

“Most certainly, Sire,” agreed Lucian. “There was no way you would have remained in that little village either. I think you would have broken the covenant on your own given time to grow into adulthood.

“You’re far more unwilling to do something you disagree with, Sire. Far more unwilling to bend to the whims of others that you feel are taking from you.

“You have a great deal more of my bloodline than others in our family. It is hard to let someone trample over your dragon’s dignity without resistance.”

Nick couldn’t argue with that. Lucian was probably right.

The idea of suffering under the covenant didn’t appeal to Nick. He saw now how his father had chaffed under it, but accepted it.

He was most certainly not his father.

“You’re welcome,” Nick said to Cynthia and smiled at her. Maybe this was his chance. “It seemed prudent to get you two to safety. Though I’d love to talk to you about your plans. Maybe if we could go for a brief walk this eve—”

“Master Dal!” shouted the count from inside the tent. “Please join us?”

Grimacing, Nick gritted his teeth. Even as he ground them together he found himself nodding his head.

“Of course, Sire,” called Nick and closed his eyes. Nodding his head twice more he dismounted, adjusted his tunic. Then he looked to Cynthia and dipped his head to her. “Perhaps we could continue this discussion later.”

Without another word spoken Nick marched into the tent. The guards made no move to stop him, though he did suddenly realize he was as tall as they were now. If not actually taller.

Inside was the count and Claudia and no one else. The latter was standing next to the former who was sitting in a chair next to a small table. It appeared that the count had just been finishing his evening meal by himself.

“Now, what exactly did you over-hear?” asked the count, brushing his mouth with his cloth napkin. His tone was soft and quiet. It was clear he didn’t want this conversation going beyond the tent’s walls.

“That the attack that I was captured in was particular in one aspect,” Nick said, drawing close to the count. He considered getting down on one knee than decided against it. “That the information given to them in regards to Claudia was singular, specific, and ideal to end her life with.

“There was a payment sent in advance of that and a reward promised if she were to be killed. My guess is someone really wants Claudia dead all of a sudden and is willing to go to great lengths to make that happen.”

Sighing, the count put his elbow on the table, closed his eyes, and put his face in his hand. It was obvious that the count actually believed Nick and doubted him not at all.

“I was hopeful… that by doing what I did he could eventually become a useful member of the family,” mumbled the count into his hand. “That he’d serve his punishment and come out the other side a different man.

“It’s obvious now that without completely removing him from the family line, stripping him completely, that he won’t stop. Either he indirectly ordered his lackeys to do this, or he set it up so they’d do something like this in his place.”

Nick nodded his head. That lined up with what he thought what was likely as well. He’d seen similar on a smaller scale in his own village.

“Summon Charles to me. Bring him here immediately+!” called the count in a loud voice. There was a positive call in return. Though whatever the count’s intention was he didn’t share it. Instead he reached up and patted Claudia on the forearm. “We’ll see this ended now. Or at least, this piece.

“After this, you must present yourself to the duke, Master Dal. Duke Fash has requested your presence. I believe he’d like to speak to you about your recent experience in the enemy camp.”

Shit.

That doesn’t sound good.

In fact, I’d say it sounds so very not good, that I’m betting that we might just end up losing our life. This is incredibly bad. Bad and awful.

“It likely isn’t good, no, Sire. I would agree that its… very… bad and awful,” murmured Lucian. “For now, all we can do is agree and be careful. Be careful, admit nothing, and deflect as hard as we can and push it back. We’ll need to run through our story a few more times to make sure it’s all tied up and ready to go. I’m sure we’ll be questioned.”

“Of course, Sire,” Nick said to the count. Then he moved across the room to stand to Claudia’s right. Even unarmed and unarmored, he would be better off at least looking the part of her protector.

For the time, at least.

I wonder what will happen to the count and his daughter if I decide to go for the throne.

“They might assist you, actually. Depends on their relationship with their duke and the king,” mused Lucian. “That and your relationship with them. If Claudia were to take you as a husband, then for her and her father to find out about your birth right later, it might be too late for them to back out.

“The count might be forced to assist you in that situation. It’s certainly something to consider as a plan, you realize.”

The idea of marrying Claudia didn’t appeal to Nick.

It wasn’t that he didn’t find her attractive, which he did, he just didn’t really think he could make a marriage work with her. Not long term, at least.

Standing there, Nick chewed on his thoughts.

Without any word or announcement, Charles was shoved through the tent flap and entered. He was immediately followed by two guards, and another two stood just outside the entrance to the tent.

“Father,” growled Charles, glaring at the guards behind him. Then he started to rub at his forearm. Nick imagined the young man had likely been dragged against his will. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“To make you aware of new information. I’m sure that you had no hand in this, of course, and I’m accusing you of nothing. As it pertains to you, and is a direct change in your status, I needed to make sure I informed you directly.

“I’m afraid that someone attempted to have your sister killed,” the count said, lifting his head out of his hand. Up to this point he’d been speaking practically into his palm. Charles looked unsurprised that an attempt was made on Claudia’s life. “Which means I have to take steps that… I don’t want to. Steps that will endanger the county in a way that I never thought would happen. Or that I thought would ever happen.

“I’m going to remove you completely from the inheritance. Should Claudia die, then the county will return back to the duke. If I died, and Claudia wasn’t around, you would not receive a single solitary coin.

“I will however set up a living pension for you. So long as Claudia lives, this pension will be paid out to you monthly. It’s more than enough to cover the living arrangements for a knight of some stature. If she accepts the title of countess, she’ll be beholden to make sure your pension would continue.

“The minute she is no longer among the living, the pension would end. My heir would swap to the duke himself, as well as a formal renouncement and permanent declination of all titles for at least forty years. That’d be the end of our familial claims. Or at least mine, yours, and any children you might have. That’s the note that I’ve already sent off to the duke as well as the king.”

I mean, that’s a lie, but that doesn’t mean he won’t send it off after we leave.

Though he apparently wanted Charles to know it was done immediately.

Charles was staring at his father like an owl sitting in a tree. Wide eyed, unmoving, and looking a lot like a statue.

To be fair, it was an impressive commitment on the count’s part. It would literally push the whole thing into Charles’ hands if he wanted anything from his family.

If he acted in a way that could cause Claudia harm, he’d lose out on the only thing available to him. Should he continued down the path that they were suspecting him of going down he’d lose out.

“Well, he’s an active and decisive once he’s made up his mind,” Lucian murmured. “I can only hope that we could be so swift and determined if we fall into a similar situation, Sire.”

Shit, right? Got problems picking out what I want to fucking eat sometimes.

Let alone telling one of my kids, ‘hey, I just fucking obliterated your inheritance and now you’ll live off your sister being alive’.

Damn.

“Second to all that, I’m sending you off to the monasterium scriptura cloister. Immediately,” said the count. “Once there you won’t be leaving for a time, though your pension will continue to be given to your account. You may collect the whole of it that’d been stored to that point upon your release.

“Please take Charles away, Sir Gunderwald. I want him at his new home as soon as possible. You can make the arrangements in my name, no need to confirm with me. I’ll be checking in to make sure he reached the monasterium scriptura cloister in the next several days.”

In other words… he will be interested and invested in his son’s condition and if he made it there. Don’t fuck up.

“Indeed,” agreed Lucian.

Charles was taken away before he could reply. Though Nick felt like the man didn’t have much to say even if he was given a chance.

There wouldn’t be much to say regardless.

The count’s solution was brutal, all encompassing, and removed the possibility of anything else.

Several seconds after Charles was led away, the count sighed and looked to Claudia.

“You’re heading back to Dayton. Tonight,” said the count. “There’s no point in you remaining here. The war isn’t going anywhere and we’ll be stuck here. For months.

“Months upon months if not years. Reinforcements are arriving by the day. If not by the hour. There won’t be an easy or a quick end to this.

“And that doesn’t even take into account that there’s… there’s a third party here. One that has remained invisible. The fallen royal bloodline.

“But we’re not allowed to talk about that. Not out loud. The king doesn’t like even admitting that they exist. But… that’s a different problem.”

“I… father I need to—”

“Go back to Dayton, and prepare,” interrupted the count. “Master Dal will of course go back with you. He likely has his own plans he’d like to work on.

“For now though, he needs to go talk to the duke. And that’s where he’s going to go, while you go get yourself ready to leave. You’ll be taking your security detail as well with you.”

Nick didn’t wait to hear more. He realized the count had just dismissed him.

Nodding his head to the count, Nick immediately walked out of the tent.

It wouldn’t be hard for him to find the duke’s tent. All he had to do was wander around till he found someone in the duke’s colors in the nearby camp. As the count’s camp was within the duke’s camp since he was a vassal.

Just as knights would be inside of the count’s camp.

And everyone was within the king’s camp.

Sticking his courage in place, Nick set off to find the duke. There was no sense putting it off, running, or trying to do anything else.

Anything that brought more suspicion to him was something he didn’t want in any way shape or form. He needed to do everything he could to look like a normal, everyday, commoner, looking to work his way up in the services of nobles.

After all, if the king is willing to kill his own troops to make sure he doesn’t lose out, what would he be willing to do if he found out where I am?

I bet he’d be willing to drop a meteor on a city just to kill me. Just to make sure the Randolph line died out in one swift move.

“Most certainly, my boy,” agreed Lucian. “I think you’re right. I do think the king would do the unthinkable just to exterminate us. To rid himself of our family.

“I think dropping a meteor on a city is actually thinking small. I could easily see that being the opening move, followed by the city being engulfed by soldiers. Then having any and all survivors executed without question.”

Shit.

This just seems to get worse and worse.