The old chamberlain shook his head at Ulric’s rather impulsive command, but Alton had been chamberlain for the previous two dukes of Southport, and he was ingrained to follow orders promptly and without hesitation.
“Yes, Your Grace. I will see to it at once.”
“Excellent, Alton, I shall leave the details in your capable hands. I must get some rest now. I need to look my best for tomorrow’s address.”
Alton selected the garments that would satisfy the Duke’s wishes as Ulric slipped back into his bed and fell straight to sleep. Once Alton was satisfied that the clothing was suitable, he shuffled out of the rooms to carry out the rest of his orders.
***
Azerick found himself in a richly appointed study standing just behind a man sitting in front of a warm fire in a high-backed, thickly padded chair sipping a glass of brandy despite the late hour. The man nearly spilled the entire contents of his glass upon the red silk and velvet house robe he wore when the cool metal of the extended blade of Azerick’s staff touched him lightly on the neck.
Azerick walked slowly around to the front of the man who now sat frozen in his seat with only the trembling of his glass to show that he was alive at all.
“Lord Beaumonte, we have some things to discuss, you and I,” Azerick told the man as he removed the gleaming arcanum blade from his neck and leaned upon the burgundy staff.
“Wh—who are you?” Lord Beaumonte asked.
Azerick shook his head and flashed a humorless smile. “It must be something that runs in the family. You and your cousin, the Duke, seem to have a talent for ordering the murders of others without even knowing or remembering their faces.”
A look of comprehension came across Lord Beaumonte’s face. “You are the one who murdered my son!”
“No! I did not kill Travis,” Azerick said more softly. “Travis was killed by his own petty selfishness and the belief that his social status allowed him to act as he pleased. He thought he had the right to extort younger students, rape a young woman, and kill me because of the values you instilled. You are as guilty of his death as I am.”
“That is nonsense! I raised him to be a man of breeding and power, all those things necessary for a leader of men, but you killed him with your cowardly sabotage!”
“You taught him how to be nothing but a two-bit tyrant with the wealth to hire enough muscle to intimidate people into doing whatever he wanted. That is not a leader, that is a bully. A leader is able to get men to follow him through the strength of his convictions, character, and purpose! But you would not know about that sort of thing.”
“So what will you do now, kill me? Go ahead, you will be dead soon enough. I hired the best assassin in the known world to pay you back for your treachery, though why the Rook has not finished you off yet is beyond me. I paid him quite enough to ensure that it was carried out with due diligence,” Lord Beaumonte snapped back.
“Ah yes, the Rook. He was a very frightening fellow wasn’t he? Let me tell you something. If you thought he was scary, then I ought to terrify you. He died trying to fulfill your contract.”
“He is dead? You killed him?”
“I have killed many men, more than I care to count or think about, enough that I am willing to give you just one chance to go on and live your life, for whatever it is worth. Your cousin is going to give a speech tomorrow that people will be talking about for a very long time. I strongly suggest you attend so that you might learn what becomes of men who give in to their selfish desires, who attain their lofty positions of power by climbing the bodies and swimming through the blood of those they killed to attain it. Listen well, and learn from his example if you wish to continue to live.”
With that dire warning, the sorcerer stepped through a tear in the very air behind him and disappeared, leaving the lord to ponder his words and decide for himself what to do, and to put the fate of his life into his own hands.
Azerick returned to the docks two hours before the sun rose and boarded Dolphin’s Grace for the return home. Four ships sailed quietly off into the night, their captives pitched overboard, and a single longboat dropped as an act of mercy just after they passed beyond the mouth of the bay.
Azerick shuddered and felt physically ill when he thought about the use of such compulsion on another person, even one as vile as Ulric. It reminded him far too much of what Xornan did to him, and that brought back memories of Delinda. He tried to reconcile the need of what he did with the awfulness of the act, but nothing made him feel any better about it. It was done now, and he would not change it if he could.
***
Throughout the morning, pages and runners ran from inn to inn to announce the mandatory attendance of Duke Ulric’s speech. Criers stood at every major intersection in the city repeating the same announcement several times every hour on the hour. As noon approached, the city watch was out in force clearing out taverns, inns, places of business, and herding everyone they found on the streets toward Rose Plaza located within the castle grounds.
The tumultuous cacophony of thousands of voices drifted up through the open doors that led to the grand balcony where Ulric would soon give his citywide address. Alton was by his side trying to calm his lord, wishing that the Duke would tell him something of what this was all about, but Ulric insisted that it must be him alone to reveal his message, and he would do so only to the people as a whole.
“It is nearly time, Your Grace,” his chamberlain informed him, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Very good, Alton, please leave me and join the crowd down below. Of course, you will stand at the head of the other nobles of the city,” Ulric instructed.
Alton’s aged hand trembled slightly as he raised it toward the Duke. “I thought I might listen from here in case you needed me, Your Grace.”
“No, my loyal chamberlain, you must join the others in the courtyard. I will be all right, I promise you.”
Duke Ulric gathered his thoughts as he paced nervously within his rooms as the time grew near, and then boldly stepped out onto the balcony. The chaotic noise of the populace turned into subdued murmuring then ceased altogether as Duke Ulric stepped out upon the balcony and raised his hands for silence. He looked down at Alton and the assembled nobles then spread his gaze out over the sea of pressed bodies all eagerly awaiting his proclamation.
“People of Southport and guests from throughout the land,” Duke Ulric called out in a loud but clear voice, his words carrying with perfect resonance thanks to the skillful engineering of those who had built the courtyard. “I come to you today to confess my sins and divulge the wrongs I have committed against my citizens, my neighbors, and the kingdom.”
The frenzied questioning and murmurings of several thousand people broke the stillness in the courtyard. It took several minutes for the Duke and the guards below to restore the peace enough for him to continue.
“I have committed numerous and grievous crimes, far too many for me too list them all. It was I who ordered the poisoning of the late Duke of North Haven over ten years ago and arranged the assassination of Duke William of Brightridge as well as our former king.”
It took a full ten minutes to restore order after Duke Ulric’s confession. When the crowd was once again quiet and able to contain themselves, Ulric continued.
“I tricked a local merchant named Darius Giles into smuggling an illegal artifact into the city with a set of forged documents supposedly from the King, then I had him murdered when he was discovered to ensure that no suspicion was cast my way. I sent my soldiers to acquire the pieces of Dundalor’s armor so that I could challenge Jarvin for the throne, going so far as to slaughter his special guard and recover any pieces they had in their possession. I also paid men to try to kidnap Lady Miranda of North Haven so that I might force her into a marriage and one day eliminate the Duchess and gain power over the northern city.
“When that failed and the men I had sent after the armor turned against me, I hired mercenaries to pillage several sm
aller towns in the kingdom so that I could ride in and appear to drive them away in order to gain the favor of the populace. The battles were staged, and nearly every casualty the invaders suffered was faked. I even sent them against Groveswood and allowed them to plunder the wealthy town full of some of our most esteemed nobles as payment for the services of the mercenaries as well as to add those noblemen’s influential voices to my group of supporters when I made my bid for the crown.
“I then sent an even larger force of mercenaries, augmented by my own men, to sack the city of North Haven where I would supposedly liberate it in the same manner that had been so successful on a smaller scale for the past year. However, those forces have failed, and my complicity and duplicity has been revealed, so I stand here before you, confessing my crimes as part of my punishment and to serve as a warning to any who would think to try to gain power by spilling the blood of others.”
Duke Ulric stood upon a chair and pulled out a dagger from the sheath belted around his waist. “As a further example of what happens to men who abuse the trust and power of their position, I offer you this last warning.”
Without warning or hesitation, Duke Ulric plunged the blade deep into the side of his stomach, and a red rose of blood bloomed across the white expanse of silk and velvet. The rose turned into a river as he pulled the blade sharply across his abdomen before stepping up onto and over the balcony rail.
No one noticed the rope the Duke had secured around his neck and trailed down his back until it snapped taut, sending a spray of blood and offal down upon the front ranks of nobles gathered some twenty feet below him. When the grisly scene unfolded, Lord Beaumonte understood the warning Azerick had given him, as well as the second chance he offered.
He continued to stare up at the swinging, dangling corpse of his cousin as people screamed, women fainted, and guards ran amok, unsure of what to do. After a brief moment of shock, Lord Alton gained control of several guards and ordered them to clear the courtyard and recover the Duke’s body. This was indeed a speech that many people would be talking about for a very long time.
EPILOGUE
Azerick and Miranda rode down a deer path and entered a small grassy glade hidden within the woods not far from the keep. The bodies were gone and classes had resumed. North Haven was still busy repairing and fortifying the walls and gates around the city, but Miranda had urged Azerick to take her on a picnic until he relented.
The couple let the horses wander about the glade, munching green spring grass and drinking from the small brook that gurgled peacefully nearby. Azerick spread a plaid cover over the ground where he and Miranda took a seat and shared a bottle of wine.
“I hear that the repairs are going well at the city,” Azerick said.
“Yes, you know Captain Brague chased the fleeing soldiers south until they ran into the support and baggage train that followed the mercenaries north. There were quite a lot of valuables on it. My mother insisted that much of it be returned, the more conspicuous pieces anyway that could be readily identified by the owners, but the rest has gone a long way to covering the cost of rebuilding. We have sent envoys to Southport to discuss the political ramifications and reparations due, but Ulric drained the city’s coffers to the point that we can expect little if anything from them for some time.”
“It is my hope that the extra ships under Zeb and my company’s control will bring in quite a bit of extra tax revenue with the increased trade,” Azerick replied.
Miranda flashed one of her perfect smiles that made Azerick’s heart beat faster than when he was forced to fight in the arena. “It has, and the ships you donated to the city will also generate much needed income when the ones we converted to haulers return with their goods, something for which mother would have thanked you personally had you bothered to show up at the ceremony to receive your reward.”
Azerick blushed under Miranda’s teasing. “Please tell the Duchess that I am glad I was able to help and for the award she bestowed upon me.”
“So how does it feel being a noble, Lord Azerick Giles?”
“Like I just got dipped in oil and rolled in the dirt,” Azerick replied and wiped at his arms as if he were trying to rid himself of something foul.
Miranda laughed deeply then without warning leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Azerick returned the kiss, tentatively at first, and then with a passion he thought he had lost forever. The couple held each other tightly and looked deep into each other’s eyes.
“Hooray, Azerick, you finally got the princess, you sly dog!” a voice shouted shrilly across the glade, spoiling the romantic scene.
Azerick turned and shouted. “Wolf!”
High-pitched laughter and the sound of several pairs of feet running away deeper into the woods filled the glade. Miranda’s melodious laughter echoed through the trees, filling his heart with warmth and joy that had been missing for so long. Perhaps now he would be able to live in peace for once and enjoy a measure of happiness he had been denied for so long.
***
The dark-robed figures gathered around a stone table under the flickering light of large tapers and torches once again. The secret cabal was meeting in what looked to be a dusty tomb or crypt with only the bones of the dead to hear their dark machinations.
“Ulric has failed miserably,” one of the figures intoned unnecessarily. They all knew of the disaster at North Haven.
“It was not totally unexpected. His plan was overly complicated and rested upon the shoulders of too many unpredictable elements,” another said. “It is why we backed him but did not openly support him. Our contingency plan is still in place and completely unsuspected.”
“But the King is aware that a major plot to overthrow him only narrowly failed. He is certain to be more alert for treachery now.”
“Not necessarily. Ulric may have done us a favor by failing in his grandiose conspiracy. Even if he had taken North Haven and managed to unseat Jarvin, well, men talk. It would have been only a matter of time before his duplicity was uncovered, and then the people and the nobles would both be howling for his blood. With such a dramatic failure and expenditure of resources, few would believe that another such attempt at a coup would be coming anytime soon. If exploited properly, it may actually work in our favor.”
“Ah yes, I see what you are saying. Excellent, then we proceed as planned?”
“Absolutely. By this time next year, the bastard king’s head will adorn a pike right next to his wife and misbegotten offspring. It is the will of Solarian.”
“Blessed is the light of Solarian,” everyone around the table chanted in unison.
The End
SHROUDS OF DARKNESS
WARNING
The following excerpt contains adult language not suitable for all readers. If you are a minor or offended by profanity, stop reading now. (Don’t worry, only 2 instances of the F-word in this excerpt)
The courier and I reach the coffee shop at almost the exact same time. He’s a typical bike rider, sporting spandex shorts, plastic helmet, and a windbreaker with his company logo emblazoned across the back. I acknowledge him with a wave and he pedals over to me.
“Mr. Malone?”
I reply with a curt, “Yeah,” as I show my ID and pay him the COD and promised tip.
He thanks me and smiles appreciatively as he hands over a large envelope with the evident bulge of the cell phone in the middle of it before pedaling off to whatever delivery is next on his list.
I take a seat at one of the outdoor tables of the coffee shop and begin examining the contents of the envelope. I’m looking through the call logs when I young man in a black t-shirt beneath a green apron and sporting numerous facial piercings interrupts me.
“Good morning, sir, welcome to Perk Place coffee house, what can I get for you?”
“Some fucking privacy,” I growl in response without looking up from my stack of papers.
“Sir, I am obliged to tell you that these tables are for customers only, and if y
ou want to sit here you need to buy something,” he counters in a voice that shows how much he has to force himself to be polite.
“And I am obliged to inform you that if you speak one more word, I will tear your arms off and beat you to death with them.”
I glance up and see that he is actually stupid enough to ignore my warning, so I grab the stainless steel cocoa shaker off the table and crush it like a paper cup. The idiot squeaks in appreciable fear and seeks safety indoors.
I finish flipping through the papers and start looking through the cell’s contacts; putting names, numbers, and addresses with the entries on the pages when I am once again interrupted, this time by the manager with Shrapnel-face standing several paces behind him.
The manager clears his throat, both to get my attention and to try to get his words past the obvious fear he is trying to hide. “Sir, threatening my employees and destroying Perk Place property is unacceptable.”
“Not nearly as unacceptable as that comb-over,” I fire back as I continue to scroll through the contacts screen.
“I must insist that you pay for that shaker and vacate the premises immediately, or I will be forced to call the police!”
I look away from the small screen and up at the nervously sweating manager. “How much does that tin can cost?”
Assuming I am actually cooperating, he stands a little straighter and replies, “$9.99 plus tax.”
“And how much do you think a skull fracture costs, calculating in the time lost from work and the perpetual drooling resulting from brain damage?”
The Sorcerer's Path Box Set: Book 1-4 Page 141
