by Randi Darren
Alex stared out the window of his bedroom.
It’d been a month since he’d entered the city.
He’d been surprised by how quickly he'd adapted to a fairly medieval life.
Everyone chalked his change in personality, needs, and desires down to what had happened to him. And Alex would be the last person to dissuade them of that belief.
In the same period of time, he’d gotten a full rundown of everything ongoing in his lands.
The long and short of it was Alex had been the major contributing factor to the county losing money. His domain was rather successful with food and trade alone.
This success was mostly owed to his father, who had set down policies and procedures to encourage growth, development, and self-improvement.
Now, farmers owned their lands and invested heavily in their development. Merchants owned and ran companies that operated directly out of Brit.
The roads were patrolled at no expense to the people, and merchants were taxed at a level low enough to stimulate trade but high enough to fill the treasury.
After his talk with Fred, Alex had found crown law only worked for things needing the king's attention. Luckily for Alex, the king concerned himself with little outside of his personal pleasantries and treachery.
On top of that, Alex was the only ranked member of the peerage in all of Brit.
Which meant that almost everything having to do with the county of Brit was the domain of the count of Brit.
Alex had immediately moved to decrease the power and influence of the envoy, removing him from anything and everything that wasn’t commissioned or put in place by the king, and leveraging a buy-out of all the man’s interests and businesses.
As if sensing the dramatic change in the situation, Fred had immediately put in a request to return to the capital. Of course, Alex had agreed to that immediately.
And that had been the end of any concerns of internal politics.
Sighing, he wondered how to bring about a situation where he could leverage deals made to Leah. From the casual conversations he’d had with people, he'd learned they viewed Leah with extreme distrust and distaste.
Those who swore on her were deemed unclean and possibly evil.
Quite the difficulty there. It means any deals I make have to be done in such a way that secrecy can be guaranteed.
Glancing down to the multifaceted crystal in his hand, he couldn’t help but frown.
The whole thing fit in his palm. It had been dark as ink the day previous, and now it was as clear as glass. The monthly debt had come into effect.
Unfortunately, Alex wasn’t sure how he wanted to proceed with his deals.
“Is that it?” asked the peasant woman in his bed.
“Yeah, you’re done. Keep to the oath or lose your life and soul, Marta,” Alex said, reminding her of the agreement she'd sworn to.
“Of course. Your gold bought your secret as well as me,” Marta said.
Alex didn’t bother to turn around and look at her. She’d whored herself to him for two gold coins.
It was less than they probably spent on his breakfast, but he knew it was more than she could have hoped to earn.
Most women didn’t hold professions, and those who did received pay in food or barter rather than coin.
“I’d be willing to do this again another time,” Marta the whore said.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Keep to the story. Leave,” Alex said, flicking a hand over his shoulder.
He’d found her wanting to apply for a job as a maid earlier in the day.
Struck by a sudden idea, he’d propositioned her, offering her a chance to make more than she ever could as a maid.
He'd figured having a woman sell herself for coin and swear it on Leah might fill in a bit of the crystal.
But the crystal appeared as clear as it had earlier, without even a shadow of change.
Apparently having a whore sell herself does little to nothing. Is it because Marta has no value? Because she was willing to do it without a worry?
It was something to consider, for sure. Deals may have more intrinsic value than he’d originally banked on.
He’d have to see where he could take it. He wasn’t done experimenting with degradation.
After all, pride and morality were expensive, right?
At least I got laid.
Pity she was awful.
Chapter 3
“My lord,” Walter said, bowing from the doorway. “Your receiving hall has been prepared for this month’s justice.”
Huh?
Month’s Justice: A formal hearing conducted by the count of Brit. It is held at the start of the month and the middle of the month, depending on case load.
Interviewed offenders have committed offenses that exceed a set value in fines, or have committed crimes of heinous or extreme natures.
The gods do not intervene in the courts of men. Justice is a public spectacle, not fit for the heavens.
All verdicts are final regardless of evidence, witnesses, or general belief. The count is the final word in this court.
If the count does not wish to rule on a case, he can dismiss it to a lower court magistrate for a formal hearing.
Oh. Great. Just what I wanted to do today. This management garbage would be more suited to a pencil pusher. With a name like Felix.
I’m better off sticking to deals and directions to hit company goals.
Alex didn’t respond, only nodded his head.
He’d play it by ear and just roll with it.
Walter got him dressed, prepared, and ready for the ceremony.
It took an hour in the end before he was seated on his “throne” as Alex called it.
Due to royal prestige laws, it couldn’t be on a dais, nor could the height of the throne go above five feet. There was even a limit on how much it could cost.
Glaring at the armrest, the gems in which could probably fund the entire county for a year, Alex waited for the first case.
As he sat there, a sudden idea struck him.
She said deals had to be voluntary. She never said anything about the circumstances.
Could I offer deals to prisoners? Female prisoners? Make them offer up their pride and morality?
Let’s test it.
“You,” Alex said to the dark-dressed guard in charge of the prisoners here.
“My lord?” the helmeted man responded.
“Is the dungeon in good repair? Is there anything that needs to be done with it?”
“Ah, my lord, the keep’s dungeon is in very good repair, although the city's dungeon has a cell or two that could use some work.”
“Good. This may not be something you can answer, but are there private rooms that can be converted for political prisoners, or prisoners of station, in the keep?”
“Ah… there are. But they haven’t been used since your father's time.”
“Get them cleaned up and ready, immediately.
“In addition to that, clean up the dungeons and prepare them for new prisoners. I want them held to such a level I could reasonably put a member of the peerage in there if I had to.
“I want both the keep dungeons and the private rooms habitable by tomorrow morning. Let me know if you need manpower or money,” Alex said.
“I’ll take care of it, my lord,” the man said, straightening up.
“And what’s your name?”
“My name is Douglas, my lord.”
“Douglas, consider this an opportunity for promotion. Find a replacement for you here and now, and then go take care of this task.”
The man saluted hurriedly and rushed away.
That’ll do just nicely to start with.
An older man Alex vaguely recognized stepped forward. The room fell silent immediately.
Probably the court bailiff or announcer or something.
Beside him, a man was pushed forward at spear tip. He looked to be in a sorry state of affairs.
“The first case
to be heard, an unsanctioned duel. At the end of the duel, one party killed the other, and now the charge of murder is to be determined.
“There are fifteen witnesses. The defendant has asked to be remanded to a magistrate due to the fact that he—”
“Granted. Next?” Alex said.
The defendant whooped loudly and dropped to his knees.
“Thank you, Lord Alex. Thank you!”
“Ah… I… alright,” said the older man. “The uh… next case is, uh…” The older man turned and gestured at what looked like a subordinate.
Bert. That’s his name. Alex smiled, suddenly remembering the announcer’s name.
“The second case to be heard today is that of Lady Griffon. She’s been accused of tax evasion, tax fraud, and theft,” Bert said.
Scandalized whispers tore through the crowd as all eyes turned towards a young woman escorted up to the front of the hall.
She was tall, possibly even six feet. Slim and willowy, she wore a dress that didn’t do much for her.
Alex had the impression she had a better figure than what she was showing. Dark blond hair and blue eyes with fine features… He was momentarily captivated.
She was definitely on the prettier side of what he’d seen since coming here. He knew her title wasn’t for show, but that she wasn’t quite nobility either. If she was here in Brit, she was from a branch of a low-ranked noble family somewhere else.
Just barely of the peerage. Barely.
“I would like to grant Lady Griffon the chance to have this case conducted privately between herself and myself. Please consider this a gesture of consideration, Lady Griffon, but you have no need to accept it if you would prefer to have this dealt with publicly.” Alex made the offer as neutrally as he could.
The room fell silent again. All eyes turned to Lady Griffon.
Some would think all Alex wanted was an excuse to use her sexually if he didn’t make sure he granted her the choice of holding the case in the open.
“Ah…” Lady Griffon said. One hand drifted up to her mouth, as if she were contemplating her options.
“Truly, you can decline the private case handling if you prefer to handle this in view of the public,” Alex said, reaffirming his statement.
“I choose to have this made private, my lord,” Lady Griffon said, curtsying nearly to the ground.
“Take her to the keep dungeon for now. We’ll speak again later today about your accommodations and case. I’ll be sure to notify your household of the change in your location,” Alex said, bowing his head to the lady.
Bert flicked a hand at a pair of guards, who quickly took custody of Lady Griffon and escorted her out of the hall.
“The next case is against one Riley, no given last name. The charges are: conspiracy, treason to the count, attempted escape from prison, and operating an illegal gambling facility,” Bert said. “She has already been found guilty of other crimes previous to this, and is under fines exceeding one-hundred gold coins and a death sentence.”
A young woman was pushed out from the remaining prisoners to stand next to Bert.
She was young, probably a month over eighteen if he had to put a guess to it.
Green eyes regarded him sullenly. The left side of her face carried a significant bruise and was partially swollen, one eye opened only to a slit.
Her pale skin made her dull red hair brighter, even though she was filthy looking and covered in dirt.
Despite all that, Alex thought she was attractive underneath it all.
Her body was quite eye catching to boot.
She had an overwhelming hourglass figure that threatened to exceed the limits of her ripped clothing. The cheap and torn tunic that fell to her knees did little to hide her flesh.
“Treason? Treason to me?” Alex asked, leaning forward.
“Lies,” she murmured, her eyes falling to the ground. It was an obvious deflection and it carried no passion.
To Alex, it had the sound of a lie.
A guard slammed her to the ground, forcing her to her knees. Grunting, she knelt on all fours in supplication. He could see straight down her tunic, getting a perfect view of her rather well-endowed chest.
Alex held up a hand to the guards.
“Lies, you say? We’ll discuss this further. Chances are you’ll dance at the end of a rope by this evening, but you’ll get your chance to argue your case with me.
“Though I see no way a nasty thing like yourself could pay off the hundred gold, let alone the charges.
“Send her to my dungeon, under the care of Douglas as well. If anyone harms her, I’ll see to them first, before I see to her,” Alex said, shaking his head.
Several guards picked her up and dragged her away, her feet scraping along behind her and her head hanging low.
Bert paused and then looked up to the count.
“That is all for today, my lord,” he said. “Though I do believe we’ll have more at the mid-month. There are a number of cases I’m setting up for you.”
“Good. I’ll be having someone come by to inspect the dungeons as a whole soon, and the guards as well. I’d like to make sure our prisoners are receiving fair treatment that doesn’t damage them.
“If I find out,” Alex said, leaning forward and raising his voice, “that my guards are abusing prisoners in any way, I’ll execute them without a trial. And believe me, I will find out. Even if I have to pull on every single oath you all swore to when you joined my service.
“And if you have abused prisoners previously, best you leave my city now, before I find you.”
Prisoners who haven’t been abused will be more likely to respond to my deals without fear of repercussions.
We have to make sure we meet the “by choice” requirement.
***
Alex inspected the cell with a critical eye.
It was clean, dry, sufficiently warm, and had a minimal amount of furniture. Including a privacy screen for use of the bed pan.
A metal tray sat on the table with some thin soup, a heel of bread, and a piece of fruit. Next to it was a large pitcher of water.
It was enough food for a single meal. If served three times a day, this would barely meet the calorie needs of a prisoner.
Each cell was its own unit. There was a shared door one could use to travel from cell to cell, but that was the only interconnection. Another door led to a hallway that ran the length of the dungeon.
There would be little to no chance for prisoners to speak with one another, let alone hear anything outside their cells with the doors shut and locked.
Douglas had certainly done more than had been expected of him.
Sitting in the wooden chair at the table, Lady Griffon was watching him. As if unsure what to expect, she wore a look made of equal parts trepidation and false confidence.
“Good,” Alex said, nodding his head once. He turned to Douglas and led him away, far enough that the lady wouldn’t hear them.
“Consider this dungeon yours to maintain, as well as the private apartments. Hire a guard force specific to this area. Tell them they’ll be sworn to a different oath, though, and they’ll make more in pay to match it. This goes for you as well.
“Are you willing to take the position? If so, double whatever your current rate of pay is. I’ll take your oath later, which will really just be you swearing to the previous oath and to keep all that happens here secret. On pain of your life, and soul.
“To Leah.”
Douglas paused, then nodded once, his helmeted head bobbing.
“Yes, my lord, I accept and will do so. I… Can I move my family into the keep?” he asked.
“Yes, that’s not a problem. Make the arrangements with Walter. Anything else?”
“Ah… n-no, my lord. Thank you, my lord.”
“Good. Go guard the door; let no one in. You and your guards are to knock on a cell door before entering. They cannot enter unless given permission by the occupant. This goes for everyone but you, and you may
only enter if it’s an emergency, or I’ve told you to.
“After this, start working on your hiring. Oh, and how many can we fit down here?”
“Ten, my lord.”
Alex nodded, then turned and walked back to the front of Lady Griffon’s cell.
“My lord?” Lady Griffon asked, her voice firmer than her bravery.
“Lady Griffon. This is not a formal hearing and won’t be taken into account when it's time for judgment.
“This conversation is more in regard to your stay here with me,” Alex said, walking up to the steel bars.
“I see. I take it this is the part where you ravage me on the bed?” she asked.
“Hardly. This is the part where I ask you if you’d like to improve your conditions here while your case moves along.”
“I… ok. Yes, I would. I find a lady of my station deserves a bit better than a cell.”
“I would agree, but I can’t give that to you before we enter into a contract.”
“Ah, so you’d have me give my body to you instead for a better cell? Hmph.”
“Actually, no. Perhaps you should allow me to finish before you jump to conclusions.”
Lady Griffon frowned, her brows drawing down as she stared at him.
“I would like to begin discussions with you, but I’d need you to swear yourself to secrecy and silence regarding your time here and our talks. Invalidating this oath in any way would be forfeiture of your life and soul.”
Lady Griffon’s chin came down, staring up at him with a strange look. “I could swear that exactly as you stated it… but… who would you have me swear on?”
“Leah,” Alex said with a grin.
This is the turning point.
Griffon’s eyes shot open at that. “I see. In using her, it wouldn’t invalidate any other oaths… I accept, and swear the oath as you stated it.”
“I accept, and do the same,” Alex parroted.
He somehow felt the contract settle into place. Knew that it was bound.
“Good. Now. With that handled, the next bit is rather simple. That all future oaths and agreements made in our deals are made on top of the original binding to Leah,” Alex said.
“I don’t… quite… ah… in other words, that was a precursor, and acts as the foundation for all future pacts?”
