Chapter 143: True Loyalties

"They are planning something. What do you know?" Marcus asked Esmond who sat at his desk, cleaning a series of knives that were dyed crimson.

"Many nobles have been compromised. I found the book in some of their houses. The Avenging Sons work for Mother, and the assassin, based on your description, is Mother’s personal bodyguard." Esmon d didn’t look up when talking, but Marcus took no disrespect from it.

"That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it." Esmond finally dropped the rag and knife in his hand turning towards him. His dead eyes stared deep into Marcus’ soul, seemingly revealing every secret he held. "Please. I can’t disappoint His Majesty anymore." He curled his fists and said with a pained expression.

"The speech, ignore it." Have enough go to make it seem like you are taking it seriously but hold back. Thanks to Abdul, Adrian got a bit more on her personality that we couldn’t know. She is a cunning woman. It’s a trick."

"But what if it’s not? We know large weapon shipments have arrived."

"The Empress’s safety comes first," Esmond said turning back to his knife. "Abdul has begun to stop all the Follower’s funding from flowing into the city alongside the clergy that is interested in Mother. She was a big preacher before and is acquainted with many of them. He is setting up a council with them alongside Raven to stop their support."

"And the woman. His Majesty will want answers."

"And you will await his command." He said seriously in response slamming the knife on the table. "You have failed once. No more. William sees value in you and I do too. His Majesty is skeptical. Prove yourself as a good soldier and listen to my order." He said demanding cooperation. Seeing Marcus’s mixed feelings he smiled to himself, "Don’t worry too much. It’s time I make my move."

Marcus gritted his teeth and nodded. He came to Esmond for help and although he didn’t like how he got it, he wasn’t dumb enough to brush it aside. "Understood." He turned and left, leaving Esmond alone. Seeing him fully gone he got up and walked to his draw pulling a large book out.

Opening it, he turned to a page listing Marcus’s name. A long list below of things about the man followed. Dipping his pen he wrote one more line at the bottom.’Keep watch. Loyal for now.’It was his line of work to be suspicious of anyone within the Empire. He had tabs and secrets on everyone, even people like William and his own son. He trusted the Commander, but his failures so far were too much to ignore. His eyes were cold. He would do whatever it meant to keep the Empire and Alfred safe, even if it meant killing his own son. It was his job and head of the Underwell family.

Closing it, Esmond stroked the cover.’No matter the sacrifice.’His family’s motto. They were words he had lived by and believed in. His father had done so, and his son will as well. Now was the time to prove it once more.

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Raven walked through the halls of the old Safrid Palace. He entered Adrian’s office without knocking surprising the man. Seeing it was Raven he quickly sent away the people he was talking to and offered a seat to the Arch-Bishop.

"I need your report." Raven spent no time with small talk and Adrian smiled under his mask, appreciating such directness.

"Churches in Almaris have all been set up for you to begin your work, I’m sure you know this however. Much to Abdul’s distaste we have seized a fraction of the wealth held by the Followers to complete this, but it was low enough to not cause too much headaches. For those in the other cities and towns it has been much slower."

"The workforce provided has been able to lay the roads, it is just a matter of transferring the materials needed to begin building as we can’t seize the Follower’s temples. With Count Esmond’s go-ahead, those hardliner nobles who couldn’t be swayed have been dealt with and suitable replacement have quietly filled their shoes. You should begin to train and prepare the clergy needed. It should be around 50 to start with."

Raven nodded and gently tapped his armrest in thought. "And the tax." To his question, Adrian reached into his draw pulling out a thick scroll and handing it over.

"It has Abdul’s signature. We need yours and His Majesties now. On about him, how have the talks been."

"A report will reach your desk. More will be needed howe..." The opening of a door cut the two off. Adrian’s secretary walked in and apologized before handing a note to Adrian.

"This came from Brookhaven two days ago by messenger bird." Adrian took it and Raven saw the man’s eyes go wide in surprise. He saw Alfred’s seal on it and waited for Adrian to finish reading it before taking it.

Reading through he showed a rare anger and threw it on the table. "They tried to kill the Empress." His words came out through gritted teeth. Adrian never expected to see such strong emotion in the man. His breathing became heavy before he quickly composed himself. "Follow the order. I will mobilise the inquisition." Raven wasted no time and got up leaving a stunned Adrian alone with his secretary. The two looked at each other, frozen.

"How many men can we remove from Almaris and the peace is still kept." Adrian broke it asking.

"With the clean up of the city guard, 70%."

"Mobilise all of them to Nakhla, now." Adrian got up leaving his desk, grabbing his head in annoyance at the situation. "Have Abdul sent to Brookhaven. His presence in the city may cause unnecessary trouble."

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Saladin sat alone in his room. He held the gold dagger in his hands looking at the inscription on it. A pact signed with blood. It had tied him to Mother. He didn’t know what to think anymore. On one hand ideas for the new Kingdom were something a faithful follower of Khors wanted, no, he craved it. Yet the woman herself. He shook his head.

He followed her for her ideals, not the woman herself. He didn’t mind having to get his hands dirty to see the vision and knew there was no way to complete it without blood. But Saladin saw through her. The vision was her vision. It could not be changed. And what she wanted to do was risky. Stupid even. He knew capturing the Empress was one of the few ways that they could gain real leverage, but this wasn’t the way.

A full assault if failed would see half the fighting force available decimated. He needed a new plan, something that wasn’t so heavy-handed. He tried to think, but it was impossible. With a deep sigh, he looked out the window. He saw the lights in the distance coming from the mayor’s home. Isra was there right now. Not one plan he could think of made him see a way they won, especially with the more he learned about Esmond.

A knock on the door broke his thoughts. Cluching the dagger in his hand he looked towards the door with squinted eyes. It wasn’t the way he instructed his men. Walking over he clutched the door handle and looked through the peephole. Outside five soldiers stood, surrounding an old man, cramped in the small corridor. His breathing intensified. His inn was small and he looked to the window seeing if he could escape.

Maybe if he jumped it would be fine, but who knew what waited below. With no choice he opened and the five rushed in disarming him and ransacking the place, trying to fight back but quickly being overpowered. Esmond followed in behind, his hand behind his back. The absolute confidence he had in himself radiated off his body as he took a seat.

Forced to his knees he could only look up at the rumoured man. He saw the reason for his nickname. With his eyes alone he felt as if a coiled around his neck. "Saladin. Head of the Avenging Sons. Tell me. Why has a man such as yourself joined with that woman? She has no gold to offer."

Saladin looked at him with a cold glare and seeing he wasn’t getting an answer Esmond stood up. Taking the gold dagger from the floor, he cut open his shirt and placed the blade on his skin, bouncing it up and down. Each touch of the cold steel told Saladin whose hands his life was in now.

"What is she planning?" Esmond struck down with power, the blade cutting deep into Saladin’s chest drawing blood. Meanwhile, his free hand firmly grabbed his face and forced him to look at him. Saladin remained silent, looking deep into the man’s eyes, unwavering.

Esmond, carefully cut down. Saladin watched and felt it unmoving, not making a sound. He watched as Emsond moved slowly, not taking pleasure in his acts, instead having a cold detachment to it.

The silence lingered for a few seconds before Esmond, in a quick motion, pulled the blade down cutting deep. "AHHH!" Saladin let out a scream, trying to bite his lip to stop it. His limbs kicked up trying to escape. He breathed quickly, but stayed silent, not daring to say anything.

"A faithful Follower of Khors. I assume your brother must have told you about this preacher who spoke beautiful words." The mention of his brother made Saladin flinch, not going unnoticed by Esmond. As much as he tried to hide it, Esmond saw Saladin cared for him. "A very helpful man. He saw me struggling to carry my things and helped me. Despite being with his kids."

"Fuck you," Saladin said spitting at him. Esmond smiled stabbing the blade in and dragging it down. Once more a scream escaped his mouth, quickly being covered by Esmond.

"What is she planning?" Esmond asked once more. He moved his hand away seeing Saladin calm down from the pain.

Saladin breathed heavily. He looked up at the man with pure hate. "I don’t know."

"Lies." Esmond took the gold dagger. Saladin’s chest flinched from it, but the attack never came. Instead the blade quickly pierced under his fingernail, being ripped off.

"Help me. Or I will kill your brother." A silence lingered once more. Saladin saw the man wasn’t joking and gritted his teeth. He knew his brother. If it was for this he was willing to die. Esmond saw the smile in his eyes. Moving in closer, he was next to his ear. Saladin felt the cold breath on his neck and it sent shivers down his spine. "Your niece and nephew will also die."

Esmond pulled himself away. And stared at him, the smile in his eyes gone. "You evil bastard." Esmond frowned and dragged the knife down his chest once more making a new, but shallow cut.

"Not what I want." The cold voice filled the room once more.

Seeing the gold dagger go for his nails, he breathed. The faces of his family filled his mind and the cold blade touched his finger. "The Empress." He blurted it out, with one final image of the two children’s faces. "She wants the Empress."

"Why?"

"Collateral," Saladin said with a heavy breath.

Esmond twirled the knife in his hand, analyzing Saladin. He paused, the sound of blood hitting the floor being the only sound. "Where is she?"

"I don’t know." Esmond stopped playing with the blade and moved closer once more. "It’s the truth. She moves around now that the Sister’s temples are being watched."

Esmond held off, the blade inches away from Saladin’s chest. "Okay. The masked one, who is he?"

"Her son," Saladin said with defeat. He didn’t wish to say anything, but he knew the man before him would definitely kill his brother’s kids if he didn’t. He couldn’t live with himself if he let his cute niece and nephew die for a cause they didn’t even know about. His brother was willing but not his children.

"Thank you," Esmond said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "If you don’t want what I said to happen, kill the woman." Esmond got up and walked out, stabbing the knife into the wall outside the door. The five guards threw Saladin to the floor and followed behind.

Saladin could only grab his chest in pain, small tears of anger finally falling out. The hand holding himself up curled up in fury. He knew he should have moved around more, but did it even matter?

Pushing himself up, he walked out, grabbing the gold dagger. Opening a door in the corridor he saw one of his company members dead in his bed, killed before he could awake. Walking downstairs he saw one of his guards, impaled into the wall by a spear, unable to react before he was killed. Others lay dead. Saladin’s eyes turned to frost seeing this.