Chapter 15: The Duke's Daughter Makes Her Move

Chapter 15:
The Duke's Daughter Makes Her Move

 

“MY LADY, Dorssen has entered Armelia,” Tanya told me one night with a sigh.

I’d been puzzled when Dean told me about Dorssen, but thanks to his warning, I was able to take the news calmly. “Keep an eye on him. If he acts in a remotely suspicious way, stop him immediately.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Why is he coming here now?” To be honest, all I wanted to do was arrest and deport him. “What about his work?”

“He took leave from the order.”

“So he’s just doing as he pleases? Honestly, what is Doruna thinking?”

“Perhaps he thought it wasn’t a good idea for him to remain with the knights? The knights are everything to Doruna, and he has utmost pride in and respect for them. Despite that pride, he seems to understand that Dorssen went too far. But Dorssen is his only son, so…perhaps he’s giving him one last chance before disinheriting him.”

“That’s awfully generous…” I had to laugh. “Well, no matter. I won’t let him do as he pleases, that’s for sure.” I squeezed my hand into a fist.

“How was your trip to town, by the way?”

“What? What do you mean?!” The sudden change in subject flustered me.

“You’ve just been in such a good mood since you came back, is all.”

“Oh! Um, yes…” Tanya was wildly perceptive, and the accuracy of her insight took me off guard. I definitely overreacted. Ack. “I…am very happy. I feel most fortunate.” That was all I could think to say.

“I see.” Tanya smiled.

“More importantly…” I said abruptly. The topic of going into town had reminded me of something. “Let’s say you made a terrible mistake. Something truly bad that you couldn’t take back. What if you found yourself about to be in the same position as when you had made that mistake the first time?”

“That’s a difficult question,” Tanya said with a frown. “Does finding myself in the same position mean I’m guaranteed to make the same mistake?”

“I don’t know. But—just imagine that it was the worst mistake ever.”

“I suppose I can’t say I’d have to try and see.” Tanya closed her eyes. She was taking this seriously. After a moment of silence, she said, “I suppose I would think of the things I would stand to gain and the things I might lose. If the matter wasn’t too important, then I’d try to find a way to avoid it wholesale. If I was reluctant to do so, that would mean there was something about this position—something beyond the mistake—that was hard for me to let go of. A hope I couldn’t abandon. So I would try to have it both ways. A mistake means I took a risk—that I might have gained something, even if I lost it the first time. If I avoid the decision entirely, then I guarantee that I lose that thing—and I might even lose something I already have.”

“Hope you can’t abandon…”

“Yes. This is only a hypothetical, but I believe I understand what you’re trying to say. If you found yourself in a similar position, I would support you in whatever decision you made. We would continue to push our way forward, and everyone else would do the same. We all have our own way of doing things, and even if we don’t entirely agree with a choice you make, we still support you. And if you find yourself trapped, not knowing what to do, please think of us—and use us. Does that answer satisfy you, my lady?”

“Yes, more than enough. Thank you. …But I’m exhausted, so I think I’ll retire for the night.”

“All right.”

Tanya helped me get ready for sleep. Once she left, I got out of bed and walked to the balcony. It was unbecoming of me, as I wore only my thin nightgown, but no one would see me in the dark.

I looked up at the night sky and then toward the town. The dark worked against me as well; I couldn’t see much. With electricity yet undiscovered in this world, the nights were very dark. At the same time, I found it comforting.

“Hope you can’t abandon… Ridiculous.” I gritted my teeth.

I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore, but thankfully, I didn’t need to worry that anyone would see me cry out here. My whispers faded into the darkness. I just kept crying, more and more. Even though I was clenching my teeth, stifled sobs leaked out.

I wasn’t mocking Tanya’s words. In fact, I felt not the least bit of spite for them. She had skewered me.

There was indeed a hope buried deep in my heart that I couldn’t abandon. I was ridiculous.

I’d endured so much pain, so I’d locked those feelings away. Yet here, they’d surfaced again so easily. I was so fragile. Now I knew that, even though I’d tried to deny it. I gave myself every excuse and lied to myself at every opportunity. But the truth was obvious.

Why did I rely on him so much? Why had I let him see so much of me? Why did I allow him to see my pain, even when I hid my emotions from others? Why had I felt such jealousy?

My heart knew the answer to all those questions, but I had refused to let my brain accept it.

I clutched the pocket watch he’d given me. It was nothing but a hazy outline in the darkness. Only the cold of it in my hands let me know that it was in fact there.

I couldn’t make the same mistake. I couldn’t afford to lose.

I couldn’t lose the people who followed me, or Armelia, or the citizens who lived there. They were all too precious to risk—and I was too frightened to remember the despair I’d experienced when I’d last been betrayed, and too afraid of being foolish enough to expose myself again.

I didn’t want that. I didn’t want this.

Why did that dreadful uncertainty, invisible and intangible, against which I had been so powerless, have to come over me again? Why were these feelings so intense, so overwhelming? I was terrified.

“I love you.” My heart dropped when I said the words aloud. Words I could never say in front of him—because nothing could ever come of them.

Love that surpassed social status was a fairy tale. Although, even Cinderella was an aristocrat. And Yuri was the daughter of a baron.

So I couldn’t tell him.

I couldn’t abandon the things that were precious to me. Therefore, I had to lie to my heart. I had to turn my back on all this. Come morning, I would wake up and I’d return to the world with a smile on my face.

 

***

 

“The numbers don’t add up. If you compare them to the last report, exports and imports…have decreased.” I bit my lip in concern as I pointed out the discrepancies. “I wonder why? It’s not everyday goods; it’s the luxury imports. And they’ve only decreased in the eastern region of Armelia.”

“You’re very perceptive,” the Bursa official said, eyes widening.

“I hate to admit it, but I didn’t notice until Dean pointed it out, actually,” I said with a chuckle. “What did you think? Did you assume I wouldn’t catch it?”

“Is this a test?”

“I don’t know. I’m just curious. I like to know what my employees think of me. Speaking of Dean, I thought he was writing a report on this. Do you know what’s going on with that?”

“It hasn’t come in yet. Dean is investigating the cause of the discrepancy and sent someone east to check on things. As to your question—I was sure you would see it. Dean said so too, when he handed me the documents.”

“Ah! So Dean was testing me!” I laughed.

“Are you angry?”

“No, it’s amusing. But I really do wonder why this is happening. It isn’t like the population has dropped off. And demand hasn’t gone down either. The prices are still high across the board. This isn’t happening anywhere else but in that region. Could it be that someone’s manipulating the supply chain?” I mused as I flipped through the documents.

The Bursa official watched me as I did, waiting for his next instructions. I thanked him for the report, and he took his leave.

“Call Sebastian,” I said to Tanya.

As soon as Sebastian arrived, I gave him my orders. I wanted everything he had on the situation in the east. That was where Armelia’s main port lay, so it was a wealthy and busy region. It had only grown more so since I’d become acting governor, especially as we were putting more effort into developing relationships with other countries.

Revenue from the east was integral to Armelia’s ongoing financial health; I had to get to the bottom of this. I wouldn’t feel at ease until I did. At present, the situation was only affecting one type of good, but there was no guarantee that the problem wouldn’t spiral into other areas.

“Dean, I just received the reports. How are things progressing?” I asked when he arrived as well.

“Honestly, there’s nothing new to say. I sent people to investigate the situation, and I’m waiting for news. One thing has been bothering me, however.”

“Is it that there doesn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary besides the numerical discrepancy?”

“Yes. It’s too quiet out there. No reports of a ship sinking, no rogue companies. No complaints from the businesses producing the goods. Even though someone, somewhere should be suffering because of the dip in profits, we’ve heard nothing. It’s strange.”

“If only we could dismiss this. But I have a bad feeling about it. How long did you say you could stay this time?”

“My original contract expires tomorrow. I have an appointment I must keep, so I’ll be away from Armelia for about a week, but I can come back as soon as I’m done. Sebastian can take over in my absence, along with the official from Bursa who was just here—the fellow who brought the reports.”

“All right… I suppose it can’t be helped.” If I were being honest, I would’ve felt much better if Dean could have stuck around. But it wasn’t good to rely on him so much. “All right. If you think of anything new or something changes, let me know.”

I headed to the library next. I was grateful we had discovered this issue while Dean was still here. I’d had so much work piled up before his arrival that I wouldn’t have been able to respond to it promptly. I might not even have noticed it without him. Thanks to him, I’d finished the backlog, but he’d spotted this issue in the first place—then run it by the official who’d come to me with the report. Either way, I was grateful to him.

I arrived at the library and entered. “Oh, Rehme! It’s been a while since I saw you here.”

“Lady Iris!” Rehme greeted me with a bright smile. She was my librarian, but the academy in Armelia was keeping her busy with requests, so lately, she hadn’t spent as much time at the estate as usual. To be fair, I barely had time to go to our library myself, so it really had been a long time since I’d seen her in her usual habitat, surrounded by books.

“What brings you here, my lady?”

“Just doing some research about eastern Armelia.”

“What exactly are you looking for? Cuisine? Oh, how about maps?”

“I’m looking for historical records, like a list of the mayors of the port town. Criminal records too, that sort of thing.”

“Here’s information on the mayors. It hasn’t been bound into a book, so it’s quite fragile. Please be careful with it.”

“All right, thank you.” I took the packet of papers from Rehme.

“And here are the criminal records. There’s not much to them, actually. The vast majority of it gets covered up, I expect.”

“Oh? I suppose I heard that before we had a standing police force, crimes weren’t recorded except for major incidents, which is understandable. What do you mean by covered up, though?”

“Eastern Armelia has always attracted hotheads, what with its port. Fights and brawls are daily occurrences. Not to mention, the Boltik family controls things, so anything really big gets swept under the rug, and we don’t hear about it out here.”

“The Boltik family? Who’s that?” I’d never heard of them before.

“To put it simply, an organization that controls the underworld. Do you remember when Dida stopped you from walking down that alleyway? The sort of people you would have met there.”

“I see. If I had Tanya investigate their recent activities, do you think we’d be able to discern whether anything had changed for them recently?”

“Well, the family dates back a very long time. Probably since the duchy was established and the port was built. They have their own way of doing things, and even though they commit some…indiscretions, the citizens don’t seem to dislike them.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Illegal activities. Not slavery, though. They do have people guarding their operations—likely gambling, for the most part.”

“I see. If they employ guards, then you’re probably right—they resolve conflicts before we ever hear of them. And what sense does it make to record an event if it’s settled before anyone uninvolved ever learns it happened?”

“Something like that.”

“You sure know a lot, Rehme.”

“We’ve gathered a handful of records on the various heads of the family throughout the years. It’s all quite interesting.”

“I see. It would be dangerous to investigate someone like that on your own, wouldn’t it? Just thinking about it gives me the shivers.”

I had a feeling it was going to take a great deal of effort to get to the bottom of this. It would have been different if I’d read anything about it before, but even now that I had the material, it would be no mean feat to get through it all. It made me incredibly grateful to have Rehme at my disposal.

“Are there other organizations like the Boltiks?”

“Of course, several. Although I don’t know how many are still around, especially after some went toe to toe against the Boltik family.”

“Well, then… Thank you.”

 

***

 

Late at night, Dida spotted a certain someone leaving the mansion. “Wait, Tanya.”

“What is it, Dida? I’m busy.” Tanya glared at him, but his usual carefree smile remained fixed on his face.

“I know. Princess told you to go investigate out east, right? And you’ve gotta do that on top of keeping an eye on the spoiled rich boy. Must be rough.”

“If you know I’m busy, then let me go.”

“Don’t have to.”

“Huh?”

“I’m coming with. You know what they say, every man knows his own business best. Guess I’m headed to my old stomping grounds.”

Dida’s words reminded Tanya of his experiences. Iris had adopted him while she was on a trip in the east with her family. At the time, Tanya had been apprenticed as a maid, so she had stayed behind at the estate. She didn’t know the particulars of the trip, only that Dida was from the east and that he had belonged to a criminal organization during that time.

“Don’t you have your own work to do?” she asked.

“I’ve got a very talented partner. And anyway, I have apprentices now. Plenty of people to pick up the slack.”

“Well, you can’t. I’m looking into your old acquaintances, and they might recognize you. It’s too dangerous.”

“Hey, now. You know I can take care of myself.”

“I’m aware. You don’t have to remind me. But why? Why do you want to come?”

“Because I’ll do anything to help Princess. And like I said, I know the lay of the land.”

Tanya stared at Dida, trying to discern his motives. He just stared back at her, smiling. But the look in his eyes was deadly serious.

“Let’s say I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” he said. “That’s why I want to go myself and see what’s really happening. And if I can settle some things at the same time, then good.”

“Do you really think I’d let you come after hearing that?”

“Like I said, I can handle it. …Which is to say, sorry about this.”

That was when Tanya felt the impact. She chastised herself for letting her guard down as her consciousness slipped away. The last thing she saw was the culprit’s face and the apology in his gaze.

The next time she opened her eyes, she was for a moment confused. She saw the ceiling of her room, just like she always did upon waking. But none of that had been a dream. She was still wearing the clothes she’d had on when she left the house. She rose and rushed to Iris’s room to inform her of what had happened.

“Dida took over the investigation?” Iris looked surprised. “I know I shouldn’t worry about him, but I’m afraid he’ll do something rash… But Lyle’s the only person who could bring him back, and we can’t spare the number of people we’d need to cover for him. Honestly…I’m grateful Dida’s chosen this. Why don’t we just wait and see what happens?”

Tanya couldn’t bring herself to speak out against Iris’s judgment. “Very well, my lady.”

She suppressed the unpleasant feeling smoldering within her and returned to her work.

 

***

 

Dorssen had arrived in Armelia. He was genuinely surprised to see that its capital was as fine and boisterous as the royal capital itself. In fact, he’d been nothing but surprised since he entered the duchy. A long line of people had been waiting to gain entrance into Armelia. Once Dorssen passed through the gates, he had been continually impressed by the well-maintained roads and other orderly affairs.

In other domains, city roads were well maintained, but farther afield, the roads were often neglected. In Armelia, every road between every settlement was exceptionally well taken care of, which made travel across the domain incredibly easy. Furthermore, outposts housing soldiers from Armelia’s ducal army were stationed at intermittent points along the roads, and regular patrols ensured the safety of all travelers.

Dorssen found himself thinking, No wonder so many prime ministers have hailed from Armelia.

As soon as he reached the duchy’s capital, he booked a room at an inn and wandered the town for a while. He grew curious when he noticed a steady stream of people entering a large building.

“Excuse me. What’s in that shop there?” he asked a man passing by.

“Shop? Are you a tourist?”

“You could say that…”

“That’s a branch of our academy. The elementary school, to be exact. All the children of Armelia learn how to read and write there, free of charge. Mathematics as well.”

“That’s…that’s amazing.” It was indeed amazing, but, Dorssen wondered, was it necessary? Reading, writing, and arithmetic only seemed like relevant skills to the children of aristocrats or merchants. What use would an ordinary citizen have for such things?

“It is!” the passerby exclaimed. He seemed delighted by the opportunity to tell an out-of-towner all the exciting things about the school. “It’s a new program that started after Lady Iris became the acting governor. She says ‘knowledge is power,’ and everyone deserves to be able to stand on their own two legs—make a living for themselves, you know? At first, I thought it was crazy, but once you really start learning, it hits you. Knowledge opens up more possibilities for your future. You can get a better job, for instance, and you can use these things in your daily life, too!”

“Lady Iris… The duke’s daughter is the acting governor?”

“Indeed she is. After she took office, she built us more hospitals, reformed our tax system, and all sorts of things that have made our lives a damn sight easier.”

Dorssen had not known about Iris’s responsibilities—not in the least. “Do you go to that academy, too?”

“Sure do. At the moment, I’m studying to enter their branch for higher education.”

Dorssen thanked the man and started talking to other passersby as well. No one seemed particularly displeased with the fact that a woman was running the duchy. In fact, they seemed to think it was perfectly natural. Everything they had to say about Iris was positive, and some even gushed about her like the first man he’d spoken to. She seemed to be beloved by her citizens, and it didn’t take Dorssen long to be sure this was the case.

In fact, she was so popular that a dark feeling began to congeal within his heart. They spoke of Iris as if she were some kind of saint, but this same woman had abused Yuri. How could they idolize her like this?

Dorssen was speaking to the owner of a restaurant, a man who’d given yet another glowing review of Iris, when he snapped. “Excuse me,” he said. “I realize that Lady Iris has done a number of things for Armelia, but why does everyone love her so much?”

“That’s a strange question. She always acts in our best interests, and she truly cares about us. How could we not love someone like that?”

“Yes, but haven’t you heard about how when she lived in the capital, she abused our future queen? They expelled her from the academy for it. How could you believe someone like that cares about you and your livelihood? Are you sure she’s really behind all this? Isn’t it more likely that it’s the people working for her?”

The shop owner burst out laughing. “That whole business? I’m sure it was a misunderstanding. Probably another setup like when the church excommunicated her over a false accusation. No, we feel extremely fortunate to have her as our governor.”

“How can you trust her so?”

“Listen, it doesn’t matter what you say. I’ve seen what she can do. She works her tail off for Armelia, and she visits the orphanage even though she’s so busy—matter of fact, she comes and visits everyone in town. I don’t think anyone cares more about us than she does, that’s for sure!”

“But…”

“What about you? What do you know about her? I think you’d better watch what you say. The people here adore their Lady Iris. They won’t take well to hearing anyone badmouth her. Look around. You’ve got some glares on you, my friend.”

Dorssen looked over his shoulder and realized the man was right; several of the other patrons were staring at him, and not in a friendly way. They glared with something that very closely resembled malice.

“My apologies.”

“You just be careful,” the owner said before walking away.

Iris truly was loved by her citizens. Had she had a change of heart after her expulsion or something?

Dorssen paid his bill and left the restaurant. Even though the sun had gone down, people were still milling about the town. That indicated that they felt safe doing so. Between this and everything else he’d seen and heard, Dorssen was actually starting to wonder if Iris really had abused Yuri.

He quickly shoved that thought out of his mind. He couldn’t doubt Yuri, after all. There was no way she would lie. In fact, it was a good thing that she’d spoken up—the whole incident had no doubt caused this change in Iris’s character.

Dorssen returned to his room at the inn and stared absently at the view from his window while he drank some ale. Why had he come here to begin with? To learn more about Iris, yes, but what had he planned on doing with that information once he got it? Honestly, he didn’t know what he wanted anymore. Did he still want to settle things?

If so, why did he want that? It had occurred to him that he might have gotten carried away. His father and mother had placed so much blame upon him, so of course he had wanted to fix things between himself and the woman who was now the queen dowager’s favorite. But he had only wanted to do so for the sake of appearances. He had wanted to excuse his behavior, to be able to say, “I apologized. I settled it.”

“What do you want to do? I keep asking you that. Because from here, it seems to me like you just want to make yourself feel better by offering her empty words—and not even because you feel bad, but because you’re getting swept up in what everyone else says. You need to think about it yourself. Think deeper and with a more open mind. What do you want to do? What can you do?”

His friend’s advice kept circling through his head.

His friend was right. Dorssen hadn’t thought about Iris at all, even though she was the one to whom he owed an apology.

What was an apology? What did it mean to ‘settle things’? Dorssen let out a deep sigh and looked away from the window. His mug had been empty for a while now. He headed downstairs, ready to order another drink from the bar on the first floor.

Every other inn in town was full, and Dorssen had secured the last room. The bar was overflowing with people.

“You traveling alone?” a man asked just as Dorssen was about to place an order.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Did you come here to shop? Doesn’t look like it. Got a girl here?”

“Not quite. What about you?”

“Me? I came for the goods, but unfortunately…”

“Did you run into some kind of trouble?”

“They ran out of what I was looking for. It was an import. Seems there’s some kind of trouble in the east.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, some ruffians called the Boltik family are throwing their weight around. It’s grown too dangerous to even travel out that way.”

“What’s the government doing about it?”

“The governor’s mobilizing the armed forces. I’m sure they’ll resolve it pretty soon.”

“Are Armelia’s soldiers that powerful?”

“Sure are. Not even the knights in the capital would stand a chance against them!”

“What…?”

“Don’t glare at me like that. It’s just a hypothetical. You know a knight or something?”

“No, sorry. I just admire them, is all.”

“Oh, I see. Sorry about that. Well, why don’t you go and see them in action for yourself? If you admire the knights, I bet you’d learn a lot watching the Armelia’s soldiers. You look strong enough to protect yourself out east anyway.”

“I wonder if Dida’s going,” Dorssen murmured.

The man didn’t hear him and gave him a questioning look.

“Ah, it’s nothing,” said Dorssen. “Is the east usually better-traveled?”

“Sure is. It’s real important for our trade. Rumor has it that it was the first place Lady Iris visited when she became acting governor.”

“Interesting.”

“It’s also the most popular tourist destination in the duchy. If you came here on a vacation, I’d recommend them or the south! Then you’ll really be able to see how much progress Lady Iris has made here.”

“I see. Thanks for the info.” Dorssen returned to his room, thinking. “The east, huh?”

Maybe it would do him some good to continue traveling Armelia. Retrace Iris’s footsteps, as it were. He downed his second mug of ale and went straight to bed.

 

***

 

“Have you heard anything from Dida?” I asked. It had been two weeks since he left, but he’d sent no word so far as I knew. With every day that passed, another old worry resurfaced.

“No,” said Tanya.

“I see… What about from our other investigation party?”

“They said that conditions in the port town are deteriorating. If we haven’t heard anything directly, that means the residents are afraid to speak out against the Boltik family. They could also be colluding with the local officials.”

“I see. What exactly does the Boltik family want in this situation? Are they angling for a direct fight with me? I mean, House Armelia?”

“I think that’s unlikely. Their current boss has been the head of the family for some time, and it’s hard to believe he’d move against us so suddenly.”

“That’s true. Might it be possible that someone is impersonating the Boltik family…?”

“My lady…” Tanya frowned. “There’s something else.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve heard Dorssen has set out on a journey eastward.”

“Huh?”

“He left town this morning. I thought he was returning home, but he headed in the other direction, toward the east. I didn’t believe it, at first, but…”

“Why would he go there now, of all times? I thought he came to Armelia to talk to me, didn’t he?”

“It honestly doesn’t make sense. But for now, here’s a list of the people he sought out in town.”

I took the paper from Tanya and looked it over. No suspicious names jumped out. But…

“Look into this merchant’s activities one more time. And put more eyes on Van.”

“On Van?”

“Yes, please. I don’t trust Dorssen’s decision to go east—it can’t be coincidence. Perhaps he hopes to negotiate with some individuals out there. It would be too early for him to act, either way. But we can’t assume he’s come for a good reason. Go check with Father Rafiel as well—and if you’ve time, investigate the behavior of our local aristocracy.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“Dean.” I smiled. “You have impeccable timing.”

“Forgive me, my responsibilities ran a bit long and I’ve returned later than I anticipated.”

I filled him in on the situation, and his face grew grave as I described it.

“While I was away, I heard some suspicious rumors,” he said. “They say one of your trusted people is in truth a ruffian—that he’s trying to extort money from the citizenry. Other rumors say that a former classmate of yours, one who joined the knights, is trying to rectify the situation. That’s most of it.”

“Where did these rumors start?”

“I’m looking into it now. I thought perhaps some noble was saying things to get a rise out of you, but if that were the case, it would be strange for word to be circulating among the townspeople.”

“I see…”

“My lady, Dida…” Tanya had been listening quietly the entire time, but now she spoke up.

I shook my head. “I trust Dida. Or at least…I want to. More than anything, I’m genuinely worried about him. I think we should take care of this before it grows any bigger.”

I needed to determine my next steps. I told Tanya to summon Sebastian.

“May I help you, my lady?” he asked when he arrived.

“Sebastian, I’m going to be away for about a week. I’ll leave my business in your care until I return.”

“Yes, my lady. I will do my utmost to fulfill my duties.” Sebastian frowned a bit at my order, but he nevertheless bowed his head.

“My lady, are you…”

“Indeed I am. I’m going east. Luckily, I don’t have much of a backlog, so Sebastian can take the reins for now.” I smiled. “Honestly, I’ve overworked myself to the point of exhaustion. I must recuperate. Sebastian will look after things in my stead. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Yes,” said Tanya. “And you won’t set foot out of the estate while you’re resting. Is that correct?”

“But, my lady, why are you going to the east?” Sebastian asked.

“First of all, I’d like us to establish the town hall of the port city as a base of operations. I’ll leverage my station to do what we can, but before that, I want to confirm the situation with my own eyes. Second, I want to observe the Boltik family for myself—to see what they’re all about. Finally, I need to deal with our spoiled little knight. If push comes to shove, I’ll approach him myself, but I’d like to resolve the matter without drawing attention. I’ll be bringing Dean and Lyle as my escorts. Tanya will join us after she’s assigned more spies to watch Van.”

“Yes, my lady.” Both Dean and Tanya bowed their heads.

“Dean? Go tell Lyle, would you? We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready.”