Nero Walker, Book 2 Ch.80 (112) (Patreon)

Sergeant Terrance Blackwood sat with his back against the wall of the impromptu cell. The smell of fresh cut wood reminded him of how recently it was built. Regulations required soldiers under investigation to be either confined to their quarters, or held in a detention cell. As they were currently in the wilds, this was the best they could do. As they were short-handed, he actually had been part of the construction detail. He had been ordered to build his own cell.

Trying to take his mind of his current situation, he was reading the historical account of the life and times of Victor Mosenbaum: The Tiny Terror. It had been recommended to him by one the lovely ladies he was seeing in Dorchester, and it seemed like a good way to pass the time. But, despite the comedic value of a 5’ tall adventurer with massive rage issues, he just couldn’t concentrate well enough to enjoy it.

Huffing in exasperation, he snapped the book shut, then tossed it onto the simple table which pretended to be furniture. Looking around the small cell, he chuckled at the lack of a door. The captain had told him that it wasn’t necessary, as Terry was only in the room by choice. ‘The man goes out of his way to have us build a detention cell so we can follow regulations, then doesn’t bother to have us make a door,’ he thought to himself, while feelings of camaraderie and friendship caused him to crack a smile.

Instead of improving his mood, the reminder of his friendship with the captain caused his stomach to turn. He slammed the back of his head against the wall a few times while staring up at the ceiling. Out of all the times he’d screwed up, this was the worst. ‘You know you’re a moron. So, why in all the hells did you think a plan made up by ‘you’ would have any chance of succeeding?’ he asked himself sarcastically.

Sensing the captain approaching, he sat up straight and tried to banish the brooding atmosphere.

Terry watched the massive captain duck down in order to squeeze through the hole in the wall which passed for the cell’s door. He couldn’t suppress the smile at seeing his giant friend try and avoid destroying the flimsy wooden walls.

Trying to sound cheerful, he said, “Hey Captain, what brings you by?”

Finally through the door, Captain Angelton rose to his full height and Terry held back a chuckle at the sight of the big man glaring at the ceiling, as if he were warning it not to come any closer.

The captain looked down at Terry and replied, “Sergeant Blackwood, I’ve received word from command. Wesker’s team has made it back to Dorchester. No casualties.”

Terry felt some of the tension release from his shoulders, and he sighed in relief. Smiling ruefully, he looked up at his longtime friend and asked, “What about my old man?”

Captain Angelton’s face turned a little grouchy, and replied, “It seems that the arch-mage who is still visiting us from Hennings had been aware of the plot. Within minutes of the ambush, he collected your father. I’m told he is being held within the Tower of Magic along with a mage whom he had employed for his plot.”

Clearly confused, Terry asked, “Why wasn’t he turned over to the Tower of Law?”

The captain seemed hesitant to speak, and took a few moments to think through his answer. Coming to a decision, he sighed and cast a simple privacy ward. It wouldn’t stop someone who really wanted to listen in, but it was something.

Staring hard at the sergeant, Captain Angelton said, “This isn’t something I should be talking about, but you have a right to know.”

Suddenly nervous, Terry clasped his hands to keep them from shaking and replied, “All right. What’s the situation?”

Captain Angelton’s voice was devoid of emotion, as he relayed what he’d learned from his conversation with General Branson. “Mistress Deidre Cosgrave and your father apparently had a sexual relationship. At her request, he masterminded the plan to eliminate Lord Walker. Currently, the council of leadership, along with the general and the arch-mage are working on a plan to convince Lord Walker to settle this through arbitration. If everything goes to plan, there won’t be any formal charges.”

Stunned, Terry asked, “OK. But does that mean my father may survive this?”

With his face a mask of calm, the captain replied, “Possibly.”

Feeling his entire body go numb in shock, Terry looked up at his friend and softly said, “I’m a dead man, aren’t I?”

The two old friends shared a look of commiseration. They both knew that the Captain might be ordered to execute Terry within the next few hours. Neither knowing what to say, they sat in silence, letting all the things they wish they had the courage to say hang over them like a cloud.

-----

Victoria Blackwood had fought hard to reach her position. At the young age of 46, she was already the heir to one of the most powerful houses in Dorchester. With her help, House Blackwood was ranked 6th in ladder. While her father played politics, she ensured their interests were growing every year. Their distilleries were constantly expanding, and their carriage businesses were dominating the market.

Despite how many siblings she had, she managed to rise to prominence, and ensure her place as the future head of the house. She had even gone as far as to have already compiled a buyout package for when her father finally convinced Lord Cosgrave to marry him. According to her old man, within the next 20 years, she would ascend to the position of the head of her house without issue.

Yet now, all that was thrown into jeopardy because her father agreed to kill some random new noble for the sake of a daughter he idiotically slept with. He had not just ruined his chances of marrying the girl’s mother, but he had possibly doomed House Blackwood to extermination. Years of her hard work had been ruined because her father couldn’t keep it in his pants.

Now she was forced to bow her head, and beg for her life in front of a child. The situation was extremely humiliating.

She looked across the room at the young lord who was the subject of her father’s machinations, and waited for his reply to her plea.

As she stood their patiently, Nero stared into her eyes, searching for answers. He wondered if she was hiding her anger, or perhaps plotting to avenge her father. Before he made any decisions, he needed some answers.

Placing his hands behind his back, he walked around the table to get a closer look at her.

Standing in front of the daughter of the man who plotted to have him killed, he asked, “Before we get into whether or not your house will exist tomorrow, I’d like some questions answered. Please be honest, as I’m sure someone here will be able to tell if you’re lying.”

Nodding her head with a blank look on her face, she replied humbly, “Of course. I will answer honestly any and all inquiries to the best of my ability.”

Nero cocked his head to the side at her reply. ‘This chick is as cold as Vera, isn’t she?’ he thought to himself.

“When did you find out about the assassination attempt?” he asked, while crossing his arms and leaning back against the front of his table.

Without delay, she answered, “Every evening, my father writes a summary of his current games and their progress. This morning, I received a signal from my father alerting me to a state of emergency for House Blackwood. When no further communication was received, I used my status as the heir to open his game journal. After narrowing down which plot was likely to be responsible for his silence, I learned about you returning to the city. From there, it was easy to expect a visit from the lawbringers. I did not, however, expect to be brought before the leadership council.” She looked around the room, calmly meeting the eyes of the various nobles, most of whom looked impatient.

Nero couldn’t help himself from appreciating her cold-blooded apathy. She knew the fate of her house was being decided, but she didn’t break down or beg. She just patiently waited to find out what she had to do to get out of this alive.

He asked, “So you had no prior knowledge of his plot to have me killed? Because one of your brothers did.”

For the first time, she showed some emotion. Anger tightened her eyes, and her voice cooled even further. “Which one of my siblings was involved in this idiocy?” she asked.

Smiling, Nero replied, “Terry Cooper-Blackwood. He knew what was going on. In fact, he was the one who passed on my team’s route to your father.”

Nero saw that the general was about to interject, and he glared at the man, warning him not to interrupt. Luckily, before the general could say anything, Victoria gasped, bringing his attention back to her.

Surprised, she said, “Terry was involved? But he’s not even in family’s power ladder? Why would father involve him? Terry’s an idiot! We put him in the military because that was the only thing he was capable of doing without screwing it up.”

Nero wasn’t expecting her to dismiss her brother so completely. For some reason, it pissed him off. The sergeant was a nice guy as far as he was concerned. The guy may be kind of ‘simple’, but he was the kind of man Nero could have a beer with and not worry about it meaning more than that. He was a bowling buddy, not a politician. Despite initially trying to paint the man as a conspirator, he decided to change tactics.

“Well, Lady… wait, do I call you ‘Lady’, or ‘Lord’, or what?” Nero asked. His rebuke stuttered to a stop before it even started. How could he not know what he was supposed to call this woman? Did Jennings say her a title? Maybe he missed it.

Confused, she replied, “My title is heir of House Blackwood. Technically, I’m Mistress Blackwood as I’m still under House Blackwood. However, as heir, I should be addressed as Lady Blackwood until I take over the position of house head. Then I would be the Lord Blackwood.”

Nero could hear Nick chuckling behind him, and he could feel Vera’s judgmental gaze burning into the back of his head. Even though he JUST heard what she said, he still didn’t understand what she was talking about. All he took away from what he just heard was that she should be addressed as ‘Lady’.

Nodding, he tried again, “OK. So ‘Lady’ Blackwood, the only reason your house has a chance of still existing is because your brother Terry. Despite what you might think of him, he tried to warn me of your father’s plot. As he didn’t know whom he could trust, and wanting to make sure that your house wouldn’t be blamed for your father’s actions, he heroically set aside his familial obligations and tried to do the right thing. You should be thanking him instead of insulting him.”

Stunned, she replied, “I had no idea. My father’s game journal didn’t mention him at all. He just spoke of the plot. I didn’t know Terry was involved. I apologize for my ignorance. If House Blackwood survives, I’ll ensure he is rewarded for his service.”

Narrowing his eyes, Nero couldn’t tell if she what she was meant by ‘rewarded’. Even hearing what she said, all he could glean from the subtext that the world translated was that Sergeant Blackwood would ‘get what he deserved’. Whether or not that was good for her brother or bad didn’t come across at all. Nero couldn’t even tell if she was deliberately being vague, or if she was so used to being political, that was just how she spoke.

Wanting to get a better idea of what she was thinking, he asked, “So, we are currently considering arbitration as a possible way out of this. What do you propose House Blackwood should offer in this situation?”

Not shaken by the change of subject at all, she immediately replied, “My father should be executed. He is an embarrassment to our house, and too dangerous to be left alive. Reparations in the amount of 5% of our yearly posted income should be given to House Walker as an apology. I will personally clear out my father’s supporters from my house, and ensure that in the future House Blackwood stands in support of House Walker as a friend. Anything more than that would require agreements with those outside of House Blackwood and would be out of my purview.”

Smirking, Nero asked rhetorically, “Thought that through already, huh?” Before she could respond, he said, “One moment please.” Then he turned around and looked at Vera.

Using his connection, he asked her, “So, what do you think? She kinda reminds me of you. I bet she’ll clean house. Within a week, she’ll take care of everyone that even remotely resembles a rival. This chick is all business.”

Vera’s stone cold eyes met his, and she replied, “I agree, she seems like a capable house head. I can work with her. But 5% is an insult. Let me look something up, give me a second.”

Giving her a slight nod, Nero turned around to address Victoria again. “So when you say you’ll ‘reward’ Sergeant Blackwood for warning me, does that mean you’ll kill him for pulling a ‘Fredo’? Or does it mean he gets an increase in his allowance?”

Completely confused, Victoria Blackwood stuttered, “A ‘Fredo’? Is that a Claspian term for ‘betrayer’?… But, no, I will welcome him into the inner family ladder for saving us all from our deserved execution. His ties with House Walker will be treated as an asset. I do not, and will not, consider an intelligent and successful gambit a betrayal of our house.”

Before Nero could respond, he was surprised to hear Vera’s voice in his head. “The girl is clever. She’s seen that you care about her brother. I’ve looked into their assets, and here is what you’re going to ask for…”

As Nero listened to Vera, he couldn’t help but smile. He held his stare at the composed Victoria, while he listened to his proxy outline his house’s demands.

Victoria Blackwood watched as Nero’s grin grew but never touched his eyes. She repressed a shiver as she assumed, correctly, that his proxy was coaching him on his counter-proposal. Without any other option, she could only hope that this young lord’s demands didn’t ruin the house she had put so much time and effort into building.