Broker - CH3 - (Patreon)

“My lord,” Walter said, bowing from the doorway. “Your receiving hall has been prepared for this months justice.”

Huh?

Month’s Justice- A formal hearing conducted by the Count of Brit. It is held at the start of a month, and the middle of the month, depending on case load.

Offenders that are interviewed have committed offenses that exceed a set value in fines, or have committed a crime of a heinous or extreme nature.

The gods do not intervene in the courts of man. 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 the 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 is more suited to a pencil pusher. With a name like Felix.

I’m better suited to deals and directions to hit company goals.

Alex didn’t respond, and 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 to get ready and seated in 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 limits on how much it was allowed to cost.

Glaring at the armrest, which he could probably pick the gems out of and fund the entire county for a year, Alex waited for the first case.

Sitting there, a sudden idea struck him.

She said it had to be voluntary, and that they did so willingly. She never said anything about the circumstances of the deal.

Could I offer deals to prisoners?

Let’s test it.

“You,” Alex said to a dark dressed prison guard nearby. He was in charge of prisoners in the courtroom.

“My lord?” responded the helmeted man.

“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. The cities dungeon has a cell or two that could use some work.”

“Good. This may not be something you can answer, but are their private rooms that can be converted to political prisoners, or prisoners of station, in the keep?”

“Ah… there is. But they haven’t been used since your fathers 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 a level that you could reasonably put a member of the peerage in there if I had to.

“I want both the keep dungeons and the private rooms to be 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 the possibility to get a promotion. Find a replacement for you here and now, and then go take care of this task.”

The man saluted hurriedly, and rushed away.

Let’s target women for now. I can make deals with them that I’m unwilling to make with men.

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-”

The defendant whooped loudly and dropped to his knees.

“Thank you, lord Alex. Thank you!”

“Granted. Next?” Alex said.

“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.

Gerard. That’s his name. Alex smiled, suddenly remembering the announcer’s name.

“The second case to be heard today, is the lady Griffon. She’s been accused of tax evasion, tax fraud, and theft,” Gerard said.

Scandalized whispers tore through the crowd as all eyes turned towards a young woman being escorted up to the front of the hall.

She was tall, possibly six foot even. Slim and willow, and wearing a dress that didn’t do much for her. Alex had the impression she had a better figure that he could tell though. Dark blonde hair and blue eyes with fine features, he was momentarily captivated.

She was definitely on the prettier side he’d seen since coming here. He knew her title wasn’t for show, but that she wasn’t quite of the nobility either. If she was here in Brit, she was a branch family of a low ranked noble family somewhere else.

Just barely of the peerage. Barely.

“I would like to grant the 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 offered as neutrally as he could.

The room fell silent again. All eyes were turned to the 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 ability to hold 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 to him.

“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 arbiter in advance for that meeting,” Alex said, bowing his head to the lady.

Gerard 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. The charges are: Conspiracy, treason to the Count, attempted escape from prison, and operating an illegal gambling facility,” Gerard said. “She has already been found guilty of other cimes previous to this as well and is under fines exceeding that of one-hundred gold coins, and a death sentence.”

A young woman was pushed out from the remaining prisoners to stand next to Gerard.

She was young, probably a month over eighteen if he had to guess. Green eyes regarded him sullenly The left side of her face had a significant bruise and was partially swollen, her eye only open a bit. Her pale skin made her dull red hair brighter, even though she was filthy looking and covered in dirt.

Despite all that, Alex still thought was was attractive underneath it all.

Her body was another matter all together though

She had an overwhelming hourglass figure that threatened to overwhelm her ripped clothing. The cheap and ripped tunic that fell to her knees did little to hide her.

“Treason? Treason to me?” Alex asked, leaning forward.

“Lies,” she murmured, her eyes falling to the ground.

A guard slammed her to the ground, forcing her to her knees. Grunting she knelt on all fours in supplication to him. He could see straight down her tunic, getting a perfect view of her rather large 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.

“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. Her head hanging low.

Gerard 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, as well as the guards. 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 that 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.

***

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 so one could make use of a bed pan in privacy.

Sitting on the table was a metal tray with a 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 at every meal, it would barely meet the calorie needs of a prisoner.

Each cell was segregated from the other cells, and there would be little to no chance for prisoners to speak with one another, let alone hear one another.

Douglas had certainly done more than expected to.

Sitting in a wooden chair was lady Griffon. She was watching him. As if unsure what to expect, she had a look 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 that they’ll be sworn to a different oath though, and that to match that different oath, they’ll make more in pay. This goes for you as well.

“Are you wiling 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 as well as keep all that happens here secret. On pain of your life, and soul.”

Douglas paused, the 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.

“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 Lady Griffon’s cell.

“My lord?” lady Griffon asked, her voice firmer than her bravery.

“Lady Griffon. This is not part of your formal hearing. This conversation is more in regards 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 without entering into a contract with you.”

“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 in regards to your time here, and our talks. That invalidating that 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 either… I accept, and swear the oath as you stated it.”

“I accept, and do the same,” Alex parroted.

He felt the contract settle into place somehow. 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?”

“So to speak.”

“Then yes, I agree to that as well and do swear.”

“As do I,” Alex said and nodded his head. “Next, your time spent here is going to be rather simple. Your case will be heard, and judged accordingly on it’s merits, and nothing else. I will weigh it fairly, and as close to the law as I am able.”

Lady Griffon nodded her head at that. He would do exactly as he said as well. The whole point of this was to make it so that she would receive fair treatment and not be pressured into anything.

That it was all of her own free will.

“During your time here, I will make you offers, or deals. Perhaps for certain items, changes in your living quarters, eating, or other things. An extra pillow, more blankets, a hand maid.

“I will ask a price in exchange for whatever it is. Perhaps a simple oath not to harm the guards, or maybe for you to address me as Master during your stay,” Alex said. He was watching her carefully trying to gauge her response as he went.

She seemed intent on his words and was listening.

“The price is of course negotiable, and you may decline at any time. Should you decline, nothing will happen. No harm will befall you. You will not lose anything. Nor will it impact your case or standing.

“It won’t even stop me from making you other offers.

“Saying no to something, will simply negate the current offer. That’s it.”

“As an example then” Lady Griffon said, choosing her words carefully. “Is that you could offer me a private apartment, and perhaps in exchange you’d want…?”

“Your word you will not harm my guards, or attempt to escape. As an example.”

“And if I wanted more than that as a meal?” she said, pointing at the tray on the table.

“As an example? I’m not sure. Maybe you calling me master. Maybe you telling me your darkest secrets that I promise to never reveal to anyone. Price is negotiable.”

“And if I said no to that deal?”

“As I said, nothing would happen, I’d rescind that deal, and that deal alone. Perhaps I’d come back the next day with a similar deal, but a different price.”

Lady Griffon folded her hands in her lap and looked to the corner of her cell.

“Think on it. I need to see to my other guest. I’ll return later. For now, do eat your meal, perhaps take a nap. Rest. No harm will befall you. No one is allowed in your cell without your permission, barring the head of the guards with a valid reason, or me,” Alex said.

Not waiting for a response from her, he left her cell. Apparently Douglas had accidentally left the door open, instead of closing it.

Need to talk to him about procedure. I imagine he was in a hurry.

Entering the next cell, Alex closed the door and made sure it was shut. Looking to the cell, he quirked a brow.

Riley was sitting in her chair, a thin blanket draped around her shoulders as she busily ate her meal.

“Riley, hello,” Alex said, walking up to the bars.

“I heard you,” said the woman, looking up from her food. “I swear to the oath you made earlier on Leah’s name and all that stuff.”

Alex felt the same deal settle into place in the exact same way it had for lady Griffon.

“Now, I want to barter for warmer clothes first,” she said, watching him.

Alex thought on her request.

Riley wasn’t going anywhere. She was going to be a long term prisoner here. Her fines alone were astronomical and there was not going to be a way for her to pay that off.

Let alone the other charges leveled at her.

Responding to her request now, would only be giving her the power to negotiate first. No… best we not respond to that, and change the power structure now.

Her debts are the weakpoint for her. And I’m not losing anything by removing those debts, as it isn’t money I had.

What is your dignity worth, miss Riley?

“I accept your oath, and swear the same to you. But… I think not as to the first deal,” Alex said. “Let’s be frank here, Riley.”

The woman had stopped eating, her eyes hard as she glared at him.

“You’re not… going anywhere. You’re mine. I could have you hung on your debts alone, let alone the other charges. So… you’ll be starting from a different position than my other guest. She has the means to pay her fines, and probably negotiate her case in a reasonable manner. You… do not.”

Riley blinked rapidly at that, then licked her lips.

“Now,” Alex said, before she could start talking. “I’ll make you an offer. I won’t have you hung for your debts, if you agree to call me master.”

“What happened to being fair?” she asked.

“I am being fair. You can call me master, or dance on a rope. The law is already ruled against you. I am merely completing sentencing. I have not affected your case in any way. You can also, clearly say no, and proceed to your foreordained ending.”

“I…” Riley stopped, her lips quivering. “I agree, then. I accept your deal, and will call you Master, Master.”

“Done,” Alex said.

He felt the deal struck, and that it had weighed in his favor. Apparently Riley did indeed have her pride, and he’d just forced her to sell part of it.

“Now, let’s talk about the sentences for those previous charges you incurred. I believe the penalty you were carrying was death. I think we’ll hang you tonight.”

“What? You just said you weren’t going to hang me!”

“No, I said I’d not hang you for the debts. Not the crimes.”

Riley’s face went from bright red, to ghostly white, to red again.

“Don’t worry, I’d like to make you another deal,” Alex said, smiling at her.

“I’ll expunge your death sentence. In exchange, you’ll disrobe whenever I visit your cell,” Alex said.

“I’ll not sleep with you, I’d rather die!” Riley shouted at him.

“I’m not asking you to sleep with me. Only to take off your clothes when I come to call on you. I’ll even put a limiter on it for you. If I visit you more than twice a day, you don’t have to strip after the second time.

“You can always say no, and face your sentence. I’m not forcing you to do this.”

Riley’s jaw flexed as she ground her teeth.

“Will you at least warm up my cell? If I die from getting sick standing here naked, it’s pointless.”

Alex thought on that, the nodded his head.

He didn’t want her to choose death, and her request wasn’t a power play, but more of an extension of being naked.

“I’ll add a hearth on the outside of your cell on my next visit. I’ll be sure to have wood always stocked so I can raise the temperature when I visit. Otherwise it’ll only be a few coals in the bottom.

“Do we have an accord?”

Riley sighed, and hung her head.

“I agree to your deal, and swear it on Leah’s name,” she mumbled.

“I agree, and swear on Leah’s name to the deal,” Alex replied

He immediately felt the deal settle into place.

Smiling with the realization that this would work, Alex tapped the bars.

“I’m waiting,” he said.

Part of this is having power over her. To bend her slowly to ever going deeper and deeper.

So… we must demonstrate that power.

Riley stood up, letting the blank fall from her shoulders. Reaching down, she took hold of the hem of her tunic, and pulled it over her head.

She stood naked before him. Getting a good eyeful, he couldn’t help but be impressed.

Damn, she really is put together rather well.

“Lovely. I’ll be back later tonight with another deal, Riley. Oh, and no one can enter your cell without your permission, except for myself, and the head of the dungeon guards, but he’d need a very valid reason to do so,” Alex said.

“Yes, Master,” Riley said.