The Axe Falls -Ch20- (Patreon)

“Wake up,” came the command.

Taking in a deep shuddering breath, Nick reawakened to the world.

Letting it out nearly as quickly as he’d inhaled, he started coughing. Somehow he managed to get his eyes to open at the same time and looked about himself.

It looked to be the interior of a simple tent.

There was no furniture other than a small camp chair, a section of a log that was upended to be likely used as a table, and a sleeping bag in the corner. Nick was currently tied at the wrists and ankles and laid out on the grass.

“You’re not a knight,” said the same voice.

Turning his head toward the speaker, Nick saw the pretty caster who had dumped a black cloud onto him. She was standing at the entrance to the tent and looked rather non-plussed with the situation.

“No, just a man-at- arms who’s going to receive a knight-hood once the war is over,” Nick said honestly. He didn’t suppose lying would help him out very much and being direct about his worth would assist an exchange.

After all, he was clearly a prisoner at the moment. If they’d wanted him dead, he’d be dead. It was that simple.

“The king offered me a knighthood, as well as count Distis,” Nick added as the woman stared at him.

“Hm, I see,” she murmured and then entered the tent. Moving over to the camp chair she sat herself down, adjusted her dress, then crossed her legs. Putting one over the other in a very refined and unassuming way. “Well, knight-to-be, what’s your name? That way I know what to look for if a dispatch comes through in prisoners exchanges that includes your name. I’m your captor and keeper and any exchange that happens means I’d get paid an appropriate cost as well if let you be exchanged with someone else for the dukes or my commander.”

“Nickolas Dal,” said Nick and then looked around at his immediate area. He didn’t see Ker or any sign of him. “Did… you kill my familiar?”

“No,” said the woman with a very dissatisfied look on her face. “He killed the last assassin while I handled you, then bolted off. I couldn’t even get a spell off in time before he was gone.”

“Sounds about right for Fucker,” said Nick agreeably. He imagined the fisher wasn’t far off and trying to figure out how to get Nick free.

That or eating something and dozing off.

“Who knows, Sire. Though I agree with your assessment thus far,” Lucian said. “Best to be honest and direct. Hopefully we can be traded quickly.

“Also, we leveled up while you were unconscious. We actually made significant progress due to the levels of those assassins. We even managed to hit level ten across all our classes. We can actually move into our first promotion. Though that does present it’s own problems. We’ll need to truly discuss that and what’s to come later.”

Shit. Yeah.

Well, hey, congrats to us. At least we finally managed to hit level ten.

“Hmph. Whatever. If it shows up, it’ll just get vaporized,” said the woman with an ugly smirk. Then she shook her head and looked to him. “So, you’re not nobility, nor are you officially appointed. Yet.

“Right now you’re more like… an officer in the army. But you’re not. You’re a commoner, with some protections given to citizens, but nothing beyond that. Is that about right?”

“It is. Be careful, Nick,” warned Lucian.

“Something like that,” said Nick with a shrug of his shoulders. “Why, gonna throw me in your bed and have your way with me? I’d be up for that. It’s been a while, and honestly you’re rather pretty after all. Not sure how the ropes would help or hinder depending on your kink but that’s a different conversation. Though I can’t imagine that’d be great for your image. Let alone—”

“Sure, let’s do that,” said the caster, tilting her head to one side with a wide smile. “That’d be an entertaining diversion and you can start working off killing my subordinates. Do you have any idea how much it’ll cost to replace them?”

“I… I beg your pardon?” asked Nick, suddenly feeling very confused.

“Let’s fuck,” said the caster, waving a hand at him. “You offered, I’m accepting. We’ll keep the ropes on for now and see how you perform.

“Personally I’m probably on a hair trigger myself. It’s been at least a month or so for me since I got off last.”

Then she stood up and flicked a hand at the entrance to her tent. It closed and tied itself shut, leaving only a little light to shine through.

I mean… eh… it’s kinda kinky. Why not?

Is there any reason I shouldn’t?

“Not… particularly, Sire,” Lucian offered. “Even if someone found out, it would only demean her honor for abusing a captive. Then again… she was part of an assassination squad so honor isn’t her concern.”

Nick saw no reason to disagree.

“Alright, I’m on board. Not sure about the ropes though,” Nick said.

“It’ll be fine. Lets… get started,” said the woman in a breathy tone.

“Any chance I could get your name? That way I know what to call you when I tell you what to do,” said Nick with a grin.

Raising her eyebrows the woman was halfway through pulling her dress over her head.

“Julie is perfectly fine,” she said a second before her dress covered her face. Revealing her very well shaped and proportioned frame. “And you’re welcome to try to tell me what to do. We’ll just consider this me interrogating you.”

Ah well. I suppose being a captive isn’t terrible.

Let’s hope her interrogation isn’t too rough.

I can handle this for a little while.

Two days later Nick was starting to wonder if he was wrong about being able to handle Julie. Her physical need for sex was starting to actually wear on his ability to perform for her.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Nick was alerted to the fact that Julie was returning. Or so he assumed given the heavy trod and clump of boots heading straight toward the tent.

Time for more “interrogation”? So soon?

She just finished up with me an hour ago.

Maybe whatever meeting she went to wasn’t so fun.

Swinging his feet around he got his feet to the grass and sat up in Julie’s bedroll.

He knew about said meeting because every free moment Julie had she spent with him. “Interrogating” him or just talking with him and about what she was up to.

He’d actually freely told her everything he knew since he knew nothing at all. His job had been a bodyguard with little else to do with anything.

Amusingly, it seemed more like to him that Julie was giving more information to him in just talking to him about her day, then she’d gotten from him about what he knew.

The tent flap opened and Julie entered, silencing Nick’s thoughts.

She was wearing her customary dress that doubled as magically enhanced armor. From what he’d been able to deduce, she was a second promotion caster. Likely a sorcerer given she could use spells from many schools.

“Back so soon?” Nick asked with a grin and meeting her eyes. “You know, they probably aren’t going to believe you’re interrogating me anymore. How ya gonna handle that?”

Julie smirked at him and closed the tent flap, drifting over to him.

“Eh, they already accused me of sexually assaulting you. I told them it was mutual,” Julie said and then reached out unexpectedly and smoothed Nick’s hair back. “You’re being traded back to the king. Apparently there was a man-at-arms that one of the duke’s really wanted returned so you’re being traded in tonight’s exchange.

“The price I’m being paid is certainly rather nice, too. Though you still need to work off what you owe me for those assassins. You paid up a good bit of that price but you still owe me.”

“Aww, sorry Julie, you’ll just have to track me down later and take me to dinner if you want me to pay that off,” said Nick with a laugh. He was trying to not think of how nice it felt to have her fingers in his hair.

It’d started in a weird place but he found her disreputable and less than honorable view on the world fun. Not to mention she was rather vigorous in bed.

Nick had enjoyed himself considerably.

Pointing a finger at him she gave him an odd look, her lips pressed together.

“Don’t tempt me, Nick. I might just do that,” she said and then dropped her hand down to her side. Sighing she shifted her weight to one side, sticking her hip out and looking at the ground. “Anyways. I’m supposed to get you ready for the transfer and hand you over to those arranging the transport.

“But… I wanted to… ugh. This is so stupid.”

Using her left hand Julie made a strange shape with her fingers. A small blue sphere expanded outward and then engulfed her and him entirely, then stopped.

“I believe it’s a sound proof barrier,” Lucian said. “Having one up is hard to disguise if someone is actively looking for such a thing.

“As almost anyone would notice if there was a giant missing space in a scanning field. Might as well be a hole in a leather bag with water pouring out.”

“Your charge’s location was given to us directly along with what we could expect force wise. That there would literally be almost no security around her. That if she died we’d even get a substantial bonus. Not to capture her, like most nobles, but to make sure she was put in the ground. Hard not to argue when they send an advance payment that they don’t ever expect to see returned either,” Julie muttered, not meeting his eyes. “We didn’t receive the same level of information on anyone else. Not even close. Just your ward. I’d suspect her father or another relative, if I were you. Someone who would inherit or gain with her death.”

Not waiting another second, Julie moved her hand again and dismissed the blue bubble. The magic fading away very rapidly into nothing.

“It’s just so stupid,” she said, as if she was continuing on from her previous statement. Reaching down she started to pull her dress up. “Whatever. Shut up and take your clothes off. I want another before you leave.”

Huh.

So… Claudia was sold out.

And we know by who without even thinking about it.

Time to pay Charles a visit.

“Indeed,” agreed Lucian a second before Julie got tired of waiting and started pulling at Nick’s clothes after having removed her own.

Unfortunately Julie had lied.

She’d barely waited thirty minutes and then bedded Nick a second time before finally sending him off to the person in charge of the exchange.

***

Stepping clear of the wagon and then moving to the side, Nick looked around.

The prisoner exchange had occurred a distance away from where the two armies were pitched out in front of one another. As if both sides were afraid of the other trying to take the exchange as an opportunity to attack the other.

“Ah, Master Dal!” called a familiar voice.

Looking to the speaker, Nick found Cynthia. Dressed as she always was though wearing a wide and warm smile.

Next to her was Claudia.

Both of them were mounted though they were set off to one side. Looking through those who’d just been unloaded rather diligently.

Apparently for him.

Wandering over that way, Nick felt rather odd. None of his gear had been returned to him as of yet and he felt rather naked without it.

Most especially the family poleaxe.

“Miss Claudia, Cynthia,” Nick said, coming to stand in front of them. He noted Table wasn’t there, though there was a third horse that’d been saddled and readied. “Thanks for coming to get me.”

“How could I not?” Claudia asked, smiling at him. Then she promptly got down off her horse and went right up to him. Without warning or a seeming thought to the action, she hugged him and pulled him close to herself. “You saved me. You saved me and stayed behind so that I could get away. Where else could I be but to welcome you back from what was done for my own sake?”

“Well, I’m fairly certain it isn’t exactly proper,” muttered Nick, awkwardly hugging Claudia in return. “I’m nothing but a commoner.”

“Oh, no, that’s done,” Claudia said, still holding to him. “I demanded you be made a knight. That as soon as you were returned to us and could sign the paperwork, that it would be quite legal.

“I made sure father wrote it as you being my knight, not his. My personal knight, no one else’s I told him I would happily do whatever it was needed of me to become the next countess, that I wouldn’t do it without you being there to assist me.”

Hm. That’s assuming I’d even want to stay.

“I would argue that we’re setting up a good base of operations, Sire,” said Lucian. “Between Ashcroft, Dayton, and our own lands, we have a sizable amount of area we can work out of. It’s ideal.

“Besides, being her knight isn’t a terrible thing. It just means that we have to be a bit more mindful with our actions around those who would take them of note.”

In other words… politicians, nobles, and the wealthy.

“Just right, Sire.”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Nick said aloud, realizing that Claudia was waiting for a response from him. “Though uh… what’s going on here? I wasn’t given much in the way of news while I was being held.

“Also… did… they send my equipment? I was kind of hoping that I could get re-equipped. I feel rather naked without it.”

“It’s all at the mistresses tent,” Cynthia answered as Claudia continued to hug him. “You’re ah… the person that the exchange went through had it sent ahead. Along with a letter.

“It’s sealed against others through magic. We just left it atop the trunk everything was sent in. Your poleaxe arrived strapped to the back of the trunk.”

“Great, thank you,” Nick replied, still patting Claudia on the shoulders. He really didn’t know what to do or so at this point. He knew that the young woman was above his station and that this was incredibly against what would be expected protocol.

Unfortunately, as he was the one with lesser status, it would be best to let her just hug it out.

“It’s alright, Sire. If she’s developed feelings for you, we can use that later,” cautioned Lucian. “Either through marriage or simply friendship. Either would work for us.”

Yeah… that’s… not real nice, is it?

“Politics is rarely nice, Sire. I’m not saying you should try to talk your way into your bed, I’m merely saying she presents us with options for the future. That’s all.

“For what it’s worth, I rather like Claudia. Though we’ll need to tell her about Charles on the way back. Then let her and her father handle it from there. We really should let them settle their family dispute.”

“Hey,” Nick whispered in Claudia’s ear, deciding it would be best to tell her immediately. It would give her a chance on how to proceed with it on the way back.

“Uhm… yes?” she whispered back, her voice catching partially.

“I overheard how this happened Someone leaked information about your security detail, where we would be, and how we’d be alone. On top of that, those that attacked you were paid to do so. They’d get a bonus if you died during said attack,” whispered Nick, leaning into Claudia to keep his voice down. “There’s really only one person who would want to see you completely eliminated, and we both know who that is.

“I would be more than willing to bet on your brother being behind the direct attack on you and why they were so prepared. You’ll need to decide on how you want to take that and in what way.

“Because if we’re being really honest about it, I have no proof. It’s just my word of what I over-heard, and even then, there’s no telling if that information is true. There’s no proof it was your brother. But there’s no one else that would want to have you removed. Until recently, you were just the spare heir. Sorry, but that’s the truth.”

Claudia grunted at that, her body stiffening up for a second. Then she relaxed, nodded her head, and eased back from Nick.

Looking up at him, she gave him a smile.

“I figured it was something like that,” she muttered. “Only father and brother knew about my security detail moving to assist. I talked to him about it at dinner and Charles was there. I should have known better.

“I’ll discuss it with my father the moment we get back. This… this can’t continue.

“Thank you for confirming this, Nick. To me… you’re not just my first knight, but my first real friend that isn’t here just to take care of me. To serve me or pat me on the head. Thank you… for that.”

Nick only nodded his head and shrugged his shoulders. It seemed like the least he could do for her so far, but if she was well pleased with it, who was he to argue?