It wasn't until the day of Lord Kel's banquet, the day before I'd planned on leaving that I was introduced to a prospective advisor.
And from a surprising source.
Gil and Ril sought out to discuss the possibility of leaving Lord Kel's service and joining mine. I was hesitant at first; I rembered vividly their vanishing act as they waited in ambush for the appropriate ti to act during the battle in the Sumrlands. I wasn't so much bothered by the tactic, as much as the fact they hadn't inford that was how they fought.
As I thought back to the encounter, I realized that my bias may not have been fair, we'd barely had any ti to chat about anything before we'd been kidnapped. And in the end, they had acted. Their ability to bend light could be advantageous. Especially if they worked in concert with the Aziza as part of a departnt that handled espionage.
After an exhausting discussion with Uron and Cedric, I decided to set aside my concerns and allow them to sign contracts and swear loyalty oaths. I still assigned two Aziza as liaisons. Permanent partners that would be able to keep tabs on them.
"Welco, Gil and Ril. I'm really happy you've decided to join my House. I know it must have been a difficult decision, to leave an established Fief and sign up with my House. After all, there is no guarantee that I'll ever be able to establish a physical fortress. There may be months or years of political shenanigans, and Rank challenges before I get even close to putting down roots."
"That said, I do have the beginning of an idea and so plans on how to secure my House. I really hope to have that done soonest. Because as you both are aware, the Sidhe have bigger issues ahead. This factional enmity that has existed between the Seelie and Unseelie needs to end or it may just lose our races the Sumrlands.
"We don't have to start singing Kumbaya, but we damn well better get our act together soon or it's going to be too late."
"Kumbaya, Your Highness?" Ril asked in confusion.
"An old spiritual song I ca across. A plea for the creator to intervene and solve all of the problems of the world," I explained, not exactly the aning behind the song, but close enough.
"It's been my experience that wailing and pleading for help from the Gods is a waste of ti. The Gods tend to help those that help themselves." A bit pedantic, and not exactly true, I thought. SYSTEM went out of its way to help , even if I still didn't understand exactly what help I'd been given. And if technically SYSTEM wasn't a God.
"Cedric can catch you two up, on where we are, gentleman. But your direct superior will be Uron, he has been appointed my Captain of Guards and will be responsible for your training and schedule. Get with him and Basil to inventory what gear you have, if it needs repairs, and what we need to get to outfit you. We'll be leaving soti tomorrow."
"We have to attend this damnable banquet at Lord Kel's this evening. I hate dog and pony shows," I said in frustration.
Uncertain how to react to my mini-rant, Gil imparted the one piece of good news I'd had that day.
"Your Highness, Majordomo Tulley requested we pass on a ssage. He has a niece. She's been training with him for decades, he will attest that she is talented and has Expert level skills in diplomacy, strategy, and managent."
"Kel Fief has very few opportunities for soone of her abilities. He is afraid if she isn't given an opportunity to grow, with responsibilities comnsurate with her skills, she will begin to stagnate."
"He wonders if you would be open to interviewing her for a position. He has supplied with a reference and is willing to attest that she would be an exemplary Seneschal or Majordomo."
Honestly, I couldn't have been happier if soone were writing this stuff for . Just when I was about to give up and hope to find soone not totally corrupted by politics in the capital, this stroke of luck provided exactly who I needed and was looking for.
"Henry," I said in glee, "contact Majordomo Tulley and schedule an interview with the lady as soon as possible. Yesterday wouldn't have been too soon."
"Gil, did Tulley happen to ntion what rank and level she was?" Not that it mattered, I'd accept a peon and train her up myself at this point.
"He ntioned that she was a mid-level Knight. She had already attained the highest-level Lord Kel allowed for those living in his desnes."
"Oh?" I wondered.
"If I may, Your Highness," Henry said standing and preparing to leave the room, "Lord Kel has a strict policy that no resident within his Fief can attain a level higher than Knight - level 6. He feels confident he can suppress any individuals who may entertain the idea of rebellion or replacing him as Lord by enacting this level limit."
Henry didn't stay around to gauge how I would respond to that bombshell, quickly departing to contact Tulley.
It made a strange sort of sense. And explained Thom's actions. The rot in this Fief was systemic, the flow from the top, and touched everything under Lord Kel's control. Thom's belief in his entitled rights were made manifest because he learned those character flaws from his father. I honestly felt that Lord Kel had done Caraid a favor by neglecting him. And it explained the disparity in their dispositions. One exuded honor and integrity. One sloth, greed, and contempt for any but themselves.
"Cedric. What is going on with those weapons we looted from the Olympians? Anything co of your talks with Blacksmith Dar or his people?" I asked.
"Dar spent most of the ti dodging my requests for etings. I had to use an extre asure to even get him in the sa room."
"I'm afraid to admit that I used your na and Rank to coerce him and his people to finally agree," Cedric admitted.
"It wasn't until I pointed out that you would soon be eting with Queen Mab and King Lugh that they realized that refusing to discuss may lead to unforeseen repercussions."
"I hinted that you would make known that they were involved in the kidnapping plot and attempted assassination you had recently been subjected too."
"Smart thinking. It may an we have lost any chance of establishing favorable relations with him and his shop, but we are leaving the area soon. So, really the only way for him to retaliate is to inform Lord Kel of your line of inquiry," I said praising Cedric.
"Did he have any information on who may have purchased those weapons?" I asked.
"He tried to hide behind the sanctity of contracts and the buyers right to privacy, but after I pointed out that you may consider his decision to protect those that would attack you as complicity, and consider his decision to protect and harbor those that would harm you, proof that he was working in tandem.
"If that were the case, you may have no choice but to destroy, root and branch, those that would give comfort and aid to the enemy.
"He finally agreed to open his books and allow to examine transactions. He didn't go so far as to actually help or direct his people to help . Once a raft of papers, mos, sales receipts, and custor database were provided he ignored and the problem.
"The crystal assistant you provided, allowed to wade through the legion of docunts. I sure Dar had no idea you had supplied the latest technology in compu-crystal technology. It was ti-consuming, but I was able to scan every docunt he provided.
"The imaging software was able to match and cross-reference the Maker's Mark. Interestingly, there was no receipt for the sale of the weapons we confiscated."
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