Drake took his time approaching Lord Brightwater. As he understood it, this banquet was going to go on for hours. The capital hadn’t even served the main course yet. He started by verifying his people were where he expected them to be.
Lydia remained deep in conversation with Viktoria, but the brief glance she sent his way assured him she was keeping a covert eye on him. Nicole, Emily, and Valentia were all chatting and laughing in the center of the room, but Drake knew they were also covertly watching for trouble. From that central position, they could quickly run to the defense of anyone.
Samuel and Head Ranger Cask remained deep in conversation as well, with Karth listening in nearby. Drake wondered why Karth was hanging around Cask so much. Perhaps he was next in line to become head ranger after Cask stepped down.
And Marissa, his mother, was... chatting amiably with Lord Proudglade? That was a surprise. The pompous man was even smiling at her, which suggested his mother had already charmed Drake’s sworn enemy. He was definitely going to need to compare notes with his mother after the banquet was over. She’d been doing this a long time.
Having now verified the locations of everyone who’d come in here with them, it was time to see to the rest of his people. Drake started off by greeting each and every one of his zarovians, many of whom looked as surprised to be acknowledged as they were to be here. Korrag, of course, was already busy at the buffet.
As Drake approached, the orange-yellow zarovian looked up. “There are hot crabs!”
“I know.” Drake grinned. “Are these snacks acceptable?”
“Yes,” Korrag said firmly. “Never knew banquets had snacks like this. Why no banquets at home?”
“One day we can change that,” Drake said. “I just wish Xutag could enjoy this with us.”
Korrag visibly sobered. “Xutag tells jokes now to the ancestors.”
Drake nodded. “I imagine the afterlife is a much funnier place now that he’s there.”
Korrag bared his teeth. “Very funny.” He looked to the table again, then looked to Drake. The question was obvious.
“I was just saying hello,” Drake said. “Resume snacking.”
Korrag then grabbed what appeared to be a whole plate of crab legs, a gesture that sent a visibly disapproving member of another manor hurrying away, and leaned back his head while opening his mouth wide. Down they tumbled.
Amused and pleased by Korrag’s impressive appetite, Drake worked his way around the room. He’d ordered all his people to wear small white flowers on their outfits, but not because he wouldn’t recognize them. The flowers were also bioluminescent, a rare breed available only in the capital. He had spent a decent amount of coin to buy one for each of his people.
The banquet hall was entirely enclosed inside the temple. There were no windows, so if the candelabra hanging above and the torches on the walls all went out suddenly, his thralls would be able to find and recognize each other. The lights going out before an attack was just one of many possibilities he’d planned for with Samuel. After a few more months of this, he was probably going to be just as paranoid as the old man.
Drake didn’t stop roaming until he’d found and spoken with every single person at this banquet who served in his manor, many of whom he’d only interacted with once or twice. All of those seemed thrilled and awed by their manor lord’s attention, but Drake wasn’t doing this to bolster his ego. He really did want to let his people know he appreciated all they had done for him... both before and after the Judge tried to have him beheaded.
The only thrall he did little more than nod at was Darion. The man was constantly surrounded by women, including a number who weren’t even part of Gloomwood Manor. Despite how nice being mobbed might seem, Drake didn’t envy the man.
He remembered River telling him that it wasn’t that long ago when Darion had his heart broken. If he wasn’t looking to get back into a relationship right now, it must get awful tiring being polite. Given his dating options were limited as well, Drake knew the feeling.
He found Robin, Gaby, and Carl all hanging out as they always did. They looked to be having a wonderful time, but all immediately went quiet and came to attention as he approached. He smiled to put them at ease and joined their little circle.
“How’s the food?”
“Delicious, lord!” Gaby wore a light gray dress that fell off one shoulder, and she had her blond hair done up in bouncy curls. “This is what I always dreamed about when I dreamed of joining a manor. I’m at an actual noble banquet, in the capital, rubbing elbows with the most important and powerful people in the realm!”
“Not all of them are that important,” Carl reminded her. “Most are just like us.” He wore an outfit similar to Drake’s, except far more plain. He must have brought it from home.
“Are you saying we aren’t important?” Gaby demanded.
Carl rolled his eyes. “Don’t be difficult. I’m saying we’re just as important as they are.”
Robin, meanwhile, continued to scan the room as if expecting an attack. She’d chosen a black dress that clung to her slim and powerful frame, similar in style to Valentia’s save for a much more noticeable slit up one side. She also wore dark black boots.
Drake followed the line of her gaze. “Any problems?”
“Not yet,” Robin said evenly.
“Thanks for keeping watch. Just make sure you find time to eat something.”
“I will, lord.”
“And try and enjoy yourself a little, all right? Without you, we’d never have gotten that anti-venom back to everyone in time. You’ve earned a night out.”
Robin simply nodded. He suspected he wasn’t going to get a more firm commitment than that. She might still feel guilty about Gaby getting darted by kromians on the beach.
As much as he liked these three crazy kids, they obviously couldn’t relax and enjoy themselves with their manor lord standing over them. Drake made his way along one of the banquet tables. He grabbed and munched on a few finger foods as he covertly made his way toward Lord Brightwater. She remained engaged in quiet conversation with her own thralls.
Brightwater held a glass of mead that looked mostly full, which suggested she’d grabbed it more for appearances rather than to get drunk. She remained a cautious manor lord, but unlike him, she had no true allies in this room. Caution would serve her well.
Drake walked past her to the end of the table, snatched a glass of what looked to be sparkling alcoholic beverage from a tray full of those, and reversed direction to approach Lord Brightwater from the front. He didn’t want to sneak up on her. Her eyes met his when it became clear he was on approach. She stared him down until he arrived.
She spoke before he could so much as open his mouth. “What can I do for you, Lord Gloomwood?”
Lord Brightwater’s dress was truly unique, made of a fuzzy green material that almost looked like seaweed. It had a deep V down the front that might make Zuri even second-guess herself, and the large gold medallion she’d worn at the cabal gleamed. Her long frizzy hair was even more Medusa-like now, with dozens of colorful beads hanging at its narrowed ends.
The two men with her were dark-skinned, muscular, and dressed in comfortable tunics and pants rather than finery. Drake suspected they were her personal bodyguards. Even if they didn’t have rarities—which Drake suspected they did—they were likely also talented fighters.
“I just came over to say hello.” He graciously inclined his head. “We haven’t been able to speak like this since I arrived. I wanted to thank you for your support at the cabal.”
“What support was that?”
“You didn’t vote to let Lord Proudglade strip me of my blood pact.”
“You made a better legal case than he did, and my manor was not served by strengthening his alliance. That is all.”
“You also backed the inquisition, which, if only we’d managed to pull it off, might have saved everyone a great deal of trouble.”
Lord Brightwater nodded. “I see your confusion. Allow me to clarify my position. We are not enemies, Lord Gloomwood, but we will never be friends. I represented my interests at the cabal. Just because they coincided with yours does not mean I support you.”
“I see.” She was blunt, but Drake liked blunt.
“I have no interest in an alliance with you, but to ease your worries, I also have no interest in an alliance with Lord Proudglade. If this cabal has proven nothing else, it has proven that tying my interest too closely to any other manor would be a mistake.”
“I understand your position.” Drake considered her a moment. “I also understand that one of my predecessors was responsible for the death of your predecessor. Does that really mean you and I have to remain at odds?”
“Lord Gloomwood killed my predecessor,” she said calmly. “You are Lord Gloomwood.”
He suppressed his frustration with great effort. “You really blame me for that? Even though it was a totally different guy?”
“A debt is a debt.”
“That’s an interesting way to dodge the question.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Do you wish to obtain some concession from me? To offer a deal? Why are you here?”
“To look you in the eye.” Drake motioned with his mead cup. “I wanted to speak to you face to face and introduce myself, if nothing else.”
“Why?”
“Because we’ll need to work together to win this war with the kromians. I don’t care if you like me, but sometimes, as you’ve said, our interests will coincide. So if you’re ever curious about my position on an issue or think you could use my support... ask. I’ll listen.”
Brightwater observed him for a moment. “If that is the case, I do have a question.”
“I’m listening.”
“Why did you invite your zarovians to this banquet?”
“You wouldn’t have?”
“You must understand that you have angered the other manor lords by bringing them here. Lord Mistvale is truly scandalized by their presence, and Lord Proudglade is quietly furious. Was tonight’s stunt simply another of your gambits to enrage your enemies?”
“Not at all,” Drake said. “Not even remotely.”
“Then why are they here?”
“Because they deserve to be,” Drake said firmly. “They fought for my manor on the beach when an army of kromians swarmed over them like bugs. Seven of them died to ensure the rest of us would have a chance to avoid being slaughtered.” He heard his voice growing louder and didn’t care. “I know some here think demihumans are less deserving of respect and courtesy, but that is, if you’ll excuse my blunt words, a load of bullshit.”
Lord Brightwater observed him without expression. “You believe demihumans equal to the rest of us? To any other person who serves a manor lord?”
“I absolutely do. Without the skills and bravery of Sachi, my feral huntress, I might not be here, and without Cresh and my zarovians, we’d all be dead on that beach. I don’t know how the rest of you feel about them, but I invited my zarovians tonight because they’re my people.”
“They are your thralls.”
“They are my people. I protect my people, because that’s my responsibility as a manor lord. Sometimes, I imagine, we forget our blood pact is a bargain that goes both ways. I am compelled to feed, shelter, and protect my thralls. I take that responsibility seriously.”
Lord Brightwater observed him for another moment, then raised her glass in a brief salute. “On this matter, we agree. I had not expected this tonight.”
He raised his glass as she had hers. “On which matter? That we should treat demihumans like people? Or that it’s our responsibility to protect our thralls?”
“We agree on more than you might think.” Lord Brightwater lowered her glass. “Now please, Lord Gloomwood, enjoy the rest of the banquet.” She took a long sip.
That was obviously a dismissal, but she’d also given him a more positive response than he hoped. He’d suspected, given how fair-minded she was in regards to treating everyone equally, she might also feel sympathetic to demihumans as well.
He’d guessed her position on demihumans correctly, and better yet, he hadn’t had to lie or manipulate her. He’d simply told her what he believed. The fact that she evidently felt the same as he did was simply another sign that they could co-existence and even get along.
“Good talk,” Drake said. He made sure to glance at her bodyguards as well, affording each the respect he’d afford his battle maids. “Enjoy the rest of your night.”
Drake took his time approaching Lord Brightwater. As he understood it, this banquet was going to go on for hours. The capital hadn’t even served the main course yet. He started by verifying his people were where he expected them to be.
Lydia remained deep in conversation with Viktoria, but the brief glance she sent his way assured him she was keeping a covert eye on him. Nicole, Emily, and Valentia were all chatting and laughing in the center of the room, but Drake knew they were also covertly watching for trouble. From that central position, they could quickly run to the defense of anyone.
Samuel and Head Ranger Cask remained deep in conversation as well, with Karth listening in nearby. Drake wondered why Karth was hanging around Cask so much. Perhaps he was next in line to become head ranger after Cask stepped down.
And Marissa, his mother, was... chatting amiably with Lord Proudglade? That was a surprise. The pompous man was even smiling at her, which suggested his mother had already charmed Drake’s sworn enemy. He was definitely going to need to compare notes with his mother after the banquet was over. She’d been doing this a long time.
Having now verified the locations of everyone who’d come in here with them, it was time to see to the rest of his people. Drake started off by greeting each and every one of his zarovians, many of whom looked as surprised to be acknowledged as they were to be here. Korrag, of course, was already busy at the buffet.
As Drake approached, the orange-yellow zarovian looked up. “There are hot crabs!”
“I know.” Drake grinned. “Are these snacks acceptable?”
“Yes,” Korrag said firmly. “Never knew banquets had snacks like this. Why no banquets at home?”
“One day we can change that,” Drake said. “I just wish Xutag could enjoy this with us.”
Korrag visibly sobered. “Xutag tells jokes now to the ancestors.”
Drake nodded. “I imagine the afterlife is a much funnier place now that he’s there.”
Korrag bared his teeth. “Very funny.” He looked to the table again, then looked to Drake. The question was obvious.
“I was just saying hello,” Drake said. “Resume snacking.”
Korrag then grabbed what appeared to be a whole plate of crab legs, a gesture that sent a visibly disapproving member of another manor hurrying away, and leaned back his head while opening his mouth wide. Down they tumbled.
Amused and pleased by Korrag’s impressive appetite, Drake worked his way around the room. He’d ordered all his people to wear small white flowers on their outfits, but not because he wouldn’t recognize them. The flowers were also bioluminescent, a rare breed available only in the capital. He had spent a decent amount of coin to buy one for each of his people.
The banquet hall was entirely enclosed inside the temple. There were no windows, so if the candelabra hanging above and the torches on the walls all went out suddenly, his thralls would be able to find and recognize each other. The lights going out before an attack was just one of many possibilities he’d planned for with Samuel. After a few more months of this, he was probably going to be just as paranoid as the old man.
Drake didn’t stop roaming until he’d found and spoken with every single person at this banquet who served in his manor, many of whom he’d only interacted with once or twice. All of those seemed thrilled and awed by their manor lord’s attention, but Drake wasn’t doing this to bolster his ego. He really did want to let his people know he appreciated all they had done for him... both before and after the Judge tried to have him beheaded.
The only thrall he did little more than nod at was Darion. The man was constantly surrounded by women, including a number who weren’t even part of Gloomwood Manor. Despite how nice being mobbed might seem, Drake didn’t envy the man.
He remembered River telling him that it wasn’t that long ago when Darion had his heart broken. If he wasn’t looking to get back into a relationship right now, it must get awful tiring being polite. Given his dating options were limited as well, Drake knew the feeling.
He found Robin, Gaby, and Carl all hanging out as they always did. They looked to be having a wonderful time, but all immediately went quiet and came to attention as he approached. He smiled to put them at ease and joined their little circle.
“How’s the food?”
“Delicious, lord!” Gaby wore a light gray dress that fell off one shoulder, and she had her blond hair done up in bouncy curls. “This is what I always dreamed about when I dreamed of joining a manor. I’m at an actual noble banquet, in the capital, rubbing elbows with the most important and powerful people in the realm!”
“Not all of them are that important,” Carl reminded her. “Most are just like us.” He wore an outfit similar to Drake’s, except far more plain. He must have brought it from home.
“Are you saying we aren’t important?” Gaby demanded.
Carl rolled his eyes. “Don’t be difficult. I’m saying we’re just as important as they are.”
Robin, meanwhile, continued to scan the room as if expecting an attack. She’d chosen a black dress that clung to her slim and powerful frame, similar in style to Valentia’s save for a much more noticeable slit up one side. She also wore dark black boots.
Drake followed the line of her gaze. “Any problems?”
“Not yet,” Robin said evenly.
“Thanks for keeping watch. Just make sure you find time to eat something.”
“I will, lord.”
“And try and enjoy yourself a little, all right? Without you, we’d never have gotten that anti-venom back to everyone in time. You’ve earned a night out.”
Robin simply nodded. He suspected he wasn’t going to get a more firm commitment than that. She might still feel guilty about Gaby getting darted by kromians on the beach.
As much as he liked these three crazy kids, they obviously couldn’t relax and enjoy themselves with their manor lord standing over them. Drake made his way along one of the banquet tables. He grabbed and munched on a few finger foods as he covertly made his way toward Lord Brightwater. She remained engaged in quiet conversation with her own thralls.
Brightwater held a glass of mead that looked mostly full, which suggested she’d grabbed it more for appearances rather than to get drunk. She remained a cautious manor lord, but unlike him, she had no true allies in this room. Caution would serve her well.
Drake walked past her to the end of the table, snatched a glass of what looked to be sparkling alcoholic beverage from a tray full of those, and reversed direction to approach Lord Brightwater from the front. He didn’t want to sneak up on her. Her eyes met his when it became clear he was on approach. She stared him down until he arrived.
She spoke before he could so much as open his mouth. “What can I do for you, Lord Gloomwood?”
Lord Brightwater’s dress was truly unique, made of a fuzzy green material that almost looked like seaweed. It had a deep V down the front that might make Zuri even second-guess herself, and the large gold medallion she’d worn at the cabal gleamed. Her long frizzy hair was even more Medusa-like now, with dozens of colorful beads hanging at its narrowed ends.
The two men with her were dark-skinned, muscular, and dressed in comfortable tunics and pants rather than finery. Drake suspected they were her personal bodyguards. Even if they didn’t have rarities—which Drake suspected they did—they were likely also talented fighters.
“I just came over to say hello.” He graciously inclined his head. “We haven’t been able to speak like this since I arrived. I wanted to thank you for your support at the cabal.”
“What support was that?”
“You didn’t vote to let Lord Proudglade strip me of my blood pact.”
“You made a better legal case than he did, and my manor was not served by strengthening his alliance. That is all.”
“You also backed the inquisition, which, if only we’d managed to pull it off, might have saved everyone a great deal of trouble.”
Lord Brightwater nodded. “I see your confusion. Allow me to clarify my position. We are not enemies, Lord Gloomwood, but we will never be friends. I represented my interests at the cabal. Just because they coincided with yours does not mean I support you.”
“I see.” She was blunt, but Drake liked blunt.
“I have no interest in an alliance with you, but to ease your worries, I also have no interest in an alliance with Lord Proudglade. If this cabal has proven nothing else, it has proven that tying my interest too closely to any other manor would be a mistake.”
“I understand your position.” Drake considered her a moment. “I also understand that one of my predecessors was responsible for the death of your predecessor. Does that really mean you and I have to remain at odds?”
“Lord Gloomwood killed my predecessor,” she said calmly. “You are Lord Gloomwood.”
He suppressed his frustration with great effort. “You really blame me for that? Even though it was a totally different guy?”
“A debt is a debt.”
“That’s an interesting way to dodge the question.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Do you wish to obtain some concession from me? To offer a deal? Why are you here?”
“To look you in the eye.” Drake motioned with his mead cup. “I wanted to speak to you face to face and introduce myself, if nothing else.”
“Why?”
“Because we’ll need to work together to win this war with the kromians. I don’t care if you like me, but sometimes, as you’ve said, our interests will coincide. So if you’re ever curious about my position on an issue or think you could use my support... ask. I’ll listen.”
Brightwater observed him for a moment. “If that is the case, I do have a question.”
“I’m listening.”
“Why did you invite your zarovians to this banquet?”
“You wouldn’t have?”
“You must understand that you have angered the other manor lords by bringing them here. Lord Mistvale is truly scandalized by their presence, and Lord Proudglade is quietly furious. Was tonight’s stunt simply another of your gambits to enrage your enemies?”
“Not at all,” Drake said. “Not even remotely.”
“Then why are they here?”
“Because they deserve to be,” Drake said firmly. “They fought for my manor on the beach when an army of kromians swarmed over them like bugs. Seven of them died to ensure the rest of us would have a chance to avoid being slaughtered.” He heard his voice growing louder and didn’t care. “I know some here think demihumans are less deserving of respect and courtesy, but that is, if you’ll excuse my blunt words, a load of bullshit.”
Lord Brightwater observed him without expression. “You believe demihumans equal to the rest of us? To any other person who serves a manor lord?”
“I absolutely do. Without the skills and bravery of Sachi, my feral huntress, I might not be here, and without Cresh and my zarovians, we’d all be dead on that beach. I don’t know how the rest of you feel about them, but I invited my zarovians tonight because they’re my people.”
“They are your thralls.”
“They are my people. I protect my people, because that’s my responsibility as a manor lord. Sometimes, I imagine, we forget our blood pact is a bargain that goes both ways. I am compelled to feed, shelter, and protect my thralls. I take that responsibility seriously.”
Lord Brightwater observed him for another moment, then raised her glass in a brief salute. “On this matter, we agree. I had not expected this tonight.”
He raised his glass as she had hers. “On which matter? That we should treat demihumans like people? Or that it’s our responsibility to protect our thralls?”
“We agree on more than you might think.” Lord Brightwater lowered her glass. “Now please, Lord Gloomwood, enjoy the rest of the banquet.” She took a long sip.
That was obviously a dismissal, but she’d also given him a more positive response than he hoped. He’d suspected, given how fair-minded she was in regards to treating everyone equally, she might also feel sympathetic to demihumans as well.
He’d guessed her position on demihumans correctly, and better yet, he hadn’t had to lie or manipulate her. He’d simply told her what he believed. The fact that she evidently felt the same as he did was simply another sign that they could co-existence and even get along.
“Good talk,” Drake said. He made sure to glance at her bodyguards as well, affording each the respect he’d afford his battle maids. “Enjoy the rest of your night.”
