Fostering Faust 2, page 25
part #2 of Fostering Faust Series
“I think I should find whoever designed this keep and hire them to rebuild Brit’s. This seems much more defensible,” Alex muttered, closing the book he was reading.
He was bored, with little to do.
The citizens who had stormed back into the keep with him had all been recruited into one job or another.
Manning the walls, digging latrines, or prepping food.
Alex, Eleanor, and Rebekah were the only three spared of a duty other than Alex. Everyone insisted that he remain apart and separate.
He imagined they were doing that so he’d argue for their safety if the time to surrender came.
“And that seems ever more likely,” Alex said, slumping into his chair.
“What’s that?” Rebekah asked, closing the door behind her.
Alex hadn’t even noticed her entering his private study. She came and went as she pleased now.
Without Riley to hold Eleanor and Rebekah in line, they were both exploring just how far they could get with Alex. One way or another.
“Mm, just thinking,” Alex said, eying the woman. He could never be sure what she was thinking. He knew her personality type and what her ultimate goals were, but it was hard to pin her down in the day-to-day things. She’d welded this personality onto herself so well—that of his personal thief and concubine—that he wasn’t sure where she began and the act ended.
“About what?” she said, coming over to stand behind him. Her hands came down on his shoulders, and her fingers began to lightly toy with his neck and ears.
“What I’m going to have to do to get everyone out,” Alex said honestly. “I think I’m going to have to barter myself in an exchange.”
“You think so?” Rebekah said, her thumbs and forefingers pulling on his earlobes, drawing them down.
“Maybe. Not sure. Really comes down to how much the duke wants to capture me or kill me. Capturing me gives him something to exchange or work on with the duchess.
“Killing me does very little for him,” Alex said. “The bigger question is… if he does offer a parley and an out, how hard do I push back?
“The duchess herself did say she didn’t think they’d retake the city.”
“Do they know you’re here?” Rebekah asked, her fingers scratching through his scalp.
Alex made a curious noise, not quite sure what she meant.
“Does Duke Gaelis know you’re here? He may not even realize. You seem to assume he’s aware of your movements,” Rebekah said, her fingers moving back and forth.
“That’s a good point,” Alex muttered. For the last week since they’d holed up here, he’d assumed the duke knew he was here. It was just as likely he didn’t know. Especially if he didn’t care to know.
“How about you work off a little energy with me, and then you go take care of things?” Rebekah asked, leaning down over his side. Her chest was pressed into his back and shoulders, her lips pulling at his ear. “It’s a new month, after all.”
Alex didn’t argue. He took the offer immediately.
An hour later, he had his soldiers waving a large white flag atop the gatehouse.
All attacks stopped within a minute of its appearance. A short time after that, a mid-ranking officer on a horse stepped up to the front of the ditch.
“Are you ready to surrender?” the man called up to the gatehouse.
Waiting inside, Alex had been unwilling to leave just in case someone did show up. He hadn’t wanted to risk the person leaving before he got a chance to speak with them.
Quickly going up the ladder, Alex went to the edge of the wall and leaned over it.
“My name is Alex Brit, also known as Count Brit,” Alex shouted down to the other man. “I would ask a formal parley with the commander of your army.”
The man on the horse looked confused. In fact, Alex would have said he looked like a statue, so still and quiet in contemplation was he.
“You’re Count Inferno?” asked the man.
Alex checked a sigh. “Yes, that’s me. Count Brit, of Brit, in vassalage to Duchess Tanulf. I would ask to parley with whatever member of the peerage is in charge.”
Once again, the soldier was silent before his head dipped down fractionally.
“I shall relay your request immediately,” said the soldier.
“Do I need to get back under cover?” Alex asked pointedly. “Or do I have your word that hostilities are being ceased until a parley can be accepted or declined?”
“Ah… yes… Count. Yes. Hostilities will cease until we can speak with our commander,” said the soldier, turning his horse around.
“They didn’t know you were here,” Rebekah said, one of her hands resting in the middle of his back. Her fingers began to lightly trail up and down his spine.
The unspoken request for validation felt like a shout in his ear.
Smirking, Alex watched the soldier ride back down the way he’d come.
“You were right, Seven. If you haven’t noticed it, I do value the input from my Numbered,” Alex said. “Between the two of you, I’m well taken care of.”
Eleanor nodded. “You do seek out our counsel. I’m quite happy to be consulted.”
Which flatters and soothes your poor ego. And for Rebekah, directs her performance.
For both of you, it does you many favors that I ask your opinions.
“Do you think he’ll entreat with you?” Eleanor asked.
“I sure hope so, Six. Otherwise, we three will end up being killed and left to feed the crows,” Alex said. “Well. Hopefully. Being killed outright might be preferable.
“The idea of being captured, rather than surrendering or negotiating a cease of hostilities, is pretty awful.”
Letting out a frustrated breath, Alex saw an opportunity pop up. One that might help him bend Rebekah a bit further.
“Though, I think he’ll haggle with me. It’ll come down to how many people I’m able to protect versus what he thinks he can get out of me,” Alex said.
Rebekah’s fingers stopped on his back for a second. He could practically hear her thoughts coming to a dead stop inside her head. Several seconds passed before her fingers started to caress his back again.
“I’m sure you’ll do all that you can to spare everyone,” Eleanor said. “But if it should come to it that you must sacrifice some of the commoners, that is what must be done.”
At that moment, Alex wanted to practically thank Eleanor for her words. Rebekah would never see herself as anything other than a commoner. Even if Eleanor wasn’t intentionally talking about her.
The fact that she was already a retainer or attendant wouldn’t matter to Rebekah.
“I think you should take a load off, Master,” Rebekah said, easing in closer to his side. Her breasts were pressed up against his arm. “I’d be willing to bet it won’t be an immediate reply. They’ll have to find the duke, and I bet he isn’t here. And whoever is down there in charge won’t want to deal with you.”
“That’s a very good point, Master,” Eleanor said, standing up straighter. “I’ll use this opportunity to speak with the soldiery. Get a meal in them, some water, maybe a nap.”
Eleanor clattered down the ladder, vanishing from view.
“Come to our bedroom,” Rebekah said, pulling at his elbow. “We can knock a little more stress out and maybe have a quick chat.”
Uh huh. More like… have a chat and see what you can get out of me while I’m primed to pump you.
Alex let himself be dragged away, though. Rebekah was right where he wanted her. With any luck, he could turn her into a full Numbered shortly and have her settled up.
Then he could start turning her personality further and further.
Except, before she’d even gotten him out of the guardhouse, a call came up from the other side of the wall.
It was a simple single note from a horn.
Glancing over his shoulder, Alex only hesitated a moment before heading in. Moving straight back up to the position he’d been at before, Alex was surprised.
It looked as if the duke himself was riding his way. Or so Alex guessed from what he’d heard of the man.
He was as old as the old duke of Tanulf had been, and he looked it as well. Gray hair, a fleshy face, and wrinkles that seemed to etch each inch of his face.
With him was a squad of soldiers that looked to be his personal guard.
Alex raised his eyebrows, surprised. Either the duke had in fact known he was here and had been hoping to simply kill everyone outright…
Or he was already using the city as a base of operations, despite the keep not having been completely taken.
Neither of which really sounded like a good idea, but maybe the duke didn’t have that many options available to him right now.
Maybe I have more power in this situation than I thought. But how do I figure out what it is?
I should invite him in. It would give him a chance to see the state of our affairs, sure, but it might give me a clue as to what he wants.
Let’s see how he plays it.
The duke stopped at the edge of the ditch.
“Ho there, Count Inferno,” the duke called up.
“Hello Duke Gaelis,” Alex called back, annoyed at the nickname.
“May I come in and speak with you in a civilized fashion? I would swear that no hostilities, attacks, or any form of treachery would occur,” said the duke, already touching the pin at his collar.
Ok. So… yes. He wants something in the keep. Let’s see where he’d like to go.
Looking to Rebekah, whose head was sticking up from the ladder, Alex gave her a tight smile.
“Get a tea service for two put together in the main receiving hall attached to the throne room,” Alex said.
If he was going to entertain the duke after all, he might as well make sure it was done politely.
Turning back to the ditch, Alex nodded visibly.
“I’ll make the arrangements,” Alex said, then pressed his fingers to his pin. “And I accept your offer and swear the same oath to you.”
Looking relieved, the duke bowed his head to Alex.
***
Releasing the duke’s hand after shaking it firmly, Alex stepped to one side and gestured beyond the gatehouse.
The duke smiled and nodded, taking the first several steps.
Walking into the courtyard of the keep, the duke looked around in every direction. His personal guards had remained in the gatehouse itself.
The duke was either attempting to exude power, or he trusted in the pin oath to protect him.
To be fair, it wasn’t as if killing the duke would save Alex. Nor would taking him prisoner.
“You do seem well fortified and prepared,” murmured the duke, his eyes looking to the inner buildings and walls.
“Yes. Whoever constructed this keep put some serious effort and time into its construction. The city and keep itself is a very defensible location,” Alex said. Then he decided to bait the trap for the duke. He’d make it obvious that he was aware. “It’s a wonder the earl fled so quickly. It’s as if he was caught unaware of the possibility.
“There was very little in the way of prepped food in case of a siege, despite his location on a border with you.”
None of that seemed to budge the duke.
Alex only really had one thing left. Something that seemed pretty clearly to be an intentional payment.
Even if it made it seem like Alex had more proof of wrongdoing than he did.
“He even sealed his treasury with a wax seal. A very strange thing to do,” Alex said.
Turning to Alex, the duke had a suspicious look on his face now.
“I take it the treasury was empty behind the seal?” asked the duke.
“I have no idea. I didn’t break the seal. I left it as it was. The earl is a higher rank than I, and the duchess only sent me here to reinforce Gers,” Alex said honestly. Which was true—the seal on the treasury was unbroken. It just hadn’t been put there by the earl. “It’s beyond my personal authority.”
The duke nodded. “It certainly seems strange for Earl Gers to do that.”
Looking ahead, Alex decided not to respond. It was something he could bring up once he had the duke alone in a room.
Moving through the keep, the duke no longer seemed as interested in everything around him.
That was what the duke wanted to know about. The treasury, and little else.
Did he overspend, or budget expecting to use the treasury?
Hm.
Rebekah was dressed perfectly, well groomed, and looking as dolled up as she could manage. She was acting as his personal maid right now, pouring tea into both cups without looking out of place. Then she set the teapot down.
The duke sat in the chair that was clearly meant for him and looked at Rebekah.
She’d taken up the small saucer of sugar and the tongs that went with it. “Sugar, Duke?”
“No, I’ll take it straight. Thank you,” said the duke, looking at Alex.
In other words, he wants me to dismiss her.
Rebekah immediately went to Alex’s cup and dropped in several cubes. Setting down the saucer, she adjusted the teapot.
“That’ll be all. Thank you,” Alex said, smiling up at her.
Rebekah took that dismissal well and exited the room, closing the door behind her.
“Fairly domesticated for a commoner,” the duke sniffed, picking up the teacup.
“Yes, I do find her useful,” Alex admitted, picking up his own teacup. “Honestly, commoners seem to be quite well suited to training. Those from merchant families and the lower strata of the peerage don’t take to it as well.”
It sounded rather ridiculous even as he said it, but he imagined it’d fit well with the duke’s own sensibilities. Which was only confirmed when the older man started to unconsciously nod his head.
Part of any good negotiation involved one party feeling a bond with the other. Alex was managing to quickly hit the right notes.
Alex noted the way in which the duke was carrying himself right now. He seemed relaxed, ready, his right hand under his chin.
Mirroring the pose, Alex smiled at the other man.
“Would the duke be so kind as to allow me to be direct? I feel that I tire of this entire situation and would want nothing more than to take a seat on the sidelines,” Alex said. He was tuning his speech to what the duke wanted to hear. Assuming that the news the duchess’s forces were weary of this and wanted out would be a good thing in the duke’s mind.
The smile on the older man’s face grew even wider.
“I’m sure I could tolerate some directness. It would be better than this fencing of words the duchess seems to be favoring as of late,” said the duke accommodatingly.
Taking a sip from his teacup as the duke spoke, Alex chuckled politely. “Then I thank the duke for his consideration.”
Sighing, Alex changed his posture, making sure he sat in an “open” stance, facing the duke square on and leaning toward him.
“I want to surrender into your care under the laws and governing rules of the peerage. Not as a prisoner, but as someone in your care with a ransom to be paid,” Alex said, making sure to emphasize being a ransomed member of the peerage.
Rather than a prisoner.
“Oh? I wonder about that. It wouldn’t take that much more pressure to have this keep knocked down,” said the duke.
“Maybe. Maybe not. It would cost you soldiers to do so, though. Soldiers and time,” Alex said with no heat. He wasn’t trying to threaten or attack the duke. Only explain the cons to the suggested action. “On top of that, I’m sure it’d get out that a count offered a surrender on neutral terms, and it was declined, resulting in that count’s death.
“I would imagine that the war itself might change after that.”
That got the duke to shift in his seat.
There wouldn’t be the possibility of him hiding the fact that Alex had attempted a surrender. Too many people would already be aware of the fact that Alex was here now and had asked for a parley.
If there were any captives in the duchess’s dungeons, they might share a retaliatory death in response to Alex’s.
After that, there was also the possibility of the king asking questions.
“I’m not asking for much,” Alex said, getting back to the pro side of the equation. “I’d be willing to forswear any ownership over the treasury and the two pay chests I brought with me that are still here.
“I’d state formally that the treasury was untouched by anyone and has remained sealed since the earl left. That you rightfully took the entire contents as your prize as well as my pay chests.”
It was the simplest way to set the duke on the hook, offering him the easiest way to claim it without a fight.
“And what would you want for that?” the duke said, keeping a tight leash on himself.
“Your personal assurance that my immediate attendants, two women, would be treated accordingly of their position to me. They’re all I have left of my inner-court here with me. The rest have perished or fled,” Alex said, once again being honest but skirting the truth. “For the rest of those in the keep, I would ask that they be treated as personal guards to me. To be protected from the abuse that would be common with a siege and put with soldiers who would be eligible for prisoner exchange. Both the citizens and the soldiery. That’s all I ask.”
The duke’s brows came down a fraction.
“You only ask for the safety and well-being of you and yours—that’s all?” confirmed the duke.
“That’s all. Other than the normal accords granted to the peerage and their attendants by the statutes of the empire,” Alex said.
He’d have to ask what people normally asked for in situations like these later.
Perhaps a percentage of the gained assets? I wonder if it’s more of a financial thing.
I’m sure it is.
The duke waved a hand faintly. “That’s not a problem. You would forgo any hold over anything in the city, for the safety and safe conduct of your people and yourself?”
The way the duke phrased the question made it seem like Alex’s earlier thought may have been correct about missing some normal concessions. Alex just had no way of understanding it.
