“I…I did not…,” the young lord stammered. Ruald barely noticed as he absently accepted the snifter from the intruder. Rezkin strode to the sidebar and poured the man a drink, passing it to him as he returned to stand before the hearth. He stumbled back until his legs struck a chair, into which he dropped like a stone. The letter was warm and innocuous from the outside, but he feared the demons that must lie within its crisp folds.Īs he read through the message, Ruald’s face drained of color and his stomach lurched. Finally, he forced his feet to move across the seemingly endless expanse of the sitting room and gingerly accepted the proffered missive. Dread filled him as he realized that this letter must contain some proof of his father’s alleged misdeeds. Ruald hesitated for several moments, his eyes captivated by the small paper. He held the letter out for the young lord to take. “Unfortunately for your father, you are wrong on both accounts.” The intruder drew a sealed letter from his tunic beneath his amour – expensive, quality armor, from what the young lord could see. And, who are you to carry out such an act? You have no such authority!” “My father may be devious, crude, arrogant, and a terrible philanderer, but nothing he has done would warrant death. You, however, have a vested interest in what happens next,” the intruder replied. “Your father has forfeit his life through his own actions. Why would you tell me that?” He shook his head furiously and said, “Do you actually believe that I would simply allow you to kill my father?” Ruald’s jaw dropped at the frank admission. Without preamble, the intruder simply stated, “Tonight, I am going to kill your father, and I need you prepared to take his place.” “What exactly is the nature of your visit, then?” Ruald asked with impatience.
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