I strode into the hall of Bicman, my expression blank as I looked at the plump man sitting in my old chair, where I had handed out judgment. He had beady eyes, and his greying black hair was thin and wispy. Next to him sat his wife, a beanpole of a woman with a gaunt face that made me think she had been plucked out of a Tim Burton animated film. Their demeanor screamed "unpleasant people".
Behind them were three men. All of them were the picture of arrogance. I knew he had five adult children, three boys and two girls. They were all married, and only his sons came with him to Bicman. The wives and children were absent.
As I fully entered the room, the baron and his wife stood. In a pompous voice that grated on my every nerve, the steward announced me. "May I present Count Bicman of North Cove."
They all bowed to the appropriate level, and I gave them the courtesy of a nod. I would wait until later to tell these people what I thought of them.
Benjamin had left after reviewing the current affairs with the new steward. Actually, according to him, the new steward practically kicked him out after only a day, saying he did not need such a young man, who could barely see in front of his face, telling him how to do his job.
We had discussed several ways to handle this family. In my "Business in a Box" class, I learned about three different types of leadership: autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. Autocratic takes control of everything, Democratic invites discussion, and laissez-faire lets the subordinates handle everything. We thought about using the latter and see if it would bring his defenses down to trap him, but in the end decided against it. First, because it would be harder to gain back control once we lost it, and second, I was worried about how he would treat my people. We needed to bring down the hammer immediately and put him firmly under my thumb.
"Welcome to my barony, Count Bicman. I hope your travels were pleasant." The baron said in a voice that suggested he meant the opposite.
"Thank you, Baron. They were indeed pleasant. I see the table has been set. Let us continue in a more relaxed manner over a meal.”
I paused for a moment as if thinking, “Actually, let us get the matter of the oaths of fealty out of the way. Do you wish to speak for your whole family?”
There was a twitch in the man's calm expression. He had probably planned to use this meeting and set up in order to do some posturing. Maybe allowing me to smell the food after my long trip, but delaying the meal. Rules of propriety dictate that first introductions must be made, and the head of the home is to lead that process.
Instead, I had come into his home and told him it was time to give his oaths and then eat. Not bothering to let him introduce his family or wax eloquent in any long-winded speech.
His wife's face turned red in indignation as if she was about to say something, but the baron recovered and said through gritted teeth, “As you wish, my lord.”
"Will you be speaking for your family, or will they take individual oaths?" I said while giving a pointed look at his wife, suggesting that I saw her almost step out of line. Again, an insult suggesting that his control of his family was not 100%.
This time, his own face turned a shade of pink. "I will be speaking for my family."
Then come forward and kneel. He lifted himself from his chair with effort and took a single step forward before dropping to one knee.
"Do you, Baron Weston Yarbeth, Promise to act with integrity and honesty in your duty. Do you swear to uphold the laws of the kingdom, dukedom, and county to which your barony resides?"
"I so swear," he said.
That was usually all it took for the oath.
"Do you swear to uplift and sustain the people of Bicman. Ruling justly for all your days. Giving all the respect and courtesy that the law demands."
This second part was not part of the oath, but the conversations he had had with others of his household hold, as well as my own people, had been reported to me already, and I was hoping that this would curb his attempts to screw over my people.
There was a pregnant pause before finally the baron said, "I so swear."
I smiled. "Wonderful, let us eat."
It did not take long into the meal before the attacks started to occur.
"This manor looks well-maintained, but it is so small. At first, I didn't realize that it was where the Bicmans lived," the baron said in an off-handed tone.
"That it is, I had thought about tearing it down and building something more grand like in Malcomp, but it was part of my ancestry and the place I grew up. I could not bear to do it."
I saw the gleam in the man's eyes, and I smiled inwardly. He would assume I was boasting and think that I was ashamed of my family's lack of wealth. Then he would flex the might of his own family. And just like I thought, he took the bait.
"Well, it is a good thing that I am of the House of Yarbeth. We have the best builders in Kimton at our disposal. I will be having my Uncle build a new manor here in Bicman. We might even keep this one up to store livestock."
Low blow, dude.
There wasn't anything I could really do about it, though. It was his barony now, and he could build whatever he wanted. I could refuse to let him tear down the old one, but I don't know if the law allows me to force him not to use it as a barn. I would have to check with Benjamin. Not that I minded much. Why not let him waste his time and resources acting like a fool?
"You may do as you wish. I have been elevated, and I will not cling to the past." Putting just a bit of defensiveness into my voice to seal his resolve to build a better manor for Bicman. Perhaps he would even build a castle that I could give to the person who would take his place once I removed him.
"There is the matter of that hill with the monument to peasants." His wife said in a voice that matched her looks.
"Valor Hill is not just for peasants; it is for all those who have given their lives for North Cove," I said, this time with an edge to my voice.
"I forgot that it was only recently you had gotten more than just peasants in this barony. But you cannot honestly say you would bury peasants next to their betters," The fat man said in disgust.
"It will be up to the family of the deceased to determine where they are buried. Valor Hill is a place of honor for all. It has nothing to do with station; it has everything to do with service to the kingdom. The first two people buried there were put there for saving the life of a noble." I could tell my reasoning had fallen on deaf ears from the next comment.
"It is one of the most beautiful locations in this village and deserves to be used for an equally beautiful purpose. I am sure you have not heard of them, but the latest trend in Kimton is gardens built in the manner of labyrinths. They are called hedge mazes," the baroness said as if she was revealing a great secret to a simpleton.
I really wanted to laugh. "Actually, I am quite familiar with hedge mazes. In fact, I helped Baron Sophis design his."
"I did not realize you were acquainted with Baron Sophis," came the shocked reply.
"Yes, I had to trade the man's ideas for information. Getting anything out of the man is like trying to squeeze blood from a stone. He got the idea and design of his hedge maze from me, along with the plans for the sawmill. It is modeled after my original design. When the village is constructed in Cove Town, he will be sending me Starlight Mars for my assistance. "
I could see Yarbeth struggling not to look impressed. "I admit I was surprised when I heard you had a water-powered device that can saw wood. I have not had the chance to look at it. You say Baron Sophis has one. I will have to see if my uncle knows of this."
I held in my laugh. Baron Sophis probably started selling the designs for the sawmill as soon as Baron Weston Yarbeth left for Bicman. He is shrewd enough to know that it would leak to Count Yarbeth as soon as the new baron arrived here. Of course, spies might have already released the information.
"We need to get back to the matter at hand. I forbid you from destroying the sacred land of the county and dishonoring those who have died for the county. As long as my family rules over this county, the monument will stand. Although it should be obvious, an addendum will be added to the laws of the county stating that all county monuments and facilities will not be removed or altered without permission. I hope that you and your family have had time to review the current laws of the county. Ignorance of the law is no excuse for not keeping it."
The baron's face soured. But unlike him, his eldest son had less restraint. "Do you feel that you are wiser than the king or the duke? Do they know you are changing the laws of the land?"
"Hold your tongue, heir of a baron. It appears that you have not familiarized yourself with the laws as requested. If you had, you would know that the laws I have are there to strengthen and clarify the laws of the kingdom. Any additional laws are to shore up any loopholes that an unjust ruler might use to exploit my people or resources."
"Are you accusing us of dishonorable intentions?" he blustered.
I leaned back in my chair to show his words had no effect on me. "Reign in your son, Baron, or I will do so myself." I turned back to the heir and said, "Boy, do you think your family is the only concern I have? I rule over more than just one barony and more than just barons. If you are not familiar with the laws, have them read to you."
Accusing him of possibly not being able to read got the reaction I was hoping for; he shut his mouth and kept it that way. The fact that I called an individual who was at least ten years my senior a boy was also a reminder to behave myself.
"We are not starting off well, my count. Do you not think it would be best if we started off our relationship on a better foot?" Weston said in a placating tone.
I snorted, "Did you want me to ignore the fact that your uncle is trying to seize my lands?"
You could have heard a pin drop in the room at that point. They must have really thought I was a fool.
"Do not tell me that you thought I didn't know. He was not trying to hide it. All three of my barons were sent from Yarbeth. Or did you assume I would just ignore it, afraid to call him out on it? It is the games that nobles play. Always seeking more land? The only question I have for you is why?" I said, pretending ignorance.
There was only silence, but that was okay because I already had an idea of what they were after. The pieces of the puzzle fell into place after several conversations with the people of Mother's Mountain, the Artanes.
During the winter, they told a story of how they first found the pass through the mountains. Five years ago, their people had stumbled upon strangers exploring the sacred lake in the mountain. They call it the Valley of Mother's Tears. They chased them through a narrow pass between our two sides of the mountain, but did not explore further. Juku and his group had recently convinced the head of their clan to let them explore further through the pass. They wanted to know if we posed a threat. At first, I thought the reason the hunters never reported thier exploration to the other side of the mountain might have been that they were worried they would get in trouble for leaving our lands, but when Juku told me of the goods the Artanes traded with the southern clans on the other side of the mountain, who then traded with our people at the south coast, I had a different idea.
What if the hunters discovered the pass and reported it to my father or the steward? The steward was a spy and would have passed it on to whoever was paying him. Whether that was Count Yarbeth or the information was sold to the count, it didn't matter. One reason he may have wanted Bicman was to access the pass, to get direct access to trade goods. This was made more apparent after Juku showed me the rock crystal and that it was valued. If they count on the south being able to get a supply of goods that Yarbeth wanted, wouldn't it be a good idea to find a way through the mountains that would give him direct access?
After Juku left, I tried to find out what happened to the hunters who had crossed the mountains. The only thing I found is that five years ag,o a group of three hunters went missing.
That meant the Rabis Raid was not only to make the king look bad but also to make Count Vaspar look like he was not able to protect his lands. It was an attempt to either get it away from him politically, or Count Yarbeth could purchase it from him once the Rabiss pundered it, leaving nothing behind.
I wouldn't be telling this to the baron, of course. Instead, I would be sending a letter through the pass and down to the count that owned the land, which traded with the cousins of the Karr. It would bypass Yarbeth, who could intercept the letter. I could expose Yarbeth's plan to steal his business. Then we could make an alliance of our own. Benjamin said the name of the count was Donald Bolster, and his son was a baron on the border. I would love to see the surprise on their faces when they got a letter from me that wasn't coming down through Falmoren roads.
"So what if my uncle is looking to expand his influence? I wanted a barony, and he found me one. If I prove myself here, he will grant me more land. This land gives him access to a larger portion of the mountain range. A resource you have never had enough people to fully utilize," Baron Yarbeth said, trying to compose himself.
I chuckled. "Yes, it makes perfect sense. At least it would if not for one fact, the reports I received say that you have not brought any miners with you. Just farmers. It seems the Count must also be short on miners."
"My uncle has the biggest mining operation in Kimton and is the only count allowed to mint gold. His wealth is greater than half the counts in Kimton put together."
"Speaking of wealth. I wonder how much money someone would have to spend in order to convince the Rabiss to come and raid my lands? I mean, the profits would be mediocre at best?"
"Are you accusing my Uncle of-"
I held up my hand. "Of course not. It could be Turabe for all I know. Of course, what I know may be more than what your uncle thinks. But I would like you to pass on a message for me. He really needs to be careful of whom he puts in baronies he acquires. Plimgus was not very careful with information, which may be why he is dead."
I stood up, "I think, my dear Baron, it is time for me to leave. I have lost my appetite, and if I travel to Kerisi, I can check up on my projects there before departing tomorrow morning for North Point. Our troops will be gathered there in two days, and we must all be there to see them off."
With that, I stood and left. I had kicked the hornet's nest, but hopefully, they would not be too hasty to move against me since I had just let them know I had blackmail. I had to admit. That was kind of fun.
John of the Mitt Trading House
John was usually a patient man, but what had happened in Vaspar left him furious. It had taken three days just to get out of the city. The moment he mentioned he was heading to North Cove, the dock master held him, his sister Sherry, and little Abby for questioning. Three different officials dragged him through their tedious inquiries, all because he refused to pay a bribe. Paying off petty extortionists went against his principles, unless there was profit involved. Since he wasn’t trading goods this time, he held his ground.
It probably wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't had to smooth things over every time Sherry opened her mouth. He thought that the ship ride was bad, but being stuck with her in Vaspar was even worse. He didn't even know if he could ever forgive his wife for this.
A day of digging uncovered the truth: the new count had been harassing anyone bound for North Cove. Caravans were even barred from the roads leading there. Everyone claimed it was “bandits” who demanded fees and forced travelers to turn back, but nobody was fooled. This couldn’t last forever, of course. Nobles were expected to keep their lands clear, and if a baron failed to maintain the kingdom’s roads, it damaged their reputation. Being labeled a robber baron might get you the death penalty.
So they left Vaspar through another gate and made their way toward Yarbeth County. He left Sherry in a good-sized town right along the border between the two counties. It took a while to convince her that the roads were not safe for Abby and that he would return with soldiers from North Cove to escort them the rest of the way.
He backtracked a bit, and after a time, he turned off the road and threaded through the trees. Amos had better appreciate all the effort he was going through; coming all the way to North Cove to steal Amos's ideas and securing a lucrative trade deal was no small thing. Half a day later, he emerged from the woods onto a narrow road, following it northwest until it joined the North Road.
He cursed again when the rain began to fall. Still, he pressed on, deciding the weather worked in his favor. With luck, the count’s bandits would be huddled indoors beside a fire rather than patrolling in such foul conditions. It was in the middle of thinking these naive thoughts that he heard a whistling sound and then a thunk on the rump of his horse. This was only a rented horse from the stables of Vaspar, so it was not able to handle the sudden pain of a rock striking it.
John soon found himself on his back, with his pain radiating from his head. The world swam before his eyes as he looked up at three hooded figures.
"This looks like our guy. Go get his horse. The rest of you know what to do."
The next moment, the pain began, and nothing else mattered.