Chapter 6: Chapter 5: Duke Vermillion

It had taken a little while to navigate past the crowds of the trading district, as the sun inched slowly overhead. Compared to the chilliness of the Hawthorne Wilderness, the relatively warm breeze in Versailles was a much more welcome relief.

The carriage was able to pick up a little more speed, as the hubbub whittled away and the avenue emptied out of the large crowds. With the large increase in breathing room, it was much easier for carriages to park along the sides of the road or navigate in-between the shops, while still giving space for pedestrians to stroll safely by and for traffic to pass down the center of the main road.

The extravagance also slowly ticked up, showing off the wealth of the noble district. Homes and buildings gained more space between them and were larger in size. Fancy tailors and jewelers occupied more storefronts, as well as high-end restaurants flaunting elegant tapestries with copious flowering plants.

It was impossible to miss the Duke's manor, even amidst all this wealth, as it towered over most of the other buildings. The closer they got to it, the more imposing it seemed. The sheer exuberant wealth put on display spoke to the desire to display unrivaled status, befitting of the Duke himself. Vast courtyards extended from the main building, filles with gardens and servant houses all intricately designed and placed to enhance the effect and overwhelm any visitors.

"You know, Hal always said that my fa- That Duke Vermillion built this entire Estate just to satisfy his own ego and show off his status. Before him, our family used to live on just a tenth of the land here. He kicked out everyone else that used to live here and bulldozed it all away..." Diane murmured dejectedly, more to herself than anyone.

She wasn't used to the silence, glancing at all the empty space in and around the carriage.

As the carriage slowed to a halt in front of the gates, a pair of well-equipped guards in half-plate armor with engraved ceremonial swords at their hips approached them.

“Halt. State your busi… ah, Lady Diane. You have returned from the investigation? I will let the Duke know you have arrived.”

Diane breathed a sigh of relief. It seems Gerard, the captain of the guard, was manning the gate today. Out of all the Duke’s guards, he prided himself on his professionalism and was the only one amongst the guards who didn't call her “the failure” or other names.

"By the way, where...?" Gerard halted mid sentence, as he saw the pained expression on Diane's face. "Pay no mind. Open the gates!"

With a click, the well-oiled gate swung smoothly open.

“Thank-you, Gerard. I shall be heading there directly.” She gave a curt nod, and the carriage resumed its course. She paid no mind to the unusual bustle of activity across the estate, focused on the floor in front of her as she tried to rehash her report. Hal and Sir Gregory were always so good with these...

The carriage rattled past numerous pavilions, fountains, ponds and gardens until it reached the grand entryway to the manor. A series of wide stone stairs led up to the ostentatious wooden doors, currently propped wide open. Not one of the many bustling servants moved to open the carriage door, instead Diane opened the door herself and hopped out of the carriage.

“Thistleman, come with me. I need you to report to the Duke about what happened in Kurstwood!” Diane ordered, as authoritatively as she could.

Really? I am being called like any one of these other pissants? ME?! Well, two can play at the game! I had just happened to spy a fun response earlier too....

Thistleman leapt into a salute, wielding a giant grin on his face like a weapon as he shouted “Aye Aye, Boss Lady!”

Diane turned beet red. Not only was the shout excessively loud, but it grabbed the judgemental stares of all the servants and guards in the vicinity. She reeled in confusion for a moment.

“Ah… Ah…. Ah….. Just shut up and follow me!” Diane stormed up the steps and through the door. She tried hard to ignore the usual derogatory barrage passed in hushed whispers around the manor.

**

“Look, the failure is back.” A particularly beedy-eyed servant jabbed.

“Is it true she was born without magic? What an embarrassment! I bet the Duke never hears the end of that one.” A visiting lower noble giggled, just within earshot.

“If I was her I would have already given up. No matter how fancy she tried to make her sword skills, without magic to reinforce them they are just for show.” One of the guards shook his head in pity.

**

Other administrators and attendants plotted in plain sight. More than even the indignity of having to support her, he despised the impact she had on his status, and everyone looking to curry favor with the Duke knew it. The spirit behind the protections of the old laws, made in the Kingdom of Luthas' golden age to end infighting and needless bloodshed within the noble families, had long since been worn down with time. Now only the letter of the law is observed, to the closest degree legally observable.

**

“I heard that the Confederation is having a lot of tension amongst the city states, some might declare no confidence to change out the chairman. Do you think that could be useful?” One adjutant asked another man.

“If that’s the case, maybe the Duke can send Diane to network in one of their lesser households! If another factional skirmish breaks out there, she would certainly be tied in with the losing side and, with her lack of magic, we would finally be rid of her.” A well-dressed advisor interjected.

“We could also send her to serve the church in Dyrrachion. I heard that the church has denounced Emperor Hirihito, so if tensions boil over there, she would almost certainly bite it!”

**

Diane approached the gathering hall, where the Duke would normally carry out his daily duties. Thistleman followed closely behind her, eyeing each and every servant and attendant speaking down to Diane. Their casual cruelty is hardly any different than that of Daemons, Thistleman mused. There was just one small issue he had with that, and it was that currently, looking down on her meant looking down on him.

In time, you will all suffer. I will find a way, you have my word! AND I WILL HAVE THIS WORLD COME TO FEAR US, JUST AS ALL THOSE FOOLS WHO CAME BEFORE YOU FEARED ME.

Us? Yes, Diane too. To be called my master and friend, I will accept no less. She will need to learn to stand on the same stage as I do.

Men, giants, spirits, dragons, gods, and even a legendary hero... to survive against all of those, something of this level was nothing! A malicious, hideous grin snaked across Thistleman's face. It managed to rip all the attention away from Diane, causing the servants surrounding them to immediately hush and recoil.

There was one that looked especially shocked, that damnable advisor who wanted to ship Diane off to die. The man exuded arrogance, and had a sigil of a knight kneeling with his sword before the rising moon etched onto the left-chest portion of his pompous jacket.

Diane spied the reaction from the servants, but before she could spot the source of their dismay, Thistleman assumed a neutral expression, offering her a simple shrug to her concerned glance.

“Ignore the servants. They don’t matter. Don’t listen to them. Don’t react to them. You belong to me and I am all that matters! Since you are mine that means you have worth, you must pay them no mind!” What if he ran away from me too? What if Hal was right... just, I just need to look strong!

Thistleman made a resolute face, and then proceeded to kowtow. He saw a peasant doing that to a noble earlier, so naturally that had to be the correct response. Not to mention, her current lack of self-confidence felt like it could be quite the problem. “Yes, my lady! You are absolutely correct, my lady! Please forgive this one, my lady!”

Nailed it!

Diane’s face turned so red, one could easily mistake it for a sea lobster-stallion. Lobster-stallions are an extremely large, four legged lobster that could easily adapt to either coastline or sea. While somewhat awkward in the water, they can gallop quite readily on land, and are especially known for their sweet and salty flavor. Due to having been hunted to near extinction in Anastasia, they were quite rare these days and were most often imported from hunters in Ebenheim for a nobles' luncheon.

“I… I… focus on your report! The Duke is on the other side of this door! And make sure to treat him with courtesy and respect and no matter what, do not do that ever again!” Diane spun around, shoving the doors with all her might.

One of the guards outside the door opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, before the advisor motioned him to keep silent. Seems the desire to escape from that situation gave Diane a nice adrenaline boost in strength, as a very surprised looking knight watched this tiny girl open the massive doors.

---

The knight stood in the center of the room, wearing full plate armor. His Adamantium claymore was strapped firmly to his to his back, angled to allow for it to be unsheathed with minor effort. On the left side of his chest plate, he sported a sigil of a golden shield, and within the shield's borders two red lions circled an ornate scepter.

A red carpet ran from the center of the room to the head of the room, where an authoritative throne of hewn rock sat. Large purple and gold banners decorated the walls behind it.

One of the four pillars of the Kingdom of Luthas, Duke Vermillion made sure his power was fully on display. His deceptively simple outfit (or at least simply for a noble, which still includes numerous rings with rare gems and a large cape) was designed to emphasize his physique, highlighting his broad shoulders and toned muscles rippling through his tight sleeves. His large stature and powerful, square jaw ensured a completely intimidating package.

His cold blue eyes betrayed no emotion, although when settling upon Diane, he could not hide his disdain. To his right, an aide shuffled through papers at a table, sorting page after page full of notes on the Duke’s decisions throughout the day that needed to be turned into appropriate laws and decrees.

“Duke Vermillion, as we have already spoken at length and concluded the majority of our business, I shall allow our guest here a moment before we finish up. I suppose such an… audacious entrance must be due to something important.” The knight stepped humbly aside to a corner of the chamber.

The Duke nodded for Diane to come forward. The disdain turned to fury in his eyes, the edges of his throne crumbled slightly under his intense grip.

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"So, for what reason have you come to so boldly interrupt my meeting with the Emissary from our esteemed imperial neighbors, and waste the Lieutenants' valuable time?" The Duke didn't spare an ounce of hostility as he addressed Diane.

Diane walked as proudly as she could manage to the center of the room, attempting to fill every expected courtesy as she turned and knelt before her father.

Thistleman, however, didn't move a step past the door. Instead, he stood with his arms crossed, offering nothing but a look of passive disinterest at the Duke, as if he was staring at an insignificant inferior being.

It seemed the Duke hadn't noticed the blatant slight yet due to his focus on Diane, however Lieutenant Septimus caught it immediately. A small smile escaped his lips. Either that child is suicidal, or he has an incredible amount of balls. Perhaps a bit of both?

If this wasn’t a foreign kingdom, and he wasn't in the audience chambers of one of their most influential lords, he would have inducted that brat into the Imperial Knights one way or another. Mad bastards like him make some of the best knights, after all. Septimus gave up his grin for the moment. No use dreaming about what he couldn't have, anyways.

Diane’s eyes were pointed straight down, and she didn’t dare to look up. Her small body was trembling.

“Fath…” she began.

“That is Duke Vermillion to you. Speak quickly!” The Duke hastened her in his impatience.

“Duke Vermillion, per your orders, I took my knights and mage to investigate the loss of contact with Kurstwood, the village you assigned to me. However, when we arrived there… we found the village had been completely destroyed. While we were investigating the city, we were attacked… by a Demon… Everyone… everyone who came with me, they all died… I am not sure how we survived but we managed to escape from it.”

Duke Vermillion realized he had a new method to deal with the stain on his family and his status, and how he could get rid of Diane without question. Failure to protect one's domain through negligence is considered a capital offense, and "proving" negligence can certainly be arranged on his whims. He hid his malicious glee behind a façade of anger.

“So you interrupted my meeting with the Imperial Knight Lieutenant to tell me you allowed your village, the one I entrusted to you, to be destroyed and you managed to get all your knights killed in the process? And that the most information you could bring to me is that it was some Demon who did it? The Demon Lord’s empire is on the other side of the Ocean! There is no way they came all the way from Ebenheim, ignored the Empire of the Sand, and laid waste to one of our villages! You cannot even properly identify the difference between a Daemon and a Demon! And now you come back here in such disgrace, foisting responsibility onto us to right your failures? Such a pathetic showing cannot be tolerated in our Family!”

This is it, the crescendo! The Duke was incredibly pleased with his little ploy. Losing a frontier town to the northern Daemon kingdom could be a minor problem, but not one that couldn't be resolved easily enough with his own military might. But the gift of a just reason to be rid of Diane? He would gladly take it, and repay their gift in blood to raise his standing even further and take his family above the other pillars!

Furthermore, with the Imperial Knight Lieutenant as his witness, he would be able to justify his decision and defend it even if other noble families wanted to intervene in his affairs. Only in extreme circumstances can nobles be truly punished, let alone disqualified from inheritance. This stage finally gave him the tools to do so. Furthermore, he can massage the details to show the nobles as proactive and self-regulating, boosting his appearance and credibility with the masses.

Giving Diane Kurstwood as her only holding was the right decision. A village built so close to the wilderness was bound to get destroyed or raided by creatures marauding from the dense forests, especially if he never provided it any support. Although he hoped such a raid would take Diane down with it… not have her come back. But it was enough.

“Diane, you have disgraced our Kingdom and have proven your incompetence! You do not deserve to be called a noble, and are nothing but a hindrance to any who could fall under you. For the good of the Kingdom, I retract your status as a noble and banish you from House Culaine! Begone!”

Such a performance would be sure to impress Lieutenant Septimus!

If I could spread my influence even into the Empire... perhaps I could get enough backing to replace our pathetic king too.

He was confident in his decision, however he couldn’t garner any clues from Lieutenant Septimus’ face. Except… the Lieutenant wasn’t looking at him at all.

Duke Vermillion followed Lieutenant Septimus’ gaze. Then he realized it… as Diane hurried out of the chamber, her eyes holding in her tears, that peasant was staring at him with clear hatred! He did not bow, he did not pay respects, and instead turned his back on him as Diane grabbed his hand and dragged him through the door!

The nerve to insult me like this! I am Duke Vermillion, and I will not stand for a peasant to look down upon me like this!

He was far too angry for words… the Duke launched a poisoned blade at incredible speed towards Thistleman. While publicly killing his daughter would be considered unacceptable, nobody would care if he killed a peasant who insulted him. However… the dagger never made contact with Thistleman. Strangely enough, it seemed to miss his head by mere millimeters… and struck his advisor square in the neck. The same one who was plotting earlier on ways to ship Diane off to her death.

The Duke stood flabbergasted… he never missed before. Has it been too long since he last practiced his blade? And the commotion… I just merely missed but nobody should have noticed other than the Lieutenant? Then he saw who he had struck…

In the Kingdom of Luthas, it was a regular practice to send children who are not inheriting land to work for other noble families as advisors, administrators or debutantes in their houses, particularly in the hopes of building favor, alliances or seducing inheriting children in to their families.

The person he just killed would bring a lot of trouble indeed, as it was none other than the fourth son of Count Horatio. While the difference in rank was significant… that man alone was considered one of the four pillars of the Kingdom, with the other three being himself and the King's two insufferable brothers.

This blunder would bring far too much trouble, and he needed to find an excuse quickly!

Perhaps if I pin the blame on that peasant as an assassin, and killed him before anyone could prove otherwise… that would work! And I would be able to make the time to find an adequate proxy to take the fall afterwards.

However, before he could speak…

“Duke Vermillion, as it seems you are more interested in petty disputes and killing those within your own halls who displease you rather than deal with clear and active threats to your kingdom and domain, I suppose we have nothing left to discuss here. In the Empire, we do try to maintain a somewhat higher level of civility. As this issue pertains to my mission here, and with the King’s permission, we will be heading north to Kurstwood in your stead. I pray you will have some more restraint with your subjects in the future.” Lieutenant Septimus graced the Duke with a curt nod, before marching out of the chamber himself.

The damage was done. This would bring an incredible amount of trouble his way. Duke Vermillion swore to remember the face of that peasant. He was not known as one of the pillars of the Kingdom for no reason, and once things got settled with Count Horatio…. Which, knowing him, would likely take a very long time… he would punish Diane and that peasant properly.

---

Diane sprinted out of the manor as fast as her little legs were able, dragging Thistleman behind her. She needed to leave here as fast as possible, and her Father was clearly in a killing mood. He even killed Asimore! She was certain that if she didn’t get out of Duke Vermillion’s territory, her banishment would turn to cold execution. Even more so when he felt his pride was damaged, laws be damned.

She spotted the coachman parked alongside a magnificent carriage of black, gold and red hues. Not that it mattered to her at this moment.

“Hey Coachman, we need to leave, now!” She shouted with utmost urgency.

“Aieee… what is the hurry little miss? We just got here… this old man needs his rest… and I am not about to go out on another one of your dangerous ventures!” The irritated coachman sniped back, clearly settling on his earlier decision to try and live a little more peaceably.

“The Duke just banished me and he killed Asimore!” Diane didn't let up, and climbed into the carriage anyways.

“What?!? Ahhh… damnit! This is trouble indeed!” The coachman cursed under his breath.

He knew his career working for House Culaine was over. The Duke would likely vent his anger by killing anyone who was ever closely associated with Diane within his domain, and if he couldn’t outright kill them, he would pressure them and ruin their lives with ruthless efficiency. Although to make such a mistake as killing Asimore…. In his long years working for the Culaine family, that was most unlike him.

“Hyah, time to move again yeh lazy horses!" He only had enough time to give them a small bit of feed and water, and the horses begrudgingly began to trot around the fountain and back onto the road out of the estate.

"I have family in the port city of Njord, and that city is part of the King’s Territory. I can take you there with me, and while I certainly won’t risk harboring you, we will at least be safe from his immediate reach there.” The coachman popped open the slider to the carriage so he could chat a little more quietly with the occupants.

“Thanks… and… I am sorry, but I never did ask for your name.” Diane caught her breath as she spoke, her heart still racing.

“Don’t worry about it… in fact, I would be just fine if you kept calling me coachman. The saving grace of peasants like us is that if nobody ever cared to learn our names, then it makes hiding away from aggrieved lords all the better.” The coachman smiled a large toothy grin as the carriage hurriedly left the estate. Diane also learned a decidedly important lesson on the wisdom of the weak.

Not that I want to be an unknown nobody... but it could be nice to just disappear and be left alone...

“So Diane… are you going to ever let go of my hand?” Thistleman prodded her.

The fact she was still holding Thistleman’s hand after running with him all the way through the manor, and while riding with him in the carriage, suddenly came in to sharp focus. Her hands had gone completely white from how tightly she was gripping on to him.

Her face turned so red, that even the red sheen of the reddest apples could not compare to its radiance.

She made a sound so unladylike at that moment that she swore Thistleman to secrecy on it for the rest of his life.

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