Chapter 5: 4 – Behind a smile

They knocked on the door.

After a few seconds, it was opened and the same guard from before led two people into the study and then left after a bow.

The count raised his head and looked suspiciously at his guests. Both of them had long black robes with hoods, only the woman had her hood raised and red and gold embroidery stood out on her right arm. The man was in his 40s, the signs of time had smoothed his features but he remained a good-looking man. He displayed a warm, jovial smile and a calm gaze made him a person with an accommodating impression. At first glance one might call him an innocuous character who inspires confidence, but the calluses on his hands showed otherwise. This was definitely a soldier, and the fact that he showed no suspicious behavior further alerted the Count.

-My noble lord Earl, sorry for the late hour but I guess important news has no timetable, right my lord? -

His gentle voice matched his reassuring appearance, definitely he was a person not to be trusted.

-I am Edo Foren, I am a humble information dealer and, as my profession dictates, I have come here to sell you news that you are sure to find interesting. -

<Definitely a suspicious person.>

-As you said it is late, I have no time to waste. If you trade in information you will know the situation I am in. If what you have to sell me will not be useful to me, we will immediately check whether your heads roll the same way as the others. -

The man widened his smile in response and then with a simple bow took a couple of steps back. The woman who had been silent up to that point spoke up and the room seemed as if it lit up brightly.

- Noble Cattern. It is my intention to help you in your situation, I hope you can grant me that. -

A warm, enveloping voice spread through the air, and as if it had strength and substance it pressed down on Bure's body and spirit. His ears buzzed at this voice. His whole body stiffened and became fixed on the person in front of him.

The woman took a step forward and then slowly lowered her hood.

If that voice had enough strength to crush a man, its appearance left no other possibility of escape. Bure felt himself sinking even deeper.

Long auburn curly hair flowed down her shoulders, emerald green eyes and ruby red lips. Snow-white skin and a gorgeous oval face framed what was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. No, all the other women he had seen so far were phony imitations of women, after such a marvel no other woman for him could ever touch his interest again.

After removing her hood the woman smiled and the world around the Count became dazzling.

-My name is Adelin. I am a simple traveler, and on one of my many journeys I have had occasion to hear something that I believe may be of help to you my lord. -

After speaking she continued to smile and stood there looking at the Count.

Bure's heart was beating wildly, his hands were sweating and his legs were shaking. He did not know why he reacted that way to the woman in front of him. But he could not marvel at how beautiful she was.

After a few seconds, necessary to recompose himself, he gave a few coughs and smiled at her in remonstrance.

-My lady, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Please take a seat. What can I offer you? Ask, and if it is in my power I will be glad to fulfill it. -

<Wait. Bure, what are you saying? What am I doing? >

-My Lord, I thank you for your courtesy. But I think it is more important to give you the information I have. -

-You are welcome then. I will be glad to listen to you. -

The Count continued to smile but in spite of this in a small corner of his mind something kept moving. He was a suspicious man by nature, he did not let his nether regions stir and absolutely would not let his guard down carelessly. Yet, all of himself as soon as he heard and saw that woman gave up, only a shred of reason continued to survive but he was as if crushed and suffocated by a muddy sea that had swept over him.

-Two days ago I was traveling in the lands of Noble Porsen, stopped at a tavern in Agatha's village near her mansion when two men entered the lobby. I heard them whispering about some matters as they looked around suspiciously. I often heard the name of Noble Porsen and also that of another person. Perhaps you know him better than I do. They named the Lord of High Tower Dene Futa. -

As soon as Futa was named, Bure's expression changed. Futa was the Lord Protector of the land beyond the Vanta River where his city was located. Beyond the river was the republic of Norsia, and Dene Futa as Lord Protector administered the fortress city of Gelta and the neighboring territories. There was not a good relationship between the two states and even less between the two regions divided by a river. For a long time their respective ships would cross each other's paths and minor skirmishes would ensue. Fishermen were often arrested for trespassing and then released after paying bail; Bure had long suspected that the peace and quiet that had fallen along the river was not a good omen, and now hearing that name appear in his lands alarmed him.

-My lady, what could you hear beyond that name? -

Bure with a slight smile, continuing to stare at the beautiful woman, tried to concentrate and better understand the situation. But no matter how hard he tried, his mind jumped too much. If he had focused on the woman's words he would have continued to stare at her lips, and from that he was beginning to think about something else...not at all flattering and helpful thoughts were beginning to take shape.

<Damn it. Concentrate. Concentrate old idiot. Even if she's beautiful she's still just a woman and you can't, you mustn't think of anything else. Concentrate.>

Little drops of sweat began to run down his face as he concentrated hard and tried to focus his thoughts on the words rather than on those red hot lips.

-My lord. I am a humble woman unaware of the world. But looking and listening to those people even the most foolish of men would understand that they were hiding something. -

Adelin smiled and two small dimples blossomed on her cheeks, her beauty grew one more level.

As the Count, placing his hands under the table and pinching them to try to restrain himself, continued to listen to the woman.

-After a few moments of whispering another man entered the inn. I remember him for as soon as he entered he eagerly began to look around, then when he spotted the group I was telling you about he went over to them and sat down at the table. After taking a few sips of beer he said, "He promised that tonight everything will be completed, we just have to clear the way." Having said this he looked at the other two as if to confirm that they understood, then got up and left the inn. Shortly afterwards the other two also left. -

Adelin stopped and stopped talking.

The Count looked at his bruised hands as he reflected, he had heard nothing of importance and did not understand what could or should make him curious, but before he could say anything Edo, the information merchant, who had remained silent until then coughed and approached the desk.

-My lord, as I imagine you are thinking, what the splendid Adelin reported is not at all helpful to your situation. But I would not have come here if I had nothing else to bring you. -

Having said this he pulled a letter out of his pocket and handed it to the Count.

The letter was crumpled and stained with mud.

It probably must have been soaked in water for a long time since the lettering was slightly faded but the words were quite legible:

"You will have half now and half as soon as everything is completed. You just have to accomplish your work. As soon as you take payment, leave no witnesses."

There were no names or clues as to who the sender or recipient was, as well as what she had to do.

Bure looked at it a few more moments and then, lifting his head he looked at the merchant waiting for explanation.

-My lord, the letter itself represents nothing, except that it was found on the corpse of a certain Alfen, captain of the guard of the noble Porsen.-

Edo paused for a moment to give the Count pause for thought, then continued.

-As the Count well knows, Noble Porsen's estate was set on fire by rioters a few days ago. In the fire all his family, servants and guards died, the thing that the Count may not know, because no one mentioned it, is that the captain of the guards did not die in the fire, in fact he was not even at the estate. His corpse was found on the riverbank next to a boat, next to him two other corpses.-

Edo stopped talking again and waited for the Count to analyze the situation.

Bure frowned at the merchant's words, if he analyzed the situation, then maybe...

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-Let me guess, the two dead bodies were the guys in the tavern seen by Miss Adelin? So the person who came in and talked to them about clearing the way was the captain of Porsen's guard? Are you trying to make me understand that the captain was paid to let the rioters into his lord's palace? So according to the letter ... he met the other two to kill them since they were witnesses and then go away by boat.-

Edo smiled at his lord, then continued speaking.

-Although you have understood most of the situation, this is still not news that would necessitate our talk tonight, as you will well understand what we have said so far does not help you at all. These are small intrigues that even if discovered do not change the scenario nor your situation, my lord earl. -

Bure began to stare at Edo, indeed if even interesting everything that had been said did not interest him at all. But the merchant's last words made it clear that he might have more to say and that this was only an appetizer.

-Mr. Edo, I do not have all night to spend with you; so if you have no interesting news leave while I am in the mood not to punish you for the time wasted behind your news of petty plots. -

Edo lowered his head in apology to the Count, then turned slightly and motioned Adelin forward again.

-My lord, it was not our intention to waste your time. I have more to tell you, for it seems to be the case that my person happens often to cross the path of suspicious people. -

Saying this he smiled at the Count and then began to tell an absurd story that if told by anyone else would have made Bure think that his interlocutor was trying to tease him. How could someone always be in the right place at the right time and overhear conversations about plotting? If it were someone else Bure would think the person himself was a possibly repentant conspirator who wanted to exonerate himself, but despite all his suspicions and distrust of strangers he could not help but trust this woman. No, he could in no way be suspicious of her, something prevented him from not believing her, he needed an immense effort just to understand that everything was strange but in the end he believed her, he wanted to believe her, he had to believe her.

-I was still in the small town and in the same inn as last time, when in the evening I returned to see the same men I told you about in the alley below the window of my room. Only this time there was a fourth person. To be precise I recognized only two of them, the one we later realized was the captain of the guards plus the fourth man were hooded, probably not wanting to be recognized, I could hear them talking animatedly. From what I understood the two wanted to know who the fourth man was and would not follow the captain unless they were informed of their destination and paid right away. After some groans the fourth man took off his hood and although I was far away I recognized the person. As I told you I am a simple woman who is a stranger to the world, but I know those great figures who are well known to the masses. As soon as I watched the person take off the hood I immediately recognized him and hid in fear I might be seen not wanting to listen and get involved anymore. Everything I told you I decided to report to you only after insistence of my dear friend Edo whom I trust. If he had not convinced me I would not have revealed to anyone what I witnessed. -

So saying, Adelin stopped talking and lowered his gaze, began to wring his hands and bite his lips in what looked like a fearful attitude.

The Count waited for her to continue wanting to know who this person was that even a gracious lady who was a stranger to the mundane would recognize but above all that she was so agitated. She did not wait long, in fact a few moments later Adelin with an anxious look looked at the Count.

-Ector Di Guinoia. The man I saw was the slaughterer of Kalis.-

After saying this he lowered his gaze again and began rubbing his hands even more anxiously.

Bure was shocked at those words. He did not think he would hear that name. If before he had been impressed at hearing that asshole Futa's name, now with the slaughterer he was stuck with it.

<No way. I can't believe her...I wish I didn't believe her...but maybe...if he had been seen there and was involved in the riot then...no! Impossible. She must be lying, I wish she was lying, but I can't not believe her. What if it's all true but I ignore her words? >

It all goes back eight years earlier.

It was the summer of 381 according to the calendar of the Fall. Skirmishes had been going on for 2 years over the borders between Norsia and Pettern, what was initially just friction along the borders escalated into small battles and seemed to grow larger and larger.

The cause was the construction of a new fortress city by Norsia along the Vanta River, today's Gelta. The purpose of the republic was to put pressure on Pettern's trade traffic, specifically to steal some of the trade from the city of Cortoga.

During the construction of the fortress, the Petrian army stood on the border and occasionally crossed it, pushed their way under Gelta's walls under construction and sabotaged its construction. From small attacks on the city under construction they moved on to looting the freight routes and even went so far as to set fire to barns and warehouses in the small villages near the site under construction.

Norsia's response after two years of passivity was to send a raiding party led by what was then only a small captain of only 20 years, Ector of Guinoia.

The raiding party infiltrated Pettern by pushing deep into the plains of Kalis and began the slaughter.

In just two months they burned four villages and killed all their inhabitants. Men, women, children and the elderly, their corpses were found in the center of the burned villages, all without heads. Over two thousand people died.

Young Ector and his band, being only 12 strong, managed to avoid Pettern's patrols and soon burned two more villages, killing their people and taking away their heads.

After another month they were eventually recalled from Norsia; Pettern had signed an armistice to stop the massacres.

In the end, Ector destroyed seven villages and killed nearly four thousand people, but before he left he did not stop inciting horror in his opponents.

The day after his departure, at dawn, a mountain was found outside the walls of Cortoga that had sprung from nowhere.

When they went to check what it was, to their horror they discovered the more than four thousand heads of citizens killed by Ector.

Heads now rotting looked with horrified expressions at the Petternian soldiers. The stench lingered in the air for days despite the fact that they were hastily buried to prevent the spread of news and disease.

But by now the incident became public knowledge, and the horrified and terrified citizens of Cortoga intimated to their lord, Count Bure Cattern, not to draw such a monster upon them again.

Then a few years later it became known that Ector of Guinoia, the slaughterer of Kalis, was removed from Norsia because his atrocities in the war were such as to strike fear into his superiors, he was thought to have gone north, and no more was heard of him.

Since those events an image of him is displayed on the plains of Kalis out of fear and horror, if ever anyone should see that being everyone was urged to flee as far away as possible.

-I...have often seen his image portrayed hanging on the bulletin boards in the center of the villages in the plains, that sadistic smile cannot be forgotten...-

Shivering, Adelin brought his arms around his sides, as if suddenly frost had entered the room.

The Count remained thoughtful for a few moments before looking up at Adelin.

-If what you are saying were true. And mind you, I say -If‖ it were really true...even just the presence of it would cause an uproar. And if Norsia were also involved, which we could not rule out, the matter of the riot becomes even more serious. -

So saying, he joined his hands, resting his elbows on the table and placing his forehead on them in reflection. The matter had escalated, if indeed those people were behind it, then what he thought were just insulting bags of manure could be a much more serious problem.

Perhaps Norsia was plotting to weaken the region before further invasion, or perhaps the slaughterer had only come here in remembrance of his horrible deeds and wanted to recreate new ones, or it was all a lie created by these two crooks.

Thus thinking he raised his head and looking at Adelin, who reciprocated the gaze, suddenly the overwhelming feeling from before returned and all his doubts disappeared. Now only a vague sense of unease and a bursting confidence in the woman remained.

-Well, what you have told me totally upsets my plans. Miss Adelin, I believe your words and will apply all my strength to crush this threat before it can spread and overwhelm us all. Do not worry. -

With a confident smile she looked at the girl, trying to reassure her.

Adelin, still shaken by the tale, smiled slightly at the Count showing her small dimples.

-My lord, if you have no further questions we have nothing more to say to you, we will obey you and let you think about how to act.-

Edo interrupted the two who were looking at each other trying to close the discussion.

-My lord, Mr. Edo and I are grateful to you who have given us an audience and believed our words. I hope you can resolve the situation for the better. I am sure you will do everything, -everything‖ to crush this revolt.-

Adelin smiled as he spoke, but for a moment, a small imperceptible moment, he accentuated his voice as if to impress a command well upon his listener.

Had the Count been in his full senses he would have noticed that small change in intonation, but instead he thanked the two and then, after a few parting words and bestowing a payment on Edo, let them leave.

As he sat in the chair and thought about the discussion while drumming his fingers on the table, those words kept creeping into him until all reservations were crushed. He took pen and paper and began to write missives.

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