“My cousin governs a state that backs into the Kingdom of Seth. Supposedly the land at his border is governed by a Duke by the name of Ross, but last I heard he was quite the elderly man,” he said.

“Aha, Yes. My Father must be the man you’ve heard of. It’s a tradition in Seth for men who carry the House to also carry the same name. My father was Edwin Ross as well,” he said. “Though I don’t know whether to be worried or prideful about that look on your face at the sound of my family name. Please tell me we do have a reputation that precedes us,” He implored, a devious smile spread across his lips.

“You are well aware no such reputation follows your name, now behave yourself.” Gil couldn’t recall hearing the woman speak since she’d been introduced. He’d remember such a melodic voice. It carried the words of that chiding to a much more satisfying end than several of Lady Aslopp’s songs.

“Any Lord worth his salt is hopeful to hear that his name speaks for him!” Warren chimed in with a laugh. The lady flashed him a small look of annoyance. Perhaps it was for goading on Lord Ross.

“Ah, well, not any Lord,” Lord Aslopp added, leaning forward to offer the man across from him a taunting gesture. “I’m sure Lord Withrop here isn’t elated at the idea of having to count ten paces every time he enters a room.”

“My dear, is the man who is known for duels really the one you want to mock right now?” His wife interjected.

“My point made for me! Thank you, my beautiful wife!” He laughed, hooking his arm around her in a fashion that would’ve embarrassed her had not everyone in the room been two or three glasses into their evening.

“One doesn’t have to be a lord for word to follow them,” Edwin offered, sinking to sit against the arm of the chair his Lady companion was in. “Sometimes It is just a title.”

“A title?” Lady Aslopp asked curiously, letting her husband pull her against his side and practically into his lap. “What title would proceed a man? Perhaps the Emperor? Or a King?” She asked

“Or Witch Hunter,” Edwin said back leaning forward like a child telling a ghost story. “I heard that the bodies of three of them were found in a well at the center of the city. I’m sure that caused quite the upset,” he alleged.

“Has word already traveled that far?” Gil asked. A grisly imagine popped to mind that would explain just why Lord Ross was so aware of the comings and goings of the witch hunters.

Edwin situated himself, taking a sip from the wine. “That type of news travels far and fast. After all, the hunter became the hunted. It’s rare that you find the witch hunters being ripped apart, not doing the ripping,” He said.

Gil couldn’t help but think his language quite grotesque. Surely there were sweeter things they could talk about in the presence of two Ladies.

“No! Witches? In this state?” Lord Aslopp exclaimed, drawing himself towards the conversation like a month to a flame. Gossip was the best part about getting to count yourself among the ruling class. “There are witches in Kar?” He asked.

“They’ve proven nothing! Our investigation proved that the incident was just a bad bought of street violence. No hunting involved. They’ve been here for a month and have done nothing but make the citizens of this city suspicious of their friends. They’ll leave when they realize they’ve found nothing,” Warren maintained.

“Oh they’ll find something,” came the solemn interjection from Lord Withrop. “They always find something. The Temple found their way to our port city a two or so years ago and after months of agonizing and interrogating they eventually pulled three young women from the city. They started accusing them of being witches and hauled them off to Kingswallow for a hanging. Claimed they found one of those witch books, but after all the commotion from the city and pressure to find something I’m not completely sure they didn’t place the book there themselves.”

Gil felt the hand of this conversation grip his stomach and twist it to the side. He glanced at Warren. So far, every time something like this had come up, Warren had remained level headed about it. Not a single time had he batted an eye. He was dedicated to his search for knowledge and did not fear the idea of it being taken from him. However, it seemed that act was harder to maintain when champaign had loosened the dam of his worry. He looked a bit shaken now, for the first time he seemed fearful of what the Temple might find.

“That’s Lunacy!” Lord Aslopp exclaimed, only to receive a worried hush from his wife. “You can’t say things like that,” She muttered to him.

“I can and I will. I’m a man of Cors just as much as the next but these priests are not holy beings themselves! They’re just people. Some of them are outstanding people but you can not tell me in the whole of the clergy there isn’t a man or two amongst them that counts himself in the lower degrees of society. I’ll just come right out and say it. I don’t believe the Temple should be able to go state to state unchecked like this.”

“To err is human,” Edwin agreed, nodding his head a bit.

Sharp, glittering eyes found their mark on Gil while a sing-song voice wrapped around him, gripping tight like the talons of a bird of prey. “You’ve been quite silent on the matter. Have you no opinion? Or is it simply that you are a devout man of Cors?”

It felt like every eye in the room was looking to Gil for the answer to that question. Why was anyone being targeted? He was just an aid. All of the people here knew that. No one ever demanded his opinion on anything. It felt like someone was pushing the walls of the room closer to him. He needed to give an answer but he wanted to stand and leap out the window and into the garden. He clenched the crystal glass a little tighter in his hand, trying to read the woman’s face for the type of answer she wanted. Impossible. It was like trying to see her through Lace. Only glimpses and glances of emotion through cracks in an otherwise beautiful and dark veil.

“What opinion should I have?” he finally spoke, nearly croaking his answer. “I am not a Lord, nor am I a Priest. My opinion bears little weight on the way things play out. It’s easier to just...try and ignore it,” he answered. Whatever answer this woman was looking for, the one he gave was not it.

“That’s a pity,” She muttered, leaning her head tiredly against her hand. She held up her glass, Lord Ross taking it without missing the cue. “It seems that my Lady would like a refill. If you’ll excuse me for a moment. Lord Salphus, would you accompany me? I have a few things I’d like to ask you about our last meeting,” he said.

In response, Gilbert immediately stood up. “I’ll go with you,” He offered. Their last meeting was not an event he was going to let Warren repeat. He wanted to keep this man at arm’s length if possible.

For his effort, he got nothing but a smile in return. “If I had an aid as diligent as you I’d get so much more accomplished. It’s just a glass of wine. I’m sure Lord Salphus and I will be able to figure it out on our own,” He said.

“Don’t worry, it will be fine,” Warren leaned in to whisper. He patted Gilbert’s shoulder before following alongside Lord Ross.