Lord Edeveer’s manor has been emptied of all signs of Cheden occupancy. The owners had been found locked in the cellar, and are being housed temporarily in a neighbouring home while the staff and the city guards clean up the manor. The main floor looks almost pristine, and that is where Vivitha leads Leah.

“Meredith said you got Lord Valerid out of the fight?” she asks quietly, their footsteps echoing across the floor. “And…Lady Valerid?”

“No,” Leah says, wondering how much to dump on her at once. “I tried to get Lady Valerid back, but she was too far gone.”

“But Valerid himself is safe?”

“Yes, last I saw.”

Vivitha nods and exhales slowly. “It’s still bad, then, but not as bad as it could have been. At least there’s one left.”

“One?”

“One Valerid other than Jeno.”

Leah gasps, then nods. “Oh Jesus. She couldn’t end up being the leader here if something were to happen to the Baron, could she?”

“That’s probably one of the questions we’re going to ask,” Vivitha says sombrely, then frowns. “What’s Jesus?”

“Never mind. Questions?”

“Those who responded to your missives about the usurpation want the main instigator to be questioned under a truth spell, to see if he has anything to offer as proof or disproof,” Vivitha says, and Leah tenses.

Ah. Eschen’s turn.

Vivitha knocks at a door, and a Valerid guard opens it from the inside. They are allowed into a spacious study with a soft carpet over the floor and tall windows, bookshelves, and display cases around the walls. Seffon, Adan, and Meredith are inside, along with the Duke and Duchess, and two strangers in clothing styles Leah has not seen before who converse quietly between themselves. The battery bracelet lies on a table between them all.

Leah sits very nervously on one of the plush chairs, avoiding looking at the Auzzos sitting on a sofa across from her. Vivitha sits on a footstool with her ankles crossed under her. Meredith and Adan stand at another door, in matching poses of disciplined attention. Trying to out-soldier each other, from the looks of it. What sort of battle of egos went on between those two while I was gone? Leah smothers a smirk. Probably nothing; they don’t share any language. Well, body language can tell a lot…

“Are we ready?” Seffon asks, and all assembled nod. “Bring him in.”

Meredith opens the door, showing an adjoined, smaller study. In the chair at the desk sits Eschen, wrists in manacles, armour removed. He looks over and stands, walking calmly into the room, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck to each side. He sits in the last chair left open, and Seffon approaches slowly.

“Anyone will be able to ask a question once the spell starts. As per the international laws concerning the interrogation of suspects – ” He shoots an acrid glance at Eschen, “ – I will be using a non-invasive truth spell. The spell will not compel him to speak the full truth, but we will all be able to see when he is withholding something – and the more he avoids the truth, the more uncomfortable the spell will get. What languages do you speak?” Seffon directs this to Eschen.

“Hev iedh ena Ched, ebiev seddha,” Eschen says, conversational, but his eyes are hard. The Duke raises an eyebrow.

“Volsti and Ched, and I believe he speaks Olues as well,” Leah says, “Or at least can read it.”

Eschen half-turns at her voice, noticing her for the first time. “Anything to say about truth spells now, Talesh?” he asks.

Leah does not comment.

Seffon paces a circle around Eschen, placing silver caltrops on the floor around the chair at equal intervals. At the end of it he recites a short phrase, and a line of white light appears around them and interlacing between, a web with the captain in the middle, the light passing through him in places to no apparent discomfort. Seffon clears his throat. “What is your name?”

“Avro Eschen.”

“Where are you from?”

“Dharja, Ben-Lia.”

Seffon looks to the Duke and Duchess, who nod in confirmation.

Seffon: “Did you have a mission in coming to Valerin?”

Eschen: “Yes.”

Seffon: “What was your mission?”

Eschen pauses, chewing his lip. “I was to accompany my Duchess to the mainland and ascertain whether there was in fact a supply of sulphur that could be harvested.”

Seffon: “Was that your full mission?”

Eschen twitches in the spell; the lines radiating from the caltrops writhe. “No.”

Seffon: “What was your mission?”

Eschen: “I was to provoke a conflict between Volst and either Devad or Cheden.”

Seffon: “Why?”

Eschen: “So we could claim the province in battle and gain permanent access to the sulphur springs, installing one of our own people as leader.” The watchers tense at this – including, Leah notes, the Duchess and Duke.

The representative from Algi speaks up. “Who gave you this mission?”

Eschen: “The Emperor.”

The Duke sits up straight. “When?”

Eschen: “Two years ago.”

Leah looks over at the Duchess sharply; the Duchess catches the look, and keeps a blank face.

Seffon: “Why did he give you this mission?”

Eschen does not answer immediately. The lines of the spell writhe some more, and he winces. “I am born-magic.”

Seffon frowns, looking at the patterns of the spell. “Elaborate.”

Eschen: “I am born-magic, in a duchy that is moving away from magic.”

The Auzzos tense up a bit. Seffon eyes them, but does not address it. “Elaborate.”

The lines writhe, and Eschen’s face looks drawn. “The Emperor knows that the Empress Jesaii made a deal with Devad during her reign. The Auzzo line has always emphasised its skills in the sciences over the magics. The Emperor had begun to worry that they might reject the laws of Cheden-Ai, and try to create their own laws.” The more he speaks, the less the lines writhe, until they have settled back down into their original web.

“He feared a secession?” the Bairish representative asks, her Volsti heavily accented.

Eschen: “He knew it was coming. The latest Auzzo generation is even more magic-averse than the last.”

Leah: “What happened two years ago to make the Emperor decide to give you this mission?”

Eschen half-turns to her again. “Lady Jeno’s arranged partner died in a duel. The Duchess proposed Valerin’s heir as an alternative.”

The Algic representative crosses his arms. “How does that relate?”

Eschen: “Valerin has no magic.” The lines begin to writhe again.

Seffon: “Elaborate.”

Eschen: “A powerful duchy was about to ally itself with a powerful province, and neither of them emphasised magic use. The Emperor is firm in his belief that Cheden must remain a magically bolstered nation.”

The Algic representative shares a look with Leah; Leah can’t quite understand what she’s supposed to be giving him, but he seems to be satisfied with what he sees anyway. “What happened two years ago to make the Duchess choose Valerin?” he asks.

Eschen smiles. “You’d have to ask the Duchess.”

The Duchess, meanwhile, is sitting very stiffly on the sofa, her hand on her husband’s arm.

Seffon waves this question away. “Eschen, did the Emperor explicitly state that you were to start a conflict, a war, or a usurpation?”

Eschen: “He stated none of it explicitly.” The lines do not writhe.

Vivitha scoffs. “I know this trick,” she says. “Eschen, did the Emperor himself give you this mission, or did one of his representatives?”

Eschen glares. “One of his representatives.”

Vivitha gestures to Seffon. “Ask again.”

Seffon raises an eyebrow, with a tiny smile. “Did the Emperor’s representative, who gave you your mission, explicitly state that you were to start a conflict, a war, or a usurpation?”

Eschen is still glaring at Vivitha. “The exact words were that a conflict was needed, and that it must look as much like a war of honour as possible.”

Leah: “And did the Emperor’s representative, who gave you your mission, say anything explicitly about Jeno Auzzo?”

Eschen’s jaw clenches, and the lines begin to writhe. The Duchess looks over at Leah in disdain, then shock, and turns back to Eschen. “She is from the imperial line; any offense to her would be an offense to the Emperor. If she came to harm, the war would be guaranteed.”

Seffon: “What if that harm came from your action or inaction?”

Eschen is silent, and the lines writhe.

Leah: “How important is Jeno’s death to your personal goals in this war?”

Eschen narrows his eyes and smirks, then returns to a neutral expression. “I desperately want her to remain alive.”

Leah: “Does the Emperor share your feelings on the matter?”

Eschen: “No.”

The Duchess stands abruptly. Meredith moves to block her, but the Duke beats her to it, taking his wife’s arm and holding her back, whispering in Ched.

The Bairish representative raises her chin. “Does this have to do with the Auzzos’ distaste for magic?”

Eschen: “It does. The Emperor wants a new family in power in Ben-Lia; one without blood-ties to the throne, and one with a broader acceptance of magic.”

Duke Auzzo: “And where would this new family come from?”

Eschen: “Anyone who proved themselves in the coming war had a chance of being chosen.”

The meaning of this is lost on no-one present, least of all the Auzzos. “You bloody backstabber,” the Duchess spits, before descending into Ched. Her husband seems surprised by some of her vocabulary, but does not contradict her. The Bairish representative seems to be able to follow, and looks highly entertained.

Seffon makes a subtle gesture of de-escalation, and eventually the Duchess settles back into silence. “Was your interest in this war solely to advance your own station?” he asks.

Eschen: “No.” The lines writhe slightly, and he continues. “I serve my Emperor above all else. He asked this of me, and I will obey him to my dying breath. Any personal gain is incidental, though appreciated.” The lines settle.

“Eschen,” Meredith asks, speaking up for the first time. “How could you topple the Auzzo line, while also wanting Jeno to remain alive?”

Eschen: “Jeno is a Valerid now. If she remains here to be Baroness of an anti-magic country, supplying us with the sulphur we need, then that is fine by Cheden. If Valerin had ended up being conquered in the war, then it would become a new duchy and Jeno would rule it as Duchess rather than Baroness, but nothing else would change – and Ben-Lia would still be left open to a new line.”

Leah: “Ah. A lovely estate for someone to live in.”

Eschen turns and smiles at her. “Especially lovely baths.”

Seffon: “Yes I thought so too. Returning to the point.” The others assembled trade odd looks at whatever was just hinted at, but none seem to follow. Eschen grimaces and turns back to him. “Was Volst a threat to Cheden?”

Eschen: “No.” The lines writhe viciously, and he groans a bit.

Duke Auzzo: “They aren’t, though.”

Seffon holds up a hand to silence him. “Does the Emperor believe Volst is a threat to Cheden?”

Eschen grits his teeth. “Yes.” The writhing slows marginally. “Cheden’s power is based in magic, and its reinforcement of the military through magical means. It’s our entire status in the Gulf. Any growing belief in a magic-less existence is a threat to Cheden.”

Seffon: “What about Devad? They have long abandoned magic in preference of chemistry.”

Eschen: “Cheden-Ai mistrusts Devad, and with reason. But Devad was a useful ally in getting Volst’s attention, convincing them there was a threat to the west and drawing out Valerin’s forces – and then aiding our cause when the war was declared. We never intended to ally with them long-term. If someone were to come along and stab Devad in the back for us it would have made my job that much easier.” He looks at Seffon pointedly, with a little grin, and Seffon raises an eyebrow marginally in acknowledgement.

Seffon: “One more time, captain: what happened two years ago to make the Emperor worried about growing anti-magic sentiment?”

Eschen sighs deeply, but the lines writhe and he answers. “The five.”

Meredith, Vivitha, and Leah exchange looks. Leah speaks up. “Why?”

Eschen: “The five had just finished a job in Bair, along the border with Algi. An entirely non-magic adventuring group, hired in Bair. If even the birthplace of magic could find a use for magic-less professionals, other nations might begin to question their reliance on magic.”

The Bairish representative scoffs, and even the Algic one looks a little haughty. Seffon seems thoughtful but mainly disdainful.

Eschen: “The Duchess was the one to point it out to the Emperor, two years ago. One of Ben-Lia’s spies discovered the situation.”

“Elessoi, divaodh,” the Duchess interrupts, nearly spitting the words in anger. The Bairish representative raises her eyebrows, and Eschen flinches. “Under his orders!”

Seffon: “His orders?”

The Duchess colours a bit. “The thieves’ band the five were hired to exterminate had fouled one of our shipments. We left an agent to see if Bair was actually going to solve the problem, before we paid another river-fee to Volst. The report was not a spy’s report, but a business one, delivered to the Emperor at his request. Do not try to rope us into your underhanded dealings, divaodh.”

Seffon raises a hand to forestall any more.

The Algic representative stands forward. “What was the Emperor’s plan for if it all went wrong?”

“You mean more than it already has?” Eschen shrugs, the manacles clinking slightly in his lap. “If anyone were to second-guess the motives of the war, or propose that it was a ruse for a usurpation, then we would blame it either on Lord Seffon and Devad – painting ourselves as the rescuers rather than instigators, and allowing us time to prepare a new plan – or on the Auzzos. It was started over their daughter, so it is sensible to claim that it was their plan all along. The other nations would wipe them out, and the problem would be solved for us.”

Algic representative: “Did the Auzzos know about this plot, when they accepted for their daughter to be executed?”

“No,” the Duke says forcefully, and Eschen shakes his head and repeats the word neutrally.

Leah raises her hand, and waits for Eschen to turn to her. “If the Auzzos are not fond of magic, I imagine they didn’t know about – what was it? – Denoi something.”

Eschen’s face hardens. “I suppose they don’t.”

Seffon: “Denoi what?”

Eschen: “It’s a spell.”

Leah turns to the Duchess, and tries to muster some sympathy; easier, somehow, now that she knows the Duchess was not actively trying to kill her daughter. “When I accused your family of interference and of framing Jeno, there was something I didn’t know yet. Eschen,” Leah turns back to him. “Please give the name of the spell you used to kill Samson.”

Eschen hesitates, and the lines writhe. He clenches his jaw and sighs. “Denoi Egv Eloiddha.”

Leah: “And what does that translate to?”

The Duke answers when Eschen doesn’t immediately. “Thought as reality.”

Leah: “And how did you use it?”

Eschen: “It allows the caster to conjure up a spectral item, and direct it as they see fit. I didn’t even technically need to compel Jeno to wield it, but it made the whole thing more believable, should someone somehow have witnessed the act.”

The Duchess’s face is pale and slack. Meredith’s fists are clenched. The room is silent but for the scratching of a pen – the Bairish representative has been taking notes, Leah realises.

Seffon: “Is this war a usurpation?”

Eschen: “That was its goal, yes.”

Seffon: “Did you compel Jeno Valerid to kill Samson Valerid?”

Eschen: “Yes.”

Seffon: “Did the Auzzos know of the plot to usurp?”

Eschen: “To usurp Valerin? They might have suspected, once Samson died, but I doubt it. To usurp them?” He grins and shrugs. “No.”

Seffon: “Did Devad know about the plot to usurp?”

Eschen: “Yes.”

Seffon: “Did any other nation know about the plot to usurp?”

Eschen: “No.”

Seffon looks around the room. “Any last questions?” He looks specifically at Leah, but she shakes her head. He raises an eyebrow a smidge, and she still shakes her head.

The Duchess gets up and approaches Eschen, stopping with her toes at the very edge of the circle. “Do you have anything to say in your defence?”

Eschen chuckles. “I haven’t said anything in my defence, because I don’t feel the need to defend my actions. I followed my Emperor as truly as I could, and even where I failed him – ” His eyes flick to Leah, “ – I did out only out of fondness for Jeno. Of all people, you should be the least upset with me…if you had any loyalty to your cousin on the throne.”

The Duchess leans over the circle to stare him in the face. “And the bruise on the back of my daughter’s neck, the one she tried to hide behind her hair all the time. Was that out of fondness as well?”

The lines begin to writhe, and Eschen keeps his silence. The Duke’s face switches from bafflement to anger.

“I noticed it too, when I took her from the execution,” Leah says. “She told me it was from the compulsion charm, nothing else; he kept her under an enchantment for the whole two weeks he was her guard. She doesn’t remember anything else. You confirmed it,” she adds, gesturing to Seffon. “Born-magic users sometimes activate spells through touch, and doing it sloppily or repeatedly can leave a mark.”

“I also said that poorly executed compulsions can cause memory loss.” Seffon’s face is stony.

Eschen is still silent, the lines writhing more and more. His jaw is clenched, the muscles at his temples taught, and his breathing seems laborious. The lines writhe with increasing intensity until Eschen is sweating from the effort of not speaking, veins starting to bulge in his neck and forearms. He peels his lips back from his teeth in a silent snarl.

Leah stands and Vivitha lays a hand on her arm to hold her back, gently. “Tell me if you won’t tell her. I promise not to punch first,” Leah says coolly. “Did you sleep with Jeno?”

Eschen cranes his head over to her. “Oh don’t be disgusting; I’ve known her since she was a newborn.”

“Did you coerce her? Did you even consider it?” Leah spits back. The rest watch on in fascinated horror.

The lines of light start climbing up his legs, quivering. Eschen’s face contorts in pain. “I never did,” he says finally, voice tight and exhausted. The lines fall back to their normal pattern.

The Duchess looks at him in confusion. “Why not just say it, then? Why hold out?”

“To make you afraid,” he says, still looking at Leah. “To make you incapable of ever lying with her again and feeling safe. To make you see my face over hers, every time. And to make you leave her.”

Leah shifts her stance, chewing her lip. “Sorry bud, someone else already beat you to it.” She draws the Cheden dagger and looks to Seffon. “De we need him for anything else?”

“Don’t,” Seffon says warningly, while Eschen laughs. “If Cheden wants to counter-interrogate they’ll need him alive.”

“Cheden won’t need to counter-interrogate, Lord Seffon,” the Duchess says. She turns to Leah and pulls the dagger from her hand, then flips it and back-hand stabs it through Eschen’s neck. His smile turns into a grimace, and his eyes fix on the Duchess’s face before going blank.

Nobody moves to stop her, and once the deed is done no-one moves to arrest her. The Duchess leaves the dagger where it is, and lets go with shaking hands.

“Ben-Lia will withdraw by nightfall,” she says, her head held high. “If this is all true, it will become clear the moment we reach our home shores. Miss Talesh?” The Duchess turns to Leah, but does not quite meet her eye. “Is our daughter still alive?”

“What?” Leah shoots a cross look to Seffon, who has the audacity to look confused. “I’m sorry, we should have told you immediately; yes, she is, alive and well.” Interesting that Eschen didn’t tell them that…

“Until we know whether it is safe to bring her home, will you – ” Again the discomfort, “ – keep her safe?”

Leah stands a little straighter and nods. “Of course.”

The Duchess sniffs, takes a deep breath, and reaches for the Duke’s hand. “Then we will depart. Do with this as you see fit.” She tilts her head towards the corpse in the chair, then the two of them walk out.

The representatives from Algi and Bair share a glance, muttering between themselves in their languages. Seffon dispels the now-immobile truth spell and collects the silver caltrops.

Meredith crosses the room directly to Leah’s side and holds her shoulders, rubbing them with her thumbs. “That’s not how you saw it ending, was it?” she asks gently. “You wanted a more personal end to him.”

“No,” Leah says, shaking her head, her eyes fixed to the trail of blood staining Eschen’s white shirt, plastering it against his chest. “I’ve had quite enough of killing. I’m ready for the killing people part of my life to be over.”

Meredith pulls her in for a hug, and Vivitha joins from the other side. Leah does not move, though this sort of physical contact is at least more reassuring to her than the overly touchy Bairish gentleman.

“Oh,” Leah says, remembering. “Meredith?”

“Hm.”

“The Bairish guy is back.”

“Hm?” Meredith pulls away.

“Oh Gods,” Vivitha mumbles. “Yes, right, um…Edvellu. Master Edvellu.”

“Ohh…” Meredith’s eyes go wide, and then she tilts her head and frowns. “Is this the time to be talking about that? I feel like this isn’t the time to be talking about Leah’s near-engagement.”

Seffon’s head snaps up at that, but he does not interrupt.

“It isn’t the time, but, unfortunately,” Vivitha shrugs. “Leah accepted a ride to the island from him, and spoke with him, and now he knows about her memory.”

Meredith clenches her teeth. “Oh.”

“And she told him she’d be at the meeting of the representatives.”

Meredith sighs and mouths a deeply emotive fuck.