***

Walter had kept his head down as instructed by Her Ladyship. Yet more than ever, he wanted to contact her and tell her about his findings, but orders were orders so, he made no attempt to contact the lady. If something came up, he would just have to handle it well.

He slowly ate his breakfast in a dispirited manner. The sound of his mother instructing his brother to eat and the conversations on the table swept past him without care. His ears perked to one sentence.

“Madame, Sir, there be two lords outside,” a little servant girl informed them.

“Let them in,” Walter instructed.

The little servant girl glanced at the Madame and the Sir who continued to eat as though they had not heard her and back at the young master.

The new owners were here only three days, but the servants all understood them well. All they knew about Master Walter was that no one was allowed in his study, and they were not allowed to clean his room without Madame’s supervision.

Little did the servant know that the only reason Walter's mother ordered that they not clean his room in her absence was that she was afraid they would find something that would end all this fortune that her son had managed to amass.

The servant only hesitated for a moment before leaving to carry out her instruction. She soon returned, leading in two lords Walter knew well. The sight of these two made his father unsure of how to address or welcome them. He was almost visible flustered. But Walter's mother was raised a lady. She knew exactly how to entertain in that circle and she immediately had the kitchens prepare more food, and more chairs brought and invited them to sit and join them in breaking fast.

The two lords were taken aback by how natural she was in this role. If they did not know better, they would have assumed that she was a lady of noble upbringing. Walter saw the look in their eyes and ignored it. He wasn't always quick to tell others that his mother was of noble birth.

“Did something happen?” he asked after they had settled in comfortably.

“Are you acquainted with Lady Steinhouse?” Lord of Merve asked.

“Mn,” Walter answered. “Why?”

“She mentioned you. Even though she tried to make it seem like a random inquiry,” Lord of Merve answered.

Walter visible sighed. If only that woman could be patient. He has not even had the chance to see the Lady Wickshire, talk more of presenting her request.

“Is it possible to look into the past activities of the finance minister? If he at all has a shady past?” he could hear his mother suck in a breath.

“Personal issue?” Lord Morge asked.

“I have this feeling that something big is about to happen. Lady Steinhouse wanted me to look into it. She knew who you worked for and in extension, myself. In truth, she did not ask as though she wanted help, but as if she wanted to know where I stood. And by me, you know of whom she refers,” Walter explained.

“Something big?” Lord Morge asked.+

“She knew to ask you because she knew of us,” Lord of Merve said as though in thought.

“The last thing we worked on, I had left a loose end and she found out about it, taking the man away before the Mclears could get their hands on him. It has all been handled, of course,” Walter expatiated.

“You think she wants to meet her?” Lord Morge asked.

“Whatever we find on the minister, I guarantee it will be big. After all, she already knows whatever the Mclears have done,” Walter said.

“This may be connected to our last job is what you are thinking?” Lord of Merve frowned.

“Probably, we will know who the extra gold belongs to,” Walter speculated. “In truth, I am not sure. But Lady Steinhouse was very relaxed despite her knowing the money was gone. Though I was not expecting her to be on the side of the Mclears, I still did not think she would help make sure they don't find it. She did not seem to hate that family either so, it could only mean her interest was in the money. She did not ask for it or mention it, as though she wanted it to remain missing,” Walter said as he sighed inwardly. Maybe he is just overthinking too much of this.

“I see, but what has this got to do with the minister?” Lord of Merve asked.

“It's either I am over analysing or I’m right. We know a few things; she knows the money is with us. She wants it to remain missing. Then she requests dirt on the minister. As if she is planning something big. I'm just saying if we know what she wants on the minister, it may explain why she would rather it stay missing and most of all who owns the money,” Walter explained.

“Alright. I know the perfect person to handle this. It will take no time at all,” Lord Morge accepted the job.

***

The king had finished work for the day; at least as much as he could take without breaking, and made his way to his chambers for the night. Usually, on his arrival, he would be welcomed by an army of servants and attendants who helped him prepare for bed. But walking into his chambers, he found no one. He looked back in question at his attendants who had been following behind him to find the last person's retreating back. Since when was the king left unaccompanied. Not even guards stood by his door.

He cautiously made his way to the array of swords hanging from his wall. Plucking one quickly, he armed himself and made way towards the person veiled by the curtains on his bed.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“Come closer my king, I don't bite. Not yet anyway,” a female voice answered from behind the curtain.

Cautiously walking over, he patted the bed curtains and frowned. He knew this woman. She was the court lady that the queen had brought with her from her home country as part of her dowry.

The way she was dressed caused the suspicion that his wife was up to no good, increase in his mind. She had nothing but a thin layered robe tied to her frame by the waist. The neckline was beyond plunging and her long legs were exposed to his eyes. Still, she might have as well worn nothing, as the robe did nothing to hide her perked voluminous breasts or any part of her body at all.

“Don't worry, your wife did not send me. After all, she thinks you are about to enter the grave, talk more of having the strength for matters of pleasure,” she smiled and raised a brow at the sword in his hand.

“Then, why are you here?”

“Because I know you are strong enough,”

“So you have come to offer your body to this king?” he asked.

“My king, I'm hurt you did not even think to ask my name,” she pouted in a spoilt manner.

“I know who you are, Lady Raine,”

“Do you really? You, like all others but know my first name. But you are forgiven. After all, it is a name even I have not dared to respond to for years,” she said, propping herself into a sitting position to lean on the headrest.

“Speak wisely, as my sword has no patience,” the king urged.

“Teel. My last name is Teel,” she said and the king seemed to have entered a trance. Notting the look of recognition on his face, she continued.

“Yes, that Teel. The same Teel family that has led the Mercenary Alliance since the beginning of time. I am sole heir to the Teel family. Mistress of the Mercenary Alliance and commander of the Jade Hand,” she said casually, as though the words she uttered were very common.

“What do you want?” the king shivered as he lowered his sword. The Mercenary Alliance was one thing, but the Jade Hand? He tried to think of a time when he had offended them.

“I want your queen's life. Not just her life, I want her world to crumble. I want her to feel pain never before felt,” she said darkly and the king visibly relaxed.

“I know you have a sure way to dispose of her. But you have not taken into account her brother, the king of Northern Lan. Because of the sheer size of her homeland, killing her would bring upon you a war you can never hope to win,” she said and seductively crawled on all fours towards him.

“Even if I cannot kill her, I can take her crown; therefore, cutting off her arm,” he watched her reach him with ease.

“She may have committed a crime of theft, but Northern Lan treasury is filled with gold. Her crimes could be washed away by her Brother who can pay double the debt. I hear he just endorsed the building of a sanctuary in his capital, and The Religion has conferred an overseer to the sanctuary. One word from The Religion and she is cleared of all sins. You, the almighty king

refusing to give the mother of your only son the crown back will be viewed as heartless,” she said as she undid his trousers.

“You have a solution?” he asked. Truthfully, he had thought ahead and had seen that far. But he had decided to deal with them when the time arrived. He savoured the feeling of her hands as she pulled out his manhood that had hardened to a stiff rod into full light.

“Marry me. When she is disposed, I will fill the gap. Who else to shut up them up than the heir to the Teel family?” she said stroking his ember and he dropped his sword.

He was slightly angered under the pleasurable sensation. When the Teel family landed in the hands of a female successor, she chose her husband; Just as well as a man could. No one had ever refused a marriage proposal from the Teel family. It was impossible. Did he even have a choice? Yet she had to propose half-naked, taking away his rationality. Even though he had so many questions, he could not truly concentrate. All he saw before him was a naked woman stroking him where one ought not to.

He reached out his hand and grabbed one of her breasts. He heard her take in a sharp breath when he roughly rubbed her sensitive nipples, and then he knew; she was new to matters of the bed-chamber.

“One would have thought you had done this before, looking at how skilled you were at seducing me,” he said, pushing her onto the bed.

She did not redden in embarrassment. She instead smiled seductively as she spread wide her legs.

“A good deal is best sealed in blood,” she said as he entered her without mercy.