Blood Shaper

Book 4: Chapter 9

At least once a week, Kay held court and allowed petitioners to come to him with various requests. It was an ingrained part of Torotian culture that everyone expected, and sometimes it could actually be useful. There were a few archetypes of people that came with requests. There were the arrogant people that thought that their request should only be heard by the lord of Avalon or otherwise felt that being helped by regular government officials was beneath them. Then there were the people that had strange or interesting requests that no one was sure what to do with them, so the buck kept getting passed along until Kay had to deal with it. The petitions that Kay actually liked to hear were the actual real problems people came to him with. It was open to anyone to get in line and wait to make their case to him, and occasionally due to good timing or just not knowing how to go about getting help otherwise, normal people ended up in line and came before him with issues they needed help with. Those were the moments that Kay actually felt useful while sitting on the gilded throne in the smaller of his two courtrooms in his palace that was being built for him.

Sadly, those kinds of petitioners were some of the least common. The fourth main type of petitioners were the kind trying to get something out of Kay. Scammers and charlatans, to be frank.

“No, I will not be giving you any funding for this project.” Kay intoned.

“But my lord, supporting the arts is a grand- “

“If you bring me actual planning for building theaters, galleries, studios, or other buildings for the spread of artistic creation, with a budget for the money you’re asking for, then I will consider your proposal. Coming before me and asking for a ludicrous amount of money with no actual planning besides telling me, ‘It will be spent on the creation of buildings for the purpose of appreciating beauty and artistic talent’ is foolish. Return with better planning or not at all. Petition denied.”

The fancily dressed man, one of several people who’d flocked into Avalon in the last year or so and were trying to butter up Kay so he’d eventually appoint them to the nobility once Avalon became a kingdom, had the sense not to protest as he was escorted away. This wasn’t the first ridiculous proposition he or his counterparts had come up with, but a majority of them didn’t seem to have any sense when it came to their propositions. Or anything else, really.

“Do these idiots seriously think that they can just pop up in front of me with a grandiose-sounding idea and somehow end up in my good books?” He muttered.

Isla, invisibly standing at her usual position on his shoulder, laughed quietly. “If they weren’t idiots, they wouldn’t have traveled here thinking it would be easy to become nobles; they’d already have achieved positions of note wherever they came from. The ones who showed up and have worked hard and done notable things are already on your list of potential minor nobles, and there’s a handful of them that only did those things to be considered. They at least know how the game is played.”

“Any of that subset that I need to keep an eye on?”

“There are a few that are significantly more political and cutthroat than you’re aware of, but that’s why you have me. I’ll keep you up to date on any of them. So far, none are worth worrying about; they might just need managing once we reach a point where you can actually give people titles.”

Kay grunted in acknowledgment as he caught the nod from the crier at the door, letting him know the next person was ready. “The next petitioner may approach,” He called out. The pageantry that came with sitting here and listening to people ask him for things grated on him, but Kay tried to use it as fuel to keep himself stable. As long as the spectacle of doing his job was annoying and the grandiose furniture that came with it was ostentatious to him, then he wasn’t getting swept up by the power and money and turning into the kind of person he didn’t want to be.

The crier tapped his staff against the floor, sending a single loud knock through the room. “Anton of Brightglen,” He announced the name of the next person and brought the staff down again.

A hearty human man with well-cut clothes stopped in front of Kay on the carpet laid out in front of the throne, slightly closer than propriety called for, and doffed his peaked cap in a dramatic bow. “Lord Kay, ruler of Avalon, I come before you with a humble request to save me from accusations most vile and the punishment that I do not deserve!”

Personally, Kay didn’t care that the guy had skipped several parts of the normal script, but he knew that the rules were explained to everyone while they were waiting to be seen, and while Kay didn’t care much for the specific rules they were in place for a reason and ignoring them was a mark against the man. “And what accusations are these?” He decided to ask instead of just kicking the man out. If he really hadn’t committed whatever crime he was apparently being accused of, Kay didn’t want to help him become a victim of a false accusation just because the guy was being impolite and or stupid.

“It is a most egregious tale, lord! A tale of a merchant who has traveled here with his wife to ply his wares but who has spent so much of his time wheeling and dealing that he has failed to spend any time with his lady love. A tale of a woman feeling scorned who decided to seek company of her own and found a skilled lover who showed her a night unlike any other! A tale of a man, angry that his wife slept with someone else, who has spread the word that the man who spent just one night with the lovely woman is a criminal, to be captured and locked away!”

Kay stared down at him with a blank look. “I’m not looking for a dramatic retelling. What crime have you been accused of?”

“Theft, lord, but it is not theft to have received a gift from one’s lover, even if she was only my lover for one night! So pleased was she with the wonders that I showed her and led her to experience that she-“

“Are you guilty of stealing the item or items you’ve been accused of stealing?”

Anton’s wide smile dimmed for a moment before shooting back up in intensity, “Lord, as I have said, the lovely lady gave me a gift to commemorate our night together.”

“What was the gift?”

“Ah, a necklace, lord.”

“Are you being accused of stealing the necklace?”

“Ah, that is…”

“Yes or no?”

Anton looked away while trying to hide a grimace. “No, lord, I have not been accused of stealing the necklace.”

“Then we’re back to my earlier question. Are you guilty of stealing whatever it is that you’ve been accused of stealing?”

“Ah! I see now that it was arrogant and foolhardy of me to bring such a minor faff before the lord himself. I so deeply apologize for wasting your time.” He bowed deeply and started backing away.

Kay glanced at one of the Blood Guard stationed against the wall, who nodded and stepped forward, dropping his hand on Anton’s shoulder. “I did not give you permission to leave, Anton of Brightglen. Answer the question.”

Everything seemed to twist for a moment, a second of dizziness, like standing up with low iron, and then Anton was behind the armored Guard and once more backing toward the door. “My deepest and humblest apologies, lord; there is no need for me to take so much of your time when there are truly important issues for you to deal with.”

Working within the expected pageantry both for his position and for moments like this where he could, and probably should, show off to the small crowd of people that liked to listen to the petitions, Kay flicked out two fingers at Anton. Right before he managed to make it over the threshold, the doors, which had been secretly made with small channels in them that were filled with blood, slammed shut on their own. Kay’s timing was good enough that they smacked Anton on the butt and knocked him a few steps forward. “As I said.” Two streamers of blood snaked out from hidden openings at the bottom of Kay’s throne and wrapped around the now wide-eyed man, wrapping him up like a straight jacket and dragging him back in front of Kay. “I have not given you permission to leave.”

Anton stared up at him, seemingly terrified.

“Are you guilty of the crime that you have been accused of?”

The flash of calculation and defiance gave away Anton’s scared act, and Kay clicked his tongue at him.

“Never mind.” With a thought, the bloody straight jacket’s shoulders rose up and formed a gag that clamped around Anton’s mouth. “Your continued attempts to deflect, refusal to directly answer the question as to your guilt multiple times, and the attempt to flee when I demanded you answer have led me to my decision. Your petition is over, and instead of receiving any help, you will be turned over to my Wardens for questioning. Your treatment will be fair, as will any trial you receive if one is to occur, but from your actions, I know what I personally believe regarding your guilt or innocence.” He floated the bound man over to a pair of Blood Guards and let them take control of his sanguine bindings. “Take him away.”

He waited until the man had been dragged off before whispering to Isla, “What the hell was that when he slipped out from under my Guard? I was dizzy all of a sudden, and I didn’t see how he moved.”

“Mental disorientation Skill of some kind. Made everyone in range stop paying attention for long enough for him to start slipping away.” She responded quietly, “Not a very powerful one since the effects broke so quickly, but it means gagging him was the right idea; he might have had some Skills to convince people with his words or cause other mental effects.”

“We’ve talked a little about those kinds of Skills and Classes, but not too much. Why aren’t we more worried about mind control or similar?”

“Because those Skills and Classes are incredibly rare and hard to get. Also, defenses against that kind of attack are some of the most studied enchantments and shields, and you’d need to be a tier five or higher to get past the ones we’ve already got on you and spread throughout the palace.”

“You’ve put defenses against mind control on me?”

“What do you think that bracelet I gave you was for?”

Kay glanced down at the simple silver bracelet he had on his wrist. “I thought that was a present?”

“It’s a very useful present that your dedicated spymaster gave you during a conversation about keeping you safe from spies and other nonsense that happens to be very useful.”

He chuckled at her dry response. “Well, thank you.”

“You’re most welcome, my lord.’

The crier got Kay’s attention again, and Kay nodded. “The next petitioner is welcome to make their case.”

“Guildmaster Gemglass of the Adventurer’s Guild, accompanied by Honor Hernandez, also of the Adventurer’s Guild!”

“What the fuck are they doing here?” Kay muttered as he watched them approach, “They can just ask for an audience.”

“If they’re coming during public hearings of petitioners, they’re probably trying to use the public setting to maneuver things toward whatever benefit they’re looking for.” Isla hissed, “Make sure you pay attention!”

Guildmaster Gemglass was wearing a fancier and more formal version of her guildmaster uniform, and Honor Hernandez, the daughter of the founders of the Adventurer’s Guild, was in her normal plate armor, although without the helmet that covered her face and hid her identity. Both stopped at the correct distance and bowed.

Kay gestured for them to rise. “Greetings to the Adventurer’s Guild in Avalon. What request have you brought to me today?”

Gemglass’ expression was flat, but Kay thought he detected a hint of annoyance in in her eyes. “The leadership of the Adventurer’s Guild and the Founders have sent me with several questions they would like to have answered regarding certain recent events here in Avalon, and how they might impact the safety of both the guild and potentially the world.”

“Also, my father has made a decision regarding your terms,” Honor added without letting even a second pass, “He has accepted. If you duel me I will give you the method through which you can get the Adventurer Class.”

Kay could feel Isla pacing on his shoulder. “This is not something to deal with in public, which means they want to put pressure on you to actually answer instead of brushing them off. Since there are witnesses that they came and asked, we can’t just ignore them till they go away.”

“That is not a discussion to have at this time or place.” Kay declared. He looked over at Honor and met her eyes. “Either of them.” He waved for a servant. “You will be taken to a private meeting room. We will continue this once I have finished listening to actual petitions.” He put extra stress on that to show them what he thought of their methods. Or at least his outward thoughts. It wouldn’t do for people to think they could just walk up and start trying to manipulate him like that.

Inwardly, he was curious what they were actually after, and what the other Outworlder was thinking. Honor’s dad was an Outworlder from a different version of Earth who’d lived in an independent Texas, and he and his wives who knew how to get the Adventurer Class had spent months without responding to Kay’s counteroffer about dueling their daughter. Now suddenly they were agreeing. It reeked of intrigue. The questions was, were they hostile, being cautious, or knew something that Kay didn’t?