Chapter 4
"Lord Lucian, you wished to see me?"
Lucien placed the quill he'd been writing with aside.
"Ah, Commandant. Come in, my boy," he said
The Commandant stood with his hands clasped behind his back. It made him nervous to be so close to Lord Lucien, but he didn't know why. He bowed slightly at the waist.
"What is my Lord's wish? How may I serve you?"
Lucien waved his hand dismissively.
"Enough of the formalities, my boy," he said with a smile. "We've been through a lot together, you and I."
Lucien stood and walked to the cabinet against the wall opposite his desk. He opened the left door and removed a bottle of Portentous Stout.
"Care for a drink, my boy?"
The Commandant considered that for a moment. "No thank you, Lord Lucien."
Lucien removed a glass from the cabinet, poured himself two wide fingers, replaced the bottle and closed the door. He walked back to his desk and sat down before taking a swallow.
"How goes the construction?" Lucien asked, settling into his chair.
The Commandant adjusted the fabric that covered the bottom half of his face. Sometimes it snagged on the small pieces of stone that jutted out from the line in his lower lip.
"It goes well, Lord Lucien. Everything is on schedule."
"And our guest?"
The Commandant allowed himself a frustrated sigh as his eyes grew narrow and dark.
"Garth remains impassive, my Lord. While the punishments I give him through his collar leave him a disgusting and blubbering mess, he refuses to see things your, I mean, our, ways."
Lucien slammed his fist on his desk, making the inkwell bounce just a little bit.
The Commandant showed no reaction, but for some reason Lord Lucien's display of anger made the Commandant wary.
"I have faith in you, my boy." Lucien said after taking another drink. "I know you are obedient enough to get the job done and make Garth see reason."
"Of course, my Lord, " the Commandant replied. "I assure you, he WILL submit."
Got more coming, maybe tomorrow.