The governor of Brightsong whose face hadn't yet recovered from what Lord Walter had said finally cleared his throat.
"My Lord, please understand I am not upset with you but this whole situation is angering. But I have to ask, what will be the outcome of your investigations of John?" He said as diplomatically as he could.
Lord Walter nodded.
"As I explained to the wise Lady this would be seen as me playing favorites and she has absolved me of any guilt in that. She said if there is any hypocrisy it is her own, as my temple Mistress and bride can attest to. But I will be guided by her pardoning of Sylvester in response to anyone found to be complicit in the same way as Sylvester is. They will be punished in much the same way. Only they will serve just the citizens of Brightsong. Any who have more culpability in what happened will face a greater consequence. But because Sylvester has been spared death, they will too. They will be cast out of the lands, banished on pain of death. Our citizens need to know that the horrors they went through will not be taken lightly. That their suffering will be honored in meaningful ways, but tempered by the forgiveness of Athena." Lord Walter told him.
All six governors nodded slowly.
"I believe that is an acceptable compromise, my Lord. Though the rest of us hadn't suffered as much as those of Dusksong, still we have seen more than our fair share of those horrors. If not for Happy and your timely arrival, Aaron Springs could well have been the next town decimated by those forces. If permissible, I'd like to hear from Sylvester over this matter." The Governor of Aaron Springs said.
Every eye looked to Sylvester as Lord Walter nodded. Sylvester nervously cleared his throat before he squeezed Megan's hand which he had been holding tightly since dinner was over. He swallowed and stood up.
"I'd first like to publicly thank the wise Lady for her reprieve and to thank my Lord and Lady for their forgiveness on this matter I have no doubt that it played a huge role on Athena granting this to me. As I told my Lord I but waited for his sentence and I swear before all present that I will do everything in my power to make this up to the fine citizens of my Lord's lands." Sylvester licked his lips.
"My Lady called me up to the master chambers earlier this day, she wanted me to explain to her and Lisa how I could have done what I did. And as I explained to them, magic such as I wield is neutral, there is no such thing as good or evil magic, only in how the person uses it. Such is how I thought necromancy worked. I had no idea that their magic is actually extracted from the life force of living creatures. I of course knew they could use it to steal the life force but not that it was the source of their power."
"So all I can say is how sorry I am for my part in all of this. For the betrayal you all must feel. For any doubt this could cast onto my Lord or Lady, and my friends in their company. I feel for everyone who has had their lives destroyed or changed by Necromancers and I can only promise you that I will always be there to defend you against Necromancers and their evil designs. John had completely fooled me. I'd seen him use his magic to heal members of Brightsong. He'd always behaved in a way that I thought was good and caring for his fellow citizens."
"It has pained me greatly in learning the truth this day, a truth that will haunt me until the day I finally die. I can only move forward from this point, but I will never trust another Necromancer. That is the second oath I make this day to you." Sylvester slowly sat down as he finished.
Paige smiled at Sylvester and spoke before anyone else could.
"I'd listened closely to Sylvester's words and more importantly, his heart as he explained himself to Lisa and me earlier. And I fully believe what he said then and now. And I support Sylvester in this matter. I believe the good he has done and will continue to do warrant our Lady giving him this chance." Lady Paige told them.
"I too felt and believed what Sylvester told us as the truth as well as his conviction to move forward in a positive way that won't endanger us any further. Sylvester has always been a strong ally of our Lord. He's always been respectful and kind to those of us in Brightsong so if it is a vote of acceptance you seek my Lord, I vote in acceptance of this correction of his deeds over the punishment of the law. And I also support our Lord's position in how to handle anyone else who might have some guilt in this matter. But I would also like for this amnesty to be offered for this particular time only. And if anyone knows anything further, be it with this John or any other Necromancers, working in these lands that they have to come forward before our Lord concludes his investigation and they will be included in this amnesty offering. But after it is concluded that the law become the law again and we be allowed to rest comfortably knowing that such evil will never again be tolerated." Lisa said.
Lady Paige smiled at Lisa as she reached over and squeezed her hand.
"Lisa has brought up a valid point of concern for us all. We must be fair in this moment. I suggest when we return to our towns and we make known what has happened this day that we also announce this amnesty period. Any who come forward with valid information will be granted the same treatment for having concealed it. I believe those who have gone further will quietly leave. We should also be more diligent in interviewing anyone new moving to our towns. This John obviously had some skills in deception as he evaded my inquiries. I think from now on I will involve the temple Mistress in the interviews. I'm not comfortable doing so but this happened on my watch and if I can't help protect those who I serve then clearly I need all the help I can get." The governor of Brightsong said.
"I too am not comfortable with your idea of using a temple Mistress in interviewing but barring a better option I don't know what else to do in the matter. It isn't like there is a collection of information of everything a person has done that we can access to decide upon. My gut is right more often then not, I believe, but that is like saying I hit what I throw a rock at more often then not. And truthfully, we won't know what someone's long term goals are. If they are patient enough it could be a decade or more before they strike." The governor of Terrance told them.
"We just have to be more careful moving forward. We need to respect peoples' rights but what happened here today can't ever happen again. We nearly lost our Lady before we ever met her and now our Lord was targeted. Clearly the dark forces moving about in this world are still strong and we have got to make it known that the lands, towns, citizens and our Lord and Lady of Scorpion Keep are off limits. That we stand shoulder to shoulder with them against the designs and wicked wants of the evil." The governor of Harris said as her husband nodded.
"As my wife said we do stand in support of you and everyone beside and under you my Lord. I don't want to see draconic measures brought to bear but we do need to tighten our procedures." The husband of the governor of Harris told them.
"Rather than going around and reiterating what has already been said, I propose this; unless someone has any disagreement to what has been proposed to happen in light of today's attack and revelation, and if not a disagreement but a reservation then we can all show we are in agreement with it by raising our hands." The governor of Terrance said while raising his hand.
Everyone's hand rose up in support of the resolutions.
"Very well, tomorrow I shall journey into Brightsong and we shall begin this process while all of you will make it known in your towns what has happened and what is going to happen. The day after my investigation is concluded Raynold will contact you through the mirror and the veil over the amnesty shall be drawn and the law will return. But if any of you, while supporting this amnesty, have any concerns you are free to speak them now." Lord Walter told them while looking each in the eye.
No one spoke up and slowly conversations picked up and before long Lady Paige was asked to play a song for them and she smiled as she stood and took up the lute that was kept in the great hall and played and sang a song for them before she was interrupted by a servant who had been sitting with the twins and she left. Lisa followed quickly after her.
Paige smiled at Lisa as she entered the chambers after her.
"You didn't have to come up here Lisa. I can care for the twins myself." Paige told her.
"I wanted to help my Lady. As well as I wanted to return your jewelry since dinner is done now." Lisa told her as she moved to get Aine as Paige sat down in her rocking chair and opened the bodice of her gown and lowered it down to her waist.
Lisa grabbed the pillows that Lady Paige normally used to help support the twins while they nursed. Paige smiled at Lisa as she took them and arranged them around her before taking Aine. Lisa went and got Daithi as Paige got Aine latched on.
"I want you to keep the jewelry Lisa it is my gift to you for all the love and support you give me." Paige told her with a smile as she adjusted Daithi's head so he could latch on as Lisa put him on the pillow.
"My Lady, that is too much, their value is more than I will earn in my life time. I can't accept that." Lisa said with large eyes.
Paige smiled.
"You would deny me such a simple thing Lisa? But yes, you can accept it. And if I understood correctly, you are living in an apartment down in town?" Lady Paige asked.
Lisa nodded.
"I rent the rooms above Madam Seriance's dress shop." Lisa told her while smiling looking at the twins.
Paige pursed his lips and they twisted to the side as she thought.
"I'd like to extend a new benefit to you Lisa, if you are agreeable. I want to make one of the suites here your suite and have you moved in." Paige told her softly.
Lisa's eyes opened wide.
"I'd be honored to say the least my Lady, but that is a considerable expenditure for the Keep. I wouldn't want people being upset with you over it." Lisa told her.
Paige shrugged.
"People will be upset with me about something anyway, be it this or something else. There really is no sense in you living in town and making the trek to and from each day to take care of us. I don't know what Walter was thinking about, he should have done this himself to be honest." Paige told her.
"That would be more of Raynold's department my Lady." Lisa told her.
"Well that is going to change. I understand not everyone who works here can live here but you are special and deserve it. I'll sit with Raynold tomorrow and select a suite for you and then we'll have men go down the day after and help pack up all your belongings and bring them up to the Keep. Since Walter is going to be busy for a while. I'll have more time for the twins and that will give you time to make the move." Paige told her firmly.
"Thank you my Lady." Lisa smiled and nodded as tears welled up in her eyes.
They heard the front door open and shortly after close.
"Fine, I held my tongue little brother. Why are you doing this to Sylvester?" Megan demanded.
"Megan, Walter may be your little brother but he is still the Lord of these lands and you will treat him with the respect he deserves." Louise chastised her daughter.
"Bother that, I held my temper in check all this time and we're alone now, familial ties count for some things. Not discounting the temple Mistress." Megan told her.
"Megan." Lord Walter said in his commanding voice and she blinked and looked at him disbelieving he used it on her.
"I am more then willing to endure your anger but I will not endure your disrespect of our Mother." Lord Walter told her.
Megan sighed.
"I'm sorry Mother." Megan said softly.
Paige and Lisa both grinned as they listened.
"You do understand that I beseeched our Lady to spare Sylvester? The law is paramount. I could not break it for him, or even for any of you. My only option was to appeal to she who is the authority of the laws herself. If not for that Sylvester would be executed in a few weeks. This way he doesn't have to die nor does he have to leave my lands, never to return." Lord Walter told her softly. "What Sylvester did was seriously egregious. Something you have the opportunity to find out first hand."
"Wait, what is that supposed to mean?" Megan asked.
"The wise Lady has said if you wish, you may go with Sylvester on this pilgrimage. And it will be a pilgrimage for you as well. For I am, now, ordering you to accompany him on it. I've witnessed and been subjected to the vilest of acts performed by these people and I know to the core of my being just what truly evil people they are. Most of those that Sylvester has witnessed weren't in the act of draining the life of a poor soul. Happy still has nightmares about the first time she saw it happen and that was over ten years ago." Lord Walter told her.
"Wait, you are ordering me to go?" Megan said defiantly.
"I am. Also so you know, the wise Lady has forbidden you and Sylvester from marrying until his sentence is complete. She also said that while you can offer comfort to Sylvester, such as applying tender care to the wounds of his flesh or to rub his sore muscles, but that is all. You may not help him complete that which is meant as punishment for him." Lord Walter told her.
Greetings! Hope you all are well! Things are about to heat up in the Keep. I wrote last night after going to bed, probably about 700 words and this morning as I relaxed and watched/listened to youtube as I went about my normal social media/game playing a thought came that is going to pretty much delete all that I wrote last night. lol
Railman - Yeah, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be happy at all. And neither would Lisa. Whoever she ends up with would have to move in with her. She wasn't about to leave the Keep before this day, she'll become a cornerstone to the place now I would waiger. lol The dinner guests are in for a bit of a rude surprise in the next chapter, as is Megan, she's about to incur the wrath of someone.
Lucy - Thank you! She said she isn't opposed to it but she's a bit skeptical, after all, as the son of the governor of a town, why would he need someone to match him with someone else?
Susan - Thank you! hehe Yeah as we already discussed on IG Lisa has no desires in that regard. Would be like hitting on her Dad. *ick* as she put it. lol Dessert did you say? Well they already finished those but their JUST deserts are coming to a boil and are just about ready to be served! lol
To the Adventure! -Tim