Chapter Twelve: Diplomatic Immunity

So much for sticking together.

With Percy down, Pike looking after him at the Zenith, and Scanlan left behind at the Sun Tree, Vox Machina had shrunk to four members as they approached Whitestone Castle. After so many years of relying on no one but his sister, it surprised Vax how nervous it made him to see the group slowly dwindling, even temporarily. It was like running into battle with half his armor missing. He felt exposed, unprepared. Incomplete.

He didn't even realize how many times he'd compulsively checked the daggers on his belt and the fastenings of his armor until Vex sidled up next to him. "It's all still there, Brother," she teased. "Relax."

"We're missing half the team," Vax ground out. "I don't like it."

Vex shrugged. "Neither do I, but we work with what we've got. Besides, now that we have an idea of what to expect, there's no way The Righteous are getting the drop on us again. Not if we keep our wits about us."

"Yeah, I know, but—"

Behind them, Grog let out a thunderous belch, and Keyleth yelped in surprise and indignation.

Vax sighed. "It's a good thing you and I have wits enough for all of us," he said with a small smile.

Vex laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "That's the spirit, Brother."

But the lightening of Vax's mood didn't last long. As the remnants of Vox Machina came to the gates of the castle, two men in the uniform of the Pale Guard stepped in front of them to block their way, hands on the hilts of their longswords. "Halt!" one of them barked. "Whitestone Castle is closed to visitors. No one enters the grounds."

"On whose orders?" Vax demanded. "We came to Whitestone with Lord de Rolo, at the behest of Lady de Rolo"—that last wasn't strictly true, of course, but these two fuckers didn't need to know that—"and we have business with Chancellor Herad."

The second guard raised a skeptical eyebrow. "It was Chancellor Herad who ordered the gates sealed, sir," he said stiffly, "and he has not informed us of any appointments today. And with Lord and Lady de Rolo both unable to vouch for you at this time, I'm afraid we cannot admit you."

Vex gave a toothy smile that might have looked charming to one who didn't know better, but Vax could read the bowstring tension in every line of her body. "Of course, dear," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "But you'll run and let him know Vox Machina is here to see him, won't you?"

The two guards looked at each other, shrugged, and turned back to the group. "Uh, yes, right away," said the second guard. He unlocked the gate and slipped through, closing it behind him. His partner locked it again as he walked slowly toward the castle, glancing suspiciously over his shoulder as he went.

"Come on, move with a purpose, man!" Vax shouted after him. "We're in a hurry, here!"

The guard broke into a run and soon disappeared into the castle proper. He returned a few minutes later, red-faced and chastened, and opened the gate wide. "The Chancellor will see you in the great hall immediately," he said. He glanced at the other guard and nodded at his questioning look. "And… please accept our apologies for our zealousness. You have free access to Whitestone Castle for as long as you remain in the city."

"Thank you, friend," said Vax amiably, and led the others inside.

In the great hall, three people waited to meet them: Captain Garron, armed, armored, and standing at attention; a middle-aged, heavyset human man in richly embroidered robes who had to be Chancellor Herad; and a younger man, standing stone-faced a half step behind and to the right of Herad, who Vax presumed to be an aide or servant. "Vox Machina," said Herad with a warm smile. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Thank you for meeting with us, Chancellor," Vax replied formally, if a bit awkwardly. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to bow, or offer any kind of traditional greeting, or how much small talk was expected before getting down to business, or if any of those fussy matters of state even applied here. Damn it, this was Percival's arena, not his.

Well, we work with what we've got. Vax took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "We're looking into The Righteous and their attack on Lady Cassandra. I understand you were in attendance that night, and I was hoping to get your perspective on what happened."

"Of course. Please, sit." Herad gestured toward the same table Vox Machina had gathered around upon their arrival in Whitestone, and seated himself at the head—looking far more comfortable there, Vax noted with a scowl, than Percy had.

Gods, was that only yesterday?

Vax studied Herad as the others sat down. His deep olive skin, dark brown eyes, and black hair spoke of Marquesian heritage, and Vax guessed his age at somewhere in his late fifties. Vines and flowers traced elegant patterns in gold thread on his heavy silk robes, standing in brilliant contrast to the rich dark green of the fabric. Several fingers bore jeweled rings, and on his head sat a thin gold circlet set with a single huge emerald. He fairly exuded obnoxious wealth. Vax took an instant dislike to the man.

"Let us begin with introductions," Herad declared. "I am Kahlio Herad, Master of the Merchants' Guild in Whitestone and recently appointed Chancellor of this fair city by the Lady Cassandra de Rolo. To my right is my son and aide, Machias. And I believe you know Captain Garron already." He folded his hands on the tabletop. "And with whom do I have the pleasure of speaking this morning?"

Vax cleared his throat and attempted to match Herad's formal elocution. "I am Vax'ildan Vessar," he said. "With me are my sister Vex'ahlia, Keyleth of the Air Ashari, and Grog Strongjaw."

"Vessar?" Herad raised his eyebrows, his expression carefully blank. Vax gave an internal sigh as he anticipated the next question. "Would you happen to be related to Ambassador Syldor Vessar, of Syngorn?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Vex drawled with a strained smile before Vax could answer. "We do hope you won't hold that against us."

Herad blinked at her in momentary surprise, and then, just before the silence became awkward, let out a loud guffaw. "You certainly have a better sense of humor that he does!" he cried. Wiping tears of mirth from his eyes with one bejeweled hand, he continued. "I'll admit, Syldor can be an uptight prick, even for an Elf."

"Indeed," said Vax tightly. "So, to the subject at hand, Chancellor."

"Yes, of course. Ask your questions, friend."

Vax paused for a moment, deciding where to begin. Finally, he asked, "How came you to your post? The last time we were here, Cassandra was going to assemble a council to govern the city."

"So she was—is," Herad agreed, nodding. "But such change to a society takes time, patience, and care. There are many who are willing, even eager, to serve, and each has their own reasons, motivations, and ambitions. Selecting the right candidates is proving quite the monumental task, and may be months more before it sees fruition. In the meantime, Lady Cassandra, knowing my influence in the city and experience in matters of leadership, sought me out personally and asked me to advise her for a time. My position is temporary—although I would be lying if I said I don't hope for a permanent council seat when all is said and done. But that is for future consideration."

"I'm sure Lady Cassandra will reward you well for faithful service," said Keyleth. She kept her tone mild, but Vax could hear the undercurrent of skepticism in it. Good—he wasn't the only one who mistrusted this gilded parvenu. "But what about your duties as Guildmaster? That seems like a conflict of interest to me."

Machias straightened in his chair, glaring at her. "How dare you imply that my father—"

"Hush, Machias," said Herad gently. "It is a legitimate question. Do not be so quick to take offense on my behalf." To Vox Machina, he continued with a chuckle, "I will admit that I've gone from being a busy man to an extremely busy man. But rather than finding myself in conflict, I have been able to leverage the Guild's resources to benefit the entire city. My influence is already beginning to result in increased trade with Westruun, Emon, Kymal, even as far away as Vasselheim. Give me a year, and I promise you, Whitestone's economy will positively explode!"

"Making you, personally, very rich in the process," said Vex.

Herad tilted his head slightly and shrugged. "The perks of such an arrangement are undeniable, of course."

"Of course," Vax repeated dryly. He leaned forward, pressing steepled fingers to his lips. "If you would indulge my curiosity, Chancellor—and forgive my bluntness—but should Percival and Cassandra both die, hypothetically speaking, what would become of the government of Whitestone?" Out the corner of his eye, he saw Grog grimace and Vex and Keyleth wince in unison, but kept his gaze fixed on Herad.

Machias sputtered indignantly, but Herad held up a hand to silence him even as he blinked in astonishment at the question. "Ah, well…" He frowned deeply. "In that… exceedingly unfortunate and tragic circumstance… I suppose I would be the highest-ranking official left. I would of course make it a priority to establish the ruling council according to Lady Cassandra's wishes, and seek out any other branches of the de Rolo family who may reside in Tal'Dorei, cousins and the like, or perhaps the von Musels of Wildemount…" He trailed off and cleared his throat. "Truthfully, I haven't given the idea much thought. Such a thing is… too terrible to contemplate."

Vax narrowed his eyes as he searched Herad's face for any sign of deception. The man was difficult to read, schooling his expression with the practiced ease of a career politician. But the situation Vax had proposed seemed to genuinely disturb him.

Damn it, can't it ever be easy, for once?

He tried a different tack. "Tell me about the night Cassandra was attacked. What do you remember?"

Herad looked down at his hands. "It all went quite smoothly until… until it didn't," he said quietly. "The representatives of The Righteous surrendered their weapons a the door without protest, and comported themselves well throughout the evening. But as Lady Cassandra stood to give a toast, there was a… a noise outside the castle, as of a great impact or explosion. It seized everyone's attention, including my own—and when we all turned back around, it was too late. Lady Cassandra had fallen, and her attacker was nowhere to be seen." He shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid I saw nothing of use."

Vax swore under his breath. "And you saw no one behaving oddly before then? What about after?"

"Afterward, my attention was focused solely on Lady Cassandra," Herad said stiffly. "I have some small affinity for magic, and I attempted to heal her wounds, as did Keeper Norii. When our spells had little effect, we took her directly to the Zenith as quickly as we could. I assumed that the Pale Guard would find and eliminate the assassin." He speared Garron with a cold glare.

"Our investigation continues, Lord Chancellor," said Garron tightly.

Scowling, Machias reached up and tapped Herad on the shoulder. "Father, the time," he murmured.

"Yes, thank you." Herad met Vax's gaze again apologetically as he stood. "Forgive me, but duty calls, and I must answer."

"Thank you for seeing us, Chancellor," Vax replied, standing as well. "We may have more questions later…?"

"You may direct any further inquiries to the Chancellor through me," said Machias. "I will make certain he receives them."

"In the meantime, you are free to make use of the castle as you see fit," Herad added, "in accordance with what I'm certain would be Lord Percival's wishes."

A sour look flitted across Machias's face, so briefly Vax almost missed it.

"Good. We need to speak to the prisoners, anyway," said Keyleth. "We'll let you know if we need anything else."

"Of course," said Herad with a slight bow. "Now, I'm afraid I must go. A good day to you all." And he swept from the hall, Machias trailing after him.