The Steiner mansion included a very opulent salon where guests could have tea. This was precisely what His Excellency Eusebio Clarin was enjoying, in the company of Psody and Nedland. The entire room was bathed in sunlight, the rays of which passed through the glass doors from which hung precious, thick curtains. The varnished floor was covered with precious fabric, the table and chairs finely crafted with exquisite carvings. On the walls, paintings representing enchanting country settings, expressions of the Prince's native province, Talabecland, could be seen. The view of the park was also superb, with mainly the fountain a few dozen yards away.
The Estalian was sipping his tea, but a little disappointment still remained in his heart.
- I was hoping to see Señorita Bianka, or at least your wife, too bad they're not here?
- They left with my son and his little sister for a walk out of town, just to get some fresh air.
- I can't imagine what they're all going through right now.
- My significant other is stronger-tougher than she looks, Master Clarin. She faced the Feral Skaven, in her own way, and held on. Bianka holds up too, as long as Sigmund is healthy. Isolde is naturally very optimistic, she's sure Shallya will save her brother. Gabriel is the one who worries me the most. I think he was the one who suffered the most.
- So that he wasn't exposed like his elder brothers? the Halfling wondered.
- The worst injuries don't have to be physical, Nedland. He doesn't have the strength of character of Kit's or Sigmund's. All of this shook him up.
- Too bad for a brilliant mind.
- He'll digest it all in the end, Master Clarin, he just needs a little time.
- How's Master Kristofferson?
- Still in the same condition, but Sister Judy thinks he is saved. If there is no unexpected-sudden complication, he should recover. Slowly but surely.
Clarin looked thoughtful.
- This whole thing reminded me of my own experiences with the Under-Empire. True, I saw there were similarities.
- It's no wonder-surprising, the Feral Skaven don't like to change their methods. Those who prove to be original-nonconformists are quickly brought to heel, or eliminated. I paid to find out. Yet can you tell me what you went through? I'm interested.
- With pleasure, I think it will help me ease a little the memory if I tell you about.
- Maybe you want me to leave you alone? Nedland asked.
- No, Master Barnrooster, I learned a lot about you at the trial, I'd like to settle the score with you.
The Halfling gave a small shrug. The Estalien took a sip of tea and began:
- After the Ubersreik tragedy, I wanted to document myself a bit. So, I took advantage of a trip to Nuln to find out more about the invasion that town had suffered, and to see if it might help me fully understand their strategies. Through my contacts – former college mates become senior officials – I consulted militia records. I got acquainted with information fortunately unknown to ordinary citizens. And I learned Magistrate Fritz von Halstadt had been convicted of collaborating with the Feral Skaven.
- No wonder-wonder, the Feral Skaven adore this kind of manipulation.
- This new incident with your Commander proves it, doesn't it? So, from what I've been told, Grey Seer Rasknitt didn't bother with this kind of plan when he wanted to take Ubersreik.
- I told you, he acted in a hurry, he was nearly out of breeders. He needed room to expand his colony-colony, and resources to feed it.
- Yes, in Nuln, things were done with more subtlety. The Feral Skaven chose their prey well, von Halstadt was one of Countess Emmanuelle's closest advisers. You can imagine that once the storm passed, the Countess's magistrates did everything to cover up the case. It was discovered that the person responsible for the invasion of Nuln was an individual known as Thanquol.
Psody couldn't suppress a shudder hearing the three times hated name hated. Clarin noticed this, and asked:
- You know him?
- The whole Under-Empire knows him, Master Clarin. He is the most vicious, tenacious, and also cleverest Grey Seer to ever exist. Many Grey Seers take him as an example, but the Council of Thirteen never considered him well. I've lived among the Feral Skaven long enough to know this lad's reputation. My master used to boast of being his son, but I doubt it. He wouldn't have been a common Grey Seer from a small colony if he really had the same intelligence and power as Thanquol.
- You already saw him? Nedland asked.
- Only in my visions, and it wasn't pretty-pretty. Master Felix Jaeger has faced him on several occasions. If I believe the stories he told me, if Thanquol is still alive today, he must be old-decrepit. But I prefer never meet him. Warpstone and hate can be so efficient power sources. And I think he's far more dangerous-dangerous than that little Iapoch larva, although I admit that this White Skaven has chosen his target prey well.
- That's right, Schmetterling was a tough guy. He could have persisted in denying, it could have left the trial in doubt, dragged things along, and maybe even received a minor sentence. But he cracked, and that is worth all the evidence!
The White Skaven smirked.
- I knew it was him, ever since the imprinted text in Iapoch's office was discovered. This message was clearly eloquent.
- What if that had been a false lead, in order to confuse us?
- That's unlikely, Master Clarin. A Grey Seer will think for himself, and just himself. Of course, he may want to get rid of a rival with defamation-slander backed by false evidence. But Iapoch would never have gone to great lengths for a man-thing. He just would have sent a Gutter Runner to kill him, sooner or later. And besides, my father thank-congratulate you for your trust.
- I must admit I hesitated. If you had been wrong, Prince Calderon would no doubt have been upset to see his Ambassador involved in a failed attempt to neutralize a Commander!
- You only had to get his attention during my... "discussion" with Jochen, Excellency, Nedland recalled. Nothing really bad. Anyway, if that's any reassurance, there's one more piece of evidence against Schmetterling: as I left the barracks, I joined Sigmund, and the Twins, and we easily found the casket in the tree. Sigmund smelled the characteristic smell of Skaven urine on it – Skaven usually piss on what is theirs.
- So this box was indeed owned by a Skaven. And is that where you replaced its contents with pebbles?
- We hadn't to.
Clarin's small smile faded to bewilderment. Nedland simply continued:
- We haven't touched that box.
- You mean Iapoch didn't keep to his part of their bargain?
- Fate can be really capricious at times: Schmetterling thought he was betraying his secret employer when he was already betrayed by him.
- But… what about you said in court about the Bright College?
- I told that to add pressure on Schmetterling's shoulders.
- You lied in court after taking an oath to tell the truth under Verena's watch?
Nedland pouted a little.
- Master Clarin, I have sworn to tell the truth in answer to any questions the Commander would have asked me. I never made it clear that my spontaneous assertions would also be the truth. Did I say "whatever I say in this tribunal is the truth?" No. I just answered "yes" when Schmetterling asked me: "will you answer my questions with the truth?". So I haven't broken my oath. Besides, remember: I said "the contents of the box will surely be of interest to the Bright College" without specifying the nature of that content. If so, Patriarch Gormann collects Skaven White urine-scented pebbles? All in all, I didn't lie. I just speculated.
- I didn't think you could be so vicious! Clarin exclaimed, laughing.
- The Small Steps trained me well, Excellency. Maybe I could even pit myself against a seasoned Grey Seer?
- A good lesson: you should never trust a Feral Skaven. Its instinct will push him to deceive-cheat you as soon as it doesn't need you anymore, so that it doesn't have to keep the promises it made to you, Psody laughed.
- Master Barnrooster, don't you fear the judgment of the gods after all?
- The only god I listen to is Ranald. Ranald doesn't like powerful people who abuse their powers, and I think he had a good laugh seeing the way this corrupt soldier ended his career. Besides, the doors of Morr's Gardens have been permanently closed to me for a long time. I am no longer close to possible perjury.
Clarin looked at the two men.
- What will you do, now?
- Now that Iapoch is dead, the few surviving troops of his are routed. That danger is gone, as is the threat from the Orcs. But we'll have to brace ourselves, especially with the opening of new Colleges of Magic.
- Do you think the Feral Skaven won't stop there?
- They certainly won't, and I have proof of it: the letter you brought us was written by Iapoch, but it was not Iapoch you faced at Nichetti Estate. It was another White Skaven!
The Estalian's delicate face crumpled in annoyance.
- Are you sure?
- I examined Iapoch before he was burned, I'm categorical, Nedland replied.
- So why did Iapoch claim responsibility for the attacks made by this other Grey Seer?
- I see two solutions, Excellency: either the White Skaven who attacked Sueño is an accomplice with whom Iapoch coordinated his actions, and they did that to cover their tracks, or it's a rival-rival towards whom Iapoch would have wanted direct us to get rid of it.
- Is that the kind of thing a Grey Seer can do?
- Absolutely-completely.
- You mean a Grey Seer can try to compromise another when they are of the same people and they aim at the same target?
- Do you remember what I explained to you, Maître Clarin? The goal of any Feral Skaven is to get to the top, no matter how, although it must be prejudicial-damaging in the end. Either way, it will always find someone else than itself to blame. And so, the return of the Feral Skaven is to be feared. Probably not for a while, but they can quickly return to the assault, time to rebuild their ranks!
- All the more reason to work together, indeed.
- Talk to Prince Calderon, but try not to spread this information too much, Nedland suggested. Your fellow citizens may get scared if this gets out.
- You will act more effectively-efficiently if you avoid a wave of panic. And we can help you.
- Precisely, I wanted to ask you: can we see your father? I have a message from my Prince for him.
- I'll bring you to him right now.
The little White ratman got up quickly, and accompanied the Estalian to the Prince's cabinet.
Ludwig Steiner, installed at his desk, was consulting the last statements of the treasurer. He let out a deep, weary sigh. The two battles were to cost dearly in compensation for the families of the victims. The Prince hoped he wouldn't have to levy an exceptional tax. When he heard a knock on the door, he looked up.
- Come in.
The door opened on Eusebio Clarin.
- Ah, Master Clarin, come in. Psody?
- Yes, Father?
- Can you go see how the preparations for this afternoon go?
- Right away, Father, the White Skaven replied before leaving.
- Please, have a seat, Excellency.
Clarin took his place facing the Prince.
- Master Brisingr Steadyhand returned last night. He has good news, for a change. He negotiated an arrangement with a guild of Dwarves craftsmen for the reconstruction of the Wüstengrenze Bridge.
- He's been there and back from the Empire so quickly? He didn't hang around!
- He didn't. But he didn't have to go to Altdorf neither, he galloped to Karaz-a-Karak, to the east.
- An Elf received in a Dwarf fortress?
- He is first and foremost an Imperial agent, he has easy entry. And so, to thank him for his efforts, I organized a small reception to talk about all this in front of the Steinerburg gratin for this afternoon. I also hope you will make us happy to attend?
- I will be honoured, Your Majesty. I would now like to come to the purpose of my visit.
The Ambassador reached into his satchel, and pulled out an envelope of high quality paper which he handed to the Prince.
- I received this letter this morning, and I have to share it with you. Your Majesty, His Excellency Prince Roderigo Calderon officially requests to meet you in order to get to know you and your people. He thus hopes to constitute a policy of commercial and strategic exchanges between Sueño and Vereinbarung.
- Wonderful. Where does he want this meeting to take place?
- Well, he would like to come and see with his own eyes your magnificent kingdom and your loyal subjects, if you agree to receive him.
- It's a great proof of confidence. Instead of staying at home, to his advantage, he offers to come to the heart of a realm where the Skaven live, regardless of the potential risks.
- That's exactly how I saw it, agreed the Estalian.
- I was prepared for it from the start, but I'll admit it gives me chills. For the first time, I receive a Prince at my Court!
- I think he will be twice as moved as you when he finds your people, your Majesty.
- Who knows, maybe in a few years the Skaven will speak Estalian? Steiner laughed. But let's think about the present moment. Master Clarin, I will have the immense privilege of receiving His Highness Prince Roderigo Calderon of Sueño here in Steinerburg one month from this day. So spoke the Prince.
- I'll return to Barca tomorrow, with the garrison of Captain Antoninus. All the soldiers who didn't perish at Kreidesglück will be fit to travel. But I will come back to accompany the Prince to that time.
In a small room, dimly lit by the light that shied timidly through its only window, Marjan and Jochen Gottlieb were seated face to face. They had already been sitting there for a few minutes without saying a word. Both of them were fully aware of the stakes of the unsavoury task that awaited them. They also knew it probably wouldn't bring them any comfort.
Finally, the young man broke the silence.
- You want to do it?
- Would that bother you?
- A little.
- Why? I can do it!
- I know you can. What would bother me is the fact you get your hands dirty on him. I want to avoid you that.
- Oh, really? Why, then? You don't have the birth-right, as far as I know!
- I do not have the birth-right, indeed.
- So what? Is it because I'm a woman?
- Neither. Marjan, I don't care if your breeches are empty, you have ten times more guts than he has. And after what he told you, it would be more for you to do. It's just that I don't want to leave the dirty work to you. It's unworthy of you. What do you think about it?
All she needed was a small smile.
- Treat him like our parents would have treated him, little brother!
They hugged, then left the small room. They walked without a word to the barracks yard. All able-bodied soldiers were present, at attention, and formed a circle around a perimeter twenty feet in diameter. In the middle of the circle, Commander Schmetterling was standing, Lieutenant Renata by his side. Marjan mingled with the soldiers, and stopped near Sigmund. Jochen entered the circle. Once up to the young Tilean, the latter read aloud a parchment.
"Commander Johannes Schmetterling, you have been convicted of high treason against the Crown of Vereinbarung. His High Magnificence, Prince Ludwig Steiner the First, sentenced you to be put to death by Marjan and Jochen Gottlieb. The two agreed on who would be the executor. May the sentence be fulfilled, under the watchful eye of Sigmar and Verena!"
Having spoken, the Lieutenant stepped back up to her comrades.
Jochen faced the Commander. He didn't have a weapon. He had spent the night thinking, and felt that the degree of resentment he was feeling towards Schmetterling would enable him to carry out the sentence unarmed. He cracked his fingers, and looked the tall red man from head to toe. Schmetterling spat on the floor.
- What are you expecting, brat? If you hope me to cry for my life, you risk...
He couldn't finish his sentence, interrupted by a head-butt from Jochen. He rolled in the dust, squealing. He stood up painfully on his knees, and coughed, his face bloodied.
- Why you little...
Jochen kicked his jaw. The Commander was knocked down on his back. No one moved. There were just a few muffled exclamations in the assembly. Schmetterling leaned back on his hindquarters. His face was scarlet with anger, his bulging eyes throwing daggers at the Captain.
- You coward! You'd be less blustering if I faced you fair, shithead!
For the first time since they had come down to the courtyard, the young man smiled. Without saying a word, he walked behind the condemned man, and grabbed his hair. Schmetterling cried out in pain as the young man pulled him up. Jochen raised his hand.
- The key.
A soldier hastily handed him the key of the handcuffs. Jochen untied the Commander's wrists, before pushing him forward with a kick in the buttocks. Schmetterling stabilized on his legs, and turned around, puzzled. He saw Jochen reach out to the tall Black Skaven near him, the second son of the Master Mage.
- Siggy?
The Ratman handed him his sinusoidal blade sword. Slowly, calmly, Jochen walked over to Lieutenant Renata. She gave her the Commander's weapon she had kept. With both swords in hand, the young man came back to Schmetterling, and stopped about fifteen feet from him. Still without saying a word, he threw the confiscated weapon at the Commander's feet.
The Commander's eyes widened, watching Jochen for any movement. The latter remained motionless, the point of the sword resting on the ground, facing him. Schmetterling cautiously walked over to his weapon, picked it up quickly without taking his eyes off young Gottlieb.
Jochen just got into a fighting position, quietly. He even waved the Commander over, with a small smile.
Schmetterling was not fooled. The looks of the soldiers who formed the circle were very eloquent. It was not a "trial by arms". Even if he won this fight, they wouldn't let him go alive.
Alright, I'm leaving... but I'm going to take you with me, brat!
Schmetterling lifted his sword, and got ready. Jochen, for his part, twirled Heart of Unicorn. The two adversaries faced each other, and slowly walked towards each other. The young man made a step aside to his right, then another, imitated by the Commander.
Sigmund gritted his teeth. The silence was tight. We could only hear the footsteps of the two Humans on the cobblestones. The tall Black Skaven was well acquainted with his friend's sword fighting skills, but had no idea what the tall red man had. Schmetterling knew how to command, but was he also formidable in battle? Probably. But maybe the years had dulled his reflexes? Or had he bothered to maintain them?
The Black Skaven glanced over at Marjan, who was gazing at the scene, her arms folded. She didn't show the slightest concern whatsoever. Nor any other expression, for that matter. To reassure himself, Sigmund forced himself to think she was convinced of her brother's victory.
My friend, don't let this thug kill you!
Jochen took the initiative to speed up the movement. He took a firm step towards his opponent, then leaped aside and swept the air with the sinusoidal sword. The commander reacted immediately. He blocked Heart of Unicorn with the flat of his blade, and slid it to the ground to unbalance young Gottlieb and make him expose his chest. But Jochen had succeeded in his ruse: he accompanied the movement in his turn, turned on his feet, and seized Schmetterling's right arm with his left hand. He twisted it, wedged it behind the tall red-haired man's back, and pushed with all his might.
Cartilage and bones cracked, and the commander cried out in pain. Without giving him another second, Jochen kicked his opponent's hock, who fell to his knees. The Commander's sword fell to the ground with a metallic clang. Jochen faced Schmetterling again. He grabbed him by the collar with his free hand, pulled him up, then thrusted Sigmund's sword into his abdomen. Schmetterling's eyes widened, opened his foaming mouth, but no sound escaped his throat.
The two men stayed so for a few long seconds, eye to eye. Then Jochen pulled the handle of the weapon, slowly but firmly. The sinusoidal blade retreated, and blood rushed from the wound. But the young lord didn't completely withdraw Heart of Unicorn. Without warning, he pushed on the pommel, and plunged the sword for the second time into the Commander's bowels. Then he pulled again, this time more brutally. And then he pushed again. This time Schmetterling screamed, screamed so loudly that one of the young cadets had to cover his ears.
Jochen continued his sinister back-and-forth for a minute. A minute that seemed to stretch into an eternity. The spectacle became unbearable. With each thrust, the point of Heart of Unicorn tore the Commander's tunic in a different place, and with each draw blood and flesh poured in, each time more abundantly than the last.
When the tall, red-haired man found himself so ragged that his legs threatened to pull away from his chest, young Gottlieb decided to stop. He completely removed Sigmund's sword from the body of Johannes Schmetterling, who rolled noisily over the cobbles.
Jochen crouched down next to the Commander's face, Heart of Unicorn's tip on the ground. He looked at the display of guts, then reached out, picked up a small organ at random. He squeezed it between the commander's lips, and pressed it slowly and firmly into his mouth. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear:
- Shut up. I don't want to hear you anymore.
Useless instruction, Schmetterling had already lost consciousness for eternity. But Jochen wanted to mark the occasion. He stood up, and gazed at the assembly. All the soldiers were dumbfounded with terror and disgust, except Sigmund and Marjan. One of the freshest recruits had to rush to a corner of the yard to vomit up his last meal. In a loud and clear voice, the young lord announced:
- Any soldier recognized as guilty of collaboration with the Feral Skaven will get put down on the spot like a rabid dog. Any citizen, Human or Skaven, accused of the same crime, will be tried by a competent court which will show no mercy. And if anyone claims I am not worthy of my last name or rank, I'll take care of him personally. Hope this is clear to everyone, because I shall not repeat it.
Jochen didn't need to add a word. He had the satisfaction of seeing the horror on many still dubious faces two minutes earlier. The message had passed. He walked past Sigmund, and gave him back his sword.
- I admit, this sword is well-balanced, it is a real blade of justice.
The Black Skaven didn't answer, but his face creased in bitterness.
It is a blade of justice, indeed! Not a pork meat saw!
Then he looked at Schmetterling's corpse.
Even less a "gromril toy", you filthy, traitor bastard!
He calmly walked over to the armoury, where he concentrated on cleaning Heart of Unicorn.
The afternoon was less heavy with strong emotion bursts. The reception planned by the Prince was organized in the Grand Tribunal of Verena. The Prince's staff had requisitioned the largest room on this occasion. The few dozen people invited for the occasion were able to enjoy the flavours of a buffet – however the monarch had asked the chef not to offer too expensive dishes.
The Prince, his two children and his three oldest grandchildren stayed in the afternoon among the most powerful people of Steinerburg: merchants, food producers, craftsmen of luxury goods… The majority of them was made up of humans, but already some Skaven faces could be seen. The first Freed Skaven had indeed taken their place in the society of the Rat Kingdom, they were mainly Skaven having directly taken over the family business inherited from their parents.
Bianka was confused. Generally, she very much enjoyed these moments of meeting people of similar social condition to her own. She had a few friends among the Skaven present. In addition, Eusebio Clarin was also present. And yet, she was not comfortable.
In reality, everything would have been perfect without him.
That was her main thought as Magister Brisingr Steadyhand stepped onto the platform and spoke.
"Honest citizens of Vereinbarung, I am very honoured to be able to address all of you. Honoured, but also relieved, and also saddened. Relieved, for I was fortunate enough to have survived a terrible battle between your army and the dreaded Orcs. Saddened by the losses for which I am partly responsible."
"You all knew that already, but I would like to clear things up once and for all. To prevent the Orcs from crossing the last line of defence, I was forced to destroy the bridge that connected the two sections of Wüstengrenze. The ancient city was thus spared, and a few civilian casualties only are to be deplored. But it left a terrible hollow in the souls of every inhabitant of this great city."
"Fortunately, we found a solution to make things right. After the Battle of Wüstengrenze was over, I rushed to the fortress of Karaz-a-Karak. I was introduced to an artist whose talent and professionalism are legendary in the person of Master Aghnar Barisson. Master Barisson, can you come, please?"
A small figure almost as wide as it was tall pushed its way through the guests, not hesitating to shove them roughly to move forward. Finally, the individual stopped beside the Elf. He was indeed a Dwarf, who exhibited all the most typical characteristics of his people: a red complexion under a thick chestnut beard carefully combed in long braids, long hair, small dark and lively eyes, very broad shoulders, and arms the size of a lumberjack's thighs. For the occasion, he had paid particular attention to his neat dress, and his exceptionally good personal hygiene.
He coughed several times.
"Let me introduce myself: Aghnar Barisson, my family has been in architecture and building engineering for four generations. When Master Steadyhand came to find us, I won't hide it from you, we were at first a little surprised to see an Elf asking us something. And then he explained to us because of the, um, Greenskins..."
The Dwarf had to pause briefly to be able to say the word without spitting on the carpet.
"Yeah, well, because of them, the bridge of the town of Wüstengrenze, which us Dwarves know as Karak-Bihanev, had been destroyed. Well, the Elf broke it, but he had to choose between the bridge only or the whole town. And so, he offered us to come and fix it. We quickly found a satisfactory deal for everyone. Indeed, we had a copy of the construction plans of this bridge in our archives, so it hadn't been difficult for me to define the time and cost of building another similar bridge. Moreover, since then, we have found other techniques for better quality results, and not necessarily much more expensive or time consuming."
"As I'm speaking to you, my team is already there. My men started by building a platform system to evacuate isolated people, then bring in the equipment for the job. The work will be long, to build such a bridge will take at least three years, but if we use the know-how of my people, be sure it will last for centuries, and that it will take more than a Magister of the Bright College of Fire to smash it to the ground!"
Laughing burst into the audience. The Prince joined the two men. He turned to the Dwarf.
- I would like to thank Master Barisson for agreeing to work for your Kingdom. This reconstruction will take resources, you can imagine, and that is why I will ask each of the inhabitants of Vereinbarung to make an effort commensurate with his or her means. I left a notebook at the exit, everyone will be free to enter a pledge in an amount of their choice. Remember that you are the citizens most able to come to the aid of your kingdom, and the more we have gathered money to pay Master Barisson and his team, the better the result of their work will be.
Then he put a friendly hand on the Elf's shoulder.
- And Master Steadyhand also deserves your thanks, ladies and gentlemen. He fought alongside our soldiers in Wüstengrenze, but he also helped us uncover the real source of the danger threatening the Rat Kingdom. The Orcs, we discovered, were only the instruments of a much more evil and manipulative mind. Grey Seer Iapoch tried to pit us against each other. Worse, he dragged Johannes Schmetterling into his schemes, nothing less than the Commander of our army. Schmetterling was tried, convicted of treason, and this morning the executioner applied the sentence. Without Master Steadyhand's help, we would not have been able to discover the location of our enemy's hideout, and he arguably would have done much more damage to Vereinbarung. This is why, ladies and gentlemen, I officially declare the Magister has well deserved the title of "Honorary Citizen" of our Kingdom!
The Elf smiled and bowed humbly. All the guests applauded. Even Bianka. But her mood was definitely not goo. On the contrary, she wore an expression that mixed mistrust and disgust.
Her mother noticed it.
- Well, Bianka? Why such a face?
- I have a bad feeling.
- What about?
Without ceasing to applaud, the ratgirl nodded at the Magister.
- I have the impression he's hiding something from us, Mother.
- Master Steadyhand? Of course he isn't!
- I still find everything went very well for him: he destroys a bridge without assuming the consequences, he finds a very quick arrangement with the Dwarves, while the Dwarves aren't used to deal with Elves, and now, he's bragging in front of the whole Kingdom…
- Come on, Bianka! If he destroyed this bridge, it was to save the people of Wüstengrenze! It will be rebuilt. Thanks to Master Barisson's team, it will be as beautiful as before, and even more solid! And if he succeeded in convincing the Dwarves to do this work, it is because he is good at it, and because the customers are Humans, not Elves.
- And who will pay the bill, Mother? Will he?
- Oh, don't be a bad tongue. You heard your grandfather, we'll find the money. As for Master Steadyhand, he was a great help, once again there is no reason to be suspicious of him.
- If you say so, Mother...
She just nodded to respond to the Magister's dazzling smile. Her thoughts were much more vindictive.
Be smart, I won't be fooled by your little game, and I'll have the last laugh!
After supper, the ratgirl felt better. But there was something else which bothered her. She decided to talk about it when dessert was served.
- Opa, I must admit something is embarrassing me in all this.
- Is that so? So what, honey?
The ratgirl bit her lip.
- It's very upsetting, I'm afraid to upset you.
- Speak without fear, I am your grandfather, you don't have to hesitate. On the contrary.
Bianka swallowed her saliva and explained:
- There, I've read the proceedings of Schmetterling's trial. And I…
She turned her head to her twin brother.
- I can't imagine what you have been through, especially you, Sigmund. And I have to say I'm really, very, very… satisfied with your courage. I would like to say I'm proud of you.
- So why don't you just say it? asked the tall Black Skaven in a soft voice.
- Because when you say to someone "I'm proud of you", implicitly, you remind that you have contributed to that someone's success. And I didn't do anything to make you behave so well.
- You did, Bianka. You already told me to watch out for my mood swings, which can cause problems. If I had given Schmetterling what I thought he deserved, I would be in jail again by this time.
- Ah ... Well, I congratulate you, then.
She came back to the Prince.
- That is not the point. In fact, I'm afraid there has indeed been a procedural flaw.
- How? Steiner asked quietly. He was tried by a competent court, he chose to defend himself when he had been offered a lawyer, in no way did I stop him from speaking or questioning one or the other of the witnesses, and the jury members eventually found him guilty after his confession. Where's the problem, honey?
- The exhibits, Opa. Exhibit number five was brought in after all the others, and without informing anyone. Why?
- We weren't sure we could present it on the day of the trial, for security reasons. Your father had treated it after he came back to Steinerburg, but it was been necessary to wait until it no longer emitted any toxic dust. We wanted to bring the trial as quickly as possible so as not to give our enemies time to stop us. Maybe Schmetterling would have attempted suicide, maybe a Feral Skaven would have murdered him...
- That's the problem, Opa! I'm afraid others reviewing this case might think Justice has been too hasty!
- Are you questioning my verdict? Steiner asked, in a voice as soft as it was worrying.
- I am not, Opa. Schmetterling was guilty, I agree. However, others might think the opposite, or at least deny the validity of this trial. And in the future, in the worst case scenario, this argument could be used against you, and you could be blamed for acting in an abusive manner! This is what I fear, Opa.
The Prince's forehead creased, his mouth twitched in an annoyed smirk, but he didn't lose his composure.
- Well, thank you for your frankness, my angel. From your training at the temple of Verena, you are in the best position among your brothers and sister to analyse these things and have a concrete and valid opinion. But I want to reassure you: I am the Prince, and it is my authority that prevails, and I will not let anyone challenge it to the point of threatening it. I organized a fair trial. I could have ordered the Twins to shoot down whoever they were find at the dead oak tree without warning, I almost did. It was your mother who convinced me to mount this trial, precisely to avoid being seen as an arbitrary tyrant. Schmetterling defended himself as best he could. If he had presented me strong enough arguments to back up his side of the story, I could even have let him go, in doubt, to avoid convicting a possible innocent. I wouldn't have let him carry out his own threats, of course, but he would at least have saved his head. He failed, he paid the price. A price commensurate with his crime. And if anyone else wants to harm me, or harm you or any other member of our family with that kind of argument, I'll take care of teaching them the meaning of the expression "crime of lèse-majesté", as it is said in Bretonnia.
Bianka dared not answer. The Prince's face was still serene, except for the merciless glow that lit up his eyes. The ratgirl immediately understood the discussion was over. Her grandfather looked around the other people at the table.
- Anyone else have something to say about this conclusion?
- I have, Opa, replied the great Black Skaven.
- Then speak up, we are listening.
Sigmund scratched his temple.
- I didn't want to say anything in front of the guard so as not to undermine his authority, but still… Jochen went for it!
The Prince was well versed in the inner workings of survival and group instinct.
- Siggy, don't forget Johannes Schmetterling made a pact with the enemy. He tried to assassinate your father with the help of a Feral Skaven from Clan Eshin, and then because of his leaden strategy, many people died. It was necessary to send a strong and clear message, just to make it clear who the leader is.
- No doubt, and I expected him to kill him in single combat, or just execute him, but like that… I think he exaggerated.
- No one will dare to doubt his ability to see this through to the end after that.
- After Larn's story, I was well punished, while he...
Bianka grimaced, mingling weariness and reproach, but she remained calm when she recapped:
- Come on, don't be an idiot! It's not comparable! Larn was a little rascal who killed three cows and whom you slaughtered for no good reason. Schmetterling betrayed the kingdom and caused the death of hundreds of loyal soldiers against the Orcs and Feral Skaven, and Jochen no longer has a mother to rebuke him. You're right, that's no excuse. But that explains more than your hurt personal pride. And then... maybe without this betrayal things would have been different, and Kit...
But she couldn't finish her sentence. Recalling the critical situation in which her brother was, Bianka burst into tears. Heike hugged her for a long time. When the girl raised her head, her mother whispered to her:
- We don't know, darling. If in doubt, don't think about it. Schmetterling was a traitor, he was treated as such, and only fools would dare to do like him after Jochen's demonstration. Now we must be patient and wait. The priests did all they could, the next thing to be decided is for the gods.
- But this time, I agree with you, Siggy, then said Psody's voice, who hadn't said a word until then.
The Black Skaven turned to his father, with a questioning gaze.
- Besides, I agree with what you told me earlier, too. I have to confess-confess: I killed Iapoch with the Magic of Ghyran. It is the Magic of Life. Yet, I used it to kill someone, and in a really, really dirty-insane way. It's even worse than what happened to Schmetterling or Larn. I didn't say anything to keep up appearances. One day, perhaps, it will be known. We'll see. I count on the fact he was a Grey Seer and we were in the midst of battle-battle. But I'm sure if I was a true sworn Druid I would have been banned from the College.
All eyes turned to the Prince, who contented himself with concluding:
- Well, at least you're being honest. We won't shout it from the rooftops, but you'll have to live with this burden and shoulder it.
- I know-know, Father.
Sigmund hesitated a bit before asking:
- What the hell could that bastard have done to you to make you fix him like that, anyway?
- He mortally insulted me, Siggy. That's all you need to know-know. Like the rest of you, he added coldly.
The young ratman didn't insist. The sparks of anger that still lit his father's pink eyes were eloquent enough.