Chapter 6: Unwelcome Guests

“Name?”

“Guinefort, sir.”

He handed the guard his adventurer license. Everything should be in order, since he wasn’t identified back in Vinebridge.

“You’re not registered to have a squire.”

The Lethe guard looked down at the pintsized ‘boy’ who didn’t seem to have held anything heavier than a fan all ‘his’ life.

“Uh, I, I was just about to, back in Oakfield’s guild hall, but then this job was announced and I saw how many were rushing that I didn’t quite finish the paperwork!”

The guard looked the two of them over, then at the still incoming mercenaries and sighed.

“Hurry in. Lord Lethe is about to start his speech.”

Guinefort grabbed his license and the two scurried off.

Sharon eyed her surroundings with the eyes of a inhabitant through the body of a stranger.

In essence not much had truly changed. It’s clear if there had been a battle it had been a quick and decisive one. No walls had been torn down, the smell of death wasn’t still lingering. But the presence of Lethe soldiers and the lack of any familiar Acheron staff or family is what made the whole experience uncanny for the disguised noble.

“To have done all this, is must have been Marcus who betrayed my father. He would have had the authority to lower the drawbridge and cause confusion among my people as the Lethe soldiers merely marched in.” Sharon whispered to Guinefort.

“I’d keep that to myself little lady if I were you.”

Sharon grumbled but agreed. None of these men seemed all too interested in another prize seeker entering the courtyard but it’d be irresponsible to let her disguise become worthless after a few words.

In the center of the courtyard they’ve built a makeshift stage using wood from furniture in the castle and other material they could muster. On top of that stage were more Lethe soldiers but also Marcus.

Sharon bit down on her lip and drew blood at the sight of him, using every ounce of willpower to not just climb up that stage and stab him.

For it was clear he wasn’t a prisoner like the rest of her people, directing soldiers, looking very comfortable on stage.

She realized that the Marcus she had known growing up in the past 5 years had had this hunch, this humility about him. He was always such a harmless little man that Sharon thought nothing of it when he asked her to bring that bag to Malvein.

But now seeing him with a straight back and a smarmy grin, it was clear that the Marcus she had known had been all but an act. He was still dressed the way he was when she had left, wearing her father’s hand me downs that had been gifts for his hard work all these years.

“Come on! Get this started!”

“Yeah! I’ve been here for 2 hours already!”

The crowd was getting antsy, which wasn’t a good sign when all of them were heavily armed. If they were a unified force they could have easily taken over the castle from Lethe, but that was neither here nor there.

Noticing that they shouldn’t delay any further Marcus called for Lord Lethe.

A well dressed man with black hair in a bob stepped up on stage. He was the finest dressed man in the vicinity, wearing an intricate doublet and incredibly puffy velvet trunk hose and boots.

He looked over the crowd, looking pleased to see so many men ready to take care of things.

“Gentlemen! Adventurers! Mercenaries! I welcome you to Castle Acheron. You may be wondering what’s been going on and why Hayden Acheron himself isn’t greeting you all.”

Murmurs traveled through the crowd. Sharon stared fiercely at the man through the gap of the arm of a man in front of her.

“While I can’t deny that we’ve all had our misgivings about the Acherons and their, shall we say peculiar ways, they have always been good for the kingdom, having supplied our troops with incredibly warriors who have managed feats no mere human could have accomplished!”

Sharon nodded along.

“So they were always considered patriots! Answering to the king! Unfortunately, as was found out by my dear Marcus here, who had worked for them diligently for many years, turns out that they weren’t quite satisfied with merely serving the king!”

More murmurs erupted from the crowd. Everyone was avidly listening to Lord Lethe and his powerful oration.

“This became clearer on closer reflection, as it was common for people in dire straits to sacrifice themselves to the Acherons to become a skeleton in exchange for mere pittance from the patriarch for the deceased family!”

Disapproving jeers were heard.

“Mere pittance? Rubbish! The sums my family has paid for this incredible sacrifice has been known to lift families out of poverty and even raising noble houses to great renown!” Sharon said to herself but Guinefort listened in.

“In fact, my own fourth born son, Sebastien, was one of these victims. I assumed he had a sense of civic duty, to help out the country, but knowing that these monsters coerce, brainwash, fool people into this twisted practice means he must have been a victim too!”

Sharon was reminded of her moments with Sebastien just before. While she stood steadfast that they had done nothing wrong, Lord Lethe’s words and the shouts in agreement in the crowd were getting to her.

“So with such moral depravity it wasn’t unthinkable that with their necromantic powers they had set their sights on the crown! The plan was to follow tradition and have their heir, or heiress in this case, travel to all the major lords and masters of the land before meeting up with king Minos. A noble endeavor, with generations of history behind it. But Marcus had heard that this time it was merely a ruse to get close to the king and take over!”

Murmurs became outrage as the crowd took in the words. Even Guinefort looked down towards Sharon as if to check if it was true or not, but her gaze remained on Lord Lethe. Staring him down even if he wasn’t aware of it.

“Now, how could a little girl accomplish this? Surely I’m mistaken! Alas, no. For she herself has the ability that her father and her kin have of creating these mind controlled wraiths. Once she’d have met him she’d have used those wicked powers to turn him into a skeleton and then take the throne for her father!”

Further outrage in the crowd. Weapons hoisted into the air in anger at the supposed regicide that was planned.

“Thus when I was informed of this by my former servant, I took it upon myself to not only inform king Minos of the conspiracy but also to defang the perpetrator himself! Which is why you can stand here now, under my protection from both undead soldiers and their conspirators.”

“Easy to do when you have a man on the inside let you all in.” Mumbled Sharon.

“As of right now, almost all members of the Acheron kin have been arrested, along with their servants. Skeletons have been imprisoned deep in the dungeons here in order to not cause any further trouble.”

He took a deep breath.

“That is why you have been called. A few family members have managed to escape or were already out of the castle at the time of our attack. We can’t allow others who might have this power to violate other dear citizens of this country and cause a civil war with the undead!”

Agreements were heard among the crowd.

“So go out there and find any and all members of House of Acheron! 500 gold pieces for each member! Bring them in alive!”

“What about the little noble girl? How much for her?” a gruff voice was heard in the audience.

“Fortunately that won’t be necessary. Thanks to some quick thinking, Sharon of Acheron should be under arrest by Tollmaster Malvein already. Focus on the cousins, nephews and the like.”

Guinefort looks down at Sharon and sees her smirking at this.

“That will be all. I’ll leave you to it as you-”

“YeeeOUUUCH!”

Everyone turned to Guinefort who was grimacing from the pain of getting kicked right in the shin unprovoked.

“Is that a question?” asked Lord Lethe, eyebrow raising.

“Ahem, my master was just wondering where that no good lord was! If we could interrogate him, maybe we could find out where those dastardly fugitives have gone!” said Sharon, doing her best baritone.

Some nods of approval from the crowd at this suggestion.

“Lord Hayden as already been sent to the capital itself under armed guard to await his execution. He had nothing of value to say.” Lord Lethe answered as he tried to walk off the stage again.

“When was that? Was he hurt? Where will he be held?”

Sharon’s eagerness was showing, her attempts at a gruff boy voice faltering. Lord Lethe himself looked upon Guinefort and his ‘squire’ with suspicion.

“Do you always let your squire speak over you, sir knight?”

Eyes were focused on the two and both were grimacing at the chance of being found out.

“MESSAGE! URGENT MESSAGE FOR LORD LETHE!”

The whole crowd turned to see a man on horseback approaching, carrying a sealed scroll in hand. The crowd made way for the man as he came to a stop before the stage, handing the paper to the lord.

Lord Lethe read it and his face turned red and his hands began to crumple the letter.

“The drunkard of the bridge seems to have had trouble restraining a little girl! Lady Sharon of Acheron is now one of the fugitives! 2000 gold coins for capture, ALIVE!”