Something Rotten

Rosamund successfully kept a calm voice and expression while telling Adanita, Teodolit, and Ekliptik what he spoke about with Khamil. He was certain he made an enemy in the man. He didn't want to bring more guards around the manor, although he was feeling uneasy. It was about optics. It wouldn't look good if he upped the guard after this. He couldn't show fear. Besides, the people of the city counted on him to protect them from the pirates. Lowering the amount of guards down there while upping his own would definitely look bad.

And then there was the issue of Pronyscher and Cinda - again. He showed them both mercy once because they aimed for him, not for the people. If they made a mess in Hipparcos, there will be consequences. Something Adanita was certainly aware of, so it didn't need to be said.

The lunch was short. Aside from telling them about Khamil and briefly pondering the situation in the city, they are in silence. Everybody wanted to go to the prison as soon as possible. After everyone got dressed for the event and packed up into the carriage, they made their way to the prison.

It was a stone fort, slightly out of the way of the main roads of Hipparcos. Nivelir was waiting for them at the front gates, looking particularly haggard today. Next to him was Captain Hexkey, who helped him out of the carriage.
"Are you alright?" Rosamund asked Nivelir quietly. He simply gave him a nod. "Were the tests done successfully?"
"Yes, I somehow got them to work after I promised that you and Captain would come down yourselves as soon as possible. Yours?"
"Everything went fine. Khamil came to see me."
Nivelir winced. Rosamund patted his shoulder and turned to everyone that was gathered there. "Guard Captain Hexkey, I trust you have the full report on what happened ready?" he asked.
"Yes, my lord. I've gathered all the witnesses and prepared a room for you to interview them in."
"Have you done any investigation yet?"
"Considering the situation, I thought it was best to leave it to you, sir."
Aha. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. Did Hexkey suspect his own men, or did he want to wash his hands of all responsibility by leaving everything to him? Or was this a plot by him, too? He should have Nivelir look into his connections to Duchess Almukantarat, just in case.

"Give me the reports you've gathered from your people and take me to the room. I will tell you who to bring in once I've read it all. Captain Vervain, Nivelir, please come along. Guard Captain, have someone take First Mate Teodolit and Ekliptik to the imprisoned pirates. I am sure you are waiting to confirm the state of the prisoners. You may stay with them if you'd like to, until I order differently. Is that clear?"
He didn't let them proceed until he got a verbal confirmation from both Teodolit and Hexkey. He will allow no nonsense in his presence. They parted ways, and Hexkey led them to the small room he prepared. Adanita didn't bother taking her hat off when she took a seat on one of the two chairs by the desk. Rosamund didn't bother with niceties and made Nivelir sit on the other chair. He will read the reports standing, unless Hexkey brings in more chairs. Did he seriously expect he'd read these alone? Only have them bring in one other person - the witness whose testimony he needed? What nonsense.

Hexkey was also left standing. One of his men brought in the documents, which Rosamund fairly split among the group. They started to read.

According to the guards, the story went like this: The four guards were off-duty, but still in uniform. They went to grab a drink at an inn, in which they found Pronyscher Zaum. The man was drunk and started making a ruckus, so they escorted him out of the inn. He attacked them, so they roughed him up and arrested him. While they were taking him to the prison, Cinda came to his rescue. She managed to injure two guards before they managed to restrain her, and they locked her up too. The stories from the guards were pretty much identical.

Almost suspiciously so.

First order of business was to interrogate the witnesses, and next was to find out if Hexkey was somehow involved into this.

The witnesses that Hexkey gathered seemed to mostly be telling the truth. Their story went as follows: Pronyscher Zaum was drinking at the inn. There was a ruckus. The people weren't sure who started it, but the general consensus was that it was the pirate. A few were very confident it was the pirate, in fact. The guards took him outside and started beating him up on the street. Cinda joined into the fight to protect him. They took them both away to prison.

Ugly situation. Zaum was clearly doing something to warrant an arrest, but there was the issue of the guards beating him up on the street. Hexkey kept an impressively neutral expression while Rosamund was conducting his investigation. Adanita was standing in the corner, making his witnesses uncomfortable but otherwise keeping silent. Nivelir was... existing behind him. Bless him.

"Guard Captain," Rosamund said when the last witness has left. "What is your opinion of this situation?"
"My opinion, my lord, is that this should be left to the judge."

Oh no. By no means - Rosamund has already seen this song and dance, a thousand times, on two damned worlds. The arrested criminal gets a punishment, and the guards get a warning. No - not in his colony.

The crime of inaction from a lifetime ago had no business resurfacing now, damn it. Tightly clenching his fist on the table, he pushed his guilt back into the gutter it came from. His past sins can mock him when he gets back home - right now he had work to do.

"I am the highest authority in this colony. I believe I fit the role," he said. A warning.
"My lord, you brought these people here."
"That is precisely what makes them my responsibility. Do you normally allow your men to beat up people on the street?"
"Sir, they were resisting arrest! I have two men injured! What were they supposed to do?"
He heard movement in the corner behind him. "Captain Vervain, if you take another step further I will personally order your execution," Rosamund warned, not turning around. Hexkey took a step back, towards the door. Next to him, Nivelir was tightly holding onto his rapier. "Am I making myself clear, Captain?"

He allowed her a moment to think her actions through. She let out a quiet snarl before she finally responded. "Yes, Lord Governor." Judging by the sounds coming from behind him, she returned to her corner. He refused to turn around to check if things were in order. He had a man to manage right in front of him, and he had enough faith in Adanita's self-control.

"And just like that, I stopped a murder with words alone. You should consider yours in the future. Sometimes, your life may depend on them." He thoughtfully leaned on the table, pondering Hexkey's position. "Do you have any other complaints, Guard Captain?"
"No, sir."
"And if I tell you to bring in Cinda, your answer will be..."
He bowed. "As you wish, my lord."
"Very good."

Between a rock and a hard place, is it? Hexkey looked as if he had a stomachache when he left to fetch Cinda.

Rosamund breathed a sigh of relief, leaning back on his chair. "Captain Vervain, please refrain from attacking my people. I don't want to need to warn you again," he tiredly said, still not looking her way. He didn't need to.
"As long as your people extend the same courtesy to mine," she responded.
"Working on it. You can relax, Nivelir. The only person that Captain Vervain would cut down has just left the room."
Nivelir didn't reply. He simply continued standing in silence. The conversation didn't continue until Hexkey returned with Cinda in tow.

She looked like a woman that spent the night in a prison - that is to say, not very good. They beat her up considerably, and he noticed her nose was broken again. He felt a smidge of guilt, it surely didn't have time to heal since their duel. Her wrists were bound in manacles, and she looked as if she was considering how to strangle somebody with the chain - possibly him. One look from Adanita spooked her enough to cease with those thoughts, though.

"Nivelir, please tell somebody to get her a glass of water. Guard Captain, I expect you to stay here," Rosamund said. "First Mate, we meet again. Please have a seat." She spit on the floor. "Or remain standing. I do not mind it either way. Do you know why you're here?"
"Aye. I defended my crew," she defiantly said. She raised her chin up, as if to challenge him to beat her up again.
As if. Not only could Rosamund easily recognize the desperate refusal to surrender to her abusers, he could also see how terrified she was. Of him. After all, she held him in this same situation just a few weeks ago. No - hitting her again was the last thing he wanted to do.
"Very good, we are on the same page." His reply visibly shook her. Her mind lost its balance as if he pulled a rug from under her, and she looked away. First at Hexkey, then at Adanita. He allowed her a moment of time to gather herself. He was trying to gain at least a smidge of trust from this woman, not to forcefully interrogate her. He sighed.

"Officer Cinda," he gently said. "I am here to find the truth of what happened last night. According to the witnesses, we had a group of four guards attacking a downed man. This outrageous act is not something I plan to allow in my lands. I need to know what you saw."
She turned her attention back to him. "And what are you going to do?"
"I am of firm belief that punishment must fit the crime. I'd like you to take a moment and consider the ways you've acted towards me, and how I reacted. And now, consider the way I am reacting to this."
She uncomfortably shifted on her feet. A guard came in with a metal cup of water, which he set on the table. After he left, Cinda came forward and sat across from him.
After a few moments of silence, Rosamund decided she was not a threat. Not anymore. "Guard Captain, remove her chains."
She flinched again, not expecting that either. She held her arms up for Hexkey. Once the manacles were removed, Rosamund noticed her wrists were bloody and bruised, too. He patiently waited while she drank the water, and then while she was trying to think about the situation she found herself in. Gods, he will have to repeat this whole thing with Zaum. He was already looking forward to bed, and it wasn't even four o'clock.

"So... what will you do?" she asked.
"I will deal with the situation."
"You... gonna let me go?"
"It depends."
"And Prony?"
"It depends," he repeated. "I refuse to give you any promises before you tell me what you've done. I can't promise you anything. But, I will hear you out. Speak the truth, I dare you. See what happens."
She scoffed. He wondered what this looked like to Adanita. She found herself on the receiving end of this several times now. Will she think he's a manipulator? Will she think he's horrible? He didn't have time for such thoughts. Cinda was about to speak.

"They attacked him. They were beating him up. I stepped in. He couldn't help me. They got me too."
"Were you there when they started attacking him?"
"He was already on the ground when I saw them."
"And they were still hitting him?"
"Aye."
"Was he resisting?"
"I'm not sure he was awake."
He looked behind his shoulder, to see how Hexkey was looking. The man dared to sport a rueful look in front of him. Progress, but in what direction?
"Were they wearing their uniforms?" he asked, turning back to her.
"Aye."
"So you were aware you were attacking the city guards?"
"They were attacking Prony!"
He could read a burning question in her eyes. Doesn't that mean anything? Something in him broke when she found an answer on her own and slumped in her seat in defeat. She answered his questions, as that was all that she could do in this situation. But there was no faith in him whatsoever. Not... that he was surprised. Considering their first meeting.

Words won't fix this. Only actions can.

"Guard Captain, please get Mister Zaum up here, too. I believe it is time I spoke with him. And get another chair for him. Judging by the state Officer Cinda is in, I doubt he will be able to stand for a long time."
"Yes, my lord."
"Teodolit and Ekliptik can wait outside this room. And water for him, too!" he shouted after him as he was leaving.

He let out a tired sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, waiting for them to return in silence. Somehow, nobody tried to start a conversation. There wasn't much to say, was there? Cinda looked as if she was spiraling, Nivelir was on the verge of a breakdown, and Adanita was... furious. He can solve it, he will, he will...


Zaum came in, with Hexkey holding onto his upper arm. For a moment Rosamund thought he was being unnecessarily violent with the man, but then he realized he was helping him walk. His wrists were chained up, and when he was sat down, he either couldn't or wouldn't keep his head up.

I don't want to be here.

It was not the time for such thoughts. They brought water for him, too, and Rosamund tilted his head and lowered over the table, to have a good look at him. Bloodied lips, traces of a bloodied nose. Several large swollen areas on his face and head. The injury he received from Adanita also didn't heal up yet, so that certainly wasn't helping his situation. Bruised eye, difficulty breathing. Short, sharp breaths - fear, or broken ribs? He was shivering. Was he cold, terrified, or both? Or, perhaps, an internal bleeding...

"The chains, Hexkey," he said impatiently. He couldn't keep his voice above a whisper, but the only other sound in the room was Pronyscher Zaum's quiet sobbing. He was heard clearly. He was about to order a blanket be brought for him, but Adanita was faster. She took her coat off and put it around Zaum's shoulders after Hexkey removed the manacles. The vibrant sky-blue color clashed with the dirty clothes. His trembling ceased to some degree, at least. Rosamund pushed his cup closer to him, but he didn't take it. Patience, patience. Hear him out first, and then decide on who dies.

"Mister Zaum, can you hear me?" he asked. He flinched at his voice, so he decided to take it as a yes. "Do you know who I am? Do you know where you are?"
After a moment of hesitation, Zaum slowly nodded. Or, at least, he swayed in a generally affirmative way.

"Can you talk?"

Everything depended on this. Rosamund was on edge, but he had to keep himself patient and calm. Pulling his hair out may be entertaining for Zaum to watch, but it won't get him anywhere.

Zaum raised his head enough to be able to look at him.

"Aye."

His voice was hoarse. Broken. Defeated.

"Can you tell me what happened last night?" he asked.
His eyes wandered around the room. From Cinda, to Adanita, Nivelir, and Hexkey. He finally stopped on the reports on the table next to Rosamund. "You already know," he said.
"No, I do not. I have reports from four unreliable sources, witnesses who can't tell how the fight started, two injured guards, and two severely beaten pirates. The one thing everyone agrees on is that they were beating you up while you were on the ground." He took a deep breath, calming his voice. Zaum was already afraid of him, the last thing he wanted was to give him a reason for it. "I am aware we got off on the wrong foot," he said more gently. "However, this is behavior I would not tolerate towards anybody. Please tell me what happened so that I can deal with it appropriately."
"And what are you going to do?"
"The punishment," he repeated. "Must. Fit. The. Crime." He will keep repeating it however many times it takes, until it gets through everyone's thick skulls. If the people in this mess weren't interested in keeping the Law, he will do it himself.
"You expect me to - to believe you?" Zaum's voice cracked. So did his lip, he started bleeding again. His beaten face shaped an ugly smile.
Rosamund refused to be shaken. He placed his handkerchief on the table. "Of course not. Drink," he ordered. "And consider the following: I am here right now. This is your chance to talk. If I hear you out and still act in injustice, you can enjoy yourself knowing I am the same as all who came before me. Or, perhaps, you get a surprise. I am not asking for trust, I am asking for your hope. Try me." He looked at Cinda. She looked away. "See what happens."

Your Queen killed me, he thought. Look how far she got.

He waited in silence, watching as Pronyscher hesitated to take his cup. He took a wary and distrustful sip. He had an even worse opinion of him than Cinda did. Rosamund decided he didn't want to know how either of them got to this point. One issue at the time. Their life stories could wait a different time.

Zaum set the empty cup down and looked towards the door. His shoulders slumped and his head dropped once again. Rosamund wondered if that meant this was it, but then he finally spoke up.
"I was at the inn, drinking. Those four came in. I could hear them laugh at me. I was too drunk, so I told them off. One came to me, so I hit him with a bottle. They dragged me out and started hitting me."

Simple. Straightforward. And yet, something was missing. Something in this story was implied, but not said out loud. A seed of fear in him was growing into a tree of horrifying realization at record speed.

I was too drunk, so I told them off.

Too drunk for what? He tilted his head again, going out of his way to look at his face again. He didn't see - no. There was another bruise there, under the freshly swollen flesh. Several days old. He could feel himself getting up, his mind was dislocating itself from the body again. The room was fading from reality.

Too drunk for what?

He heard the distant crash as the chair he was on fell over. He found himself standing in front of the wall. He could hear himself shouting through the fog.

"Too drunk - FOR WHAT?!"

Adanita grabbed his wrist before his fist hit the stone wall. Her eyes were wide open. She was terrified. So was Nivelir, who made his way to him in case he falls. Cinda and Zaum were shaking again. He was shaking too, albeit for a different reason. He ignored Hexkey for the time being, forcing himself back into his body. Forcing his voice to stay calm and clear. Void of all emotion, just as he was feeling now.

"How many times have they attacked you?"

"T-this was- this was the- f-fourth time," Zaum said. His stuttering intensified, to the point Rosamund barely made sense of what he was saying. What he heard made him want to commit a murder. Or, perhaps, four.

"I did not order this. I do not condone this," he said. "They lied. I will take care of them. Captain Hexkey, I believe it is now clear that this was a case of self-defense. Nivelir, tell Teodolit and Ekliptik to take them to the manor, to Doctor Soxhlet for treatment. They will stay there for the time being."
"I object, my lord! You cannot just let criminals into your manor without hearing out the guards!"
"Oh, I will hear out your men. There is absolutely nothing for you to worry about, Hexkey. If you'd like to join them, please continue telling me what I can or cannot do. Bring them in, and if you tell them what I've heard just now, I will have you hanged." He looked at his wrist, and then at Adanita. "Thank you, Captain." If she hadn't stopped him, his already broken hand would have gotten to an even worse state. "You can - you can let me go now. I won't do it again," he quietly promised to her and Nivelir.

She silently hesitated for a moment, but she let him go. Nivelir set the chair up for him again, and had him sit down. Rosamund wasn't sure if he was calm or not, but his head was definitely clear now. His hands were shaking, so he put them in his lap. He was sitting in silence, and it took another moment of hesitation before things started happening. Teodolit and Ekliptik took Cinda and Zaum away, deeply concerned after they saw his face. Keeping his expression neutral seemed to be impossible at this time, so when Hexkey got the guards that were responsible into the room with him, he gave them a bright smile instead.

"Gentlemen. I have read some interesting reports from the four of you, and I must say, marvelous work with those." He refused to clarify what the work he found marvelous was. "I heard you beat up two pirates?" he asked in an encouraging voice.
The little group exchanged looks amongst themselves, looking very pleased with themselves. Proud, even. "Yes, sir!" the leader happily said. "Just keeping the city safe, sir!"
"You arrested them for getting drunk and attacking you, I hear?"
"Oh yes. That wench fought like a tigress, sir."

He could see that. Out of four of them, one had a minor bruise - probably Zaum's attempt to have a go. Two of them had several cuts and very impressive bruises. Cinda, he knew from experience, fought dirty. She almost took two people down in a fight all alone. He didn't doubt she could've won if it wasn't four against one.

"Yes, yes, I've had the chance to duel her. She is quite an opponent. You did well with arresting her, Guardsman," he encouraged them. He was disgusted by his own words, and he hid it with an even bigger grin and a shine in his eyes. His face was hurting from it. His wound was twisted by his expression, burning him.
"Yes, sir, we've heard all about that. And we heard that Zaum had attacked you before, too! And we thought to ourselves - we can't let a man like that walk around our city, can we?"
"Oh? Tell me more, please."
"There's not much to say, sir. We roughed him up a few times, but last night was the last straw for us. He dared to attack the city guard, we had to take him in. You know how it is," he said. "Keeping the city safe! We can't have a man who attacked our Governor walk free, can we? Sir- sir?"

Rosamund was getting up again, holding his hands on the table to keep himself calm. And standing. And not trying to strangle them where they stood. "Your actions have left a deep impression on me. Tell me, have you done such things before? Arresting people on a whim? Beating people up on the streets? Your Guard Captain needs to hear you say it out loud, so you better do it quickly, before Captain Vervain over there gets her hands on her swords."
"That's - "
"Oh yes. That is Captain Vervain," Rosamund cut them off. He didn't bother trying to keep his manic smile anymore, and it seemed that they were getting the point by now. Open anger was healthier for him, anyway. "You may have had an easy time beating up a drunk man and his superior officer, but I would like to see how you do against the Queen. Currently the only thing keeping her from killing you on the spot is my kind request, and my kindness is running out at record speed. I will ask you again, how many times did you do something like this? Or have you lost count?"

He didn't need to look at her. He knew her expression mirrored his emotions. If he asked her to, Adanita would murder them where they stood. In fact, he was certain it was only his previous demand that was keeping her from doing it right now. That, or she genuinely thought he was going to kill them himself.

The men stood in terrified silence, looking at Rosamund, Adanita, and Hexkey.

"And how many others do you know have participated in similar acts?" he asked.

Silence.

"Guard Captain, come. Sit down right here," he said, pointing at the chair where Zaum previously sat.

Hexkey hesitated for a moment before coming over. Rosamund sat down again, too, feeling much better now that he got a confession. And also, feeling horrible. How do you face such people? In all his years, he never found the answer to that.

"Guard Captain," he said, his voice once again calm. "You are either willfully ignorant, utterly incompetent, or a fellow participant. Which is it?" Judging by the faces of the guards behind him, Hexkey was... a bit of everything?
"My lord, whenever word of such behavior reached my ears, I reacted appropriately," he said. "I gave out punishments and I upped their workload. I made them train harder, and on occasion, I cut their pay. And-"
"And you tried to get me off of this case. Multiple times. You tried to keep it away from me, and then you tried to cover for your people."
"They are my responsibility!"
"You answer to me!" Rosamund shouted. "And your people are here to defend my city! I don't know how it worked under the previous Governor, but if you don't start cleaning your own house, you will end up in the same garbage pile as those four. Discharge for everybody who committed these crimes. If I so much as see a shadow of them in my city, I will send them all to Hannau Cove, and have them deal with your men. This is your last chance, Hexkey. I want reports on my desk by the end of the week. If another incident like this occurs while I hold this position, I will personally come down to dismantle this organization, brick by bloody brick. Have I made myself clear?"
"My lord! I have a family!" one of the guards said. Finally, they were catching onto the gravity of their crimes. Rosamund refused to look at the man, keeping his eyes on Hexkey.
"Guard Captain will be sure to inform them of the exact reason why you must leave the colony, Guardsman." A twinge of mercy made his way out through the storm of fury, hanging on like a broken piece of wood in a hurricane. "And if your family decides to stay behind in Hipparcos, we will be sure they are taken care of." If this man had children, they were guiltless in his eyes. "Pack your bags and leave today. Hexkey, if you see them in the city tomorrow, you are to arrest them."
"Yes, my lord."
"They raised their hands on the citizens, Hexkey. Do you understand?"
Finally, shame. Hexkey's defiance deflated, and he looked away. Dare he hope this is a good man? If the previous Governor tolerated this behavior, what could Hexkey do?

Not lying to him would've been a good start.

It will take a while for them to get used to each other's modus operandi. Or they will crash and burn in a truly spectacular way.

"Most of my men... have never done such a thing. They'd never dream of it," he said. "And I'd never allow it! I was not a participant!"
Truth. He was telling the truth. Rosamund's face softened. "Then get rid of those who were. I am asking you, so that I don't need to start a witch hunt on my own. Those few who commit these acts stain the reputation of the entire Guard. You are here to protect my people. While they sail under the white flag - while their Queen is here for diplomatic negotiations! - the pirates that I have come to Hipparcos with count as my people."
"Yes, sir. I understand."

Rosamund leaned back.

Hexkey kept the reports from these four away from him, knowing they were lying. But then he asked him to leave it to the judge. He clearly didn't care about the pirates, which, fine. Rosamund brought a bunch of violent criminals into the city, what Guard Captain would be a fan of that? He didn't mind it if Zaum was thrown into prison. He said he would have punished these four personally, and Rosamund believed that. However, the punishments Hexkey was giving out were obviously ineffective, considering how proud these people were of what they did. The man was a walking contradiction, a moral dilemma inside a moral dilemma. Nothing he did made consistent sense, unless he was somehow trying to make peace between two contradicting obligations. On the other hand, while they were talking at lunch, Teodolit seemed to have a reasonably decent opinion of the man. The fact that Hexkey was willing to get on at least somewhat friendly terms with Adanita's right hand man... This was, perhaps, the most important factor to consider. Especially with it being Teodolit, of all people. He certainly befriended the Guard Captain only to be ready for these specific situations, but Hexkey still managed to leave a mostly positive impression. He decided to put some faith into this.

The man, he decided, had potential. He could set him on the right track, hopefully. He dared to hope, he dared to give him a chance. But it wasn't only him who was wronged.

"Captain Vervain, do you agree with my judgement?" he asked tiredly.
"Aye. I believe it fits the situation, Lord Governor."
"In that case, that will be all. I am leaving this in your hands, Hexkey. Do not let me down."

"As you wish, my lord."