The Secretary

It was time to get ready.

Nivelir finished washing up and opened his closet. He will be damned if he looks anything less than stunning today. Taking down people like Khamil was the best part of his job. The look on that man's face will rejuvenate him better than a week of vacation and he will regain strength to deal with Rosamund's little pirate project. He couldn't wait to chain up the man and throw him into prison. Soon, they will be rid of him forever.

He slowly went through his suits, considering each of them carefully as he checked them for imperfections. Rosamund ordered gold eyeliner. He couldn't help but agree~ and to get the most out of it, he needed something that would fit. Something dramatic. Something... black. He was about to attend a funeral, after all. He put on a silk white shirt, long white socks, and black pants. After careful consideration, he picked out a black vest, embroidered with golden threads that weaved images of oak leaves and thalictrum splendide white flowers. Perhaps the unassuming flowers were seen as common weeds, but he quite enjoyed their appearance. They were elegant. Not many men would wear outfits embroidered with common plants, it allowed Nivelir to stand out. The craftsmanship of his clothes was more than enough to silence any critics who would mock his tastes. He picked out a white undercoat and his finest black coat. The seams were decorated with small, crocheted lace, and the coat was embroidered with buttercups in gold, and various wildflowers in white. He carefully pulled his hair out of the coat and let it fall down his back, frowning at his face in the mirror. This will require assistance if he plans to make it in time. He rang the bell.

Bluebell's eyebrows raised when he saw him. "Ahm, Lord Secretary... May I ask, who is your victim today?"
"Vice Admiral Zvizdan Khamil," he replied.
Bluebell's eyes sharpened in an uncharacteristic display of viciousness. He gave him a deep bow. "Very good, my lord." He clapped his hands. Nivelir took a seat while several maids went to work on his hair.

The women used a portion of the length of his dreadlocks to tie the hair into a high bun, leaving the rest to fall down his back. It still reached the length of his waist. They started decorating it with golden rings. Captain Vervain will have to forgive him, but he wore this hair decor even before he met her. Not on a daily basis, as she does, but it was one of the things he'd wear when the time called for it.

With the hair now tied away from his face, he checked himself in the mirror again. Aside from the required eyeliner, there really wasn't that much to do. He simply needed to hide the sickish paleness caused by the poison, as well as the dark circles around his eyes from the lack of sleep. Adding a few white details around his eyes will only make them pop better against his dark skin. He briefly pondered the long scar that split his face into two uneven parts. It spanned from his forehead to his jaw. When he was younger, he'd hide it with makeup. When he got a bit older, he would accentuate it further with vibrant colors. These days, though, and especially today... he will leave it as it is. He used to feel shame over it, and then defiance. Neither of those emotions changed the outcome of the duel where he earned it, though. Letting it be was giving him a strange sense of acceptance. Of fate, or something. It wasn't an emotion that was easy to put into words. Careful not to bother the maids working on his hair, he started to work on his face.

The end result was criminally beautiful. Fitting for someone about to make an arrest. He took a moment to look at himself properly, and remove a nonexistent speck of dust from his sleeve. Stunning. Perfect. He regretted he didn't have the time to show himself to Rosamund. He needed to rest, and Nivelir needed to go.

After a brief consideration, he decided against openly going with a rapier. This was one of the situations where the documents he penned spoke louder than a blade. Not that he would go unarmed, of course. He looked through the basket that contained his canes, and picked out a black one with golden details. He checked the shape it was in and unsheathed the blade within. Impeccable, as ever. He picked out his finest shoes and gave a grateful nod to Bluebell and the other servants.

Nivelir made his way downstairs to the foyer. Ekliptik looked marginally better than this morning, it seemed they managed to sleep for a few hours. It seemed they understood their assignment well enough, and the livery they wore was in tip-top shape. The black dye in their hair was still hanging on and they decided not to wear their usual bandana. He wondered why'd they not use dye more often, then. Perhaps they liked to wear bandanas?
Hexkey, damn the man, looked well-rested and ready. Both he and his men wore the uniforms of the guards. Shining knights, he supposed. As long as they all truly looked like the Governor's people, then all was well.

He rode the carriage with Ekliptik, while Hexkey and the rest went on horseback. The spymaster seemed to be less frightened of him, which he decided was a positive development. He will think of something he can do for them. Perhaps Captain Vervain would have an idea. They didn't try to start a conversation, using the chance to catch some more sleep while sitting and leaning on the carriage window. He decided to let them be in peace.

The parade made its way to Khamil's manor. His guards briefly stopped them at the entrance, but no personal guard of a nobleman would dare and get in the way of the Governor or his Secretary for too long. Nivelir leaned back in his seat. He allowed Hexkey to handle them without getting involved. This was beneath him.

They were finally let through. The carriage stopped in front of the main entrance to the manor. He nodded Ekliptik to go out first, and followed after them. He stood straight, holding onto his cane. He picked it for several reasons - it went well with his outfit, and if he starts to feel even more ill than he currently was, he will be able to use it to walk. He looked down at the welcome party, which consisted of the house's majordomo, several highly distressed servants and guards, and the man himself.

Khamil looked disheveled and panicked. His outfit was a simple shirt and pants, and he was wearing slippers instead of shoes. His face was pale and he looked sickly. Nivelir was glad to notice he was already sweating. His eyes widened when he saw Nivelir walking out. It wasn't often that the man you thought dead comes back with a warrant. Every time it happened, Nivelir savored the moment.

"Vice Admiral Khamil, with the authority vested in me by Lord Governor Rosamund Alsop en la Dale, I, Lord Secretary Leica Nivelir hereby order the search of your manor to find evidence of an attempted assassination of Lord Governor, Lord Secretary, and Honorable Alsop en la Dale," he calmly said, staring him down straight into his eyes.
"You can't just come to MY HOUSE-"
His screeching was a music to his ears. He ignored his protests completely, continuing his speech and taking out the search warrant. "The assassin turned witness claims that the one who hired her services was you. Such serious accusations cannot simply be ignored by Lord Governor, who ordered this investigation. I hope you will gladly cooperate with Captain Hexkey's men-"
"You have no proof! This- this is abuse of authority! Lord Governor has it out for me, and has now hired a witness to pretend I have committed another crime. He is lying! You are a liar, too! How dare you insinuate me?!"

Oho. There we go. A classic defense. Nivelir patiently tapped his cane. He was too polite to enter a shouting battle with this idiot, and that would only drop him to his level anyway. He needed to be careful. Diffuse the situation first. Unfortunately, he wasn't allowed to slap people in public. It was poor form, even if they deserved it.

Keep calm. Cut through the nonsense with a heated knife. Let the man bury himself, as Rosamund says. "Are you claiming that Lord Governor is wrong to investigate a heinous crime?"
"He is starting another investigation against me based on even more falsehoods. Of course he is in the wrong!"
"So you say you should be above the law?"
"You would trust the word of some common riffraff, too?!"
"Of course not. This is why we're here - to find evidence. If you are innocent, surely you shouldn't have anything in your house that would point towards your guilt? Especially not towards an assassination attempt, of all things."
"Where is your proof?!"
Was this man listening to himself? "In your house, presumably. Or are you asking me where is my proof that I was almost murdered last night? You may need a doctor for your head before we get you a lawyer."

A vein popped up on Khamil's forehead. His fists were tightly clenched, and Nivelir wondered if he would attempt something that will certainly make his job even easier.

"You- the Admiralty will hear of this."
"I can guarantee you that myself," Nivelir replied. "I've entertained you and tolerated your slander for long enough. Step aside and let my men search your house, or else I will arrest you for obstruction of justice."
"At least allow my servants to continue with their daily duties undisturbed," he demanded.
Sly little twat, he was. "Of course. We will be sure to not bother anyone at all. You may proceed. Captain Hexkey, have your men start with the ground floor and go up from there. Vice Admiral and I will be waiting for you in the foyer."
"Why the foyer? Would you not appreciate a cup of tea, Lord Secretary?" he venomously asked.
"Coming from you, Vice Admiral? No."

Khamil managed to make himself look deeply offended. He exchanged a nod with his majordomo. Ekliptik made a step as if they were about to follow him, but Nivelir placed a hand on their shoulder and shook his head. Hexkey can handle this.

He waited in the foyer with Khamil and Ekliptik in deathly silence while the men were turning the house upside down.

"You won't find anything," Khamil said.
"No work is futile if it proves a man's innocence," Nivelir calmly replied.
"Listen, Lord Secretary... You must understand the situation. I was merely attempting to chase down some pirates when Lord Governor was almost lost at sea. I was following orders. And then Lord Governor comes back, arrests my Captains, and I am left completely out of the loop while he claims I attempted to murder him?!"
Rosamund never made those claims public. The two of them discussed the possibility of the incident at sea being intentional, but Rosamund was too smart to say something like that out loud. Nivelir stood in silence, letting him talk. Words were harmless, after all. He could run his mouth all he wanted.
Khamil continued to ramble, now that he vaguely got a hold of himself. He needed to try and get Nivelir on his side, after all. He seemed to have been rapidly becoming aware this was his only chance. It like his silence encouraged him. Perhaps he will slip and confess. Who knows.
"I didn't slander him, nor did I ever intend to. The gossip that spread through the high society is hardly my responsibility. People run their mouth constantly and them taking my words the wrong way isn't my fault. I was simply trying to explain what happened in that storm. Lord Governor investigating my finances, my ships, my people - this is just a diversion, he is trying to find some sort of a crime to put the blame on me. I did nothing wrong whatsoever. In fact, he is the one who should be investigated. He brought all these pirates into the city, and for what? Surely he is corrupt! I was in his manor, too, you know. The way he spoke to that disgusting woman - who knows what they really do during their meetings? Don't you know what rumors have been going around the city about them?"
Somebody was getting rather brave. Nivelir wondered if this was the way he spoke to Rosamund, too, that day he came to visit. No, probably not. He placed a hand on Ekliptik's shoulder as he noticed a dagger in their hand. There was no need to get angry over ravings of a criminal.
"And now this assassination claim," Khamil continued. "I have better things to do than hire killers. I don't need them. I am innocent! This is a setup, either by Lord Governor or by one of my enemies. Or both, perhaps. Who knows? I refuse to be a scapegoat for whatever vile plans he has with those pirates. If only he hadn't ordered us to go into that storm, none of this would have happened!"

It was about time. Ekliptik was now staring up towards the first floor, and he could hear distant sounds of a struggle. He didn't need to let this man speak anymore.

"There are no claims about the assassination. It happened, with me as a witness and a victim," he absentmindedly said. Perhaps he should cut off Khamil's tongue before they go to court. People like him could talk their way out of nearly anything. He could see how he got his position, and why he wasn't stopped sooner. Nepotism and charisma were a disgusting mixture.
Before the man could continue with his attempts to fool him, a guard came into view. She was wringing one of majordomo's arms behind his back, and holding him in place with her other arm around his throat. "My lord!" she shouted. "We caught this man burning papers in the fireplace of Vice Admiral's office!"
"The documents were hidden in a secret compartment in the floor!" another guard said, coming up behind her. "This is what I managed to salvage from the fire. I apologize for my failure!" He came downstairs, breathing heavily. He was clearly distressed with this, and handed the files over to Nivelir, who observed them with mild curiosity.

"Let me guess," he asked, turning to Khamil. "Your servant was simply trying to start a fire for you?"
He was gasping for air like a fish out of water. "This- this proves nothing!"
"On the contrary, it proves an attempt to destroy the evidence. Now, let us see what we have here..." he opened the files and flipped through the papers. Some have been partially burned, but they all had one thing in common. "These are all blank," he said. "How curious. For the time being arrest the majordomo. Continue your search. Hold onto this for now - you found it after all," he said, handing it back to the guard.
"I- I keep blank papers specifically for the purpose of making it easier to start a fire!" Khamil said, catching on. Barely. Panic was as clear as day on his face, and he was staring at files in the guard's hands. If these papers were blank, where did the real incriminating documents go? Nivelir gave him a smile full of pity.
"You keep them in a secret compartment in your floor, Vice Admiral? They must be quite difficult to reach, in that case. One would think you'd have them next to the fireplace."
"These are blank papers! They prove nothing!" he shouted.
"I do not see chains on you, Vice Admiral."
He looked as if he bit into a lemon. At last, a moment of peace and silence. Nivelir patiently waited for the grand finale.

"My lord!"

Finally. Another pair of guards ran over, carrying several bundles of documents. Khamil's eyes widened when he saw them, clearly recognizing what they had in their arms. He started backing away, as if he was looking for a way out of this situation.

"A maid found these in the storage room by the kitchen," the guards said handing it over to him. "It was hidden by the firewood, in a crate full of papers for starting fires."
Nivelir took a few moments to flip through these. "I see. Quite a place to hide them, Vice Admiral. Is this your signature and your seal?"
"You- you planted these there."
"Vice Admiral," Nivelir repeated. "Were these documents signed by your hand?"
"I did not sign these!"
"So this is not your handwriting? Look at my face and tell me - is this your seal? Are you telling me you stamped things without looking? Or that other people had access to it? I already know you are incompetent and an idiot, how low do you plan to let your reputation fall? This is the contract with the assassin! Look me in the eyes and tell me this is falsified, Vice Admiral! Say it - I dare you!"
The man stopped backing off and ran towards Nivelir, aiming for the papers in his hands. Nivelir stepped back, raising the documents high above his reach, and Khamil swung at him with a fist. He barely managed to dodge it. A second attack was prevented by a precise kick in the shins from Ekliptik. Khamil tripped over and fell on the ground at his feet. Nivelir burned through all his fuses while keeping himself from kicking him in the ribs.

"You aren't even worth a duel, Vice Admiral," he said, completely disgusted. "Take him to prison. Here is your arrest warrant, Khamil." He threw the document on the ground next to the man. He was trying to get up, but the guards grabbed him by the arms and restrained him. He looked as if he was about to say something, but the look on Nivelir's face stopped him. Good. Feeling much better, Nivelir turned away from him and straightened out his outfit.
"Captain, add attacking a government official to his list of crimes, along with attempted destruction of evidence, resisting arrest, slander, and obstruction of justice. Continue your search. Confiscate everything. Turn this bloody place upside down. Interview everybody. I want a full report on my table by tomorrow, along with everything you find that is of interest. If any servants wish to report or confess a crime, let them know this is the only time I may be merciful. The moment you find evidence of any misconduct, arrest everyone involved. Victims and witnesses come to me, criminals go straight to prison." And may gods and Rosamund sort them out.
"Yes, my lord. But, if I may - the only carriage we've come with is yours. Should we take one of his?"
He let out a laugh. "You must be joking. What sort of a prisoner comes to his cell in a carriage? Chain him up and make him walk. Drag him, if you need to. Get him out of my sight."
"Yes, my lord."

Vice Admiral found his voice. He started screeching about the treatment he was receiving, but nobody was listening anymore. The rest will just be cleaning up. His presence wasn't necessary. Nivelir gave the documents to Ekliptik for safekeeping, feeling pretty good about everything. "Let's go home," he quietly said. "Hexkey will take care of the rest."
They nodded, walking after him. He helped them into the carriage, making sure they didn't drop anything.

"Thank you for keeping me safe, Spymaster," he quietly told them as the carriage drove away from the manor. "Your assistance in this affair was invaluable."
They looked uncomfortable, and their face turned a rosy color. They seemed too embarrassed to reply, so he let them be. He was slowly getting used to their antics. Underneath their outrageous outfits and strange behavior, they hid a keen and sharp mind.

What a good child.



When they arrived home, all Nivelir wanted to do was go and sleep more. Unfortunately, there was another company waiting for him, consisting of Bluebell, Officer Teodolit, and a few scribes. Nivelir waved to them to take the documents and store them away somewhere safe. Officer Teodolit made a few steps towards him, and tripped on the stairs in front of the main entrance. Nivelir managed to catch him in time, wrapping his arms around the small man and helping him stand. It seemed his leg was giving him a lot of trouble. He was falling over and ending up in his arms quite often lately. He didn't mind helping him, but this situation needed a solution. Perhaps - ah, he knew what he needed. Lilac's circle was probably going into use tomorrow, so he will be able to go to the Capital and get it for him. He made sure that he was standing and stable before letting him go and turning to Bluebell and the scribes.

"Vice Admiral has been arrested," he announced tiredly. "Hexkey is still cleaning up." He will need to write an official statement for the people. Sleep first, he firmly decided.
"You look beautiful, Lord Secretary," Officer Teodolit said. The look on his face was absolutely bewitched. Well, who wouldn't be?
"I know. I couldn't have done it without Bluebell, he is highly reliable for these situations."
"I am happy I was of use to you, my lord," he said. Nivelir gave him a nod.

"Officer Teodolit, I once again want to thank you for your quick thinking. If you hadn't noticed the poison, I fear Lord Governor and I would have been dead, along with Honorable Lilac. Spymaster Ekliptik's assistance was also absolutely crucial to this, and they protected me from Khamil today, too. I am grateful for your help. Please send my regards to Captain Vervain. Ekliptik, you were there the entire time, please report to Lord Governor if he's awake. I feel unwell and I need to return to bed. If he's sleeping, don't bother him. I will speak with him when I wake up."
The child was also working with very few hours of sleep, but they nodded and walked away. He let Bluebell lead him to his bedroom and undo the hair while he dealt with his makeup. Bluebell carefully folded his clothes away after he changed into something appropriate for a nap.

The end was finally in sight. Today truly was worth the extra effort.