Trust

Rosamund left the room with his mother.

He wouldn't leave her in danger, right? His father's voice gave her chills, but she was safe with him, right? She had her swords, of course, but if she had to fight him because he attacked her- whose side would Rosamund take? She wasn't going to- but if he starts- she will be defending herself-

"Captain Vervain," the man spoke again. "Come here, please."

If Rosamund's voice could be cold, then this man was freezing. When she was speaking, his blood-red eyes felt as if they were piercing right through her skull. His wife was quite the same. That woman, with her entire body covered in deep scars, looked completely unafraid of the entire world. Whatever happened to her, she survived it.

Gods damn it. She couldn't afford to be so terrified of two nobles. They weren't just any nobles, but she wasn't just any woman either. She was armed, she was dangerous, and if anyone in this house dares to do anything to her-

She won't be able to defend herself. Rosamund would hate her. Ah, damn it. She was running in circles, as always. She was tired of this. Rosamund, she trusted Rosamund. He wouldn't leave her with people who would harm her. She stood up and approached the older man. He was leaning on the windowsill, staring outside. If he was upset, he was hiding it well. His face was expressionless and his shoulders were relaxed. She couldn't put her hands on her swords, that would be a threat. She couldn't put them in her pockets, it would be too nonchalant. After a moment of hesitation she put them behind her back, tightly gripping them to keep herself calm.

"So..." he quietly said. "You've murdered my sons."

Adanita froze in place, unable to speak. They were dueling- she didn't know- she didn't mean to-

No. The excuses crumbled to dust, swept away by a single sentence. She felt dizzy, as if the ground beneath her opened up into an endless abyss. She couldn't move or say anything to him. The guilt, the fear, and the shame swallowed her up. This was it.

If he strikes her, she deserved it.

The Earl tightly gripped the windowsill, not bothering to look at her. She couldn't look at him either, standing next to him as they both stared outside.

She couldn't take it.

"I'm sor-"
"Spare me your words, Captain Vervain. If your story is true and the events you speak of happened, you must be aware no parent could forgive a murder of their children. If the only reason why they are still here is a whim of a devil... what am I supposed to think? What am I supposed to do?"
"I'm sorry," she repeated. Gods, she was crying. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm not- I won't let anything happen to them. I will protect them until the day that I die, no matter what. I'm sorry. So, so sorry." She didn't know. The man finally turned to her, now that she was a sobbing mess. He wasn't even disgusted, despite her deserving it. He just stared her down, neither angry nor pitying her. He was just... there. Waiting.

She managed to calm down, taking some deep breaths. She still couldn't face him, looking anywhere but him.

"Do you think," he quietly asked, "that blood on your hands makes you special?"
"W-what?"
"Is this truly your first time feeling remorse over killing people? Are you trying to make fun of me, Captain Vervain? Neither of us would be where we are now if we weren't willing to commit to it. If you were a cold-blooded murderer, you wouldn't be sniveling in front of me like this, and if you were anything less than that, you wouldn't be who you are. Face the truth as you've told it to me. You kept Rosamund alive this time because you wanted to survive, no matter what it takes. And if you've grown a conscience during this time, surely you know that merely keeping my children alive is hardly enough to even begin begging for my mercy."
"I- I'm sorry," she repeated. "Keeping them alive is... all that I can offer. Aye, I want to survive. I want my friends to survive. Somewhere- sometime during this mess, your sons became allies to me. I will protect them as I would anyone from my crew."

Was this going to be enough? It was all she could do. The guilt was tearing her apart and this man forced her to face all of it.

She was sorry. That was... all.

The Earl's shoulders relaxed. "Rosamund seems to believe you," he said quietly. "He placed an unprecedented amount of trust into you. He kept you around for far longer than I'd bother to tolerate you. He told you who he is and where he truly came from. When you speak, he listens. Which means something to me. So I will choose not to interfere for now. My vengeance... can wait for the day you choose to betray him again. I trust I do not need to threaten you, Captain. May your past actions shape your future ones. Rejoice in the generosity I show you now. I hope you prove yourself to be worthy of it."

There was nothing she could say to that. She waited for him in silence. Like Rosamund, he didn't show much of himself. However, by now she spent enough time around him and Lilac to know their father was deeply upset and calming himself down.

"Would you fetch me my cup of tea, Captain?" he asked.
"Aye."

She walked to the table to get it and noticed it was almost empty, so she poured more into it before handing it over to him. He accepted it and took a drink with no hesitation. If this was his show of trust, it was terrifyingly efficient.

"Have you calmed down?" he asked.
Has she- "Aye."
"Good. Let's go from the top, then. You've murdered Rosamund. Dorja offered you a royal pardon, which you accepted. By the time you reached Bretonia, my family status was in complete shambles, and she was already married to Lilac. Then you've murdered Lilac, too, and she orchestrated your execution. Where, pray tell, am I in this story? Where is Nivelir?"
He was simply speaking the facts. No accusation this time, no emotion in his voice. She replied calmly. "I don't know. This is the first time I've met you."
"Dorja once proposed to Lilac. It was a year or two ago," he said. "He said no, and I already decided I wouldn't interfere with my son's lack of spouses. I didn't pressure him, I never would. Something else must have happened to me and my wife. A higher order, someone we couldn't deny. Dorja is powerful already, but if she got the Queen involved somehow, I don't see how I could've fought back against that. Or, if she saw us as an obstacle... perhaps we died, too. I don't see any other option." He finished his cup of tea and set it down on the windowsill.

"There is nothing I hate more than speculation," he said.

Not much she could do about that, was there? She had no information to offer him. She simply lived her life. Piecing a world together from a single experience was- oh, was this how Rosamund was feeling whenever she asked him anything about his other life? No, this wasn't important right now. She rubbed her eyes, waiting for the next question.

"And then there is the other problem. Have you ever met a devil?" he asked.
"No."
"Right. Give me your hand."
"What for?"
"Don't you want to know if you still have a soul? I'd be curious if I were you."
"You can find it out? Why could Honorable Lilac not?"
"Lily never studied to become the Royal Magician." He held his tattooed hand out. "I am a lot more knowledgeable than him."

If she hesitated any longer, it would become insulting. The Earl accepted tea from her. She accepted his handshake.

She didn't feel anything. There was no flash of magic, there was no strange power. He just held her hand for a moment before letting go and staring away into the distance outside. His face was indecipherable.

She didn't want to know.

"How come you didn't become the Royal Magician?" she asked instead.
"It was Karin. A significant amount of my power goes into keeping her arms functional. I am... weak. But it was worth it. Every step of the way. The vicious determination it took to protect her and my sons now burns in Rosamund. My greatest pride in life is the fact that my sons will never hurt each other to gain my title upon my death. Nothing is more important. No position, no status, no title or land. Only their happiness and safety. I have no regrets. Can you imagine living like that?"
"No. I have a lot of regrets."
"I see. How many of them were left in the other life?"
"A lot," she quietly said.
"Take this second chance, then. Never let it go. Your situation is unprecedented and I don't think you could ever get another shot like this."
"So my soul..."
"Belongs to a devil, yes. I don't know which one it is, but it is powerful. Rosamund believes you that you didn't make a deal with the creature, and I don't find you cruel enough either. Or knowledgeable. No, somehow you are paying someone else's debt."
"Can you tell whose?"
"Of course not. But I've learned you have a witch with you. Perhaps they are the answer."
"He would never!" she snarled. "He died by my side! He wouldn't do it to me! He'd never summon a devil either! He is a good man and a good friend!"
"So you trust him?"
"Absolutely." Oh, right. He gave Rosamund to Lotus. But that was still within the behavior she expected of him. Summoning a devil and then perfectly playing the part of a concerned friend despite knowing what he did- because he'd have to know, right? There was no way Teo was behind this.

"Hmm... And you trust Rosamund wouldn't try to own you?"
"Of course!"
"Then do me a favor and tell him that. It's tearing him apart inside. It is heartbreaking to watch him."
Oh gods, she didn't even notice. Too focused on her own problems to notice- but why would he even think she'd think that? Was he unaware how much trust she already put in him? This idea never even occurred to her. Of course he wouldn't try to hurt her like that! It was Rosamund, for gods' sakes!

"He is a good man," she said. "I trust him."

"Good."

He let out a tired sigh and moved away from the window. Passing by the coffee table, he picked up a cookie and headed for the door. "Let's go. Rosamund and Karin might need our input. There are some words the devil spoke that confuse me."

So she was in the clear now. Somewhat. She wasn't planning to mistake this truce for forgiveness, but it seemed the man wasn't going to be her enemy unless she actively challenges him. Lilac seemed to be the same way. The younger brother took after his parents far more than Rosamund, although they were clearly both loved.

They rejoined Rosamund and his mother in the library. She was patiently sitting next to him while he was looking at the text with tired focus, underlining sentences. The scarred Countess got up to greet her husband with a kiss on the cheek, and Adanita chose to sit down a bit farther from the family. She didn't belong here, after all.

"Are you close to finishing, Rose?" the Earl asked.
"Yes, I'm done," he said. He handed him the papers.
"Very good. Go and rest while I read it, we will likely need to discuss this further. Karin, please fetch me some books..."

The two got to work and Rosamund left them in peace, instead sitting down next to her.
"Are you alright?" he quietly asked her.
"Aye... you have a very impressive family," she said.
"I know. I couldn't be where I am today without them."
"They care about you," she added.
"I know," he agreed, looking at them as they marched through the rows of shelves. "They will be able to help you."
"He checked, somehow. He said I am owned, and that my soul was used to pay someone else's debt."
"I see. We will find a way out of it."
"You would fight a devil for my sake?" she asked, unsure whether she was joking or not.

"Yes."

Oh. Whether she was joking or not- he meant it, didn't he? She really didn't know what to say.

She didn't deserve it. Not from Rosamund.

"Do you still blame yourself for the devil's visit?" he asked.
"Do you really think that I'd worry you would take my soul for payment?" she replied.
"That's not fair..."
"I won't be letting you to wallow in your own guilt when you work so hard to get me out of mine, Lord Governor. The devil... you said it yourself. I was the victim too." She didn't feel bad about that anymore, for one. She had a whole array of other things to feel horrible about, but not that one. Although, if she wasn't there, the devil would never have visited Rosamund...

"If a person I've met just a month or two ago was given an option to own me... I think I'd be terrified of them. Or hate them. I don't know. It would be a frightening position to be in. But I don't want-" his voice cracked. "I don't want you to think I'd ever do something like that to anyone. Or to you. I don't want you to be afraid of me."

"Hah." What a beautiful mess both of them were. "What if I was the one given the option to own your soul?" she asked directly. "Would you be afraid of me?"
"What? No! You'd- ah. I see." He looked away, deeply flustered while she smugly smiled at him.
"You've also met me just a month or two ago~" she hummed.
"Point taken," he said.
"You'd almost think that you've earned enough trust from me so I wouldn't think that," she said.
"I understand what you're saying."
"You should know by now I'd never have such a low opinion of you. In fact, I am almost offended."
"I apologize for thinking that."
"I didn't doubt you for a moment. I was afraid of the devil, and learning that it came to see you. I trust you, Rosamund. That's all there is to it."
He gave her a tired smile.

"I believe you," he quietly said.

It occurred to her that if she hugged him again he might lose composure he worked so hard to keep. She also got a decent idea that such a thing would lead to being attacked by his parents. Or they could really get the wrong idea about them. No, she won't touch him. He deserved a hug, and some peace of mind, and some happiness, but she won't. Just how he asked her earlier. But... The ruffles of his sleeve were right there next to her. She looked away as she moved her hand slightly, touching his sleeve with only her fingertips. She just wanted some reassurance. For both of them. She wasn't afraid of him, and he wasn't afraid of her. That was all that mattered to her.

They sat in comfortable silence until his parents returned.

"No luck. I will need some books from either the Royal Library or from the Cathedral Archives, and asking for them out of the blue is bound to raise suspicion," the Earl said.
"I have a spymaster who can get in nearly anywhere, and a few people who are just as skilled. If you need them, they can help."
"Ah, of course. When all else fails, rob them," he said. "I will keep it as an option."
"Last option, please. I wouldn't want them involved in something that dangerous," Rosamund said. "What did you find out?"
"Well, I've known from before that multiple people can make a deal with a devil in exchange for something. Assuming that a similar magic is at play here, I suppose Captain Vervain is paying for someone else. Since she is unaware of it, it is unintentional on her part. Someone else is using you. You mentioned the rope you were hanged with was glowing..." he said, reading through the texts. "And Rosamund says it is true that you didn't make a deal."
"You are repeating yourself," Adanita told him. He shot her a murderous glare in response before continuing to read through.
"This part, Rosamund. Truth: the devil doesn't want to harm you because it needs you. Truth, and I quote: 'I hope this pays out for me, because the pain won't be worth it if you fail'. And finally, truth: next time you meet, it might be there to kill you. What do you make of it?"
"I... I don't know. I am certain none of these are lies."
"Can you remember what the chains on the devil looked like? You described them as golden words?"
"Yes, but I don't know what the words were. He wouldn't let me see."
"Yes, it kept complaining about your eyes several times..."

The man's frown was growing deeper and deeper as he was retreating into his mind. The Countess stepped in, there to put his loose set of threads together.

"The issue here is," she said. "All of this seems to point towards the devil following someone's orders. But with a normal deal, it's like making a wish. The devil will make it happen and be done with it. Few people survive an encounter with a devil, fewer still survive after their wish is granted. It isn't picking up the debt that Captain Vervain is paying, it seems to desire some help from Rosamund, and it seems to, well, be following some orders. The situation is strange on all counts. Heather believes that the devil may be doing something else's bidding, probably an even more powerful being. What kind of help the two of you could provide to it is beyond us, but its mention of pain and the scars you've mentioned implies that it occasionally rebels against its master, too. Naturally, a monster powerful enough to force its will upon a devil isn't something any of us can ever hope to manage. I wouldn't know if we could manage that devil, either, and if its master openly gives it an order to kill you, I'm afraid you will surely perish."
"Should I speak to the Church, then?" Adanita asked.
The Countess winced. "No. Avoid them as much as possible. Every saint will likely be able to tell your soul belongs to that thing and they do not treat heretics with mercy." She took a seat, carefully arranging her dress around her. "A few of my cousins entered service, so when I was younger I had the chance to meet one Holy Knight. Those pious pieces of shit are rather proud to display their killings. I must advise against getting their help. However... you will need a way to protect the manor from another intrusion of this sort. If the devil wishes to ask for your help, it should send a letter and arrange a meeting like anyone else."
"I'll assume you know someone with an appropriate amount of holy power and lack of indoctrination?" Rosamund asked.
"My dear, it's not indoctrination. They keep us all safe. Captain Vervain is simply... a special case. A margin that they wouldn't tolerate, but I am willing to as long as she continues to keep you safe. But, no. I do not know them. However, I know of them."

Was nobody going to react to the fact that the Countess cursed? No? Nobody. Alright.

"There is a small church in Hipparcos, isn't there? Founded a few years after the pirates took over Hannau Cove, if I recall correctly. I happen to know that it is one of the places used to get rid of priests and saints that do not show an appropriate amount of... indoctrination." The Countess smiled. "Despite their earthly vices, the two priests currently living there should be more than powerful enough to provide you the protection you need. Make up an appropriately religious excuse and have them bless the manor. It should be enough to prevent a complete surprise like the one from last night. Although, perhaps try to remove traces of the devil's presence before inviting them in. We wouldn't want them to get any ideas."
"I understand," he said.

"There is another issue," the Earl said. "We do not know which devil we are dealing with. I will try to find it from your description, but it must be a very powerful one considering what it was able to do. Turning back time is not something that I knew was possible, even if it claims it only did something similar to it."
"Will it mean anything?" Rosamund asked.
"Yes... perhaps. It could help us find out what it wants from you. Some parts of the conversation imply that the demand it has is its own, and not its master's order. Can you imagine what a devil would want?" he asked.

"...freedom?" Adanita said.

Three heads turned to her.

"That- never occurred to me," the Earl admitted, somewhat embarrassed. "But there are some issues with it. Rosamund is neither a mage nor a saint, he just has a minor blessing. A human could never break bindings of a creature powerful enough to capture a devil. And it seems to have asked Rose for help only because he is the one you've also picked. And if it is freedom that it wishes for, why wouldn't it let Rosamund look at the chains...? Ah, or is that another order it must obey..."
"And it would be more direct, wouldn't it?" the Countess said. "If I was in such a situation, I would say: I want you to free me. I wouldn't toy around like this. Whatever it wants should be something possible for Rosamund to do, and something unimportant enough for the amount of theatrics it decided to display. Although, I suppose we cannot exactly pretend to understand the inner workings of such a creature..."

"We should all think on it," the Earl announced. "Rosamund, I have a few bottles of holy water for Lily, he will likely want to run some experiments. Those are too dangerous for Captain Vervain to touch, by the by. I don't know how volatile the reaction would be, but I assume it would be extremely painful. Test the witch for infernal magic, too. Trust is lovely, but we need proof he wasn't involved. Bless the manor, it should provide at least some protection. And I hope we get invitations to your inauguration ball soon."
Rosamund flinched. "I am preparing for it."
"Get to it, my boy. Your mother can help you pick out decorations-"
"Tomorrow," she firmly announced. "Rosamund. Take a day off. Rest and return to work when you feel better."
His shoulders slumped. "Alright."

By the gods. This eighty years old man genuinely behaved like a proper son to these two people. Well, they were plenty terrifying and protective of him, so Adanita couldn't exactly pretend to be surprised. But it was certainly interesting to see. It was sweet. She was happy he had such a loving family.

The Earl sent them back to Hipparcos and after seeing their display of worry and affection for their son, Adanita decided to do her best to support them from this side of the world. Despite Rosamund's protests that he was fine now, and that there was an auditor waiting for him in his office, she insisted that he will not go to work today. It didn't take long for him to relent, thankfully, but she really didn't expect a hidden ace up his sleeve. He took her down to the kitchens and threw out a few people so he could work in peace while others cooked meals to feed the whole manor. She sat in a quiet little corner while watching him expertly prepare a meal for them. A good man of many talents.

It was beautiful to watch him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Meanwhile Zenith Nadir stood in the office, leaning on the table as she deeply pondered the strange situation she found herself in.

Lord Governor was hiding something from her, for the first time in history of their continued cooperation. There were two drawers he showed her as containing the documents relevant to her investigation. There was a third drawer under both of those he said contained archived files from his predecessor. By definition, those would be irrelevant to her. Considering who she was working with, she'd never even bother going through it.

However, the bottom-most drawer was marked by a single dark blue hair stuck to it. A simple yet efficient way to see if it was tampered with, something she noticed only because she dropped a few papers.

Now, why would anyone tamper with archived documents?