A Bargain Made: A House Fallen Ch. 08

Epilogue

Two guards followed a respectful distance behind Lord Vesik, their boots snapping on the smooth floor in an almost pleasing rhythm as they made their way to the queen's private offices. Vesik's wiry frame ate the distance with long strides, though the queen's elite White Guard officers were able to keep pace seemingly without changing theirs.

Anger, fear, and frustration gave him a clarity of thought he hadn't had for some time. Since the incident at the stables things had spiraled downward as one might have expected. Soon after, there was no point in showing up at Court meetings even when he could resist the seductresses at home long enough to go. The greetings of his fellows were perfunctory. Beyond that, they only spoke to him when they absolutely had to. Then there was the fact that hushed conversations and laughter would abruptly stop when he approached, as though they all didn't know what the topic was.

He had to admit that was a small blessing though compared to when some simply didn't seem to care if he was there or not when he heard whispers like 'criminal,' disgrace to all of Court', and 'southie.' The most overt action though was the fact that Queen Evaline simply would not appear anywhere he was expected to be and, if he appeared, she was quickly ushered away. The overt snub was not unnoticed by anyone. Rumors escaped as they do and even the populace at large began to wonder what sort of scandal was consuming the House of Vesik.

He approached Bae. Known as the queen's right hand, wherever the queen was, so was she. Dressed in thin, cream-colored, embroidered robes with hands tucked within the oversized sleeves, she waited, her sandy hair bobbed and green eyes looking at him with clear disdain and an unmistakable desire to turn up her nose, as though he'd brought a stench to her presence.

Women. Untamed sluts, all of them. His gaze hardened, his dark eyes attempting to bore through hers to show her he would never be intimidated by the likes of her.

Only her sense of propriety kept her from laughing in his face over the ridiculous male puffing. It was rumored that she herself was a member of the White Guard, but no one had had cause to test that theory. Her hands came into view briefly as they reached behind her to turn the gold handles of the doors. Once open, she extended her arms to either side, propping them open as she stepped back, not taking her eyes from him.

She moved to the right as he strode in, stopping before the antique wooden desk that looked like it could withstand a siege all on its own. Behind it in a high-backed chair that looked like a smaller version of the throne itself sat the queen. Her dress was a somber brown in tone and buttoned to the collar in a show of absolute modesty. Her hair was simply done and the makeup was minimal, with just a hint of color on her round cheeks. It was clear this meeting was a priority for her.

"Majesty."

"Lord Vesik." She uttered the title quickly to be done with it. "I trust we can dispense with the 'why' of your presence?"

"The misunderstanding at the riding grounds, no doubt."

She eyed him, "You have a singular wit, though it has always seemed mostly unintentional. Your word choice understates the spectacle greatly, but I would prefer not to discuss the reason behind your presence today so much as what we will accomplish by it."

His brow knotted in curiosity and he touched his beard. "And what is that, Majesty?"

"Your removal from Court."

His anger flared at the very notion. His line helped found Erette. As though the queen's words were a summons, Bae appeared again, placing a paper neatly before him before stepping behind the queen and again placing her hands into the sleeves of her robe. He skimmed it as Evaline spoke, "You will claim mental illness led to your insane behavior. As such maladies tend to plague bloodlines, the people will accept that the same affliction affects Sere. Jeron may be a source of conjecture, but not enough to matter. Court and I will simply be happy to have the matter disposed of."

"You will renounce your position at Court for yourself and your line in perpetuity, and you will agree to the liquidation of all of your assets save your mountain estate. In return, you will receive a monthly stipend based upon a percentage of its value. When you or Jeron are the last to pass to the next world, Sere will be given a final payment equivalent to twelve months stipend and the estate will revert to the kingdom to be sold."

He laughed in her face after he finished reading the document, "I would agree to this why?"

Evaline seemed almost placid, only her eyes betraying anything deeper, "Because the alternative is that you will leave this room in shackles and held for a Court tribunal set to take place at midnight tonight where you will be tried for your crimes and hang at dawn as your wife and daughter will be banished to no-one-cares-where.

Perhaps I could kill her before anyone reacted. He caught the glint in Bae's eye. Perhaps she detected the hardening of his jaw of a subtle change in his stance that even he wasn't aware of, but her own message was clear in that she wanted him to try. "I will fight the charges. I wield my own power at Court."

Her voice finally betrayed anger in her rigid tone, "Half of whom saw you using your manhood to try to pound your daughter into the hay. They will not dare aid you. They are disgusted by your behavior, as am I, and the only reason you will not be tried openly is that we hope to save Court the open scandal and the people the shame of knowing you so flagrantly disregard common decency. If you demand the tribunal, you will be brought before it, the charges read and witness statements taken. You will be allowed to speak, then the verdict will be read, and then you hang. It has already been decided."

"With your agreement now, something remains to you while you live. Fight and you will lose and so will your wife and daughter. The options are before you, and, unlike your business ventures, there will be no negotiation. Choose, Lord Vesik."

He clenched his fist, bringing it down on the table, only succeeding in hurting his hand. "Hypocrites, all of you! You all have your secrets and you dare judge me. Lord Nox has bred virtually every woman that staffs his manor. Baroness Vesta? She orchestrates nothing short of orgies on her estate. You? You go through royal pages as though they are an endless stream."

Her tone was emotionless. "Be that as it may..."

"And General Jaye? She not only beds and then weds a dreg, she brings him before Court to have his ass kissed by the queen instead of the both of them being banished." He pointed to himself, "But I have to pay with everything."

"Are you quite through?"

He snorted in disdain, "It seems so."

She rose, standing between her chair and the table. "To address your points, Lord, General Jaye has earned some deference for facing her people's enemies and leaving her blood on the field. Her mate is a contributing member of society that shows respect to myself and Court. Truthfully, and in an admission I shall never own again, your points are valid. We all have our proclivities, Lord Vesik, but you made yours public and open to judgment. That is crime enough. Your complete and utter lack of self-control is reason enough to bring you before me. Choose."

He clenched both fists. Bitch. That the Goddess kept her alive and put him where he was now was supremely unfair. But life was preferred to the alternative she offered. He bent down and stabbed the pen to paper, scrawling his signature before tossing the pen on the desk.

The queen took a full breath, "You have twenty-four hours to vacate your home. Anything of a personal nature you cannot remove in that time will be sent to your estate. Tonn Vesik, you are dismissed."

He didn't wait for her to finish the dismissal before opening the doors himself and nearly vaulting down the hall. This wasn't the last of it. Someday, somehow, some way, he would have his revenge. It was something sweet to hold on to as he left the castle. Revenge would be all the sweeter now that they were certain he was powerless.

He held on to that even as he took the carriage home for the last time, every moment bringing him closer to Jeron and Sere. He wondered what they were doing. Probably fucking, he thought and his cock rose in response. With the next breath he exhaled his rage along with the air in his lungs. What good is revenge? What does it matter? I failed once, and fail again and I will hang. Besides...I'm free this way. No work. No responsibilities beyond keeping my sluts tamed, and that would be career enough. They need my firm hand.

I bet they are fucking.

End