Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 08

She hugged him, he whispered to her, "You marrying your lover?"

She smiled and nodded, "Thou we did find a guy to bring into the mix as well. I will marry into his house and move when that occurs. House Moon Blade."

Charlus nodded, "The current wielder? I heard his great grandmother passed while I was gone."

She nodded, "The sword was meant for you. I have heard of what you can do with a sword and see why they chose you to continue our father's work."

Charlus waved over Zirran, "Our brother the Duke said you do not want the financial restrictions of the title if he gives up the title."

He nodded, "Correct."

Charlus looked at him, "Is that what the shadow account is all about?"

He turned white. Charlus looked at him, "I gave him a list of names. He did not talk to you?"

He shook his head, "Said last night that he wanted to talk but had a birthday party to get too. Have not seen him since."

Charlus looked at him and pulled him aside and gave him the list of 6 names. "I want access to the balances to your shadow accounts or paperwork stating you are starting your own house.

Hiding funds from oversight does not look good. I will be checking account transactions as well. Going back to the creation of the account. Tell the others, don't make the sword have to fulfill its special purpose."

He nodded at the veiled threat. Charlus walked over and grabbed his horse. He rode out. He nodded to the man at the gate as he picked his crystals up. Charlus looked at him, "Any messages come in for me?"

He shook his head. Charlus headed out and grabbed the crystal to his brother to find it cracked.

Charlus contacted the palace, "Your Majesty, have you heard from my brother the Duke today?"

She responded, "No I have not."

Charlus sighed, "Can you contact him? The crystal I have to him is cracked."

She responded, "The one I have is cracked as well."

Charlus signed, "You in private, your Majesty."

She sighed, "Still in my audience chamber. What is going on?"

Charlus looked at the crystal, "If my fears are realized and the warning received last night about turmoil comes to be true. Then I will need a contingent of Royal guards at Goldsmith estates."

She sounded alarmed, "What makes you think something is going on with them?"

Charlus glared at the crystal, "I know about the patron and his views on my brother. His lover had a younger brother coming of age. The three of them were supposed to spend the night together. I was told my brother left for a birthday party last night and we have 2 destroyed crystals. You know I will be making inquiries that might lead me to be standing over the patron's body."

Charlus heard her groan, "Let my guards investigate."

Charlus looked at the crystal, "They get there before me then they can lead the investigation. Otherwise, I will be taking on the matter personally."

She sighed as he let the crystal go dark. He thought to Gerona, "Take me to my brother's horse, best speed."

Gerona took off and they blew through the gates which set off all kinds of alarms.

---

The Queen got ahold of her guard Captain, " Get 14 Royal guards and bring the patron to House Goldensmith to my Audience chamber immediately."

The guard sighed, "Understood, You should know women just blew through the palace gates on an Elven war Horse at full speed."

She sighed, "Knight Commander Silvertree who is headed to the same location. Hurry!"

She sighed to herself, "Damned. I hope he does not kill the man outright. I know what he did here and he has had no release for his aggression from what I have heard."

----

Charlus pulled up in front of the home next to his brother's horse.

Charlus dismounted and he had guards look at him, "Do you have an appointment?"

Charlus looked at him, "I am here for my brother, I am Knight Commander Charlus Silvertree of the Queens Diplomatic service. Him or your patron."

He looked at Charlus, "Nobody gets in without an appointment."

Charlus nodded, "Then the contingent of Royal Guards that are coming to this location will have to change your mind. I did say I worked for the Queen and she cannot reach him either."

He looked at the other guard and they knew something. Charlus looked at them, "You will come clean with what you know when turned over to psionic interrogators that will be brought in to investigate. Brought in as conspirators if I have any say in the matter unless you cooperate. Especially if anything has happened to him."

At about that point, they saw 14 royal guards come riding forward. One went for the handle. He swapped in his invisibility ring. He dimension doored as he ran into the home.

Charlus did it again as he ran down a long hall. Charlus saw him go into an office and he snuck in behind him as the guard looked at the man, "Duke, there is a member of house Silvertree out front looking for his brother. A lot of royal guards coming up the way."

He looked at the man, "You mention nothing of him even being here. Just show them back and I will send them off."

He dimension doored next to this patron as he sat there reading a book.

He mumbled, "No fucking bodies for them to find for either of them."

Charlus slapped his manacles around his wrists. He looked up startled as he saw Charlus appear in front of him, "I will have the full truth of the matter; as will the Queen. I have a Moon Blade on one side and a vorpal weapon on the other. I cut a human into 3 pieces yesterday. One being his head."

He grabbed the manacles and flipped him over his desk and sent the desk tumbling in the process.

He teleported out to his horse and his brothers' horse. He teleported the 2 horses and the 2 of them into the front of the palace. He pulled him to his feet and the guards approached. He looked at them, "The Queen is expecting us. Contact her or I can."

Charlus pulled out the crystal, "Your Majesty I am out front with a manacled Patron."

She sighed, "Bring him to my audience chamber discreetly."

She thought, "At least he is not dead...yet."

He walked off to the side with him and teleported into her audience chamber as she walked into the room. She waved back the guards. The Duke spoke first, "He broke into my house and put these on me, tore up my office, and brought me here against my will."

Charlus looked at him, "'No fucking bodies for them to find for either of them.' Those were the words he muttered verbatim after the guard left the room. He threatened my brother in the past.

He was at that house last night and he knows it. He killed or had someone kill my brother. As my brother is a patron this constitutes a patron-on-patron attack that should be investigated."

The man looked over, "He was not in my house."

Charlus looked over, "His horse just went for a visit?"

He looked over, "I cannot speak for his horse!"

Charlus nodded, "Your Majesty you have guards outside who have elven warhorses. Have them question the horse, 'When and if my brother entered and when and if he ever left that home?'"

The man scoffed, "It would lie for you!"

Charlus shook his head. "You are an idiot. You do not know elven warhorses. They will communicate with their riders or other horses. They do not lie or like being lied to. Simple fact."

Charlus grabbed his hand and pulled off his house ring and slammed it on the end of the desk, "Cleric of the Lady of Dreams can resolve it with divination. This is not without precedence. You are a sick fucker."

He looked at Charlus mad as the 9 hells, "Your brother was the sick fucker!"

Charlus looked at him and decided to play this fool into cooperating, "Your son, his lover. What about him sick as well?"

He yelled, "Yes, they were both sick as fuck!"

Charlus looked at him, "What about your son who came of age yesterday. Was my brother or your son balls deep in his ass?"

He struggled against Charlus's grip, "He was not involved in their sickness."

Charlus nodded "That would be your son then that was balls deep in his ass or maybe the younger one was just sucking cock at that point."

He yelled at Charlus, "They were working to pervert him."

Charlus looked at the Queen, "'Was' and 'were' are the words he used to describe my brother and older son. While 'is' was the word he used to describe his youngest son.

The cleric, your Majesty? We might want to bring the younger son in for questioning for his involvement in this. Also, the patron's wife as she is the one who caught them in the act previously."

The Queen looked at him, "You confessing to this crime?"

He looked at her, "Your Majesty, he is twisting my words around. Getting me to say things without thinking."

Charlus commented, "Because a lie is harder to remember than the truth without talking."

He came at Charlus with both hands and Charlus grabbed the manacles and dropped down then flipped over him putting him flat on his back. While twisting his arms together from the twist he did in the middle of the flip. The Queen looked at Charlus, "Did you draw a weapon on him?"

Charlus looked at the Queen, "No sword left my sheath, your Majesty. As you know, I am a weapon."

Charlus released the manacles. He yelled over, "He said he had a vorpal and a Moon Blade. That he cut a human into 3 parts. It shows how sick his whole fucking family is."

The Queen sighed, "I received the reports of the duel between him and the human military advisor. Including the fact, he told the man he would cut him into 3 pieces. He keeps his word after letting the adviser swing at him 3 times and blocking every shot."

She pulled out a crystal, "I want the Grand Cleric for the Lady of Dreams sent to my audience chamber. I also want house Goldsmith placed under house arrest with the patron's wife and youngest son of age brought to my Audience chamber."

Charlus pulled out a crystal, "Please inform Zirra that Moyra will be needed at the Palace. Wait outside the Queen's audience chamber."

The Queen smiled, "You do not know just how fucked you are at the moment, Duke Goldsmith. Our human allies are awakening today without a King but with a sovereign prince.

After he unraveled the conspiracies and plans of their King. Including him actually stealing half of the Alliance Overwatch system and thinking he could get away with it. With future plans to attack us."

The grand cleric showed up first. The Queen pointed at the ring, "See if he was involved in the death of Duke Silvertree and his own son. The Grand Cleric picked it up and put it back down, "Yes he caught his youngest fucking the nether-hole of the Duke who was sucking the cock of the elder son.

He disintegrated him and then his elder son. He has chased off many of his son's lovers but this one he killed himself."

The Queen nodded, "Write that up and leave it with the guard out front."

Charlus looked at the Queen, "I neglected to tell you I became a father of 3 last night, the fourth died, your Majesty."

She nodded, "I am sorry. How is your wife?"

Charlus sighed, "Alive but infertile now."

The patron commented, "Good, fewer Silvertree's running around."

Charlus went into a spinning kick and kicked him across his teeth and his body snapped back and landed on his back knocked out cold. The Queen looked at him in shock. Charlus nodded, "I picked up a few things while I was out in the Far East, Your Majesty."

Moyra arrived and was shown in, He pointed, "Find out where my brother's gear is located also if he has ever taken it in the nether-hole or sucked cock." She looked shocked but checked.

She looked up, "He killed your brother. The gear was sent out this morning to be put in the forge of his shop in this district. Including the armor, which he found a waste but he wanted no proof. He sent it out with his wife."

Charlus walked out and she yelled, "Yes to both. Quite often."

Charlus looked back, "Get names!"

Charlus teleported to the shop knowing the location. He saw a woman in royal clothes coming out of the back and he pulled his blade on her.

"Your House is under arrest. Your husband is missing most of his front teeth. I will give you two guesses why I am here. She backed away and Charlus yelled out as they entered the room. "Shutdown the forges! This house is under arrest."

Varus'Nor alerted, "Danger!"

He thought, "Spell turning." It deflected most of that disintegration but it hurt. Another came at Charlus with a sword. He swung his offhand weapon and sent his head across the floor.

Charlus put a blade on either side of her neck and she yelled, "STOP!" Charlus thought, "Heal me up."

Charlus looked at her, "My brother's gear, you were sent here to destroy it. Given to you by your husband. Where is it?"

She pointed to a box. Charlus looked at her, "Open it!" He thought, "Spell turning again."

She opened it as the next disintegration hit him and got deflected back wholly at the one who cast it. She screamed, "I SAID STOP! That was my eldest son and the other my brother-in-law."

Charlus looked at her, "The next patron after your husband?"

She nodded. Charlus sighed, "Good that is a second patron on patron attack."

She looked at him, "You are the patron. I thought that was your brother?"

Charlus nodded, "Was and as those between the title and me have all said they would abdicate if it came to them that would make me the new patron. As your husband is under arrest for that murder that made him the new patron. See how fucked up that is? I work for the Queen directly, Knight Commander Silvertree. Queens Diplomatic Service."

Charlus pulled a set of manacles and tossed them to the guy who threw the first disintegrate. "Put those on. He tossed them on the forge. He shackled her hands and pushed her back against the forge and she screamed. Charlus grabbed the manacles and flipped over the forge and brought his knee into play.

Charlus put the manacles on the one guy who had placed his hands together to hold his swollen cock from Charlus's knee making contact. He then screamed from the heated-up manacles.

Charlus looked at him, "I am immune to fire. Thought you would be wearing something for that."

Charlus looked around as the other family and staff looked at the scene unfolding. Charlus teleported the three of them just outside of her audience chamber. The guard opened the door. He asked Moyra, "Did his wife know?"

She nodded, "She was involved in his affairs. The youngest son is not even the Patron's son." Moyra handed him a list and Charlus sighed when he saw the King on the list but handed it to the Queen. She read the list. Queen Goldeagle fumed and looked at Charlus, "What do you want me to do?"

Charlus looked over, "Who is the father of the youngest?"

She walked over and pointed at the King's name.

Charlus sighed, "I request the complete obliteration of this house. As the youngest is an adult and not even of this house. He should be sent to the army on the southern border. House Silvertree's reparation would come out to what your Majesty?"

She looked at Charlus, "A hundred seventy billion."

He thought' Varus'Nor, "I need the will clause."

Charlus heard back, "Eleven."

Charlus sighed, "As soon as these 3 are taken away. I would like to report a second patron on patron attack. As the man taking over for him attacked me. He is missing his head."

She looked at Charlus, "There are two others ahead of you."

Charlus shook his head, "One would refuse and stated so because she is getting married while the other had made funds from family enchanting that would make going that route restrictive of his finances, not counting what he has in his shadow account."

The Queen nodded, "Then I will document your complaint. Guards come forward."

Charlus looked at them, "You are not getting those manacles off of them. Bring me a set of manacles to replace mine. The guard dispelled magic and Charlus moved to blocked the view for the Queen as the forge worker screamed bloody murder. The Queen looked around just as his hands literally exploded off of his wrists. Charlus grabbed a pot for when she got sick. Charlus looked at the guard, "Maybe LISTENING would work better!"

The son was shocked and screaming as his mother watched her son lose his hands. She hit the floor out cold. Charlus walked forward and lit up his sword and burnt the end of the wounds closed. He stuck his hands into his pouch at his side. Charlus walked over and handed Moyra the box. She looked inside and nodded. Guards came in with manacles and they changed out the other 2. Charlus's manacles reverted and Charlus took them off.

The guard looked at Charlus, "Those are fucked up manacles." Charlus looked at him, "They are encrypted to the 9 hells too."

He looked at Charlus, "Why create something like that?"

Charlus took the third pair he had and put them on. A few seconds later they popped off, "Too easy."

He took the 3 of them out and he looked at the Queen, "Will clause 11."

She sat down, "Now?"

He nodded and she pulled it out and read:

"In the event that the trust continues to grow past 100 billion, all members in good standing will receive a million gold pieces at the time this occurs. Including daughters or former wives who married off. The Duke and champion accounts are doubled in size with the cap increased to 20 million gold pieces. The excess funds are to be divided evenly among the poorest houses in good standing at the time of this reading.

Not to exceed 10 million gold pieces. All the excess goes to the crown. If it occurs again the same applies but the Duke and Blade wielder accounts do not double again. That is a one-time deal. Bringing the trust down to 70 billion."

She looked at Charlus, "That will of his is a real piece of work. He planned for so many contingencies."

Charlus nodded, "Does nothing to bring back my brother, Your Majesty. What are you doing with the one name on the list that is close to you?"

She growled, "After I shove my arm up to his stomach by way of his nether-hole or before?"

Charlus nodded and walked out with Moyra. the guards cleaned up the mess. One of them stopped him, "The Queen wants you and your siblings in the line of succession back in the morning."

Charlus got the horses together and teleported them to the palace district gate, "We are knocking." They walked through and the guard glared at him. Charlus stopped, "I was in a hurry because my brother the Duke was killed in a patron-on-patron attack by house Goldsmith. You want to keep your fucking eyes stop glaring at me. As I am the new Duke because of that!"

He turned away. He heard, "Door is open." He teleported them inside. Charlus rode in with Moyra and his brother's horse following.

Kora looked at the empty seat on the horse as Charlus got down, He walked up to her and hugged her, "Patron-on-patron attack."

She started crying into his shoulder and he held her as the ladies came out at the sound of all the noise."

Charlus looked over, "Korina and Zirran you two are to accompany me to the palace tomorrow. There is no body to bury. You need to declare or abdicate."

They both walked over. Korina looked at me, "We already told you the title goes to you."

Charlus nodded, "You have to make it official."

Zirran looked at Charlus, "I will look to create a new house."

Charlus nodded. "Everyone, including my three children all have an additional million gold pieces. This goes to all in good standing as of the time this occurred. This includes daughters who married off and former wives. If you had done the New house yesterday you would have gotten more."

He looked at Charlus, "How?"

Charlus looked at him, "The excess funds in the account over 70 billion get distributed. To the poorest houses. No more than 10 million."