As I buttoned up my shirt, I could hear a pair of footsteps ascending the stairs. Maybe things with Nikelle weren't quite over yet after all.
"Come back for another round?"
I began to turn, but as I did, a hand grabbed me by the throat and slammed my face down on top of a crate. My vision swam and I flailed about wildly for a moment, but there was no breaking free. As my senses quickly returned, I found myself looking up at the Chamberlain, sadistic glee dancing in his eyes. My fortunes had certainly shifted quite quickly. How could I even have forgotten about him? He'd been the whole cause of all my problems in the first place.
"Morning, Mathis," he said. "You wouldn't happen to have that three hundred gold you owe me, would you?"
"What? No...but I can get it!" How, I had no idea, but at the moment, I'd say anything to keep all my fingers. I struggled for all I was worth, but carrying around all that fat had given him a considerable amount of muscle. "I just need a little more time!"
"Time?" Keeping my face pinned to the crate with one hand, he drew his knife with the other and drove it into the wood mere inches from my face. Another few seconds and that blade would start slicing off my fingers one by one. "I've already given you more time than I've ever given anyone else!"
Prying the knife free, he kicked me aside like a sack of wet laundry. I went stumbling and fell to the ground amidst a pile of empty barrels. As he approached, I tried to scuttle away, but I quickly found my back against a solid stone wall.
So this was the end? A whole miserable day spent as Stephanie had merely delayed the inevitable. In hindsight, I suppose I should have simply faced this yesterday and been done with it. It would have saved me a lot of bother. I hoped Nikelle wouldn't get too upset by my death. Knowing her, she'd simply find another toy to satisfy her desires and move on without giving me a second thought. In the end, my life hadn't amounted to much of anything, had it?
"Please, can't we just talk about this?" I siad as the chamberlain loomed over me, brandishing his knife. I needed to make him see reason. There was still so much I had to live for.
"I want my money, Mathis, not talk." He came close and squatted down before me. "This is your last chance. Do you have it or not?"
"N-No, I don't have it," I was forced to admit, but then added hastily, "Not right now."
The chamberlain chuckled grimly and shook his head. "You don't know it Mathis, but today is your lucky day. I was just talking to Master Oringel and he told me all about what you were up to yesterday."
Oh gods, he did? I knew that bastard wizard couldn't be trusted. How I wished the chamberlain would just hurry up and put me out of my misery already.
"He said he sent you to Eagle's Head to pick up a delivery for him," the chamberlain said. "But I know the truth."
"You do?" I tried my best to keep a look of confusion off my face. Why would Master Oringel have told him that lie? And if he had, how would the chamberlain have figured out the real truth?
He leaned in close enough that I could smell his putrid breath. "The only reason he sent you out on that little errand, was because he knew I was looking for you. He likes his games, that one does, that's for certain. He even suggested I should give you a little more time to come up with the money. I don't know why he's taken an interest in you, but since I'd rather not get on a wizard's bad side, I'm going to give you three more days."
"You are?"
"It's against my better judgment, but if you don't have my money by then, I don't care if the king himself says to spare you, I'm going to take what I'm owed out of your hide. You got that?"
Haltingly, I nodded my understanding.
"Good. Now remember: three days or..." He placed his knife against my throat and smiled, his jowls spreading like the mouth of a frog. I stretched my chin out of the way to avoid the cool metal blade, but he drew the back edge across my skin all the same. Patting my cheek, he stood and left the room, leaving me alone in a heap on the floor, terrified but still intact.
With nothing else that could be done at the moment, I returned to my work. The simple manual labor -- cleaning the stables, tending the horses -- was a refreshing change of pace after my experiences in the kitchens. Here, the scale of operations was so much larger that mistakes could usually be corrected before they resulted in a catastrophe. I didn't have to worry about breaking the delicate porcelain, or making sure all the corners of a napkin were folded under just so. I was also thankful Griffith ended up shirking his duties all day. I wasn't sure I'd be able to work with him, let alone look at him, after what had happened yesterday. I still cringed each time I thought about his cock pressed up against my back.
The old familiar routine gave me plenty of time to think about what I should do. Three days was an eternity after coming face-to-face with two deadlines already, but it still wasn't enough time. I knew there had to be a solution somewhere, but I just couldn't see it. For a while, I gave serious consideration to simply running away. However, without becoming a horse thief, I wouldn't be able to get very far very quickly. I didn't know my way around the woods like some men so I'd have to stick to the roads. And since the Chamberlain had contacts in every village within fifty miles, I'd quickly be found and brought back. Besides, I'd lived my whole short life in the castle. I couldn't even imagine how to go about doing anything else with my life.
Eventually, one possible solution did come to me, but I spent the better part of the afternoon trying to think of something else. However, no matter how much I wracked my brain for some alternative, my thoughts kept coming back to this one unthinkable possibility. After all, it would be relatively easy and it take care of all my money problems in one night. That alone made it incredibly enticing, regardless of the risks.
I still didn't like it one bit, but after wasting most of the day failing to think of something else, it didn't seem like I had any other choice. I left my duties without explanation -- a reprimand from the supervisor would be far more bearable than the loss of even one finger -- and hurried back to my bulk. I was probably insane for even considering this plan, but deep down, I knew it was the only way.
* * *
"Sir Ruvano?" I said.
It had been pure luck I'd run into him down here in the lower halls. He must have been returning to his chambers after performing some duty or another. The two armored men with him reflexively reached for their swords the moment they heard me speak. The spymaster himself turned a cold gaze on me that I imagined could have been just as deadly as any blade.
This had been a mistake. I hesitated and almost turned to leave, but froze at the command of one of the guards.
"You there! What do you think you're doing?"
"I-I..." It was impossible to say anything more cohesive. Dressed in Sir Ruvano's personal colors of brown and green, and wearing custom light armor, those two men were members of his personal guard. Soldiers, woodsmen, spies, and assassins all rolled into one package, they were more dangerous than any of the king's men and answered only to Sir Ruvano. If there could be any fate worse than having to deal with the spymaster himself, it was having to confront his men as well.
One of the two stepped forward, his hand adjusting the grip on his sword hilt. Unlike the other one, he wore no helmet, so I could clearly see the wispy blonde hair that fell to his shoulders and the jagged scar that diagonally bisected his pale, angular face from brow to chin.
"Speak now, before I run you though on this very spot!"
That finally loosened my tongue, but all I was able to utter was a single strained squeak of, "I have a message for Sir Ruvano."
The guard glanced over his shoulder for confirmation but the spymaster seemed uninterested. In fact, he looked like he was considering if he should simply let the guard run me through and be done with this delay. This was not the same man I'd been with last night; this was the man from all those grisly rumors. It was beginning to look as if everyone in the keep had two faces. After a moment, he crossed his arms and glared at me.
"Well, what is it?" he demanded. Maybe his ill-humor was just a result of the same hangover that was plaguing everyone today.
I reached into the front of my tunic and both of the guards drew their swords several inches. How had I ever convinced myself this idea had any chance of working? Unfortunately, there was no turning back now. Slowly, I drew forth the silk scarf that Sir Ruvano had given Stephanie last night and offered it up for inspection. The guards looked on uncertainly and Sir Ruvano cocked his head slightly to the side.
After snatching the scarf out of my hand and giving it a hasty examination that found nothing, the lead guard passed it on to the spymaster. He looked it over, as well, but no trace of understanding or sympathy showed in his hard features.
"Stephanie sent me, sir," I said. "She told me to give you that so that you would know this message came from her. She wanted me to ask if your...if your offer from last night still stands?"
My own uncertainty with what I was asking made it sound like I wasn't entirely sure what that offer might be. Hopefully, it would only make the show that much more convincing. Sir Ruvano considered me for several long moments and then examined the scarf again. "Why didn't she come herself?" he finally said.
I shrugged. It seemed like the best way to avoid having to go into any greater detail.
"You seem awfully nervous for simply delivering a message. What are you up to?"
"S-sir? Nothing, I swear. Ste-Stephanie merely asked me to give you this message, that's all. I'm not even sure what it's about."
"But why you?" He looked me over quickly and his lip curled back in disgust. "Who is she to you? A friend? An unrequited lover? You're not jealous, are you?"
"No, of course not!" It would be a little hard to be jealous of myself. "I'm -- we're actually...cousins."
"Cousins?" Sir Ruvano's eyes narrowed. After that conversation with Natalie yesterday, the entire household had likely heard by know that me and Stephanie were somehow related -- even if I'd never confirmed such a remark until now. "I suppose there is something of a family resemblance..."
"Yes! I...I actually helped her get work here in the keep."
"I heard it was the wizard who vouched for her."
"Yes. Yes, that's true, but I was the one who put her in touch with Master Oringel," In a twisted sort of way, that was actually true. "I'm not on the best of terms with the Chamberlain so it seemed like a better way to approach the matter."
Sir Ruvano stood scowling at me for a long time, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the hilt of his sword. If he was trying to divine the truth from my appearance or the way I'd spoken, my hastily conceived story was probably the best defense I could have had. It wasn't exactly true, but from a certain point of view, it wasn't the least bit false either. Holding my breath, I stared at the floor, just hoping he'd come to a verdict quickly. Death, or acceptance of my story, it was all the same to me at that point.
"Cousins..." Sir Ruvano stopped tapping his sword hilt and I envisioned him gripping it firmly in preparation to run me through. "In that case, you can tell Stephanie, yes, my offer still stands. If it suits her, she can find me in the gardens this evening at seven."
"Very well, sir." I nearly collapsed from relief. "I'll let her know."
"See that you do."
Sir Ruvano and the two guards began to move off, but they only got a few paces before the spymaster stopped and turned.
"Wait," he said. "Give the man a sovereign for his troubles."
"Yes sir," one of the guards said after a pause.
He dropped the small gold coin into my hand and then all three of them walked out of sight, leaving me rooted in place. I just knew it was going to be a while before I would regain enough composure to move again. I couldn't believe what I'd just done. Not only had I survived yet another encounter with the dreaded spymaster, I'd also just arranged a rendezvous with the man.
But it was just for the money, I kept telling myself, nothing more. Without that gold, I was a dead man.
Regardless of my motivations or how I rationalized my actions, I now had no choice but to go through with this outrageous plan. If I lost my nerve and stood him up, there would certainly be consequences. Stephanie, of course, hidden in plain sight, would be completely free from any retaliations, but now that I'd involved my real self in these proceedings as well, I wouldn't be so fortunate. If Sir Ruvano wanted to seek Stephanie out for any perceived impropriety, I would be his only point of contact. I had no choice but to do everything in my power to ensure he had no reason to find fault with anything either me or Stephanie did.
After all, I needed that money