The oak door opened, with its creak upon them as a chilly shade. He was at the door, and his cape hid the sparkle of the sword in his hand, and his eyes were sweeping the room.
Solved smiled and walked out into the middle. To ensure that Andrew did not make any reckless actions, his blade had been taken away.
The council were a half dozen nobles in rich robes, bent round Solved and Andrew as the crescent moon. One of them was Solved, who knew Maggie and Sera--familiar faces with previous tussles.
The language of the nobles was disappointed and indignant, but not so venomous as usual, possibly because of the hurry of this hearing.
Get this over with, Solved said to himself as he rubs his temple, a little throb of his truth sight aching.
We had to have trouble at your gates, Mr. Solved, a noble said.
Solved studied the speaker. The grey hair and heavy voice full of authority gave the man the air of experience.
"I apologize for that." Solved bowed slightly. Allow them to believe that they are in charge and they will fall, he thought.
The old man went on to say that, according to law, trespassing in the Royal Palace was punishable by death.
But here surely you can forgive my friend. Solved lifted his head, and looked tired but sharply, into the eyes of the noble.
You are not one of us at all, Sera, spat, crossing her legs as she got out of her seat, her gaze cuts like a blade.
"You're right." Solved turned back to look at Sera, his hand hovering around his concealed sword, and then to look at Andrew, and then back to Sera.
Why am I blessed with your lovely presence, I wonder, you are so charming, he said, with an artful touch.
That is not the reason why we are here, the old man interpolated. "I've already decided."
"What?" Solved blinked, thrown off. "We haven't even begun."
"There's no case to defend. I said abide by our rules, Sworn. You don't get to rewrite them. It's final." The elderly man got up.
They believe they know all about this, Solved said to himself. Time to shake things up.
Wait--he assisted me in saving the plasma vessel, your holy mage your council guards with its life!
I only know that Nika, the Royal guard, spotted you insensible with the vessel, not him. The old man threw his head back to Andrew.
Solved looked at Andrew wishing that he was frightened, but Andrew smiled wickedly.
Solved shook his head, and turned to the council. This is Marcus blackthorne, first son of House Blackthorne.
The old man froze mid-step. Solved gazed at his face, which was not recognized. "Why should I believe you?"
His old boyhood friend would recognize him, Solved said, pointing towards Maggie.
Maggie, who had told Andrew all the little things under the oaks at Blackthorne estate, turned her head away, playing with her hair.
Even that he is a Blackthorne, his father was a banished noble. So?" the old man pressed.
The lips of Solved curled in a scorn. You believe you have this all sewn up, do you, Lord...? He threw his head upwards, as though he did not know.
Harrow, Lord," the noble grumbled, and glared.
Lord Harrow, Solved replied, smooth as silk. "You're right. The law is the law. Trespassing demands death. Yet..." He made a pause--a silence as the noose of silence. And yet, he said, should not a thing as serious as this, Marcus Blackthorne, come before the king himself? No royal guards here with the crest of the king. Curious, isn't it?"
The room stilled. Maggie stood with her fingers stuck in her hair. Sera's foot halted mid-swing. The face of Harrow scowled, and his features grew poor with worry.
The old man scoffed. "You don't make the rules here."
Solved bent down, his voice low, conspiratorial. No wisdom can compare to that of the king. He would desire to be a part of the destiny of an exiled noble, particularly one of the ties on the plasma vessel. His stare bore into Harrow's. Unless his majesty may not be... there?
Harrow's jaw tightened. "Cheap accusations won't work."
The aristocrats looked about him. Maggie, with her eyes on Sera, who held the armrest of her chair.
And who are you to talk of the king? Harrow growled, and his voice shook.
Granted I am a nobody, my lord, Solved said, with his hands outstretched. "But I know loyalty. The subjects have faith in their king to maintain stability in the kingdom. Suppose they had guessed they were not, what a disturbance there would have been. His eyes were now bright with threat. "So, let's be clear. Execute my friend? Fine. But when the justice of the king is heard. Unless you have something to hide... an empty throne.
No gasps reached the council. Sera shot to her feet. "Enough! You overstep, Solved!"
No, we do not need to include the king, Maggie said in a steady voice with a tint of hesitation. "I apprehended him myself. I don't think he meant harm."
"Thank you, Maggie." Solved brought to her his composed face. But what should there be no king to engage?
"You side with him?" The look that Harrow gave Maggie turned her gaze.
I--I only meant to give my opinion, Maggie said.
You can take sides with anybody you like, She can, Andrew interpolated. All the heads in the court turned to him. The lips of Maggie curve slightly as a result of Solved.
Nothing to me, nothing to me, Spit, Harrow.
"Then let's settle it. Bring Andrew before the king. When His Majesty finds him guilty of it, I will give him over myself. But if you can't produce a king..." Solved, and practise the words, and see Harrow turn pale. That is another sort of trouble, eh?
Harrow jumped back into his chair shrinking in power. And you suppose you can play with this council? he muttered, voice hollow.
Solved looked back at Andrew who stood behind him with his weak grin not shaken. Solved shook his head and looked back at the council.
Silence gripped the room. Harrow glanced at other nobles to get some support but they did not make it. Solved was tall, and his roll dice were on the table, and awaiting their turn.
Harrow tapped his fingers against the table. "Very well."
Solved's eyes widened. What?
"I'll take him to the king," Harrow said.
Solved activated his truth sight; the words glowed in his mind: [Truth sight—FALSE.]
He's planning to parade a fake king. Damn it! Solved's composure wavered.
"Solved," Andrew whispered, "this is going south."
"Trust me," Solved replied, his voice steady despite the dread coiling in his gut.
---
Moments earlier, Solved had been certain this would be easy.
As he and Andrew walked down the hall to the court, their footsteps echoed through the stone corridor, Roderick trailing behind, ever watchful.
Solved's hands were in his pockets, his demeanor unruffled.
Halfway down, he paused in the hallway's shadows.
Andrew stopped, scanning for trouble.
"Just a theory," Solved said, glancing at the ceiling. "Do you think there's a king, Andrew?"
Andrew didn't flinch, not after Solved's confession about hailing from another world. "Why wouldn't there be?"
"Have you seen him?" Solved's tone was probing, calm.
"Yes—at the Star Festival," Andrew replied, his voice catching, as if recalling a past he'd buried.
"Hmm." Solved traced the scars on his knuckles, eyes distant.
"What scheme are you cooking up?" Andrew smirked.
"I think that was a fake," Solved said, blunt. "The way the nobles dodge the king's name, how their decrees come from 'the council' instead of a royal edict… I don't think there's a king here. They rule as a parliament—lawmakers with equal power. Fair, if you ask me."
"So, the throne's empty?" Andrew raised an eyebrow.
"Exactly. If they've used a fake king to fool the public, it's a secret I can leverage to save you. If they play hardball, I'll turn it against them."
Andrew's grin widened. "I trust you."
Solved nodded, his gaze glinting with cunning. "Don't worry."
That was the plan. Now it was unraveling.