“This is highly irregular, Your Majesties. I should be working."
“Don't worry about that for now, Greer," I said, “the valets have things under control. What do you drink?"
“This time of day, Your Majesty, I take a black tea with milk and honey."
I rang for Waldinor and had him get the tea service and some pear tarts.
I'm not sure if Greer was even capable of looking relaxed. Straight as a pole, upright in his chair.
“Greer," I pleaded, “I know it must be hard for you, but please, just sit back, relax, cross your legs, get comfortable. You're here today to help us. It's very important. Actually, May, I think we should take this to the sanctum."
“I agree, Love," she said, opening the portal and startling Greer greatly. “Don't worry Greer, it's perfectly safe."
When Waldinor returned, I took the tea service and tarts through the portal and Greer ever so cautiously followed.
“What is this place, Your Majesties? Where are we?"
"In all honesty, Greer, I don't think either May or I know. It's like some sort of parallel dimension I believe. Anyway, it's safe from prying eyes and ears.”
"I shall entrust my safety to you, Prince Tendil and to you My Queen. I am just not very accustomed to the use of magic like this.”
We told him the whole story of our godhood and our mission, but not our suspicions regarding Pelisir and Milost. We didn't want to potentially bias his memories.
He took it all in stride, it appeared, though it was very hard to tell anything from his face. The old Elf was well-practiced in the art of concealing his thoughts and emotions.
“Tell me Greer," I asked “do you remember the former Earl and Lady of the Breakwater? The Welryóns?”
For the first time since I'd known him, Greer looked uncomfortable. Shifting in his chair, his hands slightly trembling.
"Listen, Greer, it's very important that you be completely honest and open with us today. We can promise you that nothing you say will leave this room and there will be no recriminations for anything you divulge.”
"Your Majesty, I don't question your sincerity. It's just that I've made promises. I pride myself on my integrity and loyalty.”
"As well you should,” said May, "but this is a matter that concerns the safety of the kingdom, the whole Material Plane for that matter. This promise was made to someone living or dead?”
“They're still among us, Your Majesty. So that, in my opinion, compounds my obligation to them.”
"As long as it wasnt a promise made to my Father, Greer you do realize he was quite mad?”
"I know he was having his difficulties, My Queen.”
“Let me ask you candidly, Greer, do you think your loyalties should be to me, your current regent, or to the past?”
"The promise wasn't made to King Hembrik, Your Majesty.”
"Then to whom was it made, Greer?”
"It was made to Count Pelisir. Under threat of violence.”
May and I looked at each other. So much was falling into place.
"Did he have a part in the Welryón expulsion?”
"Yes, Your Majesty. It was his influence with your father that allowed him to arouse suspicions regarding their loyalty to your father. I overheard him talking to the king, making allegations I knew to be false. He said he would kill me if word of his plan got out. As close as he was to the king, he could have done worse to me.”
"That bastard!” May said with venom in her voice. "Greer, the Welryóns were Margrin's parents. He just found out. Pelisir gained possession of their lands when they were exiled.”
"I didn't know they would die on the road like they did, Your Majesty. You have to believe me on that.”
“We don't hold you to blame in any of this, Greer. You were in an impossible position."
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
I had a horrible thought, “I wonder if Pelisir had anything to do with those Hobgoblins attacking them that day. Wait, how do we know they were Hobgoblins at all?"
Greer responded “At the time, that was just the assumption. But there were also some issues back then with brigands supported by the Syndicate, mostly Human."
“And they just happened to be right there to claim Margrin and adopt him, Love." May made the astute observation.
“And so it all fits together very neatly, doesn't it?" I asked rhetorically.
"All Pelisir had to do was tip off the right people that a caravan would be on the road with gold and amber, jewelry, clothes. You can bet the Welryóns were travelling with considerable wealth.”
May looked saddened.
"This is going to destroy Margrin, Tendil. For better or worse, he considers them his family. The Syndicate, I mean. And I'm sure he considers Pelisir to be like a brother in this new family of ours.”
“Oh, we can't tell him, May. We mustn't. Not yet. We can use our knowledge of Pelisir’s duplicity to our advantage for now. If Margrin knows, he'll kill him before he's of any help to us.
And, at any rate, Pelisir's actions in the past don't necessarily prove that he's working with Carca now. We need to come up with a plan where we can expose the traitor, whoever it might be, definitively.”
"Do you have something in mind, Love?”
"Not yet. It will take a little brainstorming to make sure we get it right. We have our two prime suspects. There's a start. Be thinking on it and I will be too.”
“Greer, I think it might be wise if you took another little vacation while we get this sorted out," May advised.
“But, Your Majesty, I'm just returning from my time in Ilníst.”
"I think you should rather be over-relaxed than dead, no?”
"You make a valid point, Your Majesty. Apologies.”
"Have you made any plans for retirement, Greer? How old are you now?”
"I'm 895 years old, Ma'am. And I have not made any plans except for some vague notions of being where it's sunny.”
"Here's what I'm going to offer: you need to go ahead and prepare for retirement before you don't have any time to enjoy it. We'll send you to Sandlise. There are many nice houses to the North of the harbor. Beautiful two-story brick places right near the water. Find one you like and we'll buy it for you.”
"Your Majesty, that's far too m …"
“I'm not finished, Greer. We'll furnish you with three valets, provide you a pension of 2,000 gold pieces a year, and cover all of your expenses for food, clothing, and necessities. Should you desire to return for a visit, we'll have you teleported. All you need to do is write me a letter letting me know. How does that sound?”
Greer was crying with such fervor, I was concerned he might pass out.
“Thank you so very much, Your Majesty," still sobbing uncontrollably, “it's far more than I deserve. You've always been so kind."
“Greer, calm yourself. It's the least you deserve for your long years of service. Now, when you get to Sandlise, don't make a rash decision. Talk to any would be neighbors. Get a proper measure of the place. Write when you find something you like and we'll handle it from there, alright?”
"Yes, Your Majesty. I can't thank you enough.”
"You've already done so, Greer. Now go pack your things and I'll have one of the Wizards come by to send you on your way. Go by the paymaster’s office while you're at it and have them give you 500 royals for food and lodging for now.”
"That's an excessive amount, Ma'am.”
"Nevermind that. I don't usually have cause to find out how much things cost. Take advantage of my ignorance while you still can, Good Sir! Oh, and I'm making you a Knight of the Realm as of right now, so make sure everyone addresses you appropriately. And pick a place with a nice guest room for when the Prince and I visit.”
"It would be my absolute pleasure. Truly, Your Majesty, the two of you will always be welcome.”
"And we shall see you soon, Old Friend. Now go get ready. You shouldn't tarry here. It's too dangerous now.”
May reopened the portal, and Greer left the room.
"May, you're an amazing woman. Sincerely, you are. That's the way someone should be retired after 800 years of service. What an astounding act of kindness.”
“It's rare to find someone so deserving, Tindel. He's one in a million."
“That was a flaw though, holding on to that secret for so long. I'm sure he was scared, but what a scandalous thing to hide."
“Well, I won't fault him for that. Fear is a great motivator."
“Let's have supper in our rooms and make an early night if it, Darling. We can lie in bed and figure out our next moves."
"That sounds splendid, Love. I could use the rest. What an emotional whirlwind this day has been.”
Lying next to each other, candles out, just the slightest bit of moonlight coming through the window, and staring at the ceiling — you know you're with the right person when you get immense pleasure from something as simple as that. Even remembering that she can see in the dark.
“Do you think I'll ever have the ability to see in the dark, May? Shouldn't that come with being a god?"
“That's a Janiver question, Love. I'm not the expert. I quite like that you can't see my face when you ask questions like that."
“You don't think I can hear your eyes roll?"
“Honestly I don't put anything past you, My Prince. I'd be a fool to doubt your capabilities."
I rolled over and kissed her on the cheek. Then a thought occurred to me.
“Do you think the other Pretenders know about Pelisir?"
“I wouldn't think so, Dearest. The more people that know about something, the more likely it is to be found out by the wrong people. Carca knows this.”
"Okay, well this goes no further than this bed. I've got a plan. We talk to everyone separately. We tell them we've already told everybody else, but we've an ambush planned for the Pretenders. We tell them that they, each individual we speak with, is being sent to a certain location and that we're going to make sure Carca comes by that information somehow. In reality, all of us will be going and we will ambush the two or three Pretenders she sends out to kill the one. Are you with me so far?”
"I believe so. So we tell Pelisir that he's going to the Waste, for example, as a sort of bait for a trap. But in reality, when the Pretenders show up, he'll be the only one of us there. His leak of the information will lead to his own demise. They won't believe him when he tries to tell them he's been a traitor.
That sounds like it could work on paper. I'm not sure about how it will play out in reality.”
"If you've got a better plan, Love, I'm all ears. I say we give this one a shot. And I mean tomorrow.”
"I'll think more on it while you're asleep, Darling. I just need to turn my mind off for a few hours. Goodnight, My Prince.”
"Goodnight, My Queen.”