“So I have concerns about Bosworth,” said Harald in what he hoped was a calm and nonchalant tone.

  The countess sat across a small round table from him in the back garden, a tea set laid between them. She wore a dress of pale yellow stitched with floral patterns in white thread, and her hair was pinned and bound back in a style that looked effortlessly elegant. Amused, she raised a teacup. “You are a member of my household for but a week, and most of that spent unconscious, and already you have concerns?”

  “Fresh eyes?” Harald couldn’t help but smile back. “An unbiased sensibility? Maybe it’s the way he was screaming about his devotion to you and your house.”

  “Yes.” She considered, gazing momentarily at some memory, then sipped. “He is… fervent. And has only grown more dedicated with the passing years. I can no longer invite him into the main house.”

  “And that doesn’t concern you?”

  “No, not really. He served my father, used to raid the dungeon with him. He may not look it, but Bosworth is - or was - a formidable warrior. He’s had a tragic life, and I think he’s dealt with his pain by blotting it out and fixating on his loyalty to my line.” Countess Sonora pursed her lips. “It’s… I wish there was more I could do for him, but in truth his being by the gate seems the best.”

  “If you say so.” Harald glanced around the rear patio. It was surprisingly similar to his own, if larger, better taken care of, and with a view of a garden that was little more than a rolling green lawn that stretched to the property walls.

  The massive topics that had to be addressed loomed over them both, but neither of them, it seemed, was eager to broach them.

  “When I was forced to release the gardening team I asked that they tear out all the bushes,” said Sonora, following the direction of his gaze. “The flowerbeds, the pruned hedges. It was a terrible week, but a lawn is far easier to manage and keep presentable.”

  “You’re wiser than I was. I let everything run wild. Though, in the end, I liked it that way.”

  “Savage beauty?”

  “More like an honest reflection of how far things had gone.”

  “I never had the opportunity to express my condolences. For losing your family home.” She glanced about her own place, as if taking it in afresh. “It’s strange. How things, places, can be so essential to one’s sense of identity. Yet here you sit, unfazed by your loss. I must confess that I admire your… tenacity.”

  Harald considered his cup of tea. He thought of Darrowdelve Manor, its dour halls, his father’s portrait, and realized that only the kitchen still felt real in his memory, the great scarred wooden table, the meals and drinks he’d shared with his friends around its edge.

  “Thank you. But I’m not… it’s actually not a loss. That house belonged to my former self. A self who’d not realized just how much it was weighing him down, holding him back. To be honest?” He flashed a speculative glance up at her, gauging her reaction. “I’m relieved to be done with it.”

  “Relieved?” She smiled in surprise. “Was a life of wealth and privilege so onerous?”

  “Yes, actually.” He laughed huskily. “I’ve become a simple man, Countess. Releasing that debt, that responsibility, that guilt - it’s lightened me. Allowed me to cut back the unnecessary parts of my life to what’s most essential.”

  “Your service to my House?” she asked wryly.

  Harald grinned sheepishly. “Well, yes, now that you mention it. I take that responsibility seriously. But I can’t discharge that obligation without growing more competent myself.”

  “Which you’re doing at an alarming rate.”

  “Sometimes it doesn’t feel alarming enough.” But that was a reflexive answer, because he immediately thought of hobgoblin bodies snapping before his fists, the hot sprays of blood, their screams of panic and terror. “Well.”

  “Indeed.” Countess Sonora sipped from her cup. “Five days you lay there. We weren’t sure you’d return.”

  “Thank you. For the physician. For your patience. For… everything, really.”

  The countess inclined her head. “What manner of liege would I be if I allowed my knight to sicken and die? No. But, by the by, I have taken the liberty of placing that Artifact helm you wore into a secure coffer here in my home. I don’t think that… thing… should be left lying around.”

  “No,” agreed Harald. “Thank you. We should get rid of it. Or destroy it.”

  Countess Sonora nodded.

  “Though without it I’d not have been able to rescue Nessa.” Again Harald frowned into his tea, then glanced back up.

  “Hmm?”

  “Nessa. She’s worked for you for several years now, hasn’t she?”

  Countess Sonora’s freckled face was inscrutable. “She has.”

  “And… how have you navigated her… complications?”

  “Ah, I see. How to put it.” Countess Sonora gazed down into her cup. “There’s no simple answer. For one, I haven’t had much of a choice. Nessa is a formidable warrior, and she doesn’t charge dearly. Even only being able to rely on her half the time is better than not being able to afford the more expensive raiders all of the time.”

  “I can see that.”

  “So, there’s necessity, and then there’s her… shall we say, decorum, in keeping her problems to herself. Despite everything she’s proven reliable, though sometimes it’s been touch and go. She’s never appeared at my manor the worse for wear, and has missed no more missions than anyone else.”

  “She does have that professional side to her,” agreed Harald.

  “And, well, I feel for her.” The countess sat back, cup lifted but not raised all the way to her lips. “I’ve suffered enough myself to appreciate how cruel this world can be. It’s been my hope that she’ll extricate herself from this problem if given enough time and support.”

  “Hmm.” Harald gazed through the table. “My problem is that I actively want to help her.”

  “I’m positive Vic has sought to dissuade you.”

  “Yes, he has.” Harald flashed a smile. “But I’ve grown stubborn. Do you know of any cure for this addiction?”

  “No,” said Countess Sonora softly. “Not when it stems from a basic need of the psyche.”

  “Do you know what happened to her?” Harald grimaced. “Sorry. I shouldn’t ask. She’s never mentioned it herself. But I think it’s time I found out.”

  “Tread carefully, is all I’ll say. Pride has helped her hold herself together this long. But if she senses pity, she’ll disappear.”

  “Right, yes.” Harald sighed. “I’ll do my best.” He sat up. “That being said, thank you in turn for your tolerating my own complexities. I’ve been a shabby acquisition thus far. Seeing as I’ve spent most of my time since entering your service asleep.”

  Countess Sonora smiled. “I’ve no complaints. But House Drakenhart is now aware of your allegiance, which means word will soon spread to the others. If we’re to take advantage of people not suspecting you’re working for me, it will have to be done soon.”

  “How did Lord Draken take it?” asked Harald, resisting the urge to wince.

  “Oh, I didn’t have an audience with Gavriel himself.” Countess Sonora’s smile turned hard. “But his seneschal hid his surprise well. This was only two days ago. I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re invited to present ourselves together for a more formal interview.”

  “When word reaches him?”

  “When word reaches him,” agreed the countess. “My acquiring your loyalty will become the talk of the town in possibly three days. There may be some ruffled feathers. House Celestara won’t forget the slight, that’s for sure. And Gavriel will want to assure himself that we know what we’re doing, and aren’t dragging him into unnecessary problems.”

  “Understood. But yes, the surprise element. We spoke with an informant of sorts, before I was knocked unconscious.”

  “Tibbits Celestis. Yes. Vic reported the conversation to me.”

  “Gorkin’s apparently ridiculously well defended, his home a veritable fortress. Tibbits kept going on about there being secrets we weren’t privy to. How there were hidden reasons for him being so paranoid. Or supported by the other major Houses.”

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  “Correct.” Countess Sonora ran a fingertip around the rim of her cup. “I’ve long suspected as much, but am far too removed from the real centers of power to have ever been told anything.”

  “Lord Draken must know?”

  “I’m sure. But I’ve been unable to mount a suitably persuasive case as to why he should tell me. My guess is that Gorkin’s inherited something, a secret title, a perquisite, a privilege, that the others respect out of tradition. Because he certainly doesn’t do anything but amass more wealth and indulge in perversions.”

  “Regardless. Gorkin’s still the linchpin of all your problems. We remove him, and everything becomes more manageable.”

  “Supposedly. But if his home is impregnable to everything but all-out assaults, we’re left with either trying to strike at him on his way to court, or guessing at his social plans. Neither are easy. His paranoia comes from a lifetime of backstabbing others. He lives in expectation that someone will try to infiltrate his home. He travels in an armored carriage, and rarely leaves his house at the same bell.”

  “Killing him in court might be problematic.”

  “Hence my quandary.” Countess Sonora watched Harald, eyes heavy-lidded. “How do you get at a man who’s infamous for going to extreme lengths to defend himself?”

  “Well. Perhaps we admit defeat for now on that front, and just start whittling down his strength. Finding his people and taking them out, one by one.”

  “Just murder them?”

  “This is a war,” said Harald carefully. “His House against yours. I would target those sworn to his service, not just random scullery maids.”

  “I wasn’t complaining.” But she looked discomfited. “I’d still rather cut the snake’s head off.”

  “Me, too. But barring that, there’s the Red Fist. There are his mercantile interests. There are his trading connections and offices. It might not be elegant, but we can make him hurt.”

  “Make him hurt, yes.” The countess’ voice grew low, pensive. “But to what end? He’ll not just relinquish my holdings because we’ve emptied his purse.”

  “Well, think of it this way.” Harald sat up. “There’s got to be a reason he’s defended himself to such obscene lengths, right?”

  “Right…?”

  “It doesn’t matter that we don’t know why. He’s paranoid. If we spook him severely enough, without drawing attention to you, he might panic and run.”

  “Quit Flutic?”

  Harald shrugged. “Perhaps? It must be a terrible enemy he’s got, if he’s been living like a prisoner in his own home for over a decade now. If he comes to think he’s not safe, maybe he’ll vanish.”

  “And then?”

  “Then we grab your holdings and secure them. They’re all legally yours, right? If we can clear his men out and replace them with our own, why, there’s nothing he can do.”

  Countess Sonora tapped her lips.

  “I’ll make enough scales down on the 18th Level to hire enough serious mercenaries to make your properties safe, and by then I’ll have weakened his own forces so severely he’ll not be able to take them back.”

  “Hmm.” Sonora considered. “They are legally mine.”

  “Yeah.” Harald grinned. “If we can just flush his men out and replace them with our own, he’ll have to wage a full-on street battle to retake them. Which he won’t have the presence of mind to do if he’s gone to ground or on the run.”

  “And you can acquire enough scales to hire a sizeable force?”

  “Oh yes.” Harald nodded, completely sure. “For that matter, if we were patient enough, we could wait for me to make enough wealth that we could actually hire a small army and evict Gorkin’s forces without even needing to shed blood. Just march right up and tell them they’re trespassing.”

  “The Red Fist is an elite company. They’re not composed of regular guards, but raiders with Classes. You’d need to match Gorkin’s level of wealth to outmatch them.”

  “Fine. But that’s why I’m not going to bother. First we whittle them down, then we spook Gorkin, then we bring in our own mercenaries.”

  Countess Sonora nodded hesitantly. “And how will you avoid having Gorkin assuming I’m behind all this?”

  “I’ll attack interests of his that have nothing to do with you. Spread the pain around. He’ll not know who to point a finger at.”

  Again she nodded.

  “So.” Harald sat forward. “Do I have your permission?”

  “I… yes.” Sonora flushed and inhaled sharply. “Yes. I knew that bringing you into my household would mean bloodshed. I can’t quail at it now. Do you have targets in mind?”

  “I want to start with the Red Fist. Eliminate some of their smaller patrols. Then, once they’re on high alert, transfer my attention perhaps to some of Gorkin’s personal guards. Then rotate around to destroying some of his goods. Caravans, ship cargoes, stuff sitting in his warehouses. Once word gets out that he’s under assault, I’ll speak with his key trading allies and convince them to pause their business dealings with him. By that point…” Harald considered. “We’ll probably need to reassess the plan, regardless.”

  “All right.” Countess Sonora tried to restrain a smile and managed to limit it to a very small one. “Are you going to enlist Vic and the others?”

  Harald hesitated. “No. My powers, my Abilities, make me uniquely suited to this kind of work. Did I mention that I just hit Level 4?”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Just now? Over tea?”

  “No!” Harald laughed. “This morning, when I woke up. I’ve manifested some shadow Abilities. Ranged attacks, being able to hide in the darkness. I think I’ll be pretty good at hit and run tactics.”

  “Very well. Just be careful about being drawn into a public fight with witnesses. The Public Disorder Act will put the Inquisitors on your trail if you’re identified.”

  “Right.” Harald nodded slowly. “Wouldn’t want that.”

  “Which brings me to one last order of business: where do you intend to live now that you’ve been evicted?”

  “I hadn’t really thought it through.”

  Her tone became subtly formal. “You know as a knight of my household that you’re welcome to stay here.”

  “I - yes. Thank you. But I thought to… I don’t know. I didn’t want to presume, and honestly, I’d be fine in a small apartment close to the Dungeon Plaza -”

  She arched a brow. “You do know that your actions and status reflects on House Sonora’s ability to provide for its own.”

  “I… yes.” He grimaced. “I see what you mean.”

  “How would it look if my sole knight were camping in a derelict building close to the Dungeon Portal? I’m guessing you’d not want to spend too many scales on rent?”

  “No,” agreed Harald ruefully.

  “Then I must insist. You are my knight, and you carry my House’s honor. Unless you can provide for yourself in a manner that befits your station, I must ask you to reside here.”

  “Very well. Of course. Yes.” On impulse he stood up and bowed, trying not to blush. “Thank you.”

  Countess Sonora relaxed a fraction, as if she’d expected greater resistance. “It’s the least I can do for my knight. And please, sit.”

  “I’ll try to be of more benefit than I am a cost,” said Harald, lowering back down. “Soon.”

  “I would appreciate that. Speaking of which, I think I can be frank with you on matters economic.”

  “Scales?”

  “Or my lack of them.” Her smile was pained. “It galls me to speak so plainly, but… my coffers are all but empty. I’m sure you surmised as much.”

  Harald nodded.

  “I know you have your own Throne Hunters crew and charter, but I would appreciate your undertaking a harvesting run with Vic and Nessa in my name when possible. Your evening escapades are your own, but we…” For once she struggled to find the right words. “We should - or must - find a balance between, well…”

  “My crew’s delves and those done in your name. Yes.” Harald resisted the urge to take a deep breath. This was the reality he’d signed up for. Of course he had to deliver. “I appreciate your tact and forbearance. How about… let me talk with my crew, and see what everyone thinks. I genuinely intend to live up to my oath, and I know that means raiding in your name.”

  “Thank you.” Her smile was stiff. “I wasn’t looking forward to bringing that up, but reality is what it is. And my needs extend beyond hiring an elite mercenary force.”

  “Can I ask… what would it take to balance your books?”

  Countess Sonora clearly wasn’t enthused to discuss details, but sat up a little straighter and set her cup down. “The upkeep for my diminished staff and reduced lifestyle is but four Aurora Veils a month.”

  “And if you were to restore your household to its former glory?”

  “To its former glory?” She pursed her lips, considered. “I would promote Rivik to house steward and hire a new butler. A second gate guard, two more gardeners, say, two more maids, a full-time cook, a pair of footmen, a coachman… that would be around seven Aurora Veils alone. Another pair for an elevated menu, another pair to maintain the property, and say 1,500 scales for scale lamps and miscellaneous expenses.” Her gaze sharpened. “About 12 Veils per month.”

  “And that would restore the manor itself?”

  “Hardly.” Her expression was almost bitter. “The Eastern Wing has been shuttered for almost a decade. The roof, the pipes…” She grimaced. “There is a litany of ills that Rivik has managed to paper over and hide through artifice and effort. We had an evaluation done last year, more of a morbid exercise in curiosity than anything else, and were quoted five Zenith Tides to repair the manor in full.”

  Harald nodded slowly. “This all sounds pretty familiar. I’ve had these kinds of discussions with Sam over the years. What about actual debts?”

  “The less said about those the better.”

  “So you have them?”

  Countess Sonora’s laugh was cutting. “Need you ask? Very well. We began to accrue debt while my father yet lived. It took him far too long to modify our lifestyle after losing the mine and foundries. But I’ll spare you the details. We owe just over four Horizon Whispers.”

  Harald let out a bark of laughter. “Oh!”

  “Oh?” Countess Sonora’s expression grew frigid. “That amuses you, Sir Darrowdelve?”

  “No, I mean, yes, but only because my family owed so much more.” He waved a hand apologetically as he shifted about in his seat. “I was expecting something along the lines of what we owed, which was over five Infinitums.”

  Her face, which had grown pale, became one of shock. “You owed five Infinitums? How?”

  “Right? I don’t even know. I did my level best to ignore those debts right up until two months ago. Most of it I inherited from my father. He leveraged his wealth or Artifacts or something to get some obscene loans. The rest came about from deferred interest, I think, plus more loans from an overeager former friend of my father against the manor.” Harald’s smile was sickly. “It’s… I mean, it just makes four Horizon Whispers feel much more manageable.”

  “I can see why.” She still was sitting stiffly. “But given my House’s near complete lack of income, and the interest payments of over three Veils, I find my situation sufficiently dire.”

  “Right. 12 Veils to restore your House to its former style. 5 Zeniths to fix up the manor itself. 3 more Veils to manage interest, or just over 4 Horizon’s to pay it off. So we need half an Infinitum to set everything straight.”

  “Yes.” Her tone was arch. “Half an Infinitum would be quite nice.”

  “But for now, a bare monthly minimum of 7 Aurora Veils to manage household expenses and interest. All right.” Harald considered. “That’s definitely doable.”

  “It is?” Her eyes widened a fraction before she asserted her natural poise and self-control. “I mean, I’m glad to hear it.”

  “I’m sure Vic and Nessa and their crew were bringing in as much?”

  “You’d be surprised. They were capable of doing so, I’m sure, but were less than reliable.”

  “Well.” Harald beamed at the countess. “I’m planning quite the run on the 18th Level. I should be able to put some scales in the coffers by tomorrow evening.”

  “Then I wish you the best of luck.” The countess stood, and the last of her stiffness fell away. “Do return alive, Sir Darrowdelve. Harald. I am in sore need of my knight.”

  He grinned as he stood in turn. “I fully intend to. And with a little luck, I think I may have found the ideal method of turning our fortunes around.”

  “Then I shall await your return.” A shadow of frustration passed over her face. “Would that I could just enter the dungeon myself without doing greater damage to my House than gain.”

  “My father always said you can do anything from a position of strength. Maybe once the manor is restored and your fortune restored you’ll be able to scorn the court and its harpies and come into the dungeon with me.”

  “I hope so, Harald.” The countess smiled warmly. “I really do.”