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Baron Storm Nattas
He did my Lord
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“Dalbert’s dead,” Sudi reported, left eye tearing up as he’d developed cataract there, despite his health slowly returning. Nattas cleaned the sides of his mouth, the carameled onions leaving an aftertaste at the back of his tongue and reached for a goblet of Flauegran. The Molten Cherry didn’t have a good kitchen, but he’d improved it as much as he could, bringing wine from his own cellars as a finishing touch.
“How did it happen?” He probed casually not really surprised, given that Storm had ordered the man killed himself, whilst eyeing Zizel instructing a couple of young whores on where to sit inside the inn’s tavern to attract more customers. The girls had returned and the old madam had slowly restarted her business in a different venue.
Life was moving on.
“Fell into a shallow pool of water and couldn’t get his head out of it,” Sudi explained indifferently, wiping the side of his face. “Pretty unlucky.”
“Got to use your hands always. The weather is a killer,” Storm commented playing along and Servius Yanus, who’d been promoted to run his agents after his predecessor had forgotten to breathe in his sleep and perished because of it, frowned.
“That seems strange right?” He queried.
“No it doesn’t,” Lord Nattas argued convincingly. “It pretty common if you’re drunk in winter. Sometimes in the summer too, near cities wit a port.”
He’d replaced the one with the funny hat, he thought, the thin man with the name that rhymed both with ruffianus and anus, the Old Lorian words for ruffian and arsehole, not appearing convinced.
“Who’s taken over?” Nattas asked to change the subject away from body parts.
He’d just had meal.
“It’s a brawl between Frugi and Libanius,” Sudi replied.
“Don’t we have a contract with Libanius’ smuggling ring?” Yanus asked in turn and Sudi nodded.
Storm eyed a pretty young whore washing her face and perk breasts through the open bodice with a wet cloth judiciously, afore murmuring a suggestion.
The nipples quite bulbous for the amount of tit available.
Mmm.
“Help Libanius, Yanus,” he murmured absentmindedly.
“The easiest way would be for Frugi to get an accident,” the perceptive agent noted.
“Then it’s Luthos will,” Storm replied vaguely, his eyes on the blond girl that took her time to button up her top with a lewd wink. Ah, you sneaky cunt. “Not our fault gents.”
“I’ll see to it Baron Nattas,” Yanus said and left with a sharp bow of his head.
“What do we have on him?” Storm asked Sudi the moment his other lackey was out of earshot.
“I know where he sleeps,” Sudi replied ominously.
“How much does he know?”
“Only stuff on the periphery. He worked the docks for us in Novesium,” Sudi assured him and filled his own goblet with Storm’s expensive wine. “On an unrelated note, our man in Asturia reported your groom disappeared.”
Storm gave up his ogling of the young whore with a scowl.
“Explain you idiot!” he snapped. “That sounds ominous as fuck!”
“Ditched the guild’s adventurer at the gates for suggesting he should hire a proper military escort, Probably a sage advice but eh,” Sudi elucidated. “Our man assumed he would try again the next day and rushed to his hostel to get there afore him. He was probably hungry. Anyway Sirio never returned. Word is he ventured out alone, or with a group of strangers.”
“Good grief,” Storm gasped. “You think he’s dead?”
That fucking idiot!
Sudi didn’t even hesitate. “Aye.”
Whoa there, talk about a vote of confidence eh? Storm thought.
Not.
“What about… the thing?” Storm asked glancing at Zizel, the old matron raising her cup of chamomile to him with a coy smile.
“Gone probably. But we will know more from Canutia, if he makes it.”
“Did he spent the coin on whores or something?” Strom probed frustrated. “Flavia would know right?”
“Eh, I don’t think he has it in him,” Sudi countered. “Now, I do suspect his tastes a bit chief, if we’re being honest.”
Storm looked at him. “Don’t you think Maja will straighten him out?” He queried.
Sudi puffed out, glugged down his wine and got up.
“Not unless she grows a cock boss,” his loyal lackey replied. “I don’t.”
Eh, there are ways around that, Storm thought but opted not to comment further on the matter.
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The Captain of the Alden City guards Canus Betto frowned seeing Lord Nattas strolling inside his office with Sudi in tow an hour later.
“Captain,” Storm greeted the knight with a grimace of his own as his knee was bothering him. It was probably the winter humidity and all that walking to lose Lord Doris’ agents following them around like hounds. “I’ll take a seat.”
“Sure, Lord Nattas,” Betto said crooking his mouth and glared at the guard standing at the door. “Leave us, but stay near,” he ordered him afore turning to the heavy breathing Storm. “Ahm, anything the matter?” The Captain asked him vaguely.
“I don’t know,” Storm grunted. “You tell me, it’s why you’ve gotten the fuckin’ lofty position, right?”
Betto pressed his lips into a thin line and glanced at the reports piling at the top of his desk.
“The King has stripped the city recruits away,” he finally said. “He’s given Ligur a free hand. I have the Legion’s quartermaster practically living in my warehouses. They’re taking everything.”
“Hmm. Lord Sula spooked them,” Storm commented.
“He almost took the city, raided the docks and retreated in order,” Betto explained. Sula’s strike against Aegium had caught everyone flat-footed.
“What the fuck is Brakis doing?” Storm queried.
“Rotates ships around. What can he do? Attempt a landing in Demames?” Betto replied with a shrug. “Sula would use his ‘fire ships’ to burn the heavy transports in the port, probably waits for Brakis to land to punch him in the face.”
“That’s a rumor,” Storm cautioned him. “The merchants don’t report any work done on his ships.”
“My lord, you don’t need much to set a ship alight if ye set your mind on it,” Betto countered. “Brakis won’t risk it, unless there’s an army assaulting Demames walls.”
Nattas sighed. “Ursus won’t cross the river and the King can’t use more troops than what he has sent to Aegium. His first priority is to move against Lord Holt. Fuck’s sake, at this rate it’ll be better to just pray that the stubborn old fart dies of old age and his idiot son takes over.”
“There’s talk about a disagreement in the Council,” Betto told him rubbing his face. The man had aged spectacularly since he’d taken the job, Storm thought. Given Nattas had started getting grey hairs all over his body, it wasn’t a surprise to him. Then again, Storm had the most difficult job out of everyone. “The Crows want support against the High Regent.”
“Not our problem,” Storm grunted.
“The Scaldingport Queen is pregnant,” Betto told him. “She has the King’s ear.”
Storm slammed his fist on the desk angrily.
“The deal was done to avoid a war with the Issirs!” He growled irate. “It’s not our fucking problem. Bloody idiots, I knew they would fuck it up!”
“Support don’t mean—”
“Shut the fuck up!” Storm snapped cutting him off afore he could finish and got up. “Jeremy can’t anger Lord Anker and he can’t afford to sour Lord Ruud. Haha, we have a eunuch for a king! Bloody fantastic!” Lord Nattas paced furious to the window of the Captain’s office and then glanced at the closed door. “Is the guard loyal?”
Betto gulped down nervously.
“He is.”
You hesitated.
“Hmm,” Storm eyed Sudi for a moment. “When is the next Council meeting?”
“They won’t like it if you appear uninvited my Lord,” Betto told him.
“This whole thing will blow in our faces,” Storm warned. “There are wolves on our borders and they’ll smell weakness, taste the blood in the fuckin’ water. Does no one else sees this?” He wondered and puffed out in frustration. “We are a fucking mess. Get me in the meeting Captain, else I hurt your family,” the latter he added calmly, looking at him. “You could have me killed afore I walk outside, but I swear I’ll reach out of my grave and skin both your daughters. Am I serious?”
“You are,” a sweating Betto croaked and Storm glanced at Sudi.
“Get it done,” he ordered him and the half-Issir nodded. Walking casually with a sharp dagger in hand, he approached the closed door. Storm turned his head and eyed the shocked Captain. “I didn’t believe you earlier. The man has to go. There’s a saying in Lesia,” he told him nonchalantly. “It is what it is."
The other being, you don’t leave witnesses of your dealings.
The latter might as well had served as Lord Nattas’ family motto.
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Storm took a carriage to the market, jumped off of it amidst the crowd and walked briskly after Sudi into a side alley to reach his house an hour later. He undressed and had a bath to rest his tired legs, then expended some time massaging his swollen knee. While the old pain wasn’t there, the muscles still hurt if he overdid it. Storm wasn’t going to use a cane again though.
I’ll get the leg going in the end, he vowed and stared at the scrolls on his desk.
Fuck the pain.
He walked there and checked the first couple of them, mostly reports and intercepted communications from his man working the Royal Birds. Sudi found him poring over them half an hour later still in his robes.
“Betto might talk,” Sudi told him and sat on the chair across from him, one of Storm’s old silver adorned canes resting between his legs.
“We need him for a bit still,” Nattas replied. “You messaged Canutia?”
“Didn’t have the time,” Sudi hissed. “We need more people.”
“I’m paying a fortune to Obsom,” Storm countered. “Why?”
“He’s recruiting at Moon’s Haven,” Sudi reminded him. “Not the most lucrative place to gather hired blades.”
“What wrong with it?” Storm grunted. “Those fuckers have housing, clean water and the fucking beach!”
“It’s a barrack building chief, the houses are for the villagers,” Sudi argued.
“Huh! Even worse!”
“It worked, people flocked from the city,” Sudi said.
“I would too, for free roof and bed!” Storm snapped irate. “How many men does Obsom have?”
“More than two hundred.”
“It feels I’m paying for more,” Storm complained.
“You’re building a holding from scratch,” Sudi said. “Sooner or later the King will take a look at your forest and might get ideas.”
“Not as long as Miranda lives,” Storm told him. He sighed and stood back on his chair. “She wrote me?”
“She did.”
“I’ll read it, have an answer prepared,” Storm replied.
“She’ll have the baby soon chief.”
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“I know damn it,” Lord Nattas replied, a knot in his stomach. “But I can’t move there, else everyone will become suspicious. I don’t want them wondering what I’m doing in the middle of nowhere.”
“We control who crosses the bridge and with the watchtower finished we can see far,” Sudi assured him. “The locals have built a shrine to your name chief. You turned a fishing village into a small city of very wealthy citizens.”
“Perhaps I should cut on the costs then.”
“I was speaking in jest milord,” Sudi deadpanned. “Still you should find a way to see her.”
“She knew what was at stake from the start,” Storm replied, his mouth bitter. “She’ll manage. The knight is with her and Maja. We can’t risk it now.”
“Uhm. You’ve seen the report from Cartagen?” Sudi asked him.
“What… no I haven’t yet,” Storm searched through the unfurled scrolls. “What does it say?”
“Valens was asked to send the guard to Novesium. Probably to reinforce Ursus.”
Nattas snapped his head back, a vein throbbing above his right eyebrow. “Tell me they used the road!” He blasted him. Sudi’s ruined face remained calm.
“You know the Valens’ family love of comfort chief,” he replied. “The Mayor asked his cousin in Cartaport to allow the use of the fleet to travel in style.”
Fuck.
Shite!
Storm got up furious. “Get the blasted carriage!”
“Are we heading to the palace?” Sudi asked perceptively. “I need to create a diversion—”
“We are heading straight there, run over Doris’ agents if we have to,” Lord Nattas cut him off and rushed to get dressed, banging his knee on the desk. Abrakas you revolting piece of trash, he cursed hobbling dangerously on one foot, both his head and knee hurting something fierce.
“You’re okay there chief?” Sudi asked him concerned.
“What the fuck do you think?” Storm growled, after managing to land on his bed. “I’m not training arse-naked for the blasted circus, nor intend to try my luck on the striping-fuckin’ pole for crying out loud! Of course I’m bloody not. Now, grab me a pair of pants, I think I landed on the tail bone fuck’s sake!”
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Less than an hour later just after noon, Sir Herus Comes the commander of King’s Guard –the third haughty knight to hold the position in a short two years- placed his hand on the pommel of his sword and glared at the guard escorting a now dressed Lord Nattas.
“Baron I don’t believe you have an invitation,” the knight spat. “Kindly remove yourself from the premises.”
His suggestion anything but kind.
“I will after I see the King,” Nattas retorted unafraid.
“King Jeremy is indisposed. Try again on the morrow through the propel channels.”
Fuck your channels.
“Can’t he speak?” He taunted.
“Baron, this is your last warning!” Sir Comes grunted.
Suck on my meaty sword.
“I have important information to convey to his highness,” Storm countered not backing down.
“What manner?”
“I can tell you and lose valuable time, or speak to the King and speed this dreadful affair to its inevitable conclusion.”
“The King is—”
“I heard ye the first time,” Storm cut him off. “Where is he?”
Sir Comes blinked in frustration and stood back. “With the Queen.”
“Is she in labor?”
“No, but the King had a rough night,” the knight admitted.
“Escort me to the Queen’s quarters,” Nattas suggested. “It’ll be brief.”
“Sir Rik De Weer handles the Queen’s security—”
Oh, for crying out loud!
“Let me speak to De Weer then my good man,” Storm cut him off again. “We are both embarrassing ourselves here in front of the guards.”
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Sir Rik kept his sole eye on him, the other missing and covered with a leather patch that gave the Issir knight a sinister look. The dark grey plate cuirass of Scaldingport, prominently showcasing a carved silver crow landing at the front. The knight offered a thin smile and waited for him to sit on the chair.
“Lucius old quarters,” Storm commented when he did.
“I wasn’t aware,” Rik replied and relaxed a bit. “It’s next to the Queen’s.”
“He loved his mother,” Nattas informed him simply and the knight nodded, afore rubbing his forehead with a gloved hand. It was cold of sorts outside, but not inside the palace for the amount of armour the knight had on. The De Weers are a very distrusting caste of people, Storm thought.
“You refer to the late Lesia Queen,” Rik finally said. “People still mention her.”
“She left a good impression on people,” Storm croaked thinking of Queen Vacia.
“Yet you serve as Shield for the one that came after her,” the knight noticed neutrally.
I love her too just differently, Storm thought. I’ve a big diverse fuckin’ heart and an easily seduced cock.
“I need to speak to the King,” he said instead.
“He’s sleeping,” Rik informed him. “My sister had a rough night.”
“Is the pregnancy difficult?”
The knight stood back on his seat. “All pregnancies are Baron Nattas,” he told him and Storm frowned thinking of Miranda soldiering on miles away. “It’s a toss of the dice really.”
Storm’s mood worsened, thinking on Sudi’s words.
Oh, ye vile deity, he prayed. Don’t even think about it. You’re running out of fuckin’ followers!
“Bring us some wine,” Rik told a servant hidden behind a heavy curtain. Another Issir with a sneaky dark face, though the latter probably couldn’t be helped.
“I’m fine,” he murmured. “But I’ll accept the wine.”
“I could inform the King,” Rik helped him. “The moment he awakes.”
“Uhm.”
“Baron Nattas?” The knight probed unsure.
“Your father knows we can’t help him overthrow Lord Anker’s heir,” Storm blurted out, cutting to the chase and Sir Rik frowned.
“Many consider the heir’s credentials dubious.”
“Hence why I called him Lord Anker’s heir,” Storm retorted and reached for his gold cup of wine with a glance at the servant. “What’s your name son?”
“He can’t speak,” Rik informed him with a tired smile. “My father hates gossip, so he proactively removes the means to create it. Ours is a quiet hall Baron Nattas.”
But for the crows’ caws was his meaning.
Shite.
Storm gulped down his wine with a grimace.
“You heard me earlier,” he finally said getting back on track.
“I did.”
“Why take the gamble?” Storm probed, thirsty for information.
The time seemed ripe for it, over bonding words and surprisingly good wine smelling of Scaldingport’s resin.
“The Princess is the legitimate heir.”
“The Princess is lost on Eplas, probably with a couple of slant-eyed kids in tow by now,” Storm argued. “I heard Sigurd’s scheme collapsed and he’s hiding in Colle. Lord Anker will burn the city to the ground if he has to and your father can’t cover everything from North to South Greenforest.”
“The South Greenforest was my sister’s dowry,” Rik countered, his face hardening. “My father wants Regia’s men there as a deterrent.”
“I would to,” Storm told him. “But then again, ye do that and some sergeant will give a middle finger to another across the river, people have grievances aplenty with Lord Anker, choice words exchanged after that, who knows even a blade to the gut. Then it’s steaming turd for dinner and shite for salad for everyone.”
Rik smacked his lips, but said nothing.
“And for what?” Storm continued. “Your father has the Queen of Regia as ally, better to keep what you have in hand than go about looking for loftier treasures Sir Rik. Lord Anker would prefer a peaceful resolution with Scaldingport.”
What the fuck I’m missing? Storm wondered, seeing him pondering whether to speak or not.
“My brother is in Eikenport,” Sir Rik revealed and Nattas ogled his eyes alarmed trying to put his statement in the proper context, Sir Gust was in Devil’s Cove the last time he’d heard of him, but didn’t have time to process it further as Rik made another one. “The Princess is with him. Scaldingport has control of the port and a deal with the pirates. The Eplas sea route is open. Wetull as well.”
Good fucking grief.
Storm could hear the old Crow’s cackle in his brain.
He could also understand the cautious man’s reasoning.
Why settle for one Queen, when you could have both?
Wait…
“You said Wetull?” Storm asked draining his cup.
“I did. Princess Elsanne has a deal with the local ruler.”
The local… ruler? Storm stood back on his seat.
One thing at a time. Regia comes first, he cautioned himself.
“I’d like to speak to Lord Bach afore he gets himself killed,” Nattas said.
“You can’t, Sigurd is on Eplas,” Rik informed him. “The Lord of Castalor is reinforcing Colle. Lord Anker hasn’t won yet Baron.”
“Riverdor and Badum will fall on you, leaving Lord Anker with enough men to smash the guard there. Midlanor is a very big city. Reinut had parked the army there for a reason. That valley is overpopulated. Not to mention Caspo O’ Bor can supply the army on Eplas for as long as they breathe and give Lord Anker even more freedom.”
Storm didn’t believe the Issirs could succeed over the pond, then again Sir Gust had managed the impossible so the fuck do I know?
“The Van Durren have their own problems,” Rik told him enigmatically.
Hmm.
“Don’t force Jeremy into another war so soon into his reign,” Storm advised. “He doesn’t have firm control of his subjects yet.”
“Lord Sula will find himself in trouble soon,” Sir Rik said and got up, his armour and weapons rustling.
“That’s the problem,” Storm retorted with a sigh. “Moving the troops away from Cartagen is dangerous. The King must reconsider Sir Rik.”
The knight from Scaldingport stared at him. “It wasn’t my decision Baron. It does help us get this over with though.”
“No it doesn’t,” Storm said. “Your problem isn’t Lord Sula. Sula can’t move with Brakis parked outside his port and even if he wins a battle or two he has no legitimacy. Your problem is Lucius and Asturia is keeping the road open for him. Weakening Cartagen’s defense is just inviting more people to this dance Sir Rik. More players. You don’t want that. Your father will risk losing the Queen wit the fucking throne, for a Queen ruling over the ruins on Eplas?”
Sir Rik breathed out and then clasped his hands behind his back thinking about it for a long moment. “I shall propose you talk to the Council and impart your warning to the King.”
Storm nodded and got up. “Thank you for listening with an open mind.”
“My father wants the Princess on the throne of Kaltha Lord Nattas,” the knight told him. “It’s a matter of pride for him and trusts Gust to pull it off. Call it a whim of old age.”
Nah, Storm didn’t believe it was a whim.
Not only.
“What if he can’t do both? Will he pick her over his own daughter? Will he do that?”
Fuck, Sir Rik’s face told him that the old Crow would if it came to that.
The bigger fuckin’ prize.
It also told Storm that the young knight wouldn’t.
So that’s why you’re here.
It turned out that despite the Old Crow’s thrashings a bit of soul had survived in his son and kept the love for his sister intact.
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Storm arrived to his house late that evening, the meeting with King Jeremy as distasteful an ordeal as pulling your own teeth out with a small plier. Sudi sensing his mood, didn’t speak to him in the carriage and waited for Nattas to remove his drenched leather boots when they arrived –Alden weather had decided to give them a winter downpour out of spite- before broaching the subject.
“How did it go?”
“I think I’ve scared them enough,” Storm replied tiredly, feeling worn out. Whether he held a position or not, Lord Nattas worked the most hours for the kingdom out of everyone else. “Almost gotten myself thrown in the dungeons again.”
“What will they do?”
“Jeremy should talk with King Davenport for starters. But I think they’ll halt the troops and turn them back. Fuck Valens,” Storm replied and looked about for a servant hearing the doorbell ringing downstairs.
“That would be Yanus. I had him sent to the post office,” Sudi told him. “He has a key.”
Great.
“Why does he knock then?” Nattas grunted.
“Manners?”
“I’d laugh, but I don’t want to encourage you,” Storm said and collapsed on his chair. “It was a poor joke.”
“Appreciate it chief. I aspire to reach yer comedic delivery one day.”
“It’s a long road and ye lack the talent. Yanus,” Storm said didactically seeing the soaked agent appearing on the open door of his office. “We were just talking about arses, imagine my surprise seeing ye here.”
Sudi chortled almost drowning himself in his own spit and Nattas shrugged his shoulders.
“Lord Nattas?” Yanus blurted unsure.
“That’s me,” Storm replied with a smirk. “Am I under arrest? Know that I intent to place the blame firmly at your feet.”
“Ahm, no milord,” Yanus replied. “I’ve a missive from Canutia.”
“It would’ve been nigh awkward for both of us to visit my quarters at this hour, if ye didn’t.”
“Milord?”
Seeing the agent’s pensive look, he decided to get down to business.
“My daughter is a widow? Bless her black heart, at least she got a couple of good fucks out of the kid,” Sudi chuckled at that for some reason and Storm glared at him.
“Eh, Sirio made it to Kas,” Yanus informed them, glancing at the laughing lackey unsure.
“Did he lose the fuckin’ sword?” Nattas grunted sensing something was amiss.
“Hahaha!” Sudi roared doubling over, losing the hold on his cane. Darn thing clattering on the floor with an ungodly ruckus.
Sudi really has a poor sense of what’s bloody funny for an aspiring comedian, he thought sourly.
“He didn’t my lord,” Yanus replied blinking. “The important part of the missive is that he delivered it and now he is heading to Gudgurth.”
Why in Abrakas mouldy cock would you come back son?
Does no one understand simple instructions?
Storm rubbed his face with both hands and glanced at the map he’d on the wall of his office, showing the continent of Jelin with a bit of Eplas at the far edge of it.
“He was supposed to stay close to Lucius,” he rustled warningly and Yanus gulped down afore replying sounding strangled.
“He did my Lord.”
Ah.
There’s your turd salad then.
At least it’d managed to put a stop to Sudi’s irksome laughing outburst.
But it did leave Lord Nattas with a right fucking mess.
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