"Seth, you've come to save me... haven't you?"

Two knights clad in shining white armor cornered a cleaning servant, inquiring about Seth's quarters before storming down the stairs and kicking the door of the humble butler’s room.

Inside this modest chamber were two individuals: an elderly man hunched over some papers, and a youth idly flipping a gold coin on the bed.

"Which one of you is butler Seth?" one of the knights demanded.

The old man slowly raised his head and met the knights' gaze. "I am Seth. And who might you be? What brings you here?"

"Your master’s in deep trouble. Sir Bernard, the Knight, wishes to have a word with you. Come with us."

The elderly butler, placing his quill down with deliberate calmness, shot a glance at the boy lounging on the bed, a flicker of confusion crossing his eyes.

Murphy winked at Seth and said theatrically to the knights, "Could there be some sort of mix-up? Seth is a stand-up fellow."

Disregarding Murphy's interjection, the knights flanked Seth and escorted him out of the room.

Soon enough, Seth, bowing slightly, was standing beside his master in the Earl's bedchamber.

Harry, still kneeling, latched onto Seth's sleeve. "Seth! Explain to them. The merchant who sold me the crystals insisted they came from the capital."

Seth turned to Sir Bernard and spoke with deference, "Your Grace, everything the Earl has said is true. I can vouch for that and am willing to undergo any kind of magical or divine truth detection. I only ask that you do not distress his Lordship unnecessarily."

Sir Bernard frowned. "Both of you claim you were duped by this merchant. Where is he now?"

The Earl chimed in, almost helplessly, "Yes, Seth, where is that merchant? Let's confront him together. His name was, er, uh…"

"Joel. The merchant’s name was Joel," Seth answered with certainty.

The Earl, who could hardly remember the smuggler's name, quickly agreed. "Yes, that's him! Joel! Seth, bring him here, and this will all be settled."

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"I'm sorry, that won't be possible," there was a note of detachment in Seth's voice.

"What are you talking about, Seth? Get him at once!" the Earl nearly wailed, "How dare you defy my orders?"

"Your Lordship, I truly cannot comply. The merchant Joel, who was also the head of the traders’ guild, was hanged in the town square a week ago - under a decree signed by yourself."

"What? That occurred?" the Earl asked incredulously, "I have no recollection of…"

The Earl's words trailed off as the black-armored knight interrupted, "Butler, tell us then – what was the merchant's crime?"

"Your Grace, he was executed for conspiring with demons, smuggling contraband, and assassinating his competitors."

At this, the black-armored knight spread his hands, signaling the case was as good as closed.

Sir Bernard, with a knowing look, addressed the Earl, "So, the so-called witness has been silenced by your own hand. What more do you have to say?"

The Earl, already downtrodden, now collapsed completely, mumbling, "Hanged? Hanged? Hanged…"

As a foul odor began to pervade the room, people stepped back to avoid the spreading pool beside the defeated Earl.

Just as the black-armored knight prepared to force the Earl's hand to sign the decree, a voice interjected, "Excuse me, but I object."

All eyes, confused, turned towards Seth, and even the muttering Earl paused, seizing an opportunity to clutch at life.

Standing tall, Seth calmly stated, "While I take no issue with the first two sentences, I must protest the third. There is yet a living branch of the Reed lineage, which makes that decree unacceptable."

Even the stern-faced Sir Bernard appeared surprised. "The royal archives claim the Reed lineage ended. Who might this living branch be, then?"

"It would be me," Seth announced, neither humble nor haughty.

The most stunned of all was the incredulous Earl on the floor. "How could this be? Seth, you’ve been in my employ for over forty years. How could you be…"

"Your Lordship, may I reintroduce myself?" Seth turned, bowing slightly with the dignity of an elder noble, "My father and your grandfather were brothers by the same parents, so indeed, you may refer to me as your cousin once removed."

Before the Earl could react, Seth addressed the Knight, "Everything I've just stated can withstand any form of lie detection. Should you doubt me, feel free to test me with your divine powers."

"There’s no need for further trials," Sir Bernard spoke up, withdrawing another scroll from his satchel, "To avoid just this situation, His Holiness furnished me with this."

Unrolling the parchment, Bernard instructed, "Drip a drop of your blood upon this scroll, both of you. The divine magic within will reveal the truth."

The Earl, having abandoned all hope, was babbling about his crown, his lovers, and his desire not to die.

With no other choice, two knights had to forcefully prick the Earl's finger, while Seth borrowed a dagger from a knight at the door to slice his own. Drops of blood from both men stained the parchment, which began to levitate in the air.

A burst of light, and the scroll floated back into Bernard's hands. He examined the revealed divine results and declared, "No falsehood here. This butler is indeed of the Reed lineage, the blood runs true in him."