I hurried as fast as I could to find Hyrum and Draves. I did not trust her not to try and hurt herself or run. I found both of them on the practice field training with the other men. I ran to the ring and shouted out their names. I tried to say it in a calm, friendly manner so as to not alarm the others, but I couldn''t help the fact that I was wheezing from the run. Curse this stupid body. When I had their attention, I waved them over. They were both sweaty and wearing training pads.


    "Get in your uniforms as fast as you can," I said quietly. "We have a serious matter that may turn ugly if we cannot fix it right away."


    Hyrum looked shocked and rushed to get out of his training gear while Draves gave no reaction except to walk swiftly over to his gear. He changed quickly but in such a way that it looked as if he didn''t have a care in the world. How did he do that?


    As we hurried back to the room where I stashed Carrie, I gave a brief synopsis of what had transpired. I left out her confession of poisoning the drinks and instead said she had walked in on her father doing the deed and stayed silent. She had not been a gardener at the time, so she was not in charge of preparing the food. There were a lot of holes in my story that could be explained by her being the actual one to do it. Why was I even trying to protect a murderer? Well, a probable murderer. I knew why. I didn''t want a person''s blood on my hands. Did that make me weak? Could I even survive as a Baron if I wasn''t willing to pass proper judgment? I was so out of my depth.


    "My Lord, you cannot let this stand," Draves said seriously, "Even if she was not aware of what he was doing at the time, she did not confess."


    Though he didn''t say it, I could tell he didn''t believe her to be innocent. I needed to double down. "She confessed when the guilt was too much for her. If it weren''t for her, the plot would never have been uncovered. She has had plenty of time to do me harm since you moved her from the garden to the kitchen staff."


    "Please don''t remind me of that mistake, Lord Amos," he said with a grimace.


    "We all make mistakes. Including the young lady behind that door. We need to find the whole truth before we pass judgment."


    "As you wish."


    "Hyrum, I need you to go in there and make sure she doesn''t leave. More likely, she will try and kill herself."


    "It might be best if she did," Hyrum said, stone-faced.


    I admit I was shocked. "Hyrum, you and I both know she is a good person."


    "She lied to me. How could I trust her when she did something like this," he said, his face turning red.


    "She was afraid, Hyrum. Most people would be afraid if they were caught up in a plot like this. I was going to have you go in and try to calm her down, but I can see you''re in no mood to do that. Right now, she might commit suicide. But if you entered right now with that attitude, she would definitely commit suicide. And I don''t care how mad you are, if you caused her to harm herself, you would be burdened by it for the rest of your life. Maybe not right now, but it would start to gnaw at you and then turn into full-blown guilt."


    Hyrum looked like he wanted to refute that, but Draves was nodding at what I said, and so he stayed silent.


    "Now stand here and think of better times. If she pokes her head out, be polite and say, I put you here to protect her. Captain, we have a murder to unravel. Let''s go."


    I burst into the study to find Marcus at the table. He looked up in annoyance until he saw it was me. Before he could even put on his mask of subservience, I started talking. "Marcus, you are found guilty of treason against your lord. Your sister and mother have confessed all they know. What I do with you will be determined by whether or not your stories collaborate. If your stories do not line up, or I feel one of you is hiding information, you will all be tortured and executed. If you all tell the truth as baron of the manor and as Captain Draves as my witness, I will show all the mercy I can."


    The look on Marcus''s face was one of pure terror. His hatred of me couldn''t help him now. Beneath his mask was always hatred, but fear always won out when your life was on the line. It is easy to be brave when you think you can get away with something, but in the prisoner''s dilemma, you cannot be sure what has already been told. He cracked as easily as an egg. He started to blubber.


    "My Lord, I had nothing to do with it. It was all my father and mother. I didn''t know about the poison until he was on his deathbed. I would never do such a thing. I-"


    "I told you not to lie, you fool," I shouted, "Do you want to be tortured? I know you would have been happy to slip me the poison if the opportunity was given to you. You are horrible at hiding your contempt for me. Now, let''s start from the beginning. When did you first find out your father was stealing from my father?" I started with that because even though Carrie had said nothing, I couldn''t imagine a guy trying to poison my family without having stolen from us as well. His mother at least would have known about it, and I already said that I had talked to her.


    It turned out he was not involved in the murder, and he was not aware of the fact until afterward. He did know that his father had been receiving letters and money from someone but he never saw the letters. His father said the duke was paying him to keep tabs on the baron. Whether that was true or not, Marcus couldn''t say. The letters were always burned. As far as he knew, his father had not told his sister either. Maybe she really didn''t put the poison in the drink. That would be hilarious if the lie I concocted had any bearing on the truth. Another score was when he confessed that his father had stolen from my barony but didn''t know how much. His father had never told him where he hid it, and he was going to look for it right before they left so he wouldn''t cast suspicion on himself if he was caught with it.


    "Well, Marcus, if what you said is true, you may have just saved your family''s life. I have one other task, and then your fate will be decided. Captain, escort Marcus to the great hall where he will await judgment." With that, I left for the gardens. Hopefully, Patricia was not as deeply involved as I thought. She seemed so nice.


    I did find her in the garden. I asked if I could have a moment of her time in private as it was concerning her daughter. I was hoping she thought I was just going to ask why she had broken off the engagement. I took her back to the study, passing Hyrum on the way. He kept his face as calm as still water. I am so glad he didn''t glare at Patricia.


    When we entered the room, I invited her to sit on the chair. I stood. "Patricia, you are guilty of conspiring to kill the members of the house of Bicman. Your children have confessed all they knew of the plot, including the fact that you had foreknowledge of the poisoning of the family and theft of the family''s funds."


    The chair was no help. Her face turned pale, and her eyes rolled up into her head as she passed out.


    Well, that didn''t go as planned.


    I waited for about a minute before I bent over and shook her. It was at that moment that I realized something. It was getting easier to bend over. I love Tai Chi. Anyways, back to my interrogation. She came to slowly, and when I could tell she was conscious, I continued.


    "You might be able to save your children if you can remain conscious long enough to tell me everything you know about the doings of your husband."


    “I… I can’t…”


    "Then you will watch your children die." I felt like a monster saying that. I kept telling myself I was doing this to try and save them, but really, if I was honest with myself, I just wanted the truth and to avoid killing anyone else.


    She was silent for a long time before she said, "I don''t know when he started to spy on your house. I don''t even know who he was spying for. All I cared about was the silver he was getting for the information. It wasn''t much, but it came regularly. I wanted to leave. I just wanted to get enough money to leave. I hate it here. We all did. I thought if we could save up enough money to buy a house in the city, he could find work as a clerk there. And I hated you most of all. The way you treated my children. I wanted him to find something out that would hurt you." she said fiercely.


    "And you never told anyone of what your family was doing?" I said sternly


    "Who would I tell, My Lord? If I told someone, my entire family would be killed."


    "And the poison?"


    "I knew. I swear I tried to convince him not to do it. He said they would pay us fifty gold crowns if we killed the entire family. They even sent five Crowns to help him do it. He came up with many plans, but all were too risky. I told him to just send the money back. We had almost had enough money to leave. He bought poison with the money. He thought about hiring mercenaries to kill your family when you traveled, but the expense was more than he wanted to spend. Then, the illness hit. When some of the villagers died and people in the manor started getting ill, he decided to risk the poisoning. I told him it was foolish. He didn''t listen. He was obsessed with getting the gold. He wanted to buy a knighthood for our son."


    I did my best to keep my face emotionless. I was not cut out for this. "Your story doesn''t match that of your children," I said, trying to portray disgust.


    "No! You have to believe me. They must have thought lying would save them. Please spare them. Only I knew of the poison. I am guilty. They found out as he was dying."


    "Carrie said that she poisoned the drinks herself, and Marcus claims to have known your husband was spying and stealing."


    "She couldn''t have. Ronald didn''t trust her. He thought she was a fool. I don''t know if Marcus knew about the spying, but I didn''t know he knew."


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Come with me, and don''t make a scene," I said in a flat voice.


    She got to her feet, and trembling, she followed after me. As we passed Hyrum in the hall, I told him to fetch Carrie and bring her along. When I arrived in the hall, I found Draves standing over Marcus, who was on his knees with his head bowed. As I came around in front of him, I could see that he was crying. His mother knelt down next to him and put her arm around him. He didn''t react at all. He may not have even realized what she had done. Finally, Carrie came in half-supported by Hyrum. He led them over to the other two and made sure she didn''t collapse as she got down on her knees.


    The great hall had once more been turned into a meeting room. Tables and benches were pushed to the side, and all that remained of the baron''s table was the large chair. The judgment chair, as they called it. I sat down in it and waved the two men forward. As they approached, I looked at the three miserable people on the floor. The mother knew of the poisoning before it happened. The daughter saw something and didn''t say anything, and the son probably wished he had done the poisoning. I had justification for killing all of them. As Regent, I probably didn''t even need justification.


    "Captian, what do you suggest?" I said softly.


    "Death by beheading." He said, with no emotion. Hyrum, however, was not so calm at the words. His body immediately tensed.


    "Even if they were only told of the poisoning at the father''s deathbed and were sworn to secrecy?" That, of course, was a lie, but he didn''t know that.


    "They should have come to you immediately." His eyes were flat, and I felt there was more to this than just the standard punishment.


    "And if they had, what would the punishment have been?"


    Draves said nothing.


    "Is it possible that you are angry because you did not prevent the murder and were not even able to discover if a murder was done?"


    Still, he was silent.


    "Draves, you are to stand guard outside the door. Hyrum, go through the kitchen to the garden exit and stand guard there. I will speak with them in private before I sentence them.


    "My Lord-"


    "Now, Captain," I said in a tone that brooked no argument.


    The captain gave me an uncharacteristic frown of disapproval but went. Hyrum, taking that as his cue, also exited.


    I sat there for a moment contemplating. I was about to do the stupidest thing that could possibly be done in this situation. I should have a public audience and let everyone know of their deeds then have them killed, but I was a foolish young man who had no idea what to do. So I did the crazy thing. I stood and walked towards the family. "Family of Ronald the Freeman. Due to the fact that Patricia Freeman had foreknowledge of the murder of my family, according to the law, you all are to be put to death. However, before I was taken by the illness, I made all three of you my enemies through my actions. Carrie, I was a beast in the way I treated you. Marcus, I abused you for no other reason than because I was rejected by my own family. Patricia, because of my actions against your children, I made you my enemy. I have tried to atone for what I have done, but it looks like there is one more thing I can do.”


    "Patricia, I declare that you had no foreknowledge of the poisoning. All three of you were told at the time of your husband''s death and sworn to secrecy. He did not trust any of you with this secret before that point. Carrie finally cracked under the pressure of guilt of her family''s betrayal and confessed to me. This is the story we will tell the captain and Hyrum. Only I heard Patricia''s confession of having knowledge of the plot against my family. It will not spare you from punishment and shame. At least two of you were aware of the theft and spying, but it will save you from death. To the people, we will say nothing of the murder. I truly wish I could do more for you but even I must uphold the law."


    I called in Draves and told him to go get Hyrum. When they had both returned, we went up to my chair. "This is what I have determined. None of them had foreknowledge of the murder. Patricia and Marcus admitted that they knew of the spying and thievery. Carrie was not thought of as a trustworthy accomplice in this matter and so was never told of the theft and spying.


    "And you believe them?" Draves said disapprovingly.


    "They were given no time to get their story straight between the three of them. I told them that if their stories did not match up, I would kill all of them. Their stories do not contradict one another. What is the most lenient punishment I can give them?"


    "You are not the king. You cannot pardon them."


    "I will not kill them."


    "It is the law." Draves said.


    "Strip them of their title and make them serfs." Hyrum said at the same time.


    "Make them serfs?" I said in surprise.


    "Yes."


    That was an interesting thought. Reducing their title. I wonder…


    Up until now, the three family members heard everything we said, but now I whispered to the two guards. "I need a new steward. I was wondering if I could sort of make a trade in one of the cities, a family whose father used to be our steward but passed away, for a steward.


    "There isn''t a way that you could do that. Serfs are traded for serfs. A steward is a freeman and receives a wage. You could go to a city and find a steward''s son who has been trained by his father. Marcus would probably have been sent to become a clerk at another house at the age of eighteen and worked his way up to steward if he was good enough.


    "Can a peasant become a clerk?"


    "If given a recommendation from his lord. I have never heard of a serf being…" Draves''s face grew hard, "Lord, I can look past the fact that you are not giving them the death sentence, but to only reducing them to peasants for their crimes is-"


    "Is what I am going to do," I said, cutting off the captain.


    "Why are you doing this? Even if they had no knowledge of the plot, knowledge of the theft and spying needs to be punished harshly, or others will try and take advantage of you."


    "Who do we need to tell? We can just get them out of town."


    "If you are reducing their title, There must be a public sentencing. You should have the priest witness the event."


    I thought for a moment and said, "The public charges will be theft and spying by Ronald. That will reduce them to serfs. Then we will send them away."


    "They need to die. They will stab you in the back."


    I looked at the family kneeling in the great hall. "I am not going to kill anyone else. Ever!"


    "Anyone else?" Hyrum said, shock evident on his face.


    I said nothing.


    The captain was silent for a while and then said, "May I be frank, My Lord?"


    "As always."


    "You are a good man, but you are foolish and not fit to be a baron."


    "Thank you for the compliment. I am quite aware that I am not fit to be baron." I said, a little deflated.


    We stayed that way for a moment before I straightened my shoulders and looked up at the two men, "Hyrum, take this family to their rooms."


    "Not to the prison?" He said in surprise.


    "You will guard their door. Captain, Find the priest and let the people know that after field work is done today, there will be a sentencing of Patricia, Carrie, and Marcus. There will be no supper today until the sentence has been passed."


    "The priest may be in another village."


    "Then find out and bring him back. We will get this over with as soon as he returns."


    They both bowed and left.


    After they left, I collapsed into my chair. I was too soft. I couldn''t do this. Draves was right, I couldn''t just let people go and expect them not to stab me in the back. But every time I tried to steal my resolve and tell him he was right, I thought of Nathan. I thought of the heart beating in my chest. I swore on his grave I would be better a better person.


    I would have to find a way out of this. Maybe the king could appoint another baron. Give it to the baron south of us or something? Then, my thoughts turned to Aaron. This was his inheritance. I doubt if I tried to put this burden on someone else, they would just hand it back to him when he came of age. I had to do this, not for me but for him. I had to learn to be a proper regent until he was of age. I couldn''t fail him by letting his villages collapse or be taken away. By the Endless One''s shiny bald head, I had to do this.


    '' wonder if the Endless one had a bald head. Did he have a head?


    Marcus


    The beating of my heart quieted as the door shut behind us, and I was not too proud to admit it was fear. Who wouldn''t be afraid, facing the knowledge that they were about to die? A new emotion started to grow within me. Rage. I rounded on my foolish sister. She was sitting on their bed with her head in her hands. I grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. I pulled her into my room and slammed the door. I slapped her hard across the face and shoved her down. "You moron! All you had to do was stay quiet. We were almost out of here, and now he will kill us all."


    She mumbled something under her breath. I snapped. I could not contain the anger I felt towards my worthless sister. I kicked her in the stomach. "Don''t you dare talk back to me!"


    Just then, my mother walked in, "What are you doing?" She gasped.


    "Trying to teach this idiot to keep her mouth shut, even though it''s too late. We''re all dead."


    "But he said-"


    "Mother, are you as much a fool as her?" I said, pointing to my sister, "He was obviously lying. He is a cruel monster. Nothing has changed except for the fact that he has become more crafty. Trust me, he is just trying to keep us calm, give us hope before he destroys it."


    "I hope he does kill me," Carrie muttered.


    "You-"


    "That is enough, Marcus. I may not be your father, but you will respect me," my mother said firmly.


    I stayed quiet, not out of respect but because I wanted to hear what she had to say.


    "How did Lord Amos find out?"


    "Isn''t it obvious, she-"my mother held up her hand, interrupting me. I ground my teeth.


    "He already knew," Carrie said.


    "What? How?" I shouted.


    "He saw Father putting something into the cups."


    "I knew you were delusional. You kept saying Father had you do it, but you were as surprised as I was when speaking with Father."


    "I thought…"


    "You thought Father would entrust you with something like that." I scoffed, "So he was just toying with us, waiting for us to confess. He knew you were the weakest and just waited for you to snap. We should have run."


    "He hates me," Carrie said as she started to cry.


    "So what if he hates you? He''s a monster."


    "Not, Lord Amos." My mother said.


    "Hyrum," I snorted in disgust. "He never loved you. He just wanted someone to have his way with. If he really loved you, he could help you escape. Instead, he is loyal to that monster, guarding our door like the faithful dog he is. Trust me. He won''t shed a tear as we hang."


    I slapped my sister again, not even caring about my mother''s protests. She was as stupid as my sister.