“So you are telling me that he is refusing to even hold any kind of negotiation with us?” Duke Burn looked at the messenger before him in confusion. Normally it was him who pulled out the unexpected moves, but this time he had been taken aback. And not by anyone that he considered a worthy opponent or a skilled strategist, but by Earl Blake of all people.

“That is right, Sire. My liege does not wish to take a side right now.” The messenger reaffirmed what he had just said with a straight face. It was clear that there was no mistake in what he had said, Earl Blake did not want to help Duke Burn at all.

“Then you may see yourself out, and send Blake my regards.” Duke Burn stared at the messenger as he left as if trying to decipher any last bits of information as he left.

“Do we move out then?” A relatively powerful noble in Duke Burn’s faction asked, since Earl Blake did not want to take part in the war they had no reason to stay in the west any longer. Being so far away from their power base and reinforcements for an extended period did not seem like a smart idea to him.

“Why do you think Earl Blake rejected us?” Instead of answering the man’s question, Duke Burn instead kept the topic on Earl Blake’s decision. The Duke was still looking at the entrance of the tent as if he could see through it at the retreating messenger.

“Because he thinks that he can convince Duke Ryder to spare him?” The lord replied, scoffing at the idea that Duke Ryder would spare someone who was also vying for dominance in Fiveria. It did not take a genius to know that Duke Ryder was not such a nice person.

“Perhaps but despite his best attempts at being one, I do not take Earl Blake for a fool. He should know his position better than anyone, if there was no other option then he would have taken me up on my offer. That just means that he sees an opportunity that we do not.” Duke Burn stopped speaking, causing the lords in the tent to speculate about what exactly Earl Blake thought that he could do that would assuage Duke Ryder.

“What could he possibly have that Duke Ryder could not take for himself? So long as he was never on the same side as the Duke, he will never be let off… Wait. No. That cannot be!” The same lord said his thought process out loud and as he did so, Duke Burn finally turned to look at him.

“It seems that you have thought about it too.” Duke Burn said, clearly having thought the same thing. It was entirely possible and that fact only made the various lords feel even more stupid for not having noticed it. If there was one thing that their faction did better than any other faction in Fiveria, it was managing to get spies everywhere. But they still had no clue about this?

“But how could we have not known that Earl Blake was a part of Duke Ryder’s faction already. It has been several decades at this point. Even if it was the best kept secret in the world, it would have gotten out by now.” This was what confused him the most, he could not see how such a monumental secret would have been kept for so long without anyone finding out. This was the royal court that they were talking about and two of its most influential members at that, everyone had eyes on them at all times.

“And? What if it was only the two of them that know? It would not be hard for the two of them to have had at least one conversation in private at some point in the past three decades. And I doubt that Earl Blake would want to give himself away like that. He only stood to lose if it got found out. Do you think Duke Oakley would have tolerated his presence?” Duke Burn said as he explained what he had surmised from Earl Blake’s actions.

“Then Duke Ryder has been hiding a massive portion of his strength this whole time?” The lord asked not expecting an answer. It was clear that he already knew what answer he would have received anyway. Duke Burn merely made a small nod as a response but that was more than enough. They had guessed that Duke Ryder had hidden some strength, what sane lord wouldn’t? But to hide so much, and in plain sight no less? That they had not expected at all.

“And if he is not on Duke Ryder’s side?” Another lord asked, this was only their conjecture after all. For all they knew, Earl Bake was truly vying for power in Fiveria.

“Then I would be wrong and he would truly be a moron, deserving of everything that is about to come his way.” Duke Burn said, in a much more ominous manner than he was speaking before. When they heard the change in tone, the lords around him all shuddered. Earl Blake was about to be in for a world of pain.

They had rarely seen Duke Burn act like that, but when he did, they could be sure that whomever his malice was directed at would not have a good end. The last time that it had happened was when a small baron switched sides from Duke Burn to Duke Ryder. It scared all of them just thinking about it.

Needless to say that the baron was soon found torn limb from limb, with all of his holdings put to the torch. The man’s servants and his family found a similarly fiery ending. In the wake of that attack every noble in Fiveria took time to re-evaluate the danger posed by the seemingly conflict averse Duke Burn. The matter had been investigated and the findings: a bandit attack.