“Did you enjoy making me a spectacle in front of all of the other has-beens of Fiveria?” Once Braydon alighted from the carriage again, George immediately got back to antagonising him. Even in the most dire circumstances he was not going to humble himself before his younger brother.

“You do that yourself, George. Now I am slightly curious, did you designate Sam as your heir or did you adopt a random urchin instead?” Technically more important than seeing that the disgraced Fiton had his head removed was seeing who the new lord in Heimron was. He could all but guarantee that George had made sure that he would be the last person in the world to inherit. It was just a matter of who it would be instead.

“Wouldn’t you like to know. It’s not like some random tramp could hold a candle to Samuel anyway.” George sneered at Braydon’s question. If he were to guess, Braydon was almost sure that George thought this was the reason why he had been tracked down. It was at least the reason George would do it if their positions were reversed.

“I could guess that but I was more referring to other lords.” Most of the nobility that George was on good terms with Braydon had no problems referring to as urchins. Not because they were but because it took a special kind of character for George to like a person. Preferably a yes man that sucked up to him.

“And you think that I would let my land leave the family?” George looked scandalised. If Braydon didn’t know him better he might have thought it genuine.

“If I was your only relative then most definitely.” There was not a world that he could see his older brother willingly making him the heir to the Fiton Earldom. George was not a ‘blood thicker than water’ kind of person.

“If I made anyone else my heir, you would just walk in and take it, no?” That sounded a lot more like the George he knew. Not that he was wrong. So long as neither Sam or Braydon was made the heir, one or both of them would claim that it was done by a rebellious George to ensure that his domain was not inherited by one of the King’s loyal subjects. And nobody would then object to them strolling in and kicking out whomever George had chosen to be his successor.

“So Sam it is. Shame that you have no way of taking it back or I might just have tried to put you back in charge if I could not have done it myself. You would at least be easier to deal with than that snake.” Braydon shook his head. Even that was unlikely. If he had the power to do that then he almost certainly would have had enough to just take the title for himself.

“You think the pathetic one of the three of us is the hardest to deal with?” His brother took offence to that. For as well versed in being a lord as their father had tried to make him, George had the ability and some of the charisma but he definitely looked down on the scholarly types.

“Well you are not long for this world whilst he just took your title. Yes I think he is harder to deal with than you.” Braydon just gave him a disdainful look. Whilst he may not find academic pursuits that interesting, he at least knew why they were important. It seemed that whilst George was impressing his neighbours and sucking up to whichever Duke pointed a sword his way, Sam was actually making sure that things did not fall apart. Along with a healthy amount of ensuring that he would be George’s successor. Braydon didn’t doubt that George could run an earldom but was equally certain that he just left such menial tasks to Sam whilst looking for all of the glory that came with his position.

“There is a reason why I hated you but was wary of Sam.” Braydon shook his head as he drew his sword.” There was nothing else that he wanted to talk to George about. He was not that masochistic to just trade insults with his brother when he held all of the cards.

“Make sure not to get any blood on your clothes, I do not want to smell it all the way back.” Nela shouted from the carriage, apparently having heard him unsheathe his sword.

“Then if you would Rhydian.” Braydon looked to Rhydian to hold George still. Even if he didn’t want to listen to George speak, that was different from not wanting to give him a painless death.

“Well fuck you.” George only had the time for one insult before Braydon stabbed him in the stomach.

“No, fuck you.” Braydon returned as he made sure that the sword in George’s stomach pierced all the way up through his lungs.

“Had your fun?” Rhydian asked as he took the rope that had once bound George before wrapping it around his neck, they had stopped by a tree on purpose.

“Just one last parting gift.” Braydon twisted his sword before removing it and stepping back as the blood narrowly missed splashing his boots. He had spoken to Rhydian a number of times about how he wanted to deal with George’s body should he get his hands on him. Whilst being hung from a tree as he bled out was not his top choice, it was what would do considering they were on the road and had polite company. It was not like she would be happy to bring along a bleeding still alive man just so Braydon could kill him how he wanted.

“Then up you go.” Rhydian hung the rope over a low hanging branch, Since it was only used to tie hands, it was not the longest piece of rope but that would do perfectly for him. It wouldn’t be hanging if his feet touched the ground.

“Hr..I...a...” George looked like he was trying to say something but having most of his organs perforated was not helping with that.

“I cannot nor want to hear what you have to say. Just think of this as me showing you how to actually finish off a brother that you are trying to kill.” Braydon looked at George one last time to appreciate his handiwork before he and Rhydian returned to the carriage once more.

“Satisfied?” Nela looked over to Braydon as he sat down. Mainly to check if he had really avoided getting blood on him. She did not mind him getting revenge on his brother but she would most definitely have cared if she had to smell it all the way back to the castle.

“Certainly.” Braydon replied without the smile that he thought he would have on the day of George’s death. He couldn’t bring himself to care anymore now that it was done. Not exactly how he had thought he would react but he was not going to complain. What’s done is done.