Bulliard knocks twice before opening the door to the duke’s study. Inside is nothing but darkness. I drop down a film and the black room is filled with gray details. The duke is seated behind a large desk, head bowed and blankly staring at his desk.

“My lord. Forgive the late interruption. Roza has a suggestion—"

“Approved. She knows what needs to be done.”

“…I believe there is one point that you will want to discuss with her. It is not pressing but I do not believe you should allow her to make the decision on her own. It’s sensitive.”

“I will discuss it with her later. Who else?”

“Lady Tome to see you, my lord.”

I clear my throat, thoroughly uncomfortable with the theatrics of a man pondering in a dark room. Does he think it makes him more intimidating? Does he think he needs help being intimidating? He doesn’t.

“I don’t plan to stay long. Just came to give this to you.” The duke lifts his head as I step into the room, dropping the rolled-up report on the desk. “All the information we have on Khan, the estrazi, and his connection to them.”

“Did your inquiry damage his mind further?”

“No. He’s as broken and as whole as we found him.”

“That is interesting…given that you have not visited Khan’s room. Before you attempt to lie, the servant standing outside his door was ordered to inform me once you appeared. I was debating whether I wanted to be present for the questioning.”

The ensuing silence asks for an explanation. Ugh. I can feel his authority suffusing the room pushing against me. Speaking without speaking. A favored tool of those in power to keep their opponents off guard. I haven’t been in the room with someone who can wield their presence this well in a while. Or perhaps I’m just not so sensitive to it.

I think the last time I felt this uncomfortable before an authoritative figure was facing my own father as he threatened to disown me if I didn’t attend the Hall.

“You’re right. We questioned Khan in the field. A good thing as it saved some time, I would say.”

The duke sits up in his chair, lacing his fingers atop the desk. “Victory shares little with our kingdom. What it does share is strict rules about the use of the mental affinity. Specifically, in using it to question or interrogate criminals. It is illegal without my permission.”

“…illegal. You’re telling me that questioning someone who we had reason to believe orchestrated an ambush against our army was illegal?”

“That is the law.”

“In the middle of a war? Your word for it, not mine.”

“It is still illegal.”

I take a deep breath while I think. He hasn’t shown the tiniest bit of interest in the report detailing his son’s apparent betrayal but is talking to me about breaking a law to do something he asked me to do himself not even a day after my return.

“What is this?” I question. I have some ideas but the conclusions I’m inclined to jump to are not good places.

“Normally, someone who breaks this law is executed,” he replies flatly. “However, for some, a sentence can be reduced to labor, as it serves no one to throw away talent.”

“…so you’re threatening me.” Saints preserve me, why? “If we don’t stay and fight for you, you’re going to use this horseshit of an excuse to, what? You can’t imprison me, you don’t have a prison. Kill me? That’s not what you want.”

“You possess dangerous information. Information that jeopardizes Victory. I can accept any measure that ensures you do not spread it.”

“How about asking me nicely? No? Of course not, because that’s not what this is about. Do you think threatening me is going to win Alana over?”

“Alana is not the one who broke the law. You are.”

“I see.” Sorry, Alana. I hoped to leave her family to her in hopes a few small victories could nurse some of the wounds they’ve inflicted on her but this is crossing the line. “Since this only involves me, I’ll give my answer right now. One way or another, we’re leaving Victory. What you do determines if we ever come back or if you have several more problems to deal with.”

“That is the crux of the matter. Whether you will return. Whether you can be trusted. You are not from the north. You have no loyalty to our cause. No stake in our war. Alana has rejected her home once. She can easily do it again.”

He makes a good point. If I had the choice, I wouldn’t return. I’m anticipating it, given this is Alana’s home, but the saints know I don’t want to.

If he knows his daughter at all, the duke would know that she could never abandon anyone in trouble, especially those she cares about, and she does care about these people for some reason, but that is hard to remember in the face of her recent rejection. She threw away a chance at being duchess. I can understand how that makes her father nervous. The north doesn’t have much else to offer.

“Do you trust Alana?”

“I don’t know.”

I bite back the urge to curse at him. I wish she could toss this useless family aside. “You should. And you should trust that I wouldn’t go against Alana’s wishes without a very good reason and I don’t have a reason to get involved with the estrazi or an impending war.”

“Is there something I can offer to change your mind?”

“If you thought you had something to offer, you would have started with that rather than a threat.” I hope. “I can’t think of anything.”

“The north is rich in many ways.”

“If you had bothered to read the report before having this little talk, you’d know there is no amount of riches that is worth getting involved in this mess…my lord.” Despite his lack of tact, I would rather our relationship not deteriorate too much.

“…would you assist by lighting a candle?”

I reach for a tall candle on the corner of the desk and light it with a simple spell before passing it to the duke. He sets it near the edge of the desk before grabbing the report. The real one, no matter how funny it would have been to pass along Alana’s prank.

The duke is a slow reader. I can feel the minutes dragging on as his eyes scan over the words. When he finally puts it down, the shadows flickering over his stern features make them seem even more severe. “I understand. The involvement of a dragon is not something to take lightly…but the assumption is premature.”

“The slightest possibility is too much, in my opinion.”

“This does not give me confidence in your loyalty to Victory.”

“Like I said, I don’t have any loyalty to Victory. Only to Alana. And while she is very understandably unsettled with what could happen in the future and even more understandably wants some distance to figure everything out, she still wants to help. As long as that’s what she wants, I’m an ally.”

“…I suppose that is the best I can hope for.”

“Oh, thank the saints.” I grab the edge of the desk as a wave of relief makes me feel weak. For a moment, I thought I would have to wade through a river of blood because of this man’s insecurities. I shouldn’t be surprised that he can be reasoned with but I am grateful.

“Though I would make one request.”

“…what?”

“Every day before you leave, I want you to have your succubus treat Khan. If you cannot restore him before you leave, I want an answer. Victory is action. His fate will be decided by you.”

Not what I expected. Also, not a great request. A horrible one, really. I don’t want to decide whether Alana’s brother lives or dies but it’s better this than a small war to escape the north. “Don’t you have anyone else you can ask? I would think there would be plenty of better alternatives, as you’ve made it very clear you don’t trust my commitment.”

“The James cannot afford to be weak. That, and my people are not trained for this. I know of the succubi. There is no one with greater expertise than your elementals.”

Sigh. “I’m not killing him.”

“If you mean you do not wish to put the sword to his neck should it turn out he cannot be saved, then that is not your responsibility. It is mine…and mine alone.”

“Fine. You have a deal so don’t make things difficult when we leave.” I straighten up, more than ready to crawl into bed. I can sprint for a full day without breaking a sweat but carrying a heavy conversation is still exhausting.

“One final thing.”

I pause, having already turned and taken a step toward the door. I hesitantly look over my shoulder. I don’t know if our tenuous peace can handle another thing. “Yes?”

“It is traditional for James daughters to be married in the spring.”

Eh?

“It is too late to prepare the proper festivities for the coming spring. For next spring, we would prefer notice by the fall, at the latest. If my daughter’s words about marrying you were not a jest…or a misunderstanding.”

“A-aren’t you a little enthusiastic?” I sputter, thoroughly caught off guard.

“As I said. If my daughter is satisfied, I have no objections. Marriage will tie you to Victory and alleviate my concerns.” He leans forward. “You should propose. Soon.”

“That’s not up to you!” I shout before rushing from the room. Damn meddling duke!