Chapter 219: The Marquess

The Centre. 

"Sire..." Audwin starts hesitantly. I know what he wants to say too, and he knows my reaction to it.

"Quiet Audwin, the time for conversation has long passed, I must do this."

And though I say this to he and myself, I strong wish, more than anything for someone to come and spare me from this embarrassment.

He sighs and nods, tightening his gloves. "I understand." he leaves my side and walks up to the men standing guard by the large hall doors that lead to my last life line, at least, the last I'm willing to grab onto.

He clears his throat and announces, "The Lord Serue of House Ire would like and audience with the Marquess!"

I bite unto my lip, barely restraining myself from jumping at the door to simple bulldoze my way through, but I know that will only land me in even more scandal. And I cannot handle anymore mud in my face. 

The guards, just like the last three times Audwin had requested that we be let through, do not move an inch, they do not so much as twitch. Simply standing there with their hands behind their backs, chests puffed out and a stern focused look stuck on their faces.

Audwin looks back at me, his face flushed with embarrassment.

I grit my teeth, bridling with rage adfury barely contained.

"They let us in this far, she will certainly have us." Audwin tries to console me, returning back defeated and embarrassed once more to my side.

"She better, House Ire is not to be trifles with."

Audwin only nods at this and not for the first time, I feel my servant lose faith in me.

His normal reaction would be to glorify my lineage, my children, myself and my father and my forefathers...and now he simply nods.

It irritates me how much I've lost by simply staying alive.

Should I have stayed back? Given out one last fight?

What am I thinking, of course not! That woman, that fiend of an elf. Even Grand Father acknowledged my inevitable demise at her hands.

But logic doesn't excuse shame and disgrace on the Ire name, and that is what I've brought on us by retreating, by fleeing from an elf, a race my ancestors subjugated.

To Grandfather it would have been a lot better had I died than soil the good, powerful name of the House, and worse is, the branch has had enough slip ups as it is.

If I don't clean this up good, I'll be one of the many imbeciles in my family to be sent off...i can't let that happen, no. Not ever.

A life in mud, and amongst peasantry, amongst people who don't recognize Ire power. I can't imagine it. I've already put up living a subpar life as the Mayor of Aste and now...

The doors swing open at last, the guards part to the side and give deep bows to the one who stands in the doorway.

"Ah..." they start, reading off a sheet, "I suppose you are Serue then?"

Rising to my full height in all my regal glory, I give the man, dressed in such average design and cloth a small, but significant smile.

"Yes, I am Serue of House Ire, the-"

"Alright then, the Marquess isn't feeling well so you'll have to come back."

"What!" It slips and I scream. Nails pinching into my palm I take back control of my breathing and composure, "What...do you mean not feeling well? Surely it couldn't have just started right? I've been out here for three hours!"

It slipped again.

The man is displease, a look that should never be directed onto me, how dare he?

"Control yourself, Serue, or I'll have you removed." at these words the guards immediately fall into matching open stances, their hands taken out of the backs and set over one another, mana flaring.

Wisely, I take a step back even as Audwin foolishly steps forward to protect me. I know he wouldn't last a second against Mages like this.

"Excuse my outburst," I start, lightly laughing to ease away the bursting tensions, "I'm just a little...on edge because I've tolerated every single insult given to me, a man of my stature and status."

The man with the paper looks bored now, and though I know well enough not to try anything stupid, I and still swelling with anger at how he looks down on me.

"And what insult was that, Serue."

I snap my fingers and point at him, "There's one right now, you address me so casually, do you truly know who I am?"

The man sighs, but straightens up to answer, "And how would you like to be addressed then?"

Well, I'd love to be called King but who doesn't? "My proper title is you would, Lord Mayor. Lord, Milord."

He starts his dismissal by shaking his head at me, "Can you truly be called a Lord any longer?"

"What?"

He shrugs, "We know of your disgrace in the capitol and thanks to that, we know you've lost control of the City of Aste to some hooligan off the streets and you were ran off by an elf no less."

Fucking gossips. How the hell did they...

"So you must know why I am here then? You must know why I must see the Marquess!"

"Your voice sir, this is not a tavern."

I gasp, in absolute shock at the insult,"You.. You-!"

"And if you are here to solicited the Marquess aid in recovering your title, then you will be sorely disappointed."

"And why is that!" I yell, not caring anymore. The guards mana pulses and grows as I take a step forward. 

The man is unmoved by my approach, he stands firm and looks up at me, "Because the Marquess has already taken things into her hands, you've proven unsuitable and incapable of leadership, when Aste is recovered from this brigand the title of Mayor will be awarded to whomever the Marquess has in mind to reward."

With gritting teeth I take another step, this time the guards step up to me as well, their mana taking form, fire, wind, water. 

And this time, the man steps back letting the three guards surrounding me slowly.

"I would suggest you work on your manners, your branch of Ire has little power now and neither do you." With that one last insult, the man steps behind the doors and pulls them shut.

Rather than scream, rather than fight. I whisper gently, "Wake up." 

The man gasps for air and his eyes shoot open. Searching around himself he quickly finds he's surrounded by his own guards, his own protection leaning in to destroy him.

His eyes find me next, behind the still open doors of the large hallway with Audwin by my side.

"When did you... How did you..."

I smirk and give him a bow, "Here's some advice, don't try and get out of their encirclement until I come out to get you, your men are tense and good at evocation magic, but seems they don't have the will fight against illusions. Have fun!"

"No wait-!"

I shut the doors and let out a satisfied sigh. "It always feels good when I do that."

Audwin chuckles, "It always feels good to see you do it, milord. They surely deserved it."

"That they did, Audwin. Now, let's go find the Marquess..." I trail off as I look down the long corridor, the walls are glittered with wealth and the floor may as well be gold with the way it shines. Perhaps gold painting?

"It's been sometime since I've been here." In truth the last I was here was when I was given the city to rule. It is customary to bow and pledge allegiance to my new liege before anything is official.

Which is exactly what I did to that woman, although she was but a girl back then. Aggravating as it is for someone of my lineage to bow to such a commoner, I nearly didn't do it. It took my father convincing me with a beating to push my head down.

I never thought I'd come back here, to her, and begging too. It leaves a terrible taste in my mouth.But it's better than any of my other options.

I start walking, not exactly certain where I'm headed but the corridor doesn't have any doors on the side of it, so I suspect my goal will be at the end of it.

It only takes a moment of strolling to find it. Even larger doors than the last. "This must be it." 

Audwin nods and steps out to open it up, his hands take hold of the handles and in a flash he's sucked into... Somewhere.

"Arcane magic!" I gasp and turn around ready to flee.

But as I do I come face to face with the man from before the man and his guards. "That's right, you think the door leading to the work place of a Marquess would be so easy to pull open?" he tuts. "Kill him, we have just cause."

Just as I'm about to flood the place with illusions, a voice calls out, a familiar voice.

"Wait, I'll see him."

Surprise washes over both our faces, and then I smirk, "That's more like it."