Chapter 5: Precedent

King Leonard sat in his chambers, reviewing paperwork, the one resource the country never seemed to run out of. Many people thought that being a king meant spending all of his time on the throne, but most of it was spent at a desk. They thought that a king’s work was done with a sword or a scepter, but instead, it was just a quill and a bottle of ink. They thought that all guests bowed their heads and spoke with quiet reverence, but the guest that arrived spoke with his nose up and an entitled gleam in his eye. He was an old priest, dressed in fancier robes than most clergy members and with numerous jeweled rings.

“Good day, Your Majesty.”

“Cardinal Phelps, what brings you before me today?” the king asked dryly. The six cardinals were the highest authorities in the Uther’s church, each one representing one of the gods.

“I’m here to warn you of an enemy we share, Your Majesty.”

“And what enemy might that be?”

“You are familiar with Madam Cyrilo, yes?”

“I wasn’t aware that she was my enemy. What has she done to earn her such distinction?”

“She’s sowing the seeds of discontent among the masses, spreading sinful, fabricated knowledge to the public, using a means of dispersal that we’ve never seen before.”

“Knowledge such as?”

“Lewd texts, urging for ungodly fornication and the shedding of social responsibility for the sake of carnality.”

“Sounds to me like she’s a simple brothel-owner trying to stir up more business. Unless her courtesans are pleasuring men in the street, it’s not worth making a fuss over.”

“Your Majesty, this cannot be allowed to continue. This country is a well and you’re letting poison seep in drop by drop.”

“I’ll take it under advisement.”

The cardinal’s words turned cold. “I do not come to you as an average citizen, adding another piece of paper for you to skim. I am here because a threat has arisen, a threat to the kingdom and the church, and I’m calling on you to fulfill your obligations.”

“I do not adhere to demands from the clergy. I will not waste the time of even a single soldier for something so ridiculous.”

Phelps sneered. “The church has backed your rule, your war, and your policies. We’ve helped you protect the lives and souls of Uther’s citizens, both spiritually and financially. We expect you to do the same.”

“You expect me to act on your whims like a loyal dog and silence those who disagree with you. The kingdom and its resources do not exist at your beck and call. You stand in MY castle, in MY city, in MY kingdom.”

“They are yours only as long as the people choose to listen to you, but what happens when they listen to someone else instead? Someone who speaks on behalf of the gods? You can’t possibly compare. Your castle, your city, your kingdom, and everything else you believe you own will slip through your fingers, and all it takes is for those with authority to point out your failings.

Your family has long-since lost its control over the Wassengel, and Seraph, your only son of any real strength is now just a powerless shell of his former self, so what actual authority does your bloodline still have? Why should the people bother listening to you?”

“I have earned the people’s loyalty through a lifetime of service and leadership. Don’t think you can subvert my rule.”

“Perhaps that’s what Madam Cyrilo is doing. Perhaps she’s trying to sabotage your authority with her perverse texts. That’s all the justification you need. Unless, of course, you want to lose the few allies you still have.”

The cardinal then turned and walked out of the king’s chambers as though he owned the place, unflinching in the certainty that he did.

“You are being charged with the creation and distribution of contraband,” said Marcus Berholm, placing the royal decree on Cyrilo’s desk. “You must cease all works relating to literature, or you will be arrested and placed in the dungeon until further notice.”

“This is ridiculous,” Cyrilo fired back. “Since when is literature considered contraband?”

“Until now, it wasn’t, but that’s only because it was so hard to produce. A sudden large influx of any resource, be it gold, food, lumber, or books can have far-reaching political, societal, and economic consequences. The church has already filed complaints about those pamphlets of yours being distributed to the citizens.”

“Please, Sir Berholm,” said Sophia, standing beside Cyrilo in her study, “we’re doing this to help and educate people.”

“Though you claim to have good intentions, His Majesty and the church are concerned with how this may be used against the kingdom. We are not blind as to what is going on. You’re using magic to create texts faster than can be done with human labor, but what if it was used to spread disinformation or national secrets? What if it was used to create weapons? If this fell into the wrong hands, it could become a catastrophic tool. You already have custody of the bard, and we cannot allow a private citizen to wield this much power without regulation.”

“If King Leonard wants this power regulated for the safety of the country, then that should be settled with a discussion. Since I apparently wield so much terrifying power, then surely he can take the time to speak with me face-to-face.”

“Though you have been granted an audience with the king in the past, this is a separate matter.”

“Regardless, I’m sure that a mutually-beneficial arrangement can be established through proper negotiation.”

Berholm exhaled through his large, boulder-like nose. “I too find this decision by the king concerning. As a knight and the Royal Adjudicator, I am bound by my orders to deliver this warning, but I agree that this issue should be settled with conversation. I will pass along your request for an audience to the king, but I cannot promise anything, and I suggest you do nothing to exacerbate the situation.”

“Thank you, Sir Berholm. I appreciate it.”

Three days later, Cyrilo’s request for an audience was granted, and she, Sophia, and Alexis journeyed to the castle. Alexis and Sophia were nervous, as the last time they stood before the king was at their knighting ceremony. Now, they would be facing him as lawbreakers. What concerned Cyrilo, though, was that Daniel’s presence was also required.

While Cyrilo was wearing an extravagant noble gown with an overly decorated hat, Alexis and Sophia had changed out of their Knight Sheath outfits. They were dressed more conservatively, the former wearing her blue battle dress and the latter in her white vestments. However, while they expected the king to be joined by his advisors and flanked with guards, the number of knights and clergymen in attendance was surprising.

“Greetings, Your Majesty, you are looking well today,” said Cyrilo, curtsying with Alexis and Sophia, while Daniel bowed.

“Madam Cyrilo, I’m glad you could join us.”

“Please, pay it no mind. I wouldn’t miss this for the world, though I must admit I find myself rather befuddled. I was under the impression that you and I would simply be negotiating the regulations surrounding my literature project. I had no idea that so many third-party members would be present. If anything, this looks almost like a criminal trial.”

“You were notified to halt your work and refused, a criminal act. It was out of respect and professional courtesy that you were not put in shackles. Between your association with the fugitive Noah, and your antagonism with the church, your actions can no longer be overlooked. You even arrived here with two of his accomplices.”

“Oh shit...” Daniel muttered.

“Your sons’ blood is on Noah’s hands alone. I’m not responsible for his actions, nor are the two ladies with me. And Daniel here is the hero who saved Colbrand during the Red Revelries. I begrudgingly followed your order to pause my work and am here for the sake of negotiation, not to discuss crimes we have not committed, including antagonizing the church.”

“That is enough. Cardinal Phelps, you have something you wish to say?”

The old priest stepped forward with a cold smirk. “Your Majesty, these heretics are conspiring to bring about the downfall of Uther using numerous avenues of corruption. Madam Cyrilo, a brothel-owner, has been employing savages and shamans to lure our citizens off the righteous path and into the lurid abyss of bestiality and lust. Serving under her, the man known as the Bard of Rock has been using strange, unholy music to brainwash those who listen to it and make them slaves to sin.

That’s not all. By the power of dark magic, she’s been producing and distributing blasphemous texts and heretical devices of carnality, poisoning minds within this city. These texts include lessons on perversion and dangerous falsehoods, each page a nail in this nation’s coffin. The devices they sell, which they so smugly claim to be “toys,” are leading women astray and destroying marriages.

Even worse, these three women are known abettors of the Wandering Spirit. Under Madam Cyrilo’s watch, the criminal known as Noah has used the Knight’s Sheath as a venue to put on displays of horrific perversion, even forcing Duchess Herald to perform sickening acts against her will and dragging this country’s nobility through the mud.

Under Cyrilo’s orders, he also tortured your sons and paralyzed and kidnapped their friends. Behind her stands Alexis Veres, Noah’s blood-drunk warrior friend, and Sophia Rosege, the former betrothed of Prince Galvin and member of the church, and now a common whore.”

Her hair on end, Alexis was just barely containing her fury, and Sophia had to grasp her hand to keep her from stepping forward. Cyrilo, on the other hand, maintained her composure and fanned herself as the cardinal continued.

“Your Majesty, we implore you to give these sinners the punishment they deserve. Lock them away where they can never harm our citizens again, and tear down the Knight’s Sheath. In the name of the gods, fulfill your duty and protect these lands from the evil before you!” The other priests all nodded in approval.

“We are so fucked,” Daniel muttered.

“Madam Cyrilo, what do you have to say for yourself?” the king asked.

Cyrilo snapped her fan shut. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, I still don’t quite understand. Why are THEY here?”

“Excuse me?”

“If the church has issues with our material, that is between them and us, but has no bearing on official law. What legal authority do they have over the operations of private business?”

“We are in charge of protecting the soul of this nation, the souls of its people, and their path to salvation,” an old priest growled. “Your blasphemous texts and bestial employees are sabotaging everything we have worked so hard to accomplish.”

“Meaning you have no authority. All you can do is apply pressure to coerce people into doing your bidding, but you don’t have the right to tell us what to do.”

“Silence, witch!” another priest barked.

“That’s enough. We will have no further outbursts,” said the king, raising his hand to silence everyone.

After a moment, Cyrilo resumed speaking. “While the church may have influence, under Uther law, they have no official authority over business practices. They can renounce the Knight’s Sheath, they can tell their followers not to visit, they can complain all they want, but that is the limit of their legal power. Frankly, Your Majesty, to twist the law at their behest is no different from accepting a bribe. Even worse, it’s like you are surrendering your authority as king and letting them take control of the country.”

Her words set off a firestorm of angry voices, with men calling them heretics and enemies of the country, only stopping when the king once more raised his hand.

“Nor do I understand why they are bringing up issues that are already settled and unrelated to my work in literature. The razing of the original Knight’s Sheath and Noah’s revenge against the four culprits is common knowledge. You and I have already come to an agreement regarding that. So too, was it already established long ago that Daniel here is a hero for saving this city and lives the pacifistic life of a musician, working on my stage out of his love for music. His power is simply an extension of that love, the ability to share his feelings with others.

I am here because I wish to negotiate the rules and regulations surrounding my literature project, so that I may continue to educate the masses without bringing danger to Uther.”

“Regardless of your issues with the church, they have raised valid points as to the literature you are putting out, and how it is negatively affecting the minds of my people.”

“I assume you are speaking about our sexual health booklet?”

“Shut your filthy mouth!” a priest hissed.

Cyrilo ignored him and held up a booklet. “Your Majesty, this text explains how fornication leads to pregnancy, how to maintain proper cleanliness, and how our bodies work.” She then opened the booklet to a random page. “What man wouldn’t benefit from knowing how excess heat in his nether regions can reduce fertility? Why shouldn’t women understand their monthly cycle and how to make it less painful? Don’t children entering adolescence deserve to know how and why their bodies are changing as they approach adulthood?

The purpose of this text is not to harm or pervert the minds of its readers, but to educate them so they may understand their bodies and make informed decisions. You have the right to understand yourself, even if these men claim you don’t. Read it, and I guarantee you’ll find information you wish you’d had a long time ago.”

“And where exactly did this knowledge come from?” Phelps asked. “I seem to recall a certain someone getting onstage and reciting the same lies to a room full of young cadets. That person is Uther’s greatest enemy, the Wandering Spirit!”

“It’s true, this information came from Noah, developed over his long life. He told me that cadets came to him, asking for bedroom advice, any tips or tricks they could use. He decided to give them that and more, by providing an educational lecture on how their body works, how sex relates to health, and how they may engage in the practice safely.” Cyrilo then paused when Alexis gave her a nudge. “My bodyguard has something she wishes to say.”

Alexis stepped forward, standing at attention as she had been trained. “My name is Alexis Veres, and I was indeed Noah’s friend when he was at the academy, and when I learned of this planned lecture, I shared the clergy’s disgust at the idea. However, he told me he was driven by altruism, doing it not simply for the sake of the men, but for the sake of the women they would be marrying.

I myself attended the lecture and came away with a wealth of knowledge I wished I had received years ago. Though the razing of the Knight’s Sheath did lead to his feud with the princes and their friends, he had no issue with the citizens of this country or his fellow cadets and simply wished to improve their lives through education. He was only trying to help.” She then bowed her head and stepped back.

“Your Majesty, don’t be swayed by these tricks! They are trying to lead our people away from the gods!” the cardinal shouted.

“And what about the magic you’re using to produce these booklets?” the king asked.

“It’s not like we create them out of thin air. We take simple parchment, ink, glue, and leather, and use alchemy to rearrange them into the same form as a book, down to the most minute detail. It’s just copying books using a faster, more precise method. If you would like any other documents copied, all you need to do is ask.

The duplication magic is kept safe and usable only by me, so there are no chances of it falling into the wrong hands, and as I’ve already made clear, our goal is to educate the public and give them knowledge that will advance civilization and improve daily life.”

Cyrilo could see it on the king’s face, how he wanted to declare her innocent and let her go on her way, but he couldn’t. As she had said, the church could only apply pressure, but for King Leonard, the pressure was overwhelming. If he made an enemy of the church, the people would turn against him. The last thing he needed was a civil war with citizens forced to choose between the kingdom and the church. She decided to give him a way out.

“If it would settle this dispute, I can offer a compromise. We have been planning on expanding our subject matter, duplicating books already written and creating new ones, making a wider range of knowledge available to the common man. If it would please Your Majesty, why not appoint scholars to review our books and ensure they are safe for the public? Personally, I would be overjoyed if the kingdom took such an interest in citizens’ education.

As for the church, I’ll use my magic to duplicate religious texts and sell them alongside my books. That way, both sides can spread their message equally.”

Everyone in the room held their breath.

“Hmmm, agreed,” the king said with a nod.

“Your Majesty!” Cardinal Phelps exclaimed.

“This is a fair deal, Cardinal. You and the church WILL accept it. Madam Cyrilo, I shall appoint scholars to go over your prepared books. Once I am sure that they contain no hidden messages or dangerous spells, you may distribute them however you like, provided you include religious texts.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. Your unbiased wisdom is a breath of fresh air.”

“Then this matter is hereby settled. I will accept no more complaints on this topic. You are all dismissed.”

Cyrilo was quick to lead her three underlings out of the palace, and only when they stepped out into the street, did they release their held breaths.

“Oh my God, I came so close to shitting my pants back there,” said Daniel.

“That was impressive,” said Alexis.

“So does this mean the church will leave us alone?” Sophia asked.

“Perhaps. They’ve marked us as their enemy, but since we’ve removed a key piece from their side of the board, that may dissuade them from further action. Now that they can’t rely on the king to subdue us, we just have to hope that they’ll lose interest and accept the merits of working with us.”

Later that night, the Knight’s Sheath was experiencing its evening excitement. Customers flooded in to indulge in hedonism, and as usual, Alexis had her hands full serving drinks and dealing with rowdy customers. As she carried an empty tray back to the bar counter, she spotted Sophia coming down the stairs, trembling and looking gaunt. Assuming the worst, Alexis rushed over.

“Sophia, what’s wrong?”

“I was just upstairs, tending to an injury,” she said with her face pale.

“Oh God. Whoever hurt the girls, I’ll yank out his spine and whip him with it!”

“No, no, it’s the opposite. One of the customers was wounded.”

“What happened? Did Bella have another episode?”

“It was Yolanda. Everything was going fine, but apparently, when she got on top, she dropped down the wrong way, and ... his thing ... snapped.”

Alexis recoiled in horror. “It can do that?”

“Apparently it can! I mean, it’s not like it broke off, but something gave. I was able to heal the uh ... extremity, but honestly, I could only do it while he had a blanket over his lap. Understandably, he’s not too happy. I’m going to ask Cyrilo what we should do. Should we give him a drink voucher?”

“Yeah, you should definitely talk to...” Alexis stopped as she looked to the hallway leading to Cyrilo’s study, where she just saw a man she didn’t recognize turn the corner and disappear. “Stay here.” She followed the man down the hallway. “You, there! Stop!” The man glared at her. He was taller than she was, fairly older, and the way he carried himself gave her a bad feeling. “Customers aren’t allowed back here.”

“Where is Cyrilo? I need to speak with her.”

“Give me your name and wait back in the parlor. I’ll let her know she has a visitor.”

The man ignored her and turned away, heading closer toward Cyrilo’s study.

“Hey! Get back here!”

Alexis rushed over and grabbed his shoulder, then jumped back when he spun around with a knife in his hand.

“Stay out of my way, bitch,” he growled.

“You think you’re the first guy to come here and pull a knife on me?” Alexis challenged.

The man lunged, aiming for her throat. She dodged the stab and tried to kick the back of his knee, but he shifted his footing and went for a slash. She ducked down to avoid it and rolled across the floor, getting behind him and blocking off the path to Cyrilo’s study. He spun around, and she kicked him in the chest, but he maintained his posture and came at her with a flurry of attacks.

She avoided and redirected each strike away from her body, the two fighters moving with lightning-fast reflexes. He was skilled, but what scared Alexis was the droplets she felt splash her cheek when she dodged a stab. There was some kind of liquid on the blade of his knife.

‘A poisoned blade? This man isn’t a warrior or adventurer with a grudge; he’s an assassin!’

Alexis avoided getting cut by a narrow margin, and managed to land two punches and a kick, sending him staggering back just long enough for her to rip a candleholder off the wall. She threw the candle and he avoided the molten wax, then closed in for another stab. However, she blocked his attack with the metal holder, used like a parrying dagger.

The man cursed and tried another barrage of strikes, but now, Alexis could defend against every attempt, and each failed attack was met with a counter, be it a painful punch or a rib-cracking kick. Ever since she was a child, Alexis had trained with obsessive dedication, and after her time at the knight academy, even a skilled assassin couldn’t leave a mark in an exchange of blades.

The man wasn’t blind to the situation, and though it would anger his superior and bruise his ego, he realized this was a battle he couldn’t win. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a glass bottle full of nails, and pointed the bottom at her. “Gale Burst!”

Alexis instinctively shielded her face and vital areas, saving her life as a flameless explosion surged within the bottle, shattering it and sending a wall of shrapnel flying at her like a blunderbuss. The enchanted air knocked Alexis off her feet, while nails and broken glass splattered her blood on the walls, floor, and ceiling. Given this opening, the man turned and ran, rushing right past Sophia and into the parlor.

He stopped and turned to her. “You! The assistant!”

He lunged towards Sophia, but Alexis, shredded from head to toe, tackled him and knocked him to the floor. He elbowed her in the face to free himself and scrambled back to his feet, but she wasn’t going to quit. She had lost a decent amount of blood and was compensating with pure fury. She stood up, dodging several more slashes with the whole Knight’s Sheath watching in stunned silence. Unfortunately, she lost the candleholder and was once more unarmed.

“Alexis!” Sophia cried out, seeing her dripping blood.

Instead of replying, Alexis reached out and stole the belt from Sophia’s dress. She swung it at the man, striking his arm as he lunged and throwing off his attacks. She then grabbed the belt with both hands and went for the throat. He raised his knife to his neck and cut through the belt before it could close around him. Alexis reformed her hold and wrapped the belt around his wrist.

She got behind him, kicking the back of his knee and knocking him to the floor. Then, while wrapping her legs around his other arm, she grabbed his bound wrist with one hand and held both ends of the belt behind his head with the other, now pulling the knife towards the man’s throat. It became a competition of strength, the man’s one arm against Alexis’s two, and it was a losing battle.

“Who sent you?! Give me a name!” she demanded as the blade inched ever closer.

“Never!” he growled, resisting with desperate strength. He tried wrenching his other arm free and flailing his legs, but Alexis wasn’t giving in.

“Tell me who it was or I’ll kill you here and now!”

Then, to Alexis’s shock, rather than resisting her, he plunged the dagger into his neck, driving it ever deeper until he succeeded in severing his spinal column. A simple throat-slitting could have been healed, but with this, his secrets died with him. The whole Knight’s Sheath was left in shock as the assassin’s blood pooled on the floor.

Following the failed assassination attempt, the local knight, Lady Frigga, arrived with a group of soldiers and found there was nothing left to do but ask questions and take the body. While Cyrilo spoke to the knight, Sophia was busy tending to Alexis.

“How do you feel?” Sophia asked, removing shrapnel and closing one wound after another.

“I’ll live,” Alexis mumbled, not making eye contact.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” she replied, still despondent.

Cyrilo walked over, having regressed to an attractive woman in her thirties. “Are you two ok?”

“We’re fine, don’t worry,” said Alexis.

“You’ve done truly spectacular work tonight, Alexis. Making you my bodyguard has been the best decision I ever made. I owe you a debt of gratitude.”

“Thanks,” Alexis said softly.

Frigga then approached. “He wasn’t carrying anything aside from the poisoned knife and what we suspect to be the antidote. We’ll check to see if he has any identifying marks, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up. You must have seriously angered someone.” She then turned to Alexis and smiled. “But from what I heard, you were incredible. People have been talking about a girl here that beats up any customers who step out of line. You even have some nicknames floating around. Ever thought of joining the knighthood?”

Alexis sighed. “I’ve toyed with the idea.”

“I’ll come back to deliver any good news. All of you, stay safe.” She then turned to Cyrilo and nodded. “Madam.” She did the same to Alexis. “Mistress.”

Things were quiet for a while after that. Cyrilo’s publishing was still on hold as details with the king were hammered out, but Alexis received new levels of respect for her vanquishing of the assassin, from the girls, the customers, and even the neighbors. But several days after the attack, the last man she wanted to see entered the Knight’s Sheath.

“Father,” she gasped, dropping the glass she was holding. She had his sharp eyes, but not his hair, and as he approached, Alexis noticed the gauntness of stress. “What are you doing here?”

“Your uncle and I received letters that our daughters were working in a brothel, but even after everything you’ve done, I had to see it to believe it. You’ve always been rebellious, but now you’ve brought shame to yourself, me, and our entire family. Are you happy?”

“I haven’t committed any sin or crime, I swear, and neither has Sophia.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not lying! I help run the counter, and Sophia is the owner’s magic assistant and the resident healer. We only agreed to work here because it got us out of the dungeon, and were assured we’d never have to do anything improper.”

“And yet you’re here because you befriended the most-wanted man in the country. Sophia’s parents were shaken enough by the dueling scandal, but this...”

“Our knighthood status was revoked because of him, and we will be listed as traitors if we leave the city. Madam Cyrilo offered us shelter and work until Noah is caught and our innocence is proven.”

“Lord Boris,” Sophia said, approaching the counter with trembling steps. Alexis’s father only gave her a look of disgust.

“Sophia, so this is what you’ve become. You were a member of the church, a healer, a beacon of hope for the branch family, but then we heard about your affair, and your engagement was dissolved.”

“Galvin was the one who wagered her! The fault lies with him!”

“What’s going on here?”

All eyes turned to Cyrilo, entering the fray.

“It’s none of your concern,” Boris growled.

“I am the proprietress of this establishment, and you’re airing your dirty laundry in my parlor. If you three need to have a family conversation, I’ll prepare a room for you to speak privately, but I would prefer you not cause a scene in front of my customers.”

“No need, I’ll be brief. Your father didn’t have the heart to come here himself, Sophia, but he asked me, if I saw you here and the rumors were true, to tell you you’re no longer his daughter. You both have brought shame on our family and are henceforth banished. Don’t ever show your faces in my territory again.” He turned around and walked away, leaving Alexis and Sophia stunned.

Fury shook Alexis out of her stupor and she jumped over the counter and chased her father into the street. “Fine! Go celebrate your wish being granted! You’re finally rid of me!”

Boris turned to her. “You think this is easy for me? You think I want this?”

“After years of trying to sell me off to one noble after another, I think you finally have an excuse to cut your losses.”

“I did that for you! You are a Veres! As a duke, as a father, how could I let you waste your life wallowing in mud and gore? I wanted you to live a proper life, to be taken care of.”