Chapter 35: What Secrets Lie Beneath?

By 9 p.m., the banquet ended. Sean departed Count Rivers' castle with Windsor, feeling unsatisfied—not just from the drama with Brodie and Jessica, but because he'd barely eaten."Windsor, did you eat enough?" Sean asked as they approached the carriage. Windsor and another guard carried a chest containing 10,000 gold coins from Duke Lane (Henry had already deducted expenses, leaving ~9,000)."Not really," Windsor admitted."Then we'll have a late - night meal! You're a 1,000 - gold man now!" Sean joked.Lucio, a Silver - armored guard and Lucas' son, piped up: "May I join? I've been standing guard all day.""Of course," Sean replied. "The more, the merrier.""What's 'merrier'?" Lucio asked.Sean improvised: "A saying from Paromia. It means 'welcome.'"…In the carriage, Henry reported: "I networked with other stewards. They scoffed at your 'reckless' policies until I mentioned your generous pay."Sean recounted the evening's events, including Count Rivers' 1,000 - gold offer. Henry's respect for Windsor surged."Henry, what do you know about Viscount Mill and Waterpine?" Sean asked."Little, Your Highness. The Mill, Smith, and Hunter families align with us. The Rivers, Lakes, and Brooks clans keep to themselves."Sean frowned. Why did Jessica provoke Brodie? The pieces didn't add up:bandits "suicides": 2 Silver - rank and 12 Bronze - rank warriors? Unlikely.Mercenary recommendations: Count Rivers pushed Wolfpack and Silver Hourglass, while William subtly suggested Flame Cross.Jessica's plot: Her clumsy manipulation hinted at deeper motives involving the dying Viscount Mill.

Sean's gratitude toward Count Rivers cooled. There's more to this than meets the eye.…Back at the residence, Sean couldn't sleep. Why would Count Rivers lie about the bandits deaths? What's his connection to the Black Hand Brotherhood? And why involve Jessica?He resolved to investigate Flame Cross Mercenaries first thing in the morning. With Windsor's loyalty secure and Henry gathering intelligence ,perhaps the truth would soon emerge.