Rewrite The Details.

"My lord, the members from the royal court are here. They said they have a letter from the court to meet you today." lord Velmore paused in his tracks. His mood had hardly improvised but now, they were here to ruin it again.

His jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed with hatred.

"Take them to the meeting room, i will be there soon." he commanded with gritting teeth. "Where is Cladria?" 

"The lady had gone out, my lord. Should we send guards to look for her." his eyes deepened and then he shook his head. 

"That would not be needed. She should never be asked where she was going and should not be disturbed in any case." the guard bowed his head and retracted. Lord Velmore cursed under his breath!.

"Elias! I will see how far you can survive. Your death would be most gruesome to the limit that you would beg for it. Just you wait!" 

When Lord Velmore entered the room, Elias was already sitting inside with the guards and the men from the royal court. They all stood up when he entered except Elias. He kept sitting as if he owned the place. The man had a cold smirk on his face that could anger even the saints. 

"Oh, you would not mind me sitting, right? After all, we have the same ranking and after getting your properties today, I will be far more stronger than you in wealth." Velmore could barely hold the mask of civility on his face after hearing Elias. His jaw went tight and knuckles turned white.

"Not at all, i do not believe in many formalities anyway, lord crestford, and you are my guest tonight." he took the seat of head in the room. 

To his right sat the royal scribe with an ink pot ready and quill poised. Beside him stood a pair of court officials draped in the colors of the Crown, signifying royal authority. They were silent, impartial witnesses of today's event. Two armed guards flanked the doors and stared at everything with alert eyes.

And across from Velmore sat Elias Crestford, dressed in a dark, finely cut coat. He had a calm and composed look of a winner on his face. His one hand resting on the hilt of his sword, the other holding rolled parchment bearing the seal of the royal court.

"The court," one of the officials announced in a voice echoing through the hall, "has reviewed the matter of property and found the claim valid. As per the judgment, half of Baron Velmore's assets, specifically those within Crestford's legal jurisdiction shall be transferred to Lord Elias Crestford."

Velmore rose slowly, every inch of his body taut with fury. "That is nonsense. The court had commanded me to share half of my properties. But they did not name any. I will decide what properties I would like to give up on. Elias crestford had no right to choose. He had already used unscrupulous means to cheat me out of my properties. I have never attacked him nor have I tried to kill him. It was all fabricated lies he had made to fool everyone. If I am pressed too much, I refuse to cooperate and want another trial." the man stared at Elias with a brooding glare to scare him. But Elias was not a least bit perturbed. 

He just smiled as if he was facing a fool. The scribe did not know how to continue. He looked at Elias for taking the stand. The man softly chuckled and glanced at the court officials and royal guards with mock concern. "I see. Then, Lord Velmore must be implying that the Crown's court is either blind… or foolish enough to be swayed by lies. I just spouted some random words and presented fake documents, yet they believed it and announced the result in my favor when lord Velmore was completely innocent." 

The words struck like a blade. Velmore's face reddened, but he could not speak. He could not protest that he was innocent if the court was going to be dragged. This man.. He did not play with the rules. 

He did not utter a word when the royal eyes watched him like a hawk. A long silence followed. Then, with a dramatic gesture, the scribe laid down the official copy of the divided estate on the nearby table. Gilmore's eyes flicked across it and he read quickly. Then his expression twisted.

"This is way too much. You have taken all the prosperous land of my estates! Not only that, you also demand two of my mines! The holdings granted to Elias were substantial. It was more than I had promised."He had some outer barren lands. That was the only thing he wanted to give to Elias but this was not what he had expected. It was much more than he could stomach.

Elias noticed the rage burning Velmore's chest. He was waiting for this moment. He smiled softly, looking like a predator who had cornered his prey.

"Baron Velmore," Elias said smoothly, "I understand your reluctance. You built much of this with your own hands or those of others, I suppose." His eyes gleamed knowingly. "If the loss of half your assets weighs so heavily, I have an alternative."

Velmore looked up, skeptical. This man could not be up to any good.

"I will relinquish one-third of the property assigned to me. In exchange…" Elias's voice lowered slightly, but the words cut through the air, "I want all your slaves."

The room stilled and Velmore blinked.

"All of them?" he asked, slowly.

"Yes." Elias's tone was calm and casual, as if he were discussing the weather. "Every servant, laborer, and bondman currently owned by House Velmore will belong to me then."

Velmore hesitated. Slaves were valuable. They were skilled and trained for years so that they could stay loyal to the land. But they could be bought again and replaced. Lands, however… acquiring and developing new property would take years.

"You truly are an impulsive fool," Velmore said with a chuckle, hiding the relief creeping into his voice. "Since that is what you are wise for, I will accept it"

The court officials exchanged a glance, then nodded. "It is within the law to adjust the terms, should both parties agree. The agreement shall be rewritten."

"Then rewrite them!"