"Not at all. Come in, come in." Jack spoke to Lucius.
Verruca quickly slipped her feet back into her boots. [Oh, Light... Lucius just saw that, didn't he? Why didn't his old bones knock on the door!?]
Lucius had, in fact, knocked on the door. He just didn't wait for The Holy Witch King to tell him to come in. Lucius made his way to the only chair left in the room, the chair to the right of Verruca. As he walked, he was careful of walking on the golden grass.
"Lucius, it isn't going to bite you, just walk normally," Jack said jokingly. Lucius however, wasn't sure what was going on... He hadn't had any burnt offerings today...
"Just what is all this?" He inquired.
"This was a demonstration of a new Hymn, I have... recently found." Jack changed the way he was going to say this, thinking back to what Verruca had said about telling anyone. If he couldn't tell them, he best not tell anyone else, even Lucius.
"What is the purpose of this Hymn?"
"It looks nice and is used for special occasions. I was just showing it to Leslie and Verruca, while We were waiting for you."
"Oh, I see?" [When did his Grace become so playful? Losing his memories seems to have changed him a bit...] Lucius thought.
"We were just going over why Neolith maybe coming to Us. Verruca has suggested that it may have to do with Dragon's Jaw or Jakahn." Jack spoke of the previous conversation.
"Well, We do know that Jakahn and Dragon's jaw have been playing nice for thousands of years now, but it is possible that Dragon's Jaw may wish to take Neolith and use it as a staging area to attack Jakahn, as the mountain range between them and Jakahn makes moving an army difficult," Lucius added in his opinion, while glancing at the golden garden that had taken over the office. It had finally stopped expanding; it even had golden ivy growing among the flowers and grass.
Leslie spoke up this time, "Jakahn has always been land hungry. If it wasn't for the history books, we wouldn't know of the Democracy of Yand."
"What is the Democracy of Yand?" Jack asked.
"Ah, they were taken over by Jakahn about eight thousand years ago. It was the nation that was in between them and Neolith." Verruca added.
[I remember absorbing the history of the kingdom. The Holy Kingdom of Deagoth was only founded about five thousand years ago, and I'm the second Holy Witch King.] What bothered Jack was that in all the books he absorbed... There was no mention of where he came from, as The Holy Witch King. The first Holy Witch King founded the Kingdom and ruled it for three thousand years. He then granted the Title to the second Holy Witch King, who was now Jack.
"We could be considered the youngest kingdom here, right?" Jack asked...
"Yes, only the Republic of Stonedge is younger than us. They founded three thousand years ago, from the broken remains of the Union of Undead Masons." Lucius spoke.
Jack decided he really needed to go grab the books on the rest of the country histories... He figured he only needed to know about his kingdom's history... Jack was a bonehead.
Verruca finally chimed in again, "We aren't going to know anything until the ambassadors get here."
"Yes, but if We can anticipate what they may want, We can make a better treaty," Jack said while rapping his fingers on the table, and propping his head with his left hand.
Lucius was about to say something, but then he just got a telepathic message from Archbishop Taylor. Archbishop Taylor was one of the quieter members of the council, just like Javon, but even more so in that, she never spoke unless it was absolutely necessary.
"One second, your Grace, everyone..." Lucius motioned with his hands. The other three went silently looking at Lucius.
[What's wrong with him?] Jack wondered... It would be a few minutes before Jack would find the wonders of Telepathic messages.
[You're absolutely sure?] Lucius asked again, sending out his telepathic message.
[Yes. I have just received a report from my priests in Sosuhalf, that a massive cave-in happened at the Little Gloom Glowstone mine. After my priests did their investigation, one of the names that were extinguished in the cave in was Nicholas Grimnight... Father of Consort Leslie...] Archbishop Taylor finished sending the message. These messages took magic to send; those without Cultivation couldn't receive or send them.
[I will inform, his Grace.] Lucius spoke ending the message.
"Your Grace, I have just received some horrible news."
"Oh... Did the Officials of Unlife try to skip town?" Jack guess but was wrong.
"Errr. No, your Grace. A Cave in took place at Little Gloom Glowstone mine in Sosuhalf."
Jack immanently stood up, and the golden flames danced in his eyes. "They work quickly... I thought they would be quiet for another month... It's only been about a day since court!"
Verruca furrowed her brows... She could guess what this could mean, as it obviously had something to do with the Grimnights of Sosuhalf.
Leslie looked a bit unsure, she knew her family owned this mine, but didn't know why this was such a big deal. It wasn't the first time a cave in had happened with the pithy bedrock of the Underworld.
"Is he gone?" Jack asked, playing the pronoun game.
Lucius nodded his head.
Jack sat back down.
[Should I tell Leslie...?] Jack pondered in his head, his face exposing no expression, but his posture showed he was deeply worried.
Verruca was the first to ask, "What happened?"
Lucius looked over to Verruca and then to Leslie, but didn't say anything. He knew it wasn't his place to say, and if his Grace wanted to tell them, it was his business.
[Should I make Verruca and Lucius leave the room? If I do that, they might not trust me as much as before, but if I let them stay then Leslie might feel awkward...] Jack was becoming more concerned on how to deliver the information than what the information contained.
He knew this was going to happen, but he just didn't know it was going to be so soon. The fact that the Grimnight Clan acted before he felt they would, really infuriated him. He was already angry that they had made a move on his consort's parents, then they did it before he could save them, and lastly... They put him in this position to tell Leslie in front of the Verruca and Lucius.
[Screw it; everyone is going to know soon...] Jack toss the decision behind him, he didn't feel like dealing with it, with as much as he already had to do. This was actually the correct choice. Had he asked Verruca to leave, it would have hurt her more than she already was, and Lucius would have felt slighted by the new consort considering he had a friendship with The Holy Witch King longer than she had been assisting with the Kingdom.
"Leslie, dear... I don't know how to break this to you... So I am just going to say it. Your father... has passed. He was in the mine cave in." Jack just blurted this out, with zero tact.
"What?!" Leslie startled mind was in chaos...
Jack made another audible sigh, and spoke, "I didn't expect your clan to be this fast. I figured I had about a month to deal with them before they made a move. It seems that your clan head is a decisive... undead." Jack was going to say man but added in undead. He had gotten better at the undead jargon, but sometimes when he spoke too fast, he would slip.
"No, my father wouldn't work in a mine. He would be at our home courtyard with my mother." Leslie was trying to deny it.
Lucius realized Jack's lack of finesse, and added in, "Consort Leslie. The report I just received from Archbishop Taylor stated that his priest took the toll and that Nicholas Grimnight had passed. I'm deeply sorry for your loss."
Black tears formed at the corners of Leslie's eyes. Only one member in her clan was named Nicholas... That was her father... [Jack was right... My clan killed my father, and now they are going to kill mom...]
"Daddy's gone..." Leslie made a small sound, as the black tears rolled down her cheeks and landed on the golden lotus in her hands, making the beauty of the flower all the more solemn.
Jack started to panic again, [CRAP, CRAP, CRAP!] Jack really had an irrational response to the tears of women. What else did he expect to happen, when he told Leslie what had happened to her father?
Lucius stood up, "I will excuse myself. I know this is hard news for the consort. Let me know if I can help, by message." He walked to the door and left the office and the golden garden behind.
Verruca had been mute since Jack told the news. She still had both her parents and didn't know how she would feel if one of them had been killed. This whole thing smelled of conspiracy to her. She hadn't heard Jack's summary of what happened, but after some of the things he just said, it was all but confirmed. The Grimnight Clan assassinated Leslie's father, and her mother was likely next.
She was conflicted. Did she want to stay and comfort Leslie, or did she want to leave?
[How do I fix this?] Jack was thinking over in his mind, [Wait! Leslie's mother is next! If her clan was this fast, how long does her mother have?]
"How do I send a message to Lucius?" Jack asked Verruca, as Leslie was currently sobbing.
[Wow, he really forgot a lot...] Verruca was coming to terms with Jack's memory loss. As Telepathic messaging was so basic, it did not appear in the tomes Jack had absorbed. It was the first technique all Cultivators learned. Each school of magic messaged a little differently, but it all had the same effect. Holy and Unholy magic had the fastest messages, but Cultivation limited how far they could be sent.
Verruca sent a message to Jack, giving him the spell and instructions on how to execute it.
Jack tested it, with Verruca, [Does this work?]
[Yes.] Verruca's voice echoed in his mind.
[Lucius can you hear me?] Jack sent the message.
[Ummm... Yes, your Grace...] Lucius responded, wondering why his Grace was being so odd.
[Get Jordan Grimnight, and make him tell us where Leslie's Mother works as a matron.] Jack sent grimly. Jack didn't know it, but even his mental voice sounded just like The Holy Witch King. It was a good thing that Jack had adjusted to his new body.
[OH! I will get this done immediately, your Grace!] Lucius was going to join up with his council of Archbishops, but dashed to the jail quarters as fast as he could.
"War Marshal Verruca.... c-can you leave me and Jack for a few minutes." Leslie sobbed out.
Verruca stood up and walked over to Leslie. She kneeled down to near eye level, but because of her large form, she was still a few inches taller than Leslie who was sitting with her knees tucked on the couch.
Verruca placed her large right palm on Leslie's shoulder, "If you need me... Ask for me, or ask Jack to fetch me... I'll help, however, I can..." With that, she stood up and left.
As soon as Verruca left, Leslie dashed out of her seat, and into Jack's arms.
"Daddy... Daddy's gone... W-why? I haven't seen my parents in s-so long. I thought that if I left the c-clan they would be fine... Why did this happen?" she asked and sobbed in Jacks rib cage. Jack still sat in his chair and folded his arms around his consort.
Jack patted her gently, "Leslie... What do you want me to do? Just tell me, and I will do it." He was at a complete loss and didn't know how to make this better... Jacks white vestments were now socked in a grey patch, from Leslie's tears.
"I want my parents..." Leslie clenched her teeth, with angry sobs. "I want both my f-father and mother here with me. I want them in the capital... I don't care how!" Her voice was sobbing, but at the end, it started to harden.
"You don't care how?" Jack asked tentatively.
"I don't!" She bit her lower lip when she finished that sentence.
"What if I wipe the remainder of your clan from the kingdom...? What if I cause mass genocide...? What if I become a monster to the people?" Jack asked while patting Leslie's back in a rhythmic pattern.
"Then be my monster... They are no clan of mine. A clan doesn't kill their members like this." Leslie said finally with hate.
"Last time I ask, remember what you're asking me. I will do whatever you want." Jack laid out his cards, the gears in his mind turning.
"YES! I DON'T CARE HOW!" Leslie near shouted!