The silence was nearly deafening. Nobody wanted to be the one to talk or make any noise after the Lord exploded like that, it was one of the few times Knights were actually worried about repercussions.
Eddy just looked down the table, trying to hide his stomach ache from showing on his face.
They waited for about a minute.
Then his sister smiled and tore off a piece of bread from her loaf. He felt his anger subside and grabbed a piece with her.
The Knights took the cue and began to eat as well.
Eddy picked up his cup and took a sip, "What the?" He sat it down and looked inside to see the bloody color of wine.
He muttered to his sister, "Who drinks wine in the morning?" She giggled and placed her loaf down.
She was opening her mouth to speak when a Knight called out, "Milord? This is a serious topic, may we return to discussion?"
Eddy smiled meekly at her, "We can talk later, I have so much to ask."
She smiled and continued eating her bread like a Lady.
Eddy felt his body recovering slightly, it would take time to regain the Mana he lost just now, but the Stamina issue was being fought back once more.
He was almost worried he was going to gain a trait like, "Hot-headed" or something from the grand strategy games.
The only thing they could really do now was wait for information. Then Eddy heard a loud *BOOM* ring out from the right side of the room, and he turned his head to see Rodrick carrying a body like a sack of potatoes.
Miranda began to turn red and silently wept, her eyes were locked onto the monster being carried in.
Eddy turned to her as he heard a small sniffle, "Sis, you should go to your room, you don't need to see this." He gently stood and grabbed her hand before a young Knight volunteered to lead her away from the scene.
Eddy noted the man's tunic and the symbol embossed on it. A triangle of blue fish with the ocean surrounding them.
He hoped that she wouldn't throw up all the food she had eaten, she was so thin it was scary.
He tried to clear the thoughts away, she'd be okay, everyone would be fine.
The Knights were standing and gathering around a lower area in the hall, it looked like a small stage almost, dropping down like a mini amphitheater.
Eddy began his slow walk, thinking about how to handle a man fairly that had tortured his sister.
'I can't be impartial.' He gave up instantly.
He thought, 'There is a reason why a jury of your peers was the method in America, so they could judge your actions as they might be in your shoes.'
But here? He was the only peer this man had. Necessarily, he was also the judge and executioner.
He was taking his sweet time, he needed an out.
Rodrick interrupted him, "Lord Blackstone. This man is guilty of High Treason, he has killed innocents, tortured a noble, and rebelled against the High King."
The Knights were silent. Waiting for Thaddeus to round them and enter into the lower area.
He turned and saw a man kneeling with a smile on his face.
Eddy was contemplating when the man spoke, "Little Lord...little Lord, why are you standing so far away? Don't like the sight of blood?"
Eddy sighed and stepped forward, he was confident in Rodrick's ability to restrain.
"I don't mind blood." He spoke softly, "I just don't understand, why would you kill those close to you?"
The man smirked, "Close? Why would I be close with my lessers?" Then he spit blood at Eddy's feet, some splashing on his new outfit.
Eddy gestured strangely, "And what do you suppose caused you to be such a cunt?" He mimed writing down the list of problems the psychopath had about those that "deserved" it.
He continued, "Was it your father? Did he beat you? Maybe he even...no..he didn't fuck you, did he?" Eddy smiled and glared at him, trying to goat him into spilling his big plan.
The Knights were about to fall over, they had never heard a Lord curse, let alone THIS.
Rodrick was pale and the man on the ground was giggling.
Eddy's tone took a sour turn, "I have seen nobles like you. Pieces of shit." He felt the Knights around him tense up.
Eddy nodded, agreeing with himself, "There are a lot of them, I am guessing you don't fall far from the shit-tree."
The man erupted, "You are speaking about the Royal Family, you know? YOU ARE GOING TO END UP LIKE ME!!" He began howling with laughter.
Eddy shrugged, "You think Erickson doesn't know? He made this happen, fool."
The man stopped and looked gravely at Rodrick, "I wondered why 'he' was escorting a brat like you..."
He nodded, seeming to accept his fate.
"Kill me, sell me, or ransom me. I care little." He fell into a dejected state, apathetic of the outcome.
Eddy was stunned, 'I had that playing out differently. No yelling? No, I'LL GET YOU, BOY!?'
Rodrick was looking at the man, holding the ropes, Eddy asked the room, "So, Knights, what do we do?"
"I vote for execution!" At least 13 Knights spoke at once, like they had rehearsed it.
"We should ransom him." A few voices spoke.
The majority said nothing.
Eddy pointed to one of the reasonable Knights from their 'debate' and asked, "What do you think?"
The man froze for a moment before standing straighter. "Milord?" He responded, his confusion evident.
"I asked what you thought about this. Should we execute or ransom him?" He gestured for the man to reply.
"Milord, I-I-I." He stuttered for a moment, then steeled his nerve, "I believe it is wise to either execute the man immediately for his crimes, or....perhaps, hold him as proof of the instigation?"
Eddy could see the intelligence in this Knight's eyes, he was playing all sides. He agreed with the 13 others immediately, then he left a slightly ambiguous middle as if he was actually undecided, then he ended with his actual opinion.
"Why would we hold him as proof?" Eddy was curious.
"Milord, it is common for civil wars to be disputes that are blown out of proportion when the end comes. If we have a member alive from the attempted coup, then we have a stronger case for the trial." The Knight spoke a little too freely.
Eddy nodded, "The old, 'He was a radical member of our group, he isn't representative of us!' tactic."
The Knight looked confused for a moment and then caught the meaning, "Yes. It makes it hard to enact annexation without hard proof of treason." He smiled.
Eddy was enamored with the man, he seemed to have actual brains for once.
Eddy noticed that the mark on his hand began to flash and burn.
"Confirmation? So soon?" Captain Howard and others spoke out.
Eddy watched as 3 Knights present began to turn red, their skin going flush from the pain.
"Wh-what is happening?" One of them spoke, he had a moon in an upside down tree embossed on his chest.
Rodrick nodded at Howard, "IF YOU ARE LOYAL TO LORD BLACKSTONE, APPREHEND THE FALSE KNIGHTS!"
The tugging began around Rodrick and Howard as they influenced it with their authority.
The Lord on the ground began laughing at their misfortune, "Poor fools, you couldn't even do your job correctly, hahaha!!" He rolled down and swayed from Rodrick like a stone.