Abel knew he couldn't interfere with the local lord's rule—hadn't they done the same in the Marquisate of Yeats? But in that instance, there had been an obvious mistake; the marquis had secretly defied the emperor's orders, and thus deserved punishment.
Earl Caldwell, however, was guilty only of collecting too many taxes—no real crime. He was merely exercising his authority as lord.
"My honor won't be tarnished if this becomes known," Abel thought.
Excessive taxes were a common occurrence in local fiefdoms. Since it was spring, the lord's warehouses were likely empty, necessitating a collection to keep the estate running. Surely, no one would complain.
"This is too much trouble. Do I really need to see Count Caldwell?" Cordell McNeil suddenly asked.
Guided by Caldwell's knights, Abel had listened to this complaint more times than he could count. Cordell had been grumbling about it the entire way.
