Tyrant's Obsession With The Heiress-Chapter 34: Our Liege Is Bewitched By The Lady

"The Lady," Maleck, the cousin of Van Merikh, asked casually. "Who is she?"

Orpheus' knights were still awaiting his return, conversing amongst themselves about all manners of immoral things.

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The food had been served, and the servants scattered and rushed about so as not to incur the knights' wrath.

And now the men sat in disjointed conversation as they drank the wine and gobbled down the food like ruffians.

No business was allowed to be conducted without their liege's presence.

And Maleck's question was on everyone's mind.

"She is the lady of Moonveil," Lyall answered, swirling his wind around in his enamel mug. "Her father was the Garrison commander and we have sent him back to Steelveld Castle."

"You have not slain him?" Maleck's brow arched, his arms folded under his chest.

"Nay," came Lyall's vague reply.

Now properly informed of the lady's identity, Maleck cast some of the other knights at the table a long, thoughtful glance.

"And what is the lady still doing here?" He questioned, tapping his finger on the table.

"That, you will have to question Van Merikh about," one of the other knights replied, hoarding slices of cheese into his mouth.

It was certainly an unusual and puzzling situation.

Whenever the army of Van Merikh commandeered a fortress, the women and children were usually the first ones to be dismissed and let go.

Orpheus had made that one of the primary rules of all his conquests for women were unnecessary and proved to be distractions, while children were simply a waste or military provisions.

The women could be useful in other regards, but they were never allowed to stick around longer than needed for the knights to enjoy.

Even now, several castles along the Marches were virtually women-free at Van Merikh's order.

But somehow at Moonveil, apparently the rules had been bent and changed.

"Naturally, because the lady must fulfil her duty of warming his bed," one of the other generals, Siegmund, spoke.

He was an older man, wiser, and served at Orpheus' side for the majority of his life. And he formed part of the few who could walk away unscathed after speaking his mind.

"There would be no other explanation or alternative other than that," Siegmund finished off.

"The lady dispenses business and administers the coffers of Moonveil," Lyall interjected, smacking his lips to the tart wine. "And beyond that, I cannot let my mouth run more."

"Yet, there are seven women in this castle," Caelum Montero spoke, his mouth stuffed.

Now that raised a few eyebrows.

"Seven?" Siegmund repeated it incredulously, swinging his legs that were resting on the table off of it. "What use would Van Merikh have for allowing seven women to remain here?"

"It is all because that lady has completely bewitched him."

The knights and generals all glanced over at Hendrix Alonso, who interjected. He was seated at the far end of the table and well into his fourth cup of wine.

When he noticed the intense attention on him, he glanced at Lyall and made a sharp gesture with his hand.

"Tell me, am I wrong?" He asked Lyall and the other knights. "The witch has cast a spell upon him some way or the other. His attention is always on her when it should be focused on our next target. She weeps just a little and he folds like an idiot head over heels."

Pensive gazes were passed around and the light banter from earlier fell silent.

"Do you wish to know why there are seven women still in this castle? Simply because she asked it of Van Merikh. The witch cried and pleaded for him not to dispose of her women, and lo and behold, the women were not cast away."

Hendrix spoke with a bitter laugh following, slamming down his empty mug.

It was certainly bewildering news.

Lyall's guarded glance surveyed around the table, pondering about what the generals had been thinking, ashamed and defensive on Orpheus' behalf.

But the bitter truth was that he sided with them too.

Orpheus was losing sight of who he was.

Who he should have been.

"Van Merikh is our liege," Lyall said, reminding the knights and generals despite his agreement with their opinions. "He is at liberty to do as he pleases and if it is his wish to allow the women to remain, then so be it."

"It is not our position to question his decisions," Lyall continued, his piercing glare pinning each general and knight where they sat. "I, for one, will not."

Tension brewed in the great hall as every man bred to the banners under Van Merikh was conflicted and struggling not to bark more than their tongue should have allowed.

"He is defying the rules and regulations that he himself has set forth upon the rest of us," another general named Esenel spoke, having been the most opinionated of the lot of them and risked much with his loud mouth.

"Van Merikh demands that we dispose of the weak and small within our garrisons yet he shows hypocrisy and does not adhere to it," Esenel added.

"He is our liege," Lyall reminded him again, louder this time. "If you would dare to question Van Merikh as to his reasons, then be my guest."

Esenel would not cross the line so far as to question Orpheus.

Only a fool or madman would dare to do so and Esenel was not entirely dull in the mind.

But Hendrix was now onto his fifth mug of wine and his tongue was greatly at liberty.

"It is the lady who rules and controls Moonveil, not Van Merikh," he rumbled with a dry cackle. "He has proved he would go to great lengths for her. Why else do you think he cut down the enemy knight posted in the bailey? Because the witch begged him to."

He downed the entire mug, slamming it back on the table again.

"She pleaded with him to bury the bastard and the son he fathered, to which he lied he killed," Hendrix rambled on.

It was more stunning news one after the other, and the generals did nothing more than glance uneasily at each other.

How did this lady possess so much power over a barbaric warlord they believed to be beyond such wiles?

It was impressive, to say the least.

And Lyall felt as though he had been making excuses for their liege in front of the others.