The day of our meeting had arrived. Gilbert, Anita, and a dozen armed escorts joined me. Oscar, meanwhile, was accompanied by only two servants.
“You have my sincerest gratitude for granting me an audience on such short notice, Your Majesty,” Oscar said.
Gilbert was taken aback by the man’s politeness—and so was I. The Ausgrids were enemies of the Great Five, or a nuisance to them, at least. They’d never been this straightforward with me, not even when feigning fealty to the crown.
“My, what proper manners you have,” I said. “Now, then, let’s get right to the point.”
“Layfe Weston is involved with human trafficking,” Oscar said.
“Telling on your father, are we? What proof do you have?”
“Letters from House Beckford with instructions on sending children to House Weston to be sold at a later time. Unfortunately, the only letters with proper insignias are House Beckford’s.”
Oscar handed a stack of documents to Gilbert, who quickly rifled through them before passing them off to me. I confirmed their contents myself. These were lists similar to the ones found at House Beckford. It was a good thing for Oscar that the documents we’d recovered had House Weston’s seal on them—he no longer needed to feel guilty about lacking the proof himself. If anything, this proved the theory that members of the Great Five were poised to stab each other in the back.
But still…
“Were there no documents bearing the insignia of House Slade?” I asked.
“I’m afraid not, Your Majesty. I looked everywhere for them, but I couldn’t find any.”
I’d imagined the houses would have evidence against each other, but it appeared the situation was more complex. Houses Beckford and Weston had nothing to tie House Slade to these crimes. This would imply that House Slade held additional authority over the other two houses, though I’d originally envisioned the three as equals.
“Very well. I appreciate your honesty, but why did you do this?” I asked. “You know that passing these documents off to me will not end well for House Weston. Were you not aware of what happened at my coronation?”
“It does not matter. House Weston will meet its end by your hand,” Oscar said.
“Oh?”
“Nearly half of our bureaucrats have come under your control, and they are among our most talented staff. House Weston would be nothing without them. Even if the others completely abandoned their tasks, the local government could still operate. The situation is similar to the Radfords’ just prior to your coronation.”
“You’re well informed. Have I been a bit too bold with my actions?” I said, grinning. I had to admit that his attentiveness delighted me.
“No. I only know about this because of my familiarity with what happened to House Radford and the horrible incident from eleven years ago.”
His words gave me pause. Eleven years ago? He must be talking about my parents’ murder!
“You… How do you know about the incident that occurred eleven years ago?” I asked him, pushing past my hesitation.
“I first learned of it from Wilhelm Radford,” Oscar replied. “Then I discovered my family’s involvement in the incident on my own.”
“Wilhelm knew? You’re certain?”
“Yes. I swear upon my family’s name.”
“How long ago was this?”
“Over five years ago now. When Wilhelm learned of the horrible truth behind the deaths of the previous king and queen, he decided to bring down his house—which he did. Evidence of your attempted poisoning was exposed to your servants, and he ensured that the other members of his family had no hope of escape on the day of your coronation. He was one step ahead of those who would interfere with your rule, and he dealt with them accordingly.”
I wanted to scream that this must be a lie. But what if Oscar spoke the truth? Just how much misery did I put Wilhelm through?
“Here is the evidence of my family’s involvement with the king and queen’s assassination,” Oscar said.
Gilbert took the proffered letter from him. The look on his face once he’d skimmed the contents was an unusual sight. Rarely did I ever see him so surprised.
“You do understand what it means for you to entrust me with these documents, don’t you?” I said.
“Yes. My family has committed acts of treason against the royal family. You may execute me, along with the rest of my house.”
“Tell me, why are you not begging for your life in exchange for this information?”
“I believe that House Weston must fall. Selling off our own citizens, opposing the royal family—it’s entirely unacceptable. Only the dissolution of House Weston can lead to a better future. I have provided evidence to expedite its destruction.”
I felt the immense weight behind his words. None of it felt insincere in the slightest. His manner of speaking was of someone who had experienced much discord and despair. But even then, I didn’t fully understand his motive.
“What is it you truly want?” I asked him.
Perhaps I simply lacked the ability to fully trust him because of his familial ties, but his expression told me there was something more to this. I needed that clarity.
Oscar looked confused for a moment, then smiled. “My best friend did everything he could for this kingdom. It wouldn’t be right for me to avoid punishment. Also, I felt you should know what Wilhelm did for you.”
“Is that why you smiled at me during the coronation?”
“Yes. I opposed his decision, but seeing him look so thoroughly satisfied…I couldn’t help myself.” Oscar bowed his head, as if to apologize for troubling me.
“Who is this servant you’ve brought with you?”
“Sam. He has nothing to do with this,” Oscar said firmly.
“Everyone besides Oscar, Sam, and Tommy—you will forget what you’ve heard about my parents’ assassination and leave this room. Guards, stand by outside. Gilbert and Anita, wait in my office.”
Everyone did as I commanded with my magic. I looked at Oscar and Sam. “Now the only ones who know the truth are the four of us. You’ve been listening, right, Tommy?”