The Final Redemption by Michael Manning (little red riding hood ebook free .txt) 📕

life. After my year long ordeal, I was havingtrouble seeing the importance of the constant political maneuveringinvolved in my life as a nobleman. “What can they do, seize my bankaccounts, strip me of my title? I could care less,” I saidtruthfully. “I’m tired of the whole thing.”

“Those are both possibilities,” agreedRose, “depending on the charges they convict you of, but there arefar more serious penalties; execution or banishment could be handeddown for what happened on Tremont’s lands.”

Not that I don’t perhapsdeserve those things, I thought tomyself, but after everything I’ve beenthrough… “They could try. I wouldn’t suggest it, but theycould try,” I told her with a stony glare.

“Suppose they did,” she began, “andyou flaunted the court’s justice. Certainly, you probably haveenough power to ignore their mandate. What would that mean, civilwar? Is that what you want? Is that what you fought Mal’goroth toprotect?”

“I wouldn’t have to go to war. Ariadnewould have enough sense to leave me alone,” I declared.

Rose frowned even more, “Think,Mordecai! Think! You are much brighter than this. What happens whenthe Queen can’t enforce her laws on you? What happens if shedoesn’t try? She’s already standing on shaky ground. Lothion hasnever been ruled by a woman before.”

“They wouldn’t dare try to deposeher,” I said ominously. “They call me the ‘Blood Lord’ now; I’dteach them the meaning of it if they started anotherwar.”

“Which leaves Ariadne where?” saidRose pointedly. “The puppet ruler of a puppet nation, dancing infear of an evil wizard.”

“I’m not evil,” I protested feebly. Mylogic sounded pretty thin even to my own ears.

“Even Mal’goroth thought he was justgetting his due for what had happened in the past,” observed Rose.Sometimes the woman was just too damned sharp.

I knew she was playing the devil’sadvocate for my own sake, but her words stung a bit. An ideaoccurred to me then, “I could just disappear. Take the family andretire someplace far away. That would solve theirproblems.”

“If they choose banishment, yes,” saidRose. “If they choose another penalty, and you abscond it willstill weaken Ariadne’s position—and you won’t be around to save theday afterward.”

I gave up. “What would you have me dothen?” I looked back and forth between her and Peter, who had beenlistening quietly the entire time.

“In two days you appear before thecourt. I’ll argue your case, and they will either dismiss it orfind you guilty. If you are given penalties, you take them. Youmust accept the rule of law, otherwise this nation you’ve worked sohard for will be nothing but a sham,” she said firmly.

“And if they order myexecution?”

“They could, but they won’t,” saidRose with a smile. “That’s the clever part. The High-Justicer, EarlWinfield, is no fool. If they handed down a sentence like that,you’d be forced to buck them, which would undermine the Queen. Evenif we lose, they’ll make sure it doesn’t force you into acorner.”

Peter nodded emphatically.

I held up my hands in defeat. “Whenyou are right, you’re right. We’ll do it as yousuggest.”

***

Rose visited that evening, along withMoira Centyr. They brought Gram with them but left Rose’s smalldaughter, Carissa, with her mother-in-law. They joined us shortlybefore dinner, and once we had all eaten, the children went toplay.

The conversation during the meal wasplain and unremarkable. Both Penny and Rose were inhibited byunspoken issues. Once we finished, the two of them went aside,leaving Moira Centyr and me to entertain each other. I suspectedthat it was a strategic move on Rose’s part. She had probablybrought Moira with her just for that purpose.

We made small talk for a short whilebefore Moira brought up a topic I didn’t expect, “Have you noticedanything odd in your daughter’s room?”

I wasn’t sure where she was headedwith that, but I was always willing to discuss ‘our’ child withher. “Aside from the fact that she can’t be bothered to keep itclean?”

A smile quirked at the corner ofMoira’s lips. “No, I mean something more along the lines of herimaginary friends.”

Moira Centyr was a frequent visitor inour home. In fact, next to Lilly Tucker and my mother she was ourmost common baby sitter. Some women might have been intimidated bytheir adopted daughter’s mother’s thousand year-old shade hangingaround, but Penny had been more pragmatic. Moira Centyr had becomesomething like an extra grandmother for all our children.Consequently, she was almost as familiar with my daughter’s room asI was.

“She’s always had imaginary friends,”I admitted easily. “I think she’ll outgrow them eventually.” Thereality was that my daughter spent a lot of time talking to astuffed bear we had given her several years ago. It was a cutehabit most of the time, though it worried me some. She was almosteleven now and had shown no sign of stopping.

Moira gave me a knowing glance, “Paymore attention. She’s a Centyr, remember? Her imaginary friendswill probably start talking back to her, if they haven’talready.”

That was a sobering thought. “I hadn’teven thought about it,” I admitted.

“It’s usually not a problem,” said theStone Lady. “I just wanted you to be aware. Don’t overreact if youfind something unexpected moving around and talking in yourhome.”

It was good advice. Unprepared, Imight have traumatized my daughter by roasting the first living‘doll’ that surprised me. Definitely not the way to guide her intolearning to control her abilities.

“Is there anything specific I shouldteach her, or avoid?” I questioned.

“Not really,” answered Moira. “TheCentyr abilities are almost instinctive. She’ll learn to use themwithout even finding them strange. I’ll be here to help withspecific questions.”

Penny and Rose returned soon afterthat, holding hands. Their eyes were swollen and puffy, but theyboth looked as though a weight had been lifted from theirshoulders. They had made up at last.

“Goodness gracious!” I saidemphatically. “Did you two get in a brawl with someone? I’d hate tosee what they look like!”

That earned me a scowl and a laugh,each in equal measure.

Chapter 52

“What’s this?” I asked Penny,referring to the clothes she had laid out for me.

“Clothing,” she answeredsarcastically. “It’ll make a bad impression if you don’t wearsome.”

I took a deep breath. Everyone in myfamily had become a comedian, but I knew if I complained, theywould just blame me as a bad