The Heart of Alchemy by James Wisher (e book reading free TXT) 📕

to the next: tapestries, new feather beds, new swords, you name it and he suggested we buy it. Nothing we actually needed of course. Some I blame on his wife. The pig can see her place as baroness only a breath away and she wants it bad.”

“Bad enough to hurt the current baroness?” Otto asked.

Father surged to his feet as though ready to fight. “No harm will come to your mother while I live!”

Otto nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. Graves said you two nearly came to blows a few days ago. What was that fight about?”

“Whether we had roast beef or pork for dinner.”

Otto stared. If he’d believed his father capable of telling a joke, he would have assumed this was one. But given his grim expression, it clearly wasn’t.

“It was just the final thing that broke the dam. We haven’t eaten together or spoken since. I keep to the downstairs and Stephan the upstairs. Matters can’t stay this way for long. We’ll have to settle it in the training yard once and for all. Once he’s dead, I’ll need Axel released from his duties.”

Otto swallowed a laugh. “Axel wouldn’t come back here if you gave him that chest and all the gold it holds. Besides, I have greater need of him.”

“That’s not for you to say.” Father growled like a cornered wolf.

“Of course it is. Believe it or not, there are far greater matters in the world than who inherits Shenk Barony. My advice, assuming you can actually defeat Stephan, is to name his son as heir. You and Mother can raise him and Mandel. With any luck, Little Stephan will end up less mad than his father. I further advise that you dump Griswalda in a deep hole filled with sharp rocks.”

Father snorted a laugh. “Choosing her as a daughter-in-law might not have been my best decision.”

“So, you and Stephan do agree on something. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but why don’t you wait until Mother gets home? Maybe she can work out some kind of compromise.”

Father thought for a moment then nodded. “If he agrees, I won’t kill him until Katharina gets home.”

“Fine, I’ll go talk to Stephan, see if I can coax a sensible idea out of that warped brain of his. Will you meet us in the dining hall?”

“Yes.”

Otto retreated back to the first floor then climbed to the second. As he drew closer to Stephan’s room, the sounds of muffled shouting reached him. Sounded like Father wasn’t the only one Stephan was having a fight with.

He shook his head and knocked. The fighting didn’t drop in volume, but the door did open, revealing a small, glum blond boy. Little Stephan had grown about five inches since Otto last saw him. What was he now, four, five? Something like that.

“Uncle Otto, Mom and Dad are fighting again. Can you make them stop?”

It was such a pitiful request, Otto nearly said yes. The problem was, the only way to make them stop for good involved long pine boxes and deep, dark holes.

Instead he said, “I’ll try. Why don’t you go downstairs? Your grandfather is coming up and you can play with the hounds.”

“Okay. Bye, Uncle Otto.” Little Stephan darted for the stairs and was soon gone.

While they were talking, the fight ended. A moment later Stephan stalked toward the door. He wore a fur-trimmed robe and it appeared the last of his hair had fallen out. “What do you want, runt?”

“Peace. I have it, more or less, in the empire. Why is it you and Father refuse to give it to me in my own family?”

Stephan blinked and stared for a moment as if not entirely clear what Otto meant. When confused, Stephan defaulted to belligerence. “The old man should step aside. It’s my time to rule the barony.”

“Your time doesn’t come until his ends. You know that as well as I do. Are you truly that eager to count barrels of apple brandy and negotiate deals with merchants?”

“No, it’s the principle of the thing. He’s old and weak, I’m young and strong. That means I should be in charge.” Otto shook his head at the stupid, simpleminded thinking. “What do you care anyway? You always hated Father more than I did.”

“I don’t care, Stephan. As long as the barony pays its taxes on time and doesn’t start trouble with its neighbors, you can cut Father’s head off and put it on a pike for all the difference it makes to me. But I want to make it clear that if anything happens to Mother, I’ll find you and skin you alive. And I have the power to make sure you’re awake for the entire process. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes. Believe it or not, I have no interest in harming Mother.”

“Good. She’ll be home before long. I suggested to Father that she might forge some sort of truce between the two of you. He’s willing to keep the peace until she arrives if you are. Shall I tell him you have an agreement?”

“Fine. What’s another week, right?”

“Right. If you win, congratulations. If you die…” Otto shrugged. “In any case, I’ve spent all the time on this I care to. Good morning.”

Otto paused long enough to pass the word of a deal to Father before vanishing into the ether. He sincerely hoped Mother didn’t arrive home to a bloodbath. But whether she did or not, Otto had done everything in his power to prevent it.

Chapter 2

New Year’s Day had arrived and, to celebrate the formation of the empire, some genius had suggested resuming the annual gala. They hadn’t had one in two years, not since before they were forced out of the Portal Compact. If they never had one again, it would have suited Wolfric perfectly fine.

He stood in the throne room and watched as the rich and powerful filed in. Beside him, Captain Borden, commander of the palace guard, eyed each group like they were potential assassins. Wolfric couldn’t exactly