CHAPTER 269: A DUKE IN HIGH PRIEST CLOTHING

Lady Ava and Fiona ended up joining them at the table, but Cass realised he was the only one eating. He honestly didn’t care. He was too busy thinking about all of the conversations he was going to have to have, and what he could do to have the most impact.

The others spoke around him, not excluding him, but realising that Cass had a lot on his mind. Edgar and Lucian were clearly fussing over him, but Cass didn’t really care. Fiona was glancing at him, a look in her eyes, but she didn’t bring it up. Neither did Lady Ava.

It seemed that Lady Ava was fighting her own demons, and that was fine. Cass was sure he’d find out one way or another.

When Cass had finally eaten his fill, and he felt good, he let out a heavy sigh. He rolled his shoulders, linking his hands together and raising them above his head, stretching out his muscles. Everyone quieted and watched him.

"Is it time?" Edgar asked, scanning him carefully, and Cass nodded.

"Yeah. It’s time. Better get this started so that I can go through the group and then the letters." Cass said and Edgar’s eyes lit up.

"Are you planning to write the letters yourself or-" Cass’ lips turned up in a smile that was reminiscent of Lord Blackburn.

"Oh, that depends on what they said in their letters." Cass said with a snort. Edgar cleared his throat.

"Then if that’s the case, would you let me help you then? I’m quite fast and you don’t have your normal aide with you right now." Edgar offered, practically begging to be of some help. Cass wondered if it was because his father was in one of the rooms waiting, or if he was trying to win brownie points.

Cass didn’t really care what the answer was, because he would probably need the help. Cass just shrugged instead of answering right away.

"We’ll see. I might not get to the letters until later in the evening, depending on how long these damn meetings go on." Cass said, a darkness in his tone, but his red eyes were bright. He was going to milk every moment of this. It was going to be sooo satisfying. Edgar stared at him, swallowing, before he nodded.

"Well, if that’s the case, just let me know Cass. Are you going to stop for snacks?" Edgar asked and Cass gave him a strange look.

"No? Why would I?" Cass asked, being genuine. He didn’t do that before. He didn’t stop for tea, tea just appeared. Edgar groaned.

"If we are planning to stay here for a significant amount of time, we should really call your aides over." Edgar said out of the blue. Cass stared at him, surprised.

"Why? I’m doing perfectly fine." Cass defended, and when he looked around the people in the room with him, he was surprised by the pitying looks he was getting. What were they saying? He was doing perfectly fine! "I am!" Cass said, indignant, and Fiona gave him a tight smile.

"You are doing remarkably well, but I just know your main aide would be taking better care of you. He always has. What was his name again? Sam?" She said, and Cass nodded. Fiona smiled. "You’re also the only one who is so close to your aides. Is there a reason you’ve left them behind for so long?" She asked and Cass didn’t have enough time to get into that.

"There is, but it’s too long of an explanation for right now. Maybe I’ll tell you that over dinner. Sir Forsythe?" Cass called, and the man was there.

"I checked in with Ser Hune while you were eating, the list for nobles who are waiting nearby to have a word with you has grown." He said, and Cass wondered what the hell that meant.

"Oh good. Can you lead me to where Duke Vespertine is?" Cass asked, knowing that was his first task. The rest of the hero party watched as Cass brushed himself off, making sure he looked the perfect image of a man who was tired, but not that of a man who had cried so hard he’d passed out, twice, yesterday. Cass turned just as he was about to leave the room, hesitant as the words burned on his tongue. "Wish me luck." He said quietly, surprising the group.

Lucian and Edgar looked shocked, but in a good way, as did Lady Ava and Fiona. Lady Ava was the first to smile a big, welcoming smile and it reached her eyes.

"Good luck, Cass!" She called, and the others echoed her quickly. Cass felt his body grow lighter with those simple words. He didn’t know why he said it, or where the urge even came from, but it was nice to hear the well wishes from the others.

~

Sir Forsythe led the way, quiet, but asking questions every once in a while. They weren’t going far from the dining room they had just been in, since he had been shown to the nicest of the rooms. Sir Forsythe was just making sure he knew the expectations Cass had for him during this process.

Cass made sure to clarify that Sir Forsythe was to step in if he thought things were going to get too physical, but a little wrist grabbing was okay. These people were going to be desperate. He wanted them to reach out, watch them squirm, and see how none of that would change his reaction.

They would need to actually beg and plead with him, not the showy shit that they were going to try. Or the stoic shit they were going to try. They needed to be sincere, and Cass knew that wasn’t going to happen right away.

~

Sir Forsythe didn’t knock on the door when he opened it. They were waiting for him, not the other way around. Cass didn’t need to give them that kind of respect, especially the man he was meeting right now.

The man who had thought he had cornered him, was so ready to throw the book at him not realising that he was one of the people he was supposed to care about the most. Manipulate the most.

Cass wasn’t ready for what he saw when he stepped into the room. The room was fine, not quite as opulent as the rooms he had back at the manor he’d built, but they’d only just moved in yesterday. He hadn’t had time to decorate it to the scale that he wanted yet.

No, it was the man who was sitting at one of the couches that he wasn’t prepared for. The man was bald.

Bald.

He’d had long flowing hair just the day before. All pretty and flowy and fitted his image perfectly. They were gone.

Cass didn’t laugh. He was too shocked to do so. He knew who was behind this, and when Duke Vespertine met his gaze, he knew too, and that knowledge passed between them as Duke Vespertine got to his feet. He looked...weak. Nervous. It wasn’t a look he’d expected from the confident man, but honestly he should look this way when facing Cass.

After the shit that he and Lord Ridgewood had pulled the day before? They needed to beg. Plead. Especially if they didn’t want the gods pissed at them. It was partially too late for that, and Cass was sure he knew that, but he was probably desperate.

"Cassian." He said quietly, staring at him as Sir Forsythe closed the door behind them and Cass moved to the other couch. He stared at the man, who had clearly expected Cass to shake his hand, but Cass’ expression was firm. Tight.

"Duke Vespertine." Cass said, and watched as the other man looked ill, paling, before he clenched his hands tightly and gave a little smile.

"Ah. Well, shall we have a seat?" He asked, clearly trying to control the situation. Cass wasn’t going to have it.

"Let me remind you that you’re the one who tried to out me yesterday." Cass said quietly. "I am only meeting you because you are the father of two of the members of our hero party, and a Duke of this kingdom. Otherwise, I would let you rot in this room while I visited everyone else." Cass’ words were like a dagger in his chest.

Duke Vespertine looked like he’d swallowed a lemon. He clearly didn’t expect Cass to speak so candidly to him, but Cass was done being ’noble polite’. It hadn’t gotten him anywhere so far, and he was tired. He wasn’t sure how Lord Blackburn had done it for so long, and in the grand scheme of everything, he hadn’t been doing it for too long.

"Not only that," Cass said, anger welling inside of him. "You accused me of having demon blood, used Lord Ridgewood as a spy, outed him as said spy, and both of your children are nervous around you. Duke Vespertine, you attacked me while knowing full well how I grew up. There is no way none of the ducal families knew." Cass said, watching as the other man flinched. Cass snorted, sitting down before him.

It was a subtle act of dominance. A proof that Cass thought he was of a higher class than him. Better than him. Cass watched as his jaw tightened slightly.

"And yet, you still branded me as a traitor, as a demon, as someone who was a problem that could be dealt with, while profiting off having me in the hero party protecting all of your precious children and your hero." Duke Vespertine sat down slowly, stiffly as Cass read out some of his crimes. "So why are you here? What could you possibly want from me?" Cass asked, crossing his legs and carefully placing his hands on his knee.

His back was straight, his eyes clear, his nose high just so that he could look down it at Duke Vespertine. The man looked angry, but Cass couldn’t tell if it was at him, or if it was directed inwards. He was sure he would find out.

Cass heard Sir Forsythe shift slightly to the left of them, near the door, and watched as Duke Vespertine glanced towards him, before he looked at Cass. Really looked at Cass. It was clear that he hadn’t done so, hadn’t seen the man before him properly. Probably never in Lord Blackburn’s life.

The high priest had probably viewed him as an eyesore, as had most of the other nobles. A child born from not just a woman, but a fairy who had brought dishonour on a ducal family that was already on thin ice because of the amount of control they had.

Cass could tell that whatever the Duke was seeing, it was having an impact, but Cass held his tongue. He had come here to see Cass, not the other way around.