"M'lord, of course we all agree with you on the value of Wulfbauer life, but are you sure this is the best way to preserve it? We must send our troops back, Duke Therrien. And the criminals that were captured in Valance, brought to justice. It's the only way. We cannot risk open defiance of the Grand Duke's orders."
The counselors were all abuzz after Erwin's pronouncement, fighting to speak over each other. No one was sure what to think.
"Rumors have spread that one of the prisoners," a voice finally cut through, an older lord, well past his years in the army, "is Lady Constance Carwick. If that is true, then the young lady can be no criminal. We must protect her. It is our duty to her father."
"Any mage can be a criminal!" the eldest son of another lord sneered. "A mage is a mage. That's what this has all been about, hasn't it? The law has been clear; all mages are to be handed over to the Grand Duke's men. Criminal mages are to be hanged."
That caused an uproar. A tumult followed: I refuse to believe that Lady Constance could have... - ...Our duty is to Wulfbauer, not to Calent's endless quests... - ...But if the army is called back... - ...could severely affect our trading...
Everyone, it seemed, had something to say. And none of them looked entirely confident in their young, untested new duke. After all, this hadn't been the man they had chosen. That man was under the earth.
"Call back the army? The entire army?" Olive repeated Grace's words, staring ahead at the blank wall as Grace tugged at and fussed over her hair. "I heard them say something of that when we were returning from... But I didn't realize they meant the duchy's entire forces."
"Oh, I wish your father were still alive, Olive," Grace fretted. "Duke Therrien is, well, he's a fine enough man, but..." Grace sighed. She shouldn't, of course, be speaking openly about her duke like that! But she prided herself on having spent most of her life serving the Carwicks. And this new duke; it would be a long time before Grace's image of him recovered from that thief woman he'd let run about! And now with the Grand Duke..
Olive cut in to save Grace from having to explain herself. "Any action that brings the war to a swifter end is a good one, Grace," she said, calmly but with a firmness that had been lacking from her voice since the flight from Hellvion. "If the dukes start to question the war... Calent can't keep it up forever. Some good may come of Duke Therrien's actions. Perhaps much good."
Grace sighed. She finished the bun and came around front to look at Olive properly. There was a sadness there, but also a compassion. Olive had forgotten how much these people were, well, like family. "Well, I hope you're right, Olive," she said wearily, putting a hand on Olive's cheek. Then her expression hardened and she continued with a strict tone more familiar to Olive's memory of her, "And if Duke Therrien thinks for just one minute that he's going to hand you over to anyone, don't you think we'll let him! You rest up now; you've had a hard day. I'll try and bring you news as I get it."
Olive gave Grace a small, sheepish smile, feeling a bit like a girl again. She supposed she probably was still a girl in Grace's eyes. But the smile faded as she watched the maid make her way out, and Olive suddenly called out after her, not yet sure about the wisdom of doing so, and she felt a heaviness set in upon her. Any action that brought the war to a swifter end... She shivered, thinking of what had happened in Hellvion. Would Roderick's actions bring the war to a swifter end, she wondered, remembering his anger, his pain... or simply a bloodier one?
She felt her own responsibility turn over in her stomach. What would her actions do?