I took the offered seat, though I didn't touch the wine. Trust was a fool's luxury in the Twins.
Lothar swirled his cup idly, watching me with a knowing smirk. "You had a choice. Kill the man, prove you could follow orders, and earn a pat on the head like a good dog."
I stayed silent.
He chuckled. "Instead, you bring me something useful. Information." His fingers tapped the parchment. "That tells me two things. One, you're not just looking to survive—you're looking to climb. And two…" His eyes gleamed. "You think you're clever."
I met his gaze. "Was I wrong?"
Lothar's grin widened. "No."
There it was. A crack in his usual amused detachment. Interest. He saw potential in me now.
He leaned forward. "Tell me, bastard—what do you want?"
Naming My Price
The easy answer was power. Status. A place in the Frey hierarchy that wasn't at the bottom, waiting to be stepped on.
But I couldn't ask for too much, too fast. A bastard reaching too high would get his throat slit before he ever tasted victory.
So I chose my words carefully.
"A place." I kept my voice steady. "Not in the mud. Not forgotten. A place where I can be useful."
Lothar studied me, tapping a finger against his cup. Then he chuckled. "Ambitious, but not greedy. Smart."
He leaned back. "Very well. You'll get your place, but you'll earn it. I have another task for you."
Of course he did.
The Next Test
He gestured toward the map-covered table. "House Bracken's interest in the Twins is inconvenient. I want to know exactly what they're after."
I nodded. "A meeting with their contact, then."
Lothar smiled. "See? Already thinking like a Frey."
That wasn't a compliment.
"I assume you have someone watching the stableman?" I asked.
Lothar chuckled. "Of course. I expected you to kill him, but I'm not careless."
That meant the man wouldn't be free to act normally. If Bracken was planning something, they'd be cautious now.
I needed a new approach.
A Different Angle
I leaned forward. "We let Bracken think they still have a man inside the Twins."
Lothar raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
I nodded. "The stableman is burnt—he's too afraid to keep passing information. But what if they get a new informant?"
Lothar grinned. "And let me guess… that informant is you?"
I smiled. "Why not? If Bracken is reaching into the Twins, let's see how deep their arm goes."
A long silence stretched between us.
Then Lothar laughed. "Oh, I like you, bastard."
I had my next task.
And if I played it right…
I wouldn't just be a pawn in Lothar's schemes.
I'd be a player in my own right.
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