Chapter 446: A Strategy Against Sabotage

Chapter 445: A Strategy Against Sabotage

Lyria’s POV

"No soul has ever endeavoured to understand what these people endure. That is why I say they are misunderstood. Their pleas, their cries, the Crown has never once attended to them. And yet taxes are still collected from them, as though they were any other town under royal protection. Though I must admit that, rather than a town, it is more akin to a village."

Lucian frowned, his gaze fixed upon him.

"How do you come to know so much of this place? Even I know nothing of it."

"There was a time when I had someone conduct research upon it, though it was long ago," Duke Valenridge said. "I must confess this is more my own opinion, drawn from what that research revealed. I have never visited the place, and I may well be mistaken."

I considered his words with care.

"Even if y-you may be m-mistaken, among the f-four of us, only y-you have any n-notion of it. And I d-daresay we s-should adopt your a-approach, rather than b-be condescending. We s-should attempt to u-understand them."

"I do think Your Highness makes a fair point," Duke Thorncrest said. "Baron Fairmont does seem a gentleman acquainted with this town, or rather village, but the question is..."

"...how far one ought to trust him?" Lucian completed.

"Precisely," Duke Thorncrest said, with a nod. "For I do not trust him in the slightest, and I do not doubt that, given the opportunity, he might sabotage us."

"O-or s-sabotage may c-come in a d-different form," I said.

"Why do you say so?" Lucian asked me.

"There was s-something Her M-majesty said that q-quite put me on my g-guard, though I c-cannot say why," I told them.

"I have a question for you, Your Highness," Duke Valenridge said.

"What m-might it be?"

"Do tell me, do you suppose there is some particular reason you are being sent to Gallowshill?" he asked.

Duke Thorncrest rolled his eyes at once.

"Of course there is a reason. It is plain as day to anyone."

"Now, good fellow," Duke Valenridge said, "I require Her Highness to be the one who answers me. It may be obvious to most, but not, I daresay, to everyone, and I wish to learn to which category Her Highness belongs."

I knew, without being told, that this too formed part of his lessons. In truth, I had suspected it from the beginning, and after Baron Fairmont spoke, I had become quite certain.

"Yes," I said to Duke Valenridge. "T-there is a p-particular reason, to s-see me fail."

"Explain why you think so."

"At f-first I thought m-my suspicions b-born of paranoia. B-but after B-baron Fairmont spoke, I b-became certain. F-for one, G-Gallowshill does n-not welcome n-nobles, and we are all n-nobles, so they will be h-hostile from the m-moment we set f-foot upon their land, which will h-hinder our p-progress. And after l-listening to you speak, I am c-certain there are o-other difficulties. The c-canal, for instance," I told him.

"Continue," he said, and even Lucian and Duke Thorncrest, along with those who had escorted us, turned their full attention upon me.

It was somewhat unnerving to be regarded so, but I did not stop.

"The p-people of G-Gallowshill were a-against the b-building of the c-canal, and now, given the storm, there is the added r-risk of it o-overflowing, or in the w-worst case being d-destroyed, which would i-increase the r-risk of f-flooding. And s-storms are n-not common in this p-part of the kingdom, which is why I s-suspect so many were a-affected, for there is no s-safety m-measure against a flood, n-nor against a storm. And if the homes of G-Gallowshill are b-built like those of the capital, which I s-suspect they are, then they w-will be affected also. And once m-more, our p-progress will be h-held back."

"The rules s-said two weeks, and I m-must admit I find it q-quite absurd that we should be a-able to accomplish everything within them. I do reckon there will be m-more difficulties, but this is the r-reason I am being sent to G-Gallowshill."

There was a beat of silence. No one spoke for a while, and then Lucian’s lips tilted upward in a smile, he turned to Duke Valenridge.

"I think she has answered your question fully, and perhaps rather more besides."

Duke Valenridge nodded, though his gaze remained intent upon me.

"I have one further question," he said.

I nodded, giving him leave.

"Now that you know all this, do you still intend to go to Gallowshill?" he asked.

I frowned at that. "O-of course."

He nodded, glanced towards the window, and then turned back to me.

"You know why you were sent there. You know the design they have laid. How, then, do you intend for this to proceed?"

I leaned forward and interlaced my fingers upon the table, staring at him directly.

"I am f-fighting back," I told him. "They have p-plans to make me f-fail, but I have n-no plans to f-fail. We are w-winning this c-competition. I r-reckon the d-debate will help secure us the win f-firmly, and though we may not a-arrive first after the t-task, we need not w-worry over that, for it is already w-written for someone else to win. But for every o-other matter, we m-must win."

"We?" Duke Thorncrest asked me.

"S-surely you do not s-suppose I can do this all on m-my own, Your Grace?" I asked him.

He laughed and shook his head. "I am at your disposal."

"I quite like seeing you this ambitious," Duke Valenridge said, a smile now upon his face. "So long as you have us, you are winning this competition."

Lucian nodded.

"I shall send some of my people ahead to observe the state of Gallowshill," he said. "But I must insist, Your Highness, that you keep people, ourselves, with you. Do not put yourself into reckless situations. If a matter lies beyond your power, make use of us."

"I i-intend to," I said, a laugh slipping through.

"I confess I am rather excited by this stage of the competition," Duke Valenridge said, smiling. "I do so enjoy being on a winning team."