Former Fake Becomes Grand Duke of the North

The cell Ellen occupied was cold and cramped, but clean and dry. Much of the cell lay in shadow, since the only source of light was from a magic crystal lamp hanging outside. A thick wooden door, reinforced with metal, served as the only way in or out of the cell. There was little in the way of furniture. Just a cot with a thin blanket and a bucket. Ellen sat on the cot.

“What are you still doing here, Wolfie?” She asked.

Despite the brave face she put on, I could tell that she was scared. Now that we had gotten what we wanted from her, we had little use for her. As a traitor, her fate was set in stone. As someone who once stared death in the face, I understood what she was going through. At least in my case, it had been quick. She had time to think about her fate.

“I wanted to talk, Ellen.” I said.

She snorted.

“What’s the point?” Ellen asked. “I already told you everything I know about Fallen Leaves. There’s nothing left to talk about. I didn’t hold anything back, not with Thomas’ life on the line.”

I shook my head.

“No, I wanted to talk about you.” I said. “How did you and Thomas get mixed up with Fallen Leaves?”

“Why?” Ellen sneered. “Do you feel responsible for what happened to us?”

I nodded.

“Yes.” I said. “I had been too busy learning how to be a noble to check in on you and the other orphans myself. If I made the effort back then, maybe none of this would have happened.”

Ellen stared at me for several seconds, her sneer fading away, before she chuckled and shook her head.

“Wolfie,” she said, “What happened wasn’t your fault. You don’t have to take responsibility for everything.” She gestured towards me. “Besides, thanks to you, life at the orphanage got better after you left. You could have just forgotten about us after House Guld adopted you and enjoyed the easy life. Instead, you made sure that we were looked after. I don’t know if I would have made the same decision in your shoes.”

I shook my head.

“Even so,” I said, “If I had done more for you and the others, maybe you wouldn’t be facing execution right now.”

“Aw, Wolfie doesn’t want me to die.” Ellen said in a sardonic tone. “How sweet.”

I glared at her.

“This isn’t a joke.” I said.

Ellen chuckled.

“Shouldn’t that be my line?” she asked. “I’m the one about to die.” Her mirth faded away and a somber expression took its place. “As I said earlier, what happened wasn’t your fault. Sometimes life is unfair and there’s nothing you can do about it. Asking ‘What if…?’ isn’t going to change that. What’s done is done.” She shook her head. “Before you came along, I was in a hopeless situation. No matter what happened, I was going to die. Sooner or later, either House Kaltbrand would catch me or Fallen Leaves would discard me. Either way, me and my brother died. At least with you, Thomas has a chance at surviving.”

She was right, I knew she was right, yet that didn’t stop me from feeling responsible for her fate. It was stupid and irrational, but the heart wasn’t always logical. A part of me wanted to ask Grand Duke Kaltbrand to spare Ellen, yet did I even have the right to ask such a thing?

At the end of the day, I was just a mercenary employed by the Grand Duke. While we had a good relationship, I wasn’t anything special to him. Knight Commander Bardin might listen to me, since I was her disciple, but the Grand Duke had no reason to.

More than that, did Ellen deserve mercy in the first place? She betrayed House Kaltbrand, who she swore to serve, and she betrayed the Coldsteel Knights, who trusted her as their comrade in arms. No matter how I looked at it, Ellen was a traitor. The only reason why I wanted her to live was because I was a sentimental fool, and because I thought it would alleviate the guilt I felt.

“Fine,” Ellen said, her tone melancholic, “I’ve changed my mind. I’ll tell you my story. At least that way, someone other than Thomas will remember it. Someone will remember me.” She paused. “It happened about a year after House Guld adopted you. That bastard, Baron Meyers, came by the orphanage looking to adopt. He told the orphanage director that he wanted his daughter to have siblings. The truth was that his daughter died from disease earlier that year and he needed someone to replace her.”

“Replace her?” I asked.

Ellen nodded.

“Baron Meyers was already Fallen Leaves’ puppet by that point and they needed someone to infiltrate the Order of the Coldsteel Blade.” She said. “Since each generation of House Meyers served in the Order of the Coldsteel Blade, they figured it was easier to suborn House Meyers than try to sneak one of their own people in. However, with the real Elise Meyers dead, they needed a fake to take her place. That someone ended up being me. I looked enough like the real Elise Meyers to fool even the Blue Shadows.”

I stared at Ellen, my horror mounting.

“Baron Meyers adopted you to replace his dead daughter,” I said, filled with disbelief, “All because Fallen Leaves needed someone to infiltrate the Order of the Coldsteel Blade. That’s… horrible.”

Ellen snorted.

“Baron Meyers was a horrible person.” She said. “An abusive drunk who gambled away his family’s fortune. That was how Fallen Leaves got to him. They bought up his gambling debts and used them to keep him under control.” She let out a bitter laugh. “He must have panicked when his daughter died. Without her, he had no one to infiltrate the Order of the Coldsteel Blade. In all the time that I lived with him, not once did he mourn his daughter’s death. To him, she had been nothing more than a tool. And like any tool, when she broke, he replaced her with another one.”

I clenched my fists. If Fallen Leaves hadn’t already killed Baron Meyers, I would have killed him myself. The world was a better place without someone like him in it.

“When Baron Meyers adopted me and Thomas, he promised us a good life,” Ellen said, continuing her story, “He promised to treat us as if we were his real children. To his credit, he kept that promise. Thomas and I lived like real nobility. In many ways, it was better than the orphanage.” Her eyes grew shadowed. “In other ways, it was worse. It didn’t take long for the Baron to reveal his true nature, and the real reason why he adopted us. He only needed me, but he thought that if he kept Thomas close, he could use him to control me. He was right.” She clenched her fists. “The Baron abused me, claiming that it was training. If I ever balked or complained, he threatened to do the same to Thomas.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, a maelstrom of emotion raging inside me. Anger, sorrow, guilt, disgust. It was all I could do to keep it all contained.

“I endured it all for years, until I became an Aura Expert and joined the Order of the Coldsteel Blade.” Ellen said. “After that, I spied on House Kaltbrand and the Order of the Coldsteel Blade for Fallen Leaves, feeding them information. I tried to think of a way to escape my situation, or at least have Thomas survive, but I couldn’t come up with anything. I was trapped, until you came along.” She sighed. “And there you go. That’s my story.”

My heart went out to Ellen. Hers was a tragic story. I wanted to go to the Grand Duke and ask him to spare her. She struggled to survive against terrible odds, only to die a traitor’s death. As she said earlier, sometimes life wasn’t fair. Yet, that didn’t change the fact that she was a traitor. Even if by some miracle Grand Duke Kaltbrand spared Ellen, she would either spend the rest of her life imprisoned or banished from the Barrens. In fact, she might even end up banished from the Reichwald Empire. There was no way she could remain a Coldsteel Knight.

“I’m going to talk to His Grace.” I said. “Maybe he’ll listen to me-”

Ellen cut me off with a slash of her hand.

“Don’t!” she said in a harsh voice. “Don’t give me false hope. Don’t make me think I have a chance, when I know that I don’t. Don’t do that to me, Wolfie. Let me die with as much dignity as I can muster. If you have any lingering attachments to me, give me that much.”

In the darkness of her cell, Ellen dropped her mask and revealed the face of a young woman, scared to die.

“I don’t want to die.” She said. “And while a part of me wants you to ask His Grace for mercy, I know it won’t do me any good. Raising my hopes like that will just make things worse in the end. So do me a favor and leave well enough alone. You’ve done enough.”

I clenched my fists.

“Ellen-” I started to say, but she cut me off again.

“Just go, Wolfie.” She said. “I want to be alone.”

I stared at her for several seconds, before I nodded and left her cell.

To calm my raging emotions, I took a walk in the western garden. It was bright and sunny out, a stark contrast to the dark and dreary castle dungeons. Its wild beauty soothed my troubled soul. The smell of wildflowers filled the air, making me feel as if I were in the wilds of the Barrens. A serene silence settled over the western garden, broken by the occasional bird call. Since not many spent any time here, I didn’t have to worry about anyone interrupting my peace.

As I walked around the garden, I debated with myself on what to do. Did I ask Grand Duke Kaltbrand to spare Ellen or not? On the one hand, I owed House Kaltbrand my loyalty. For the next year, I was theirs. Asking the Grand Duke to spare Ellen could be considered a breach of our contract. Besides, how much did I really owe Ellen? Yes, she was a childhood friend, but considering we hadn’t seen each other in ten years, I had done more than enough for her already.

On the other hand, she lived a hard life and had been forced into her current position. If Baron Meyers and Fallen Leaves hadn’t forced her into becoming their agent, she would have chosen a different path. I didn’t know if she would’ve chosen a better path, but she wouldn’t have betrayed House Kaltbrand and the Coldsteel Knights.

The sound of footsteps caught my attention, and I turned to find Grand Duke Kaltbrand walking in my direction. He looked as strong as ever, but I noticed the lines that etched his face. These past few days had been stressful for him. Learning that Fallen Leaves had infiltrated his domain just compounded his troubles. I stopped and waited for him.

“Dad.” I said, giving him a slight bow when he drew close enough.

“Wulfe.” The Grand Duke said, giving me a slight smile. “The servants mentioned that you were here. I wanted to check in on you. A lot happened last night and I wanted to make sure you were all right. I would have checked in on you sooner, but I have little free time these days.” He snorted. “It didn’t help that about a third of my vassals fell ill.”

I stared at Grand Duke Kaltbrand. Despite his busy schedule, he took the time to make sure I was all right. I felt a tickle in my heart. His actions reminded me of Fa-…Duke Guld. Even though I had been a mere fake, the Duke still treated me as if I were his own son.

“I should be the one asking if you’re alright.” I said. “My troubles are nothing compared to yours.”

The Grand Duke snorted.

“Yes, but I’m an adult,” he said, “It’s my responsibility to look after you, not the other way around.”

“I’m an adult too.” I pointed out. “My wellbeing is my responsibility, not yours. In fact, given the particulars of our relationship, I should be the one supporting you. So, make use of me. How may I help you?”

Grand Duke Kaltbrand started walking down the pathway and gestured for me to join him. We walked in silence for the next few minutes.

“From what Claus told me, your mere presence is enough to disrupt Fallen Leaves’ plans,” he said, breaking the silence, “So for now, just keep doing what you’re doing.” He glanced at me. “And you’re wrong, you know.”

“Wrong about what?” I asked.

“Your wellbeing is my responsibility.” The Grand Duke said. “Despite the… particulars of our relationship, as you put it, I think we can both agree that we’re more than client and mercenary at this point. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have insisted on having you call me ‘Dad.’”

I wanted to point out that he had me call him “Dad” from the very beginning, before we grew closer to each other, but I refrained. I didn’t want to risk angering him, not when I was considering asking him for a big favor.

“So, with that in mind, tell me what’s troubling you,” the Grand Duke said, “I know something is. I can see it on your face.”

I stopped walking. There were moments in one’s life when one faced a crossroads, where the choice one made could change the course of one’s life. For me, this was one such crossroad. As I considered whether or not to tell the Grand Duke, he stopped and waited for me to speak.

“It’s about Ellen.” I said.

“You want me to spare your friend’s life,” Grand Duke Kaltbrand guessed, “However, you’re afraid to ask because of what she’s done.”

I nodded.

“Treason is a heavy crime.” I said. “I know it’s shameless of me to ask this of you, but please show mercy to Ellen. I’m not asking you to let her go without punishment, but-…”

“Very well,” Grand Duke Kaltbrand said, “I shall spare your friend.”

My eyes widened.

“What?” I asked.

The Grand Duke snorted.

“What’s with that reaction?” he asked, “Isn’t saying ‘thank you’ a more appropriate response? I did as you asked after all.”

I stared at him in disbelief. The Grand Duke agreed to my request just like that? After spending all that time debating and tormenting myself, his response felt… anticlimactic. I expected more resistance from him. Ellen betrayed House Kaltbrand and the Coldsteel Knights. He was willing to spare her life just like that?

“Why?” I blurted out, unable to stop myself. “I mean, I’m grateful that you agreed, but why?”

Grand Duke Kaltbrand raised an eyebrow.

“You asked me to.” He said. “That’s why.”

His answer left me even more confused.

“Wulfe,” the Grand Duke said, “You received more than enough clues to figure out the truth on your own at this point. I indulged Sophie thus far, but it is getting tiresome.”

My heart started pounding.

“Figure out what truth?” I asked.

The Grand Duke patted me on the shoulder.

“It’s best if you put the clues together on your own.” He said. “I can’t give you all of the answers.” He took a step back. “To get back to the matter at hand, I’ll leave your friend’s fate in your hands. Execute her for treason, imprison her, let her go without punishment. It’s your decision.” He paused. “However, if you want her to remain a part of the Order of the Coldsteel Blade, you’ll have to talk with Sophie about that. That’s her domain. I dare not interfere.”

He shuddered, as if thinking about what would happen if he tried.

“Now then,” the Grand Duke said, “This is all the time I have to spare. I must get back to my duties.”

He walked away and left the western garden. I stared after him until he was out of sight, unable to move or say a word. My heart pounded in my chest and my mind was abuzz. What truth did the Grand Duke want me to figure out? One answer came to mind, but I refused to accept it. It was impossible. There was no way that was correct. And yet, despite telling myself that, I couldn’t get that answer out of my head.

I thought back to all of my interactions with Grand Duke Kaltbrand and Knight Commander Sophie. I analyzed their every single word, their every single action. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed as if the answer I came up with was true. How else could I explain their behavior towards me?

No. There was no way. If it was true, then why put on this charade? Why go through all this trouble of pretending otherwise? It just didn’t make sense. I needed confirmation, one way or another. But how? The Grand Duke wouldn’t tell me. He just said as much. I couldn’t question Knight Commander Bardin. She was still back at Meyers Castle. So, who?

Grand Sage Arend. He created the special lineage testing magic tool that we used to “confirm” that I was Grand Duke Kaltbrand’s son, all those weeks ago. I needed to question him about the magic tool and what made it special.

With that in mind, I left the western garden and headed towards Grand Sage Arend’s tower. However, about halfway there, I heard a loud noise. It sounded like an explosion. I changed course and ran towards the source of the sound. Panicked guests and servants came into view, running in the opposite direction. I grabbed one of the servants and pulled him aside.

“What happened?” I demanded.

The servant’s panic morphed into relief.

“Lord Wulfe!” he said, “You have to do something! Lord Wilhelm and Lord Ulric are trying to kill each other in the northern gardens!”