Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 5)

"I honestly don't have any idea," Ky said. "He never mentioned them. Never had any visit; never went to visit any of them. Never sent or received any correspondence from any of them as far as I ever saw. He..." She exhaled sharply, suddenly remembering a memory that she'd locked away. "Said his father was dead. I remember that now."

She took a deep breath, remembering the conversation.

"I think his father treated him poorly," she said, voice quiet as she stared at her knee. "He only mentioned him once, though. At least, I think that's what he meant. He said our fathers had one thing in common, and that I was lucky mine died before he realized what a fuck up I'd turned into." She looked very small and solemn, jaw tight, but wasn't making eye contact. "I assume that the thing they had in common was not being alive, though I suppose he didn't say it outright."

Gaius was silent for a moment, taking this in. His gaze faltered ever so slightly, and then it returned to steely contemplation. "Very well. Did he have any powerful people in his debt or on his payroll?"

(Do you have anyone in mind? I can make something up, but I only vaguely understand the political structure in the south/east and am happy for suggestions if you have anything in mind ^-^)

Ky took a moment to shake off as many of the negative feelings as she could about that interaction. She hadn't remembered it happened. She wished she didn't remember still. But it had. And now she had to focus on bringing the bastard's empire down. Her last bit of revenge.

"Um... yeah." She took a deep breath, then looked up with a nod. "Behind the sitting room is a big office with a lot of books. Like, five hundred, probably." She realized she probably sounded incredibly stupid saying that in front of men who had tens of thousands -- maybe hundreds of thousands -- of books between them. "At least, it seemed like a lot at the time. But he had ledgers scattered around the bookshelves with details about some of the blackmail he had on people... I guess that's not really them being in his debt, but he did have power over them. And some of them were important."

(The Grand Reputations and the Orator are the two sides of the East. The Reputations are an authoritarian oligarchy. The Orator is a dictator. In the South there's the Taral and his governors and wardens.)

"Name some."

(Thanks!)

"Um, there's Levin -- he's one of the governors in the South. Has a fairly large number of people under him. Aleth has proof that Levin was behind a failed coup against the Taral, and lords it over him if he wants to borrow spies or soldiers or wants to demand information from him about movements within his territory."

"And others?"

"Um, there's Leikos Elstan, he's one of the oligarch's adult sons who still live at home. Aleth pays him off for relevant information about the East." Ky hesitated. "Now that I think of it, though, I think Levin might be a bit of a threat to me, too. I doubt anything will come of it if I don't go to his territory again -- I doubt he'd put effort into tracking me down even if he hears that Aleth's dead -- but he hated Aleth and blamed me, too, since I always got caught in the middle. He'd definitely have me executed if he gets the chance and I suppose it's conceivable that he might want to get to me as revenge. Though probably unlikely."

"Something to keep in mind." Gaius nodded. "Politically tricky, but we'll hope he doesn't step in."

"Hopefully." Ky nodded. She hadn't thought about it in those terms before he said it. She just thought of him as a powerful man who wanted to get to her as a slave; but now she was nobility. That made it far more complicated. Still, Levin couldn't possibly think a Lord would turn his own daughter over just because of something she'd done under duress. Hopefully.

"Those are the only two I can think of who are truly powerful," she said. "Aleth had a lot on a lot of people but those were the two most influential that I can think of offhand."

"Very well." Gaius paused, thinking. "Do you have aliases that Aleth or his associates may have gone by? And if someone were to go to the house, does he have any guards or the like in his employment?"

"Aleth liked people hearing his name," Ky said, shaking her head. "I suppose he made me go by a false name... and then the mercenaries all have a ton of aliases they go by, but I don't know of any that they used regularly besides the names I knew them by. I don't even know if those are their real names or aliases."

Ky thought for a moment.

"I don't actually know what happened to Yeona. We left her home when we came up this way, but she's worse at fighting than I am and was just like the housekeeper or steward or whatever you want to call her. I doubt she'd fight, but I'd like very much if you could instruct your people not to hurt her even if she does -- she isn't an actual threat." She considered for another moment. "Tadaaki and the locks were the only security Aleth personally had, but the Enforcer made regular patrols and usually came past the house mid-morning, maybe nine or ten, and again in the late afternoon maybe three or four, unless he'd had complaints that disrupted his schedule."

Gaius nodded again. "I believe I have all I need for now. Thank you, Ky. Tomhas and I will set things in motion."

Ky took a deep breath and nodded. That hadn't been that bad. Uncomfortable no doubt. But she felt useful. She liked feeling useful.

"Happy to help," she murmured. "Thank you both for taking care of it. I -- we -- appreciate it."

"Whatever you need, Ky. We're here for you." Tomhas stood. "I'll fetch a pen and paper, Gaius, so you can write this down for me." Gaius dipped his head.

Ky nodded again. She supposed it would have made more sense for them to be writing it down as she was rambling, but she could always repeat it if they forgot something. She didn't mind.