Bookworld Online: Marsh Man

It took nearly twenty minutes for Vanessa to wake up.

“Ugh. What's going... wait, why am I in bed? I was just in class and saw... I thought I saw...” Vanessa's whispered words were loud in the silence as she blinked her eyes.

“You did see me.” I said from beside the bed.

Vanessa gasped and sat up to stare at me. “DAVID!”

I nodded and her eyes roamed over me, then she sucked in a sharp breath. “You noticed.”

Vanessa's hand reached out and touched the smeared concealer on my neck. “You're a slave.”

“Was. Several times now.” I said. “The last only gave me the proper skin and hair color.” I took off the overlarge captain's hat and Vanessa caught her breath at my hair.

“David... I...” Vanessa let her hand drop. “I don't know what to say.”

“Tell me what happened after the Hag took me.” I said.

Vanessa nodded and for the next hour, she told me that the docks had been wrecked by the Eastern Empire's cannon fire and several of the businesses there. Not the one her parents owned, though. It became a key resource in rebuilding and getting replacement things, as long as Helena kept making the number ten potion.

The problem was, the winter quickly approached and it was a bit harsh. Helena had lost her drive to work, mainly because of me being missing and her being hampered with a huge belly. She did what she could on the days she got out of bed. My maids had helped Jill take care of everything and they got through the winter just fine.

Vanessa told me about her parents picking her up one day after winter ended as a surprise to show her the renovations they had done back at their house. That was the day before the attack on the Henrietta Longshore mansion. Her parents wouldn't let her go back, even when she tried to sneak away.

They told her that new branch of the Henrietta family was being erased by the Mages Guild and nothing good would come from associating with them anymore. Vanessa was crying by this point and she didn't reach for me or for a napkin to wipe at her face.

Vanessa told me about how the Grand Mage had rescued his daughter from a degenerate criminal and took her home to raise her right and to marry her off to a proper mage. She smiled then, because as soon as the new husband had shown up and proposed properly, she had burned his face off.

That had put an end to the Grand Mage's initial plan, because he couldn't keep trying to get her to marry someone if she was just going to kill them the first chance she had. She couldn't be watched constantly or have a mage nearby to cast dispel at all hours of the day and night. He could have if he wanted them to see his daughter naked taking baths and changing. He didn't want that.

No one commented at all about the destruction of the Henrietta Longshore Estate, as if it didn't happen. The men were fired and forced to take jobs that were far below their skills, some in other cities and towns, because the Grand Mage blacklisted them from any lucrative positions. Anyone of a lower social standard that had helped me, were treated as such.

When Helena gave birth, all of the nobles celebrated. The Grand Mage, the ruler of the Mages Council that controlled the Mages Guild, had a new heir. His son's murder was placed at my feet, despite me not being involved in that way, and my son being adopted by his grandfather and grandmother was a fitting reward for them. They lost a son and gained a son.

That's when the lie of Helena dying from childbirth had started. Vanessa had heard the rumors and also talked to my maids, secretly of course, and found out the real reason. They had fled after Helena's murder and she didn't know where they went, in case someone came to her to try and get their location. As if what they already did to my staff wasn't harsh enough.

“And now you're here. Back. Back from the dead.” Vanessa whispered.

“You knew I wasn't dead.” I said back.

Vanessa nodded. “No one could keep you from coming back to your family.” She said and then she ducked her head. “David, it... it's been over six months. A lot has changed since then. A lot.”

I stayed quiet and let her speak.

“After you were gone, I... I realized that my life was moving on.” Vanessa whispered. “It was odd, because of all the people that started to come around to visit me, as if we had been friends for years. Once you weren't around, my Lady title that I got from you, even if it no longer counted, made me really popular.”

I nodded and motioned for her to keep going.

“Seeing you today was a shock. I didn't expect... out of the blue...” Vanessa sighed. “You broke my heart when you left. I felt lost and set adrift. I tried to be there for Helena, since she felt the same way, and we helped each other so much. After she died, I... there was nothing left. No reason to fight against my parents anymore.”

I wasn't liking this talk.

“What did you think I would do? Sit alone at home and wait for the day that you might come home? Would you return only with me here and not Helena?” Vanessa asked. “My mind gave me wounds that I don't know if I can heal. Was it me? Was it my fascination with you that ruined everything?”

I didn't comment and she wouldn't look at me.

“I never once looked at another man like I looked at you. With you gone, even though I knew...” Vanessa shook her head and reached over to her nightstand to pull something out of the drawer. “This happened when Helena died.”

I looked at her outstretched hand. The ring I had given her was cracked and no magic at all was in it.

“Our contracts are null and void.” Vanessa whispered and her hand dropped to her lap as the ring rolled onto the bed. “My future with you... my life... my spirit... is as broken as this ring.”

“Vanessa...” I said and she held a hand up to stop me.

“My parents have arranged another pairing for me.” Vanessa said with a sad look. “They signed the preliminary documents already and I'll be formally meeting my new betrothed next week.”

“What's his name?” Gella asked in a whisper.

“Gallen Hishmanger.” Vanessa responded, then caught her breath.

“You won't be meeting him.” Gella said and stood. “No one takes what my lord claimed as his.”

“You can't!” Vanessa exclaimed, even in a whisper it sounded harsh.

I picked up the ring she dropped and held it in my hand. “It's too bad that everything can't be fixed so easily.” I said and cast Minor Mend on the ring. It repaired and glowed with my magic.

Vanessa stared at it and then gasped when I crushed it.

I dropped the mangled metal to the bed and stood. “I'm sorry that you thought so little of me that I would cast you aside if Helena wasn't here.”

“D-David, I... I'm a Lady and... you were gone...” Vanessa sighed. “There are things that happen, that no matter how much time passes, it can't erase them.”

“I know. The Hag showed me that.” I said and walked to the door. “You're doing it, too.”

“Good luck being all alone with all of your new friends around you.” Gella said as a parting shot while we left the room.

We went downstairs and the lady minding the dorm gave us a surprised look, then Gella interrogated her. She passed and we untied her.

“I will be having you charged for...”

“Nothing.” Gella said and showed her the official document and the passes the director of the academy gave us. “Have a good day.”

We left the dorm room and went back to the administration building. A quick search gave us the location of Vanessa's new betrothed and we went to the classroom and arrested him, then left with him.

In a stroke of brilliance, Gella suggested we go to Selene's dorm room with him. I smiled at the idea and we went there instead of killing him right away. We showed the documents to the dorm manager and she failed the interrogation. With her dead, no one complained when we went upstairs to Selene's room.

Gella held the man off to the side and I knocked on Selene's door. I had already determined that she was inside with someone else, thanks to my vigilance technique. The door opened and it was a man I didn't recognize. His clothing was rumpled and his hair was messy.

“What is it? I'm spending registered time with my betrothed.” The man said.

Both I and Gella smiled at the happy news that we didn't have to hunt him down. I ran him through with my sword and then pushed him off. His body fell backwards, lifeless, and Selene screamed. I stepped into the dorm room and saw that she was on the bed in just her underwear.

“YOU KILLED HIM!” Selene yelled.

“I know.” I said and walked over to her. When I was closer, she gasped and her face drained of color.

“D-David! You're alive!” Selene exclaimed.

“No, not really.” I said and shoved my sword through her chest. “Your father sends his regards.”

Selene died with a shocked look on her face.

“Please don't kill me!” Vanessa's betrothed shouted as Gella dragged him into the room.

“Did you take liberties with Vanessa?” I asked him and his eyes went to Selene's body. “I see.”

Gella let the guy go as I took his head. The body and the head fell to the floor and his blood joined with the other man's. No one seemed to adhere to contracts, so I didn't feel bad about enforcing the clauses for inappropriate touching that both men violated. I knew I was justifying it in my head, only because I could. I honestly didn't care about it anymore.

“Let's go. We need to visit Vanessa's parents for breaking the contracts.” I said and Gella nodded.

We quickly left there and went back to the carriage in front of the main administration building. Gella went inside briefly to hand the director the list of dead bodies. When she came back out, I felt someone looking at me and looked up at the library windows.

Eludora was there and pressed against the window as she stared down at me. “DAVID!”

I nodded to her and told the driver to head to the docks as I climbed into the carriage. I had forgotten to put my captain's hat back on and Eludora had recognized me. I put it on and we rode the carriage back to the capital's main docks. I had him detour to the business the Sellwafers owned and I climbed out of the carriage. The guard at the door saw me and he frowned.

“Attack me and die.” I said and walked over to the front door. He started to step in front of me, so I swiped my sword across his neck and his body fell to the ground. I opened the door and the same sales girl was there behind the desk. She looked terrified. “The Sellwafers.”

The girl shook her head as Gella entered the business behind me.

“If you are involved in their crimes, I'm going to kill you.” I said and she peed herself. “Where?”

“Th-the b-back office.” The girl said.

I knew where that was and walked by her and entered the back work area. No one turned to look at me and I saw them using my number ten potion. I went to the office and entered without knocking.

“Just put the plans for the expansion on the desk.” Baroness Sellwafer said and waved at the large desk in front of her. She was writing something and didn't look up.

“Dear, it could be the delivery from Lady Bassinger.” Baron Sellwafer said, also without looking up from his small desk off to the side of the room.

Baroness Sellwafer sighed and stopped writing. “It better be. I am in the middle of writing to...” She stopped talking when she saw me standing there. “Can I help you, captain?”

Her question made her husband look up as well.

“I'm just here to inform you that you breached the contracts you signed in good faith with the Henrietta Longshore Family.” I said and both of them gasped. “The penalties are to be applied immediately and all loans are to be paid, materials paid for, royalties for using patented potions, and all profits will be handed back to them.”

It took Baroness Sellwafer a few moments to compose herself. “The branch family is dead. Those contract penalties no longer apply.” She said, her confidence returning.

“You refuse to pay your debts?” I asked and drew my sword.

“NO! We're saying there are none! Everything is handled! No one is alive from that family and any obligations are voided!” The Baron said.

“You're wrong.” I said and pulled my hat off. “I, Lord Drake, am not dead.”

The Baron let out a girly scream and fainted. The Baroness looked on the verge of doing the same.

“You intentionally blocked my betrothed from having our third protect her, didn't protect her yourselves when called upon, and then abandoned the family in their time of need.” I said and her face paled. “You also set my Lady Concubine up to be married again, without my permission, and in clear violation of the agreements.”

“You... you were dead and...”

“...and she has been sullied by that betrothal.” I added and she gasped. “Yes, you allowed my concubine to be touched by another hand when mine wasn't allowed to do so.”

“My... my lord, I... I don't know what to say.” Baroness Sellwafer said.

“You don't have to say anything. I know what you think of me, Helena breaking from the main family, and Vanessa willingly becoming a concubine and not a proper wife.”

“She deserved better!” The Baroness exclaimed.

“So, being rich, cared for, and loved for the rest of her life wasn't good enough for her?” I asked and she snapped her mouth closed. “I wish someone had told me that making her a Lady right away was a mistake.”

The Baroness didn't say anything in response.

“I will be going to the bank and everything you own will be mine in an hour. Also, everything Vanessa owns. If that's not enough to pay off your debts, your entire family will become my serfs until you work it all off.”

“NO!” Baroness Sellwafer yelled.

“You brought this on yourself.” I said and sheathed my sword as I walked over to her.

“Let... let me pack my things! I'll go then!” Baroness Sellwafer said as I grabbed her by the back of her dress and pulled her up to stand.

“Those are my things.” I said and looked at her dress. “You can keep what you're wearing until we reach the ship. I'll have appropriate slave garb provided when you're informed of your new duties.”

“NO! NOOOOO!” Baroness Sellwafer yelled as I carried her over to her still unconscious husband. I grabbed him as I heard a scuffle outside the office. I walked over to the door and dragged my two captives behind me. The door opened and Gella stood there with two large men on the floor at her feet.

“They assumed you were killing them. I didn't kill them.” Gella said.

“You should have.” I said and the other workers gasped. “Your old bosses breached the contracts that established this business. I own it and their family now.”

Most of the heads nodded. They knew breaching a contract meant heavy penalties. They also looked worried.

“No, I'm not shutting you down. I need to get that money back.” I said and they all sighed in relief.

“Inform these two of the new boss.” Gella said and kicked them. “If they don't like it, tell them they're fired. If they still don't leave, tell them I'll be back tomorrow to kill them.”

The workers nodded and none of them tried to stop me from dragging their old bosses out of the back room. The girl behind the counter let out a little scream and covered her mouth.

“It's okay. They're my serfs now.” I said and kept walking.

“That's worse than death for them.” The girl commented.

“I know.” I said and dragged the crying Baroness out of the shop. Her husband was still unconscious.

Gella and I loaded them into the carriage and Farra tied them up to stop them from trying to steal the piles and piles of gold crowns in the carriage.

The Baroness cried harder when Farra told her that it was the riches stolen from my supposedly dead branch family. She knew the pile was about to get much higher because of her.