Seat of Mars

Chapter 7: fear'd by their breed and famous by their birth...

Harry

"Isn't this fun? I just got a letter from Somerset saying he's holding my dad hostage. So it was him, look this hand matches the person who wrote the code," Is how Devon chooses to bounce into my office, simply completely bouncing, holding a piece of paper up above his head because he reads like that.
"Somerset, you're positive?" I ask, looking up from my work.
"Circling back to where his father is being held hostage?" Tom asks.
"This is the proof we needed," I say, looking at it quickly.
"Oh my father's fine! He probably wants to be there," Devon says, dismissively.
"According to my latest note from John father believes we're dead and he's planning his attack, this will work," I grin.
"And now that we know Somerset is the traitor we can use that divide him from your father," Devon says.
"Also John says Devon's dad says hi?" Tom says, looking at my private correspondence.
"Oh that's nice, as I said he's fine," Devon says, dismissively.
"We need to go tell the king, now," I say, taking his hand, "You're coming with. Let's go Tom. It's time the traitors were revealed."

Richard

I was having a nice morning. Not really but on a scale it's nice. I had good wine brought up. I took the dogs out to the yard to look at the morning mist. And then I came up to my office to get a few hours work done before the day collapses around me into chaos.
That's when members of my household start appearing.
Roger is first, he walks in, and says, completely calmly, as though I didn't fall asleep in his lap last night, "Your Majesty I have new information you need to know."
"Is it urgent?" I sigh, I was going through responses from my earls.
"A bit. D'you recall how I said I couldn't give you the identity of the person who warned us off the parlay? Now I can," Roger says.
"Go on," I sigh.
At that point there's a knock at the door and the servants admit the three boys, Harry, Tom, and for some reason the Devon boy bopping behind them. All three are holding papers.
"Your Majesty I have something to tell you," Harry says, glancing quickly at Roger.
"Is it urgent?" I ask.
"Yes and private," Harry says.
"All right," I take a sip of wine, "Go on."
"A member of my father's party has been sending coded messages to a member of yours," Harry says.
Roger puts his face in his hands.
"What?" I say.
"Your Majesty he won't stay out," Blount lets Beaufort in, which I did not need right now.
"I need a word," Beaufort says.
"No, you don't," I say, waving a hand for more wine, "Bring me three glasses—no not for them it's all for me."
"Do you know he's been coercing people to spy on Bolingbroke?" Beaufort points at Roger who looks pained.
"No, but it sounds like him—was invested in the coded messages though, boys," I point at them.
"We have it here," the Devon boy says, bouncing a little.
"The writer of the messages has been teasing information in order to prolong the conflict with my father," Harry says, holding up a message of what looks like gibberish.
"Somerset," Roger says, flatly.
"What?" I look between them, "How do you know?"
"I know because this is my uncle's hand, it matches this letter he signed," Harry says, holding up two letters, "And he's been sending them to him." He points at Roger.
"I didn't know until yesterday it was for sure Somerset, to be honest I thought for a while it was him," Roger points at Beaufort.
"Is that why you coerced my wife into doing spying for you?" Beaufort asks.
"That woman is not your wife please do not confuse this situation more," Roger says, at the exact same time I say, "You're married?"
"Whatever, you know who I mean, Alice," Beaufort growls.
"Somerset tipped him off not to go to the parlay and then a few days ago they met," Harry says, pointing again at Roger which would be accusatory but at this point it seems helpful, "Somehow they have a code both of them know."
"That's our father's code no man alive but me should know it, took me a bit but I guessed the bastards of Lancaster might have also learnt," Roger says.
"I'm confused," I say.
"Me too," Tom says, nicely.
"What were you doing sneaking around London—coercing Alice into doing your spying?" Beaufort asks Roger.
"And what did Somerset tell you?" Harry asks, folding his arms.
"He didn't tell me anything," Roger says, "I wasn't even sure it was him till a few days ago, which is why, your Majesty, I was coming to tell you this morning I knew who I was getting information through."
"Wait, does that mean Somerset's on this side? Because if so I might want to revoke swearing loyalty to you and change sides? One childhood with him was enough I'm done I can't," Beaufort says, "I —I have to be on a different side than him, if we're working in groups. It's not personal."
"No! He's not on either side," Harry says.
"That's the point," Roger says, "He's not on any side but his own, your majesty he caused possibly all of this."
"Alice said he's the one who helped her escape Bolingbroke," Beaufort says.
"Right, because he was guilty," Devon says.
"Read these messages—if you can, should have copied these out Devon your handwriting is atrocious—," Harry begins, putting papers on my desk.
"You can read it," Devon shrugs.
"—focus," Beaufort says, "What are you boys talking about?"
"He's offering to play a game, with him," Harry points at Roger.
"He was taunting me, that's what he said yesterday he repeated it, he is doing—all of this—as some sort of game," Roger says, "He was helping Bolingbroke but he tipped us off simply because he didn't want us to lose that quickly then his fun would be over. He's dangerous."
"And he's trying to extort another spy since now he knows that Sir Roger isn't any fun," Devon says, pointing to another piece of paper.
"None of this is excusing you using Alice to infiltrate Bolingbroke," Beaufort says.
"Until I went and questioned her, I thought you wrote these, Lancaster descendants might have had the code and you were the only one clever enough I thought to do it," Roger says, "I was low on time so yes I had her infiltrate. She didn't tell me Somerset helped her if so I'd have suspected him sooner. I told him he was mad, which he is, and I'm not playing some fucked up game with him even to get information. That's what I was coming to tell you before—they Lancastered the situation."
"I believe you, I don't understand you, but I believe you," I say, putting my hands to my head.
"But now Somerset knows you know his identity, and since you told him you're not playing that's why he was desperate enough to try to find a new contact," Harry says, tapping one of the papers the boys gave me.
"Devon is this a letter of ransom for your father?" I ask, staring at it.
"Yes, your majesty, but he's fine! I'm sure he's happy!" Devon chirps, bouncing again.
"Somerset's ordering you to give him information, you're right he is desperate, but why?" Roger muses, reading it too.
"My father must be planning something, something he doesn't think will work so he has to extend it, that's his purpose, to extend the conflict for sport," Harry says.
"If so he's not going to stop," Beaufort says, "Just because it's—apparently impossible to blackmail a Courtenay—,"
"Can't rob a thief, can't blackmail a Courtenay," Devon nods, proud of this. I think he should not be.
"Doesn't mean it won't work on another member of the household," Beaufort says, "I know my brother he'll stop at nothing if this is current amusement."
"His current amusement being helping put Bolingbroke on my throne," I say.
"Aye think of how much fun he'd have with his not clever brother in charge?" Roger asks, then says, "What?"
Beaufort, who looked at him, "Nothing, that's just the nicest description I've ever heard of Bolingbroke."
"Somerset is the problem here," Harry says, firmly thank god he's not getting distracted I am, "If we go into—most any confrontation with my father at this point Somerset will have orchestrated it."
"Meaning it's rigged. And who's to say this is the only blackmail note he sent?" I say.
"We met in public sadly I couldn't kill him," Roger volunteers.
"Nobody was suggesting you simply kill him," I say.
"I was going to, actually," Harry says, "It'd simplify my life, Clarendon."
"Can we agree to worry about that—later?" Beaufort gestures to me then Harry generally.
"Yes definitely—no we're not killing him, but we do need him out of the way," I say, "You're right—you're all correct. If Somerset is desperate enough to kidnap people to get information he's not just doing it once. And we can't rely on that. And if he's mad enough to give us information to prolong the conflict, he's mad enough to get us all killed for sport as well."
"He's a worse danger than Bolingbroke," Beaufort says, "I'd volunteer to try to reason with him or move him but I realize you don't trust me—,"
"We do not," Roger says.
"—and I don't really want to. If he's gone this far I wouldn't put it past him to try to slay me if he realized what was up," Beaufort says.
"No, no, and besides that we don't have time. This morning's reports say Bolingbroke was mustering his men, he's getting ready to come out of Kenilworth," I say.
"All right but we have no way of —securing Somerset," Roger says, "He was feral in the middle of London, and apparently he got into the Tower and out with a prisoner. We have no way of telling what other hostages he has and I suppose we don't even want Philip to die though it's okay."
"We do have a way," Harry says, "We have a contact he's given it to us. He played himself into a corner."
"What?" I frown at him.
"He's expecting a reply, your majesty, I can write to my father in code," Devon says, bouncing.
"Oh god no, we are not having this plan rely on Philip," Roger says.
"We could," Beaufort shrugs.
"I'll pay him handsomely the man will do anything for money, anything apparently," I sigh.
"He double crosses us every other weekend!" Roger pleads.
"I'll ask him to secure Somerset, he probably already has him half manipulated out of boredom," Devon shrugs.
"How would you even get a coded message in?" I ask.
"Somerset's arrogant. He won't expect to be played by the boy. If the message appears to be innocuous he'll take delight in mocking Philip that the boy isn't helping him, make the reply insulting enough he'll let Philip read the message," Beaufort says.
"This is a bad plan," Roger says.
"Yes but it's the only one we currently have do you have a better way of getting inside Kenilworth?" I ask.
"Not at the moment," Roger sighs.
"It's like our father used to say 'when in doubt inflict the nearest Courtenay on the enemy'," I say.
"Wait, he said that?" Devon frowns.
"Shh," Harry pats the other boy's messy hair, "It's what I'm going to do."
"Yes," Devon is happy again for some reason, pumping his fist.
"Do it," I say, snapping my fingers for someone to bring the parchment and paper, "Can you write it?"
"Oh yes my lord," Devon spins around he's so happy. Damn, that really is Philip's kid. Damn, one of Philip was enough.
"Then what are we doing with Bolingbroke?" Roger asks.
"Without Somerset—complicating things I can handle Bolingbroke," I say.
"Yes he might ruin his own cause by acting like a lunatic," Harry says, for no real reason.
"Wait—I don't trust this kid, he needs to tell us what he's telling his father," Roger says, pointing at Devon who is gleefully writing a message.
"Oh, I'm telling him I've got nothing planned please destroy his captors," Devon says.
"Okay, yes, how are you doing that?" I ask.
Devon winces, "Ah—all right nobody is allowed to get mad at me because I'm a priest—,"
"That is not how that works," Beaufort says.
"Go on, I'm just like this, I'm not cross with you," I sigh, face in my hands.
"So we have a familial understanding, if the free party refuses ransom demands that's automatic license to eliminate those holding us. If I work in a few key choice phrases he'll know specifically I am asking that he eliminate Somerset, I'm not even going to pay him don't worry about that I'll accept his payment. He doesn't need that sort of encouragement," Devon says, merrily, not looking up.
"If we pay you, are you going to give the money to him?" Roger clarifies.
"No," Devon says, like it's a dumb question, "Courier fee."
"Look, I think you should tell him to kill Somerset if possible," Harry says.
"Oh, we'd have to pay him for murder," Devon says.
"Fine, I've got money, also while we're here, I think we need to agree as a family that we're going to kill my father," Harry goes on.
"Are either of you aware that you live in a society?" Beaufort asks, staring between Harry and Devon.
"They might not be," Tom pipes up.
"No, we're not killing anyone, except possibly in battle," I say.
"Yes," Harry says, completely happy.
"Which you are not participating in," I say.
Harry looks like he might cry.
"He's fine," Tom says, patting his brother who simply punches him.
"Good morning—oh busy," Exeter walks in, "Hello Harry, how's the eye?"
"Better than Holland's balls," Harry says.
"I'm choosing to ignore that exchange," I say.
"Oh it's a fun story—later," Beaufort says.
"We've got a message," Exeter says.
I finish a cup of wine, "Go on."
"Bolingbroke is challenging us to fight, specifically you, he has a list of crimes he thinks you committed honestly I didn't read it," Exeter says.
"Probably best," Harry says, nodding. That's odd but I'm choosing to ignore it.
"So is that a no to murdering? Because we would have to pay him for that," Devon asks, looking up.
"So you're having an interesting morning as well, lovely, what do you want me to do with this?" Exeter asks.
"Reply that I'll be there to take him into custody—have the scribes write that I've got several people here at the moment," I sigh, rubbing my face with both hands.
"Right, we answering these charges?" Exeter asks.
"No they're pure fiction, burn them," I say.
"That they are," Harry says, nearly snatching them up to go burn them.
"He likes fire," Beaufort says.
"I noticed," I say.
"You set London on fire?" Roger realizes, looking at the boy, "You're the missing factor—I was thinking it was Somerset, it was you wasn't it?"
"He would never do such a thing I'm hurt and offended," Devon says, not looking up.
"Do you just pay him to follow you about contradicting your crimes?" Beaufort asks, "Is that what this is?"
"No. I don't pay him," Harry says, "And I'm hurt and offended you'd say such thing."
"Yes, Roger, he did order the fires started to orchestrate his escape, Harry wipe that look off your face it is NOT worse than suggesting we kill your dad which you've done, twice, today," I say.
"We had to get out of London," Tom says.
"He's not admitting to anything without a trial of his peers," Devon says, while writing.
"That's why we couldn't figure out who did it," Roger says, "You little bastard. You seriously burned down half of London as a diversion?"
"It worked," Harry says, folding his arms.
"Once more, you live in a society," Beaufort is breathing a bit oddly, "Do you—Harry your dad wouldn't have noticed we both know you could have just left."
"Why am I the villain here? I'm a victim," Harry says.
"You are not," all of us, in unison, except Devon who says, "Yes, he is."
"Harry, we'll discuss the fires, and wanting to kill your dad—,"
"I don't want to. It would just make me happy and I think we should and I'll do it personally if really necessary for our survival," Harry says.
"Yes, cousin, that is wanting to," I say.
"Done," Devon bounces up, "Do I get paid now? Or should I just go collect it myself?"
"Yes, here's your payment. I'm not telling the Chancellor of Oxford his missing abacus and pearl ring are in YOUR room," Beaufort says.
"You have no proof I would do that I'm shocked and hurt—,"
"How dare you accuse a man of the cloth of such a thing—," Harry says.
"But it's there, right?" Beaufort asks.
"Did—I'm sorry I missed something, did we just bring in this Devon kid so he and Harry can defend each other for crimes they committed?" Roger asks.
"Apparently. Yes," I say.
"Those items aren't in my room," Devon says primly.
"What, you sold them weeks ago?" Beaufort asks.
"If I ever had them, I sold them weeks ago," he nods, proud, "Because I'm a professional."
"I'm just going to take them both to Scotland, leave them there, and when they come back maybe they'll be better probably not though, but at least they'll be tired," Beaufort says.
"Forget it, no, focus—send the letter yes, Devon, we will compensate yourself and your father for example I'll waive the current charges I have against him," I say.
Devon smiles.
"Harry, we'll talk about fires and killing your father and whatever else I'm worried about, later, for now, no one is killing anyone, we do live in a society. Exeter, tell Bolingbroke I'll gladly meet him but he's the one answering charges make it sound good yes Harry why are you raising your hand please tell me you don't have more new information if so I need more wine," I say.
"Just a request. My siblings are still in my father's custody I need to extract them, during a parlay would be a perfect time," Harry says.
"Yes all right," I say.
"No, don't agree to more of him," Roger says, quietly.
"No, please," Exeter says, equally quietly.
"I don't have men to spare," I say.
"I just need them and some horses," Harry says, taking his uncle's sleeve and Devon's. Both react to this very poorly.
"What—what? I didn't agree to this," Beaufort says.
"Why me?" Devon asks.
"Because you're both men of the church and above suspicion,—-,"
"No, Harry your friend is the most suspicious looking person alive," Exeter says, as Devon grins sweetly, "Have you even LOOKED at him?"
"—and he looks like he's nine so no one will notice him," Harry says.
"No, I don't," Devon who looks maybe eight, says, wrinkling his little nose.
"You do," several of us say might even include me. I'm not above arguing with a twelve year old apparently. I console myself it's Philip's twelve year old.
"If you think you can get your siblings out, do it," I say, "But you stay here, the last thing we need is your father taking you back."
"Oh I don't—think he'd expect to see me," Harry says. Tom hits him for some reason.
"Nobody wants me your majesty!" Devon bounces again.
"We—are somewhat used to you," Beaufort says, very painfully.
"All right, Roger, Exeter, stay here, everyone else, disperse to your tasks, Beaufort, you're in charge of all three of these, and however many other children they acquire," I say.
"I'm defecting," Beaufort says, humorlessly, while Tom and Harry just shove each other and Devon spins in a little circle for no reason.
"Somerset's on the other side," I say.
"I'll take them, come on boys," Beaufort says.
"Devon where's that letter, yes give it to Exeter," I say, taking a deep breath, this plan may work yet.