Flanders caught Robert's eye. The young man’s interest was too keen, his admiration too pointed. They could practically see the thoughts forming behind those calculating eyes?—
How do I get my hands on Todlaw?
"The king valued loyalty above stone," Flanders said. "The mortar you see was mixed with James Duncan’s sweat, and he earned every inch of this with his blood."
"As did some others," Atholl replied, his tone light but the nod to his grandfather’s spilt blood was clear.
They should never have let this man inside the gates. But it was too late now.
"The war room is this way," Robert said, leading them down the left corridor.
Flanders glanced over the banister to see the children below already circling the guards, chattering excitedly. The smallest girl had taken the big man's hand and was trying to pull him toward the great hall.
"Ye're a cruel man, Flanders Leesborn," Hemming muttered, though his eyes danced with merriment.
"Aye. It will be a day they’ll remember.”
* * *
The war room was stifling.A fire roared in the hearth with three fat, fresh logs squatting in the center. The western windows had been shut tight against the rain. In the corner, a large basket covered with a blanket sat atop a table, its mysterious bulk drawing the eye.
Atholl noticed it immediately. "What have we here?"
Flanders waved a dismissive hand. "One of the women has an odd notion of tidying up by hiding the rubbish. Ignore it."
The Earl's eyes lingered on the covered mound before he turned his attention to the room at large. Hemming and Snorre stood by the wall, arms crossed, expressions neutral. Rolf remained near the door, a silent sentinel.
"Please, sit," Robert gestured to a chair near the fire. "Ye must be chilled after a night in the open."
Atholl eagerly removed his outer cloak. Beads of sweat were already forming on his brow. He glanced around expectantly, as if waiting for refreshments to appear, then sat.
"I'm sure Laird Stephan—yer cousin, is he?—saw ye well fed," Flanders said, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table, where a cool draft might reach him.
The Earl's eyes narrowed at the implication. "He is a distant relation through my mother's side."
"How fortunate for him to have family in such high places," Robert remarked dryly, then took his seat at the head, where he was also more likely to feel a breeze. "Now, to business. What charges does my neighbor bring against me?"
Atholl straightened in his chair, assuming a more formal posture. "Laird Stephan accuses ye of harboring a witch, kidnapping his people, including his wife, and sending a spy to poison him. He demands the return of all his subjects, the usual compensation for the cost of bringing his men to retrieve them, and punishment for those who aided in these crimes."
"Is that all?" Robert asked mildly. "No demand for my firstborn child?"
Atholl ignored the jibe. "There is also the matter of Todlaw itself. Laird Stephan questions yer right to hold these lands, as ye are not James Duncan's true heir by blood."
Robert's jaw tightened, but Flanders spoke before he could. "And what remedy does yer cousin suggest?"
The jibe hit its mark, the young traitor stiffened, but he continued. "He believes Todlaw should revert to The Crown, as it should have when James Duncan abandoned Scotland." Atholl's eyes gleamed. "Though he would be willing to administer it on The Crown's behalf."
"How generous of him," Flanders said. "And have ye already decided our fate, my lord? Or do ye actually intend to hear the truth before rendering judgment?"
Atholl's cheeks flushed. "I am here to hear yer defense, am I not?"
"Ye are indeed," Robert said. "Ye seem young to carry such responsibility, but surely not so young that ye’re ignorant of what justice requires? Ye cannot consider any remedy without hearing what truly happened."
The flush on Atholl's face deepened. "I assumed the facts were not in dispute, since Gallabrae’s people are indeed now inside Todlaw's walls."
Hemming let out a bark of laughter. "He assumed Stephan told the truth! That's rich."
Even Snorre cracked a smile. "Next he'll tell us the sky is green and boars can fly."
