James stood tall in the hall, as a faint, smug curve pulled at the corner of his lips. He saw it clearly, the stunned look on the city lord's face, the way his composure had cracked for that brief, honest heartbeat. So you did expect us to die out there, James thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. But now… the very thing you fear most is just a short walk away. I wonder what you'll do, old fox.
It wasn't a secret that the people of Shantel despised their lord. His total disregard for their well-being, his greed, his habit of stripping what little they had to decorate his manor, those things had turned him into the embodiment of everything they hated. Even this mission… James knew it had nothing to do with the safety of the townsfolk. The lord had simply wanted to confirm if he would be safe staying here.
