- You're welcome! - I answered between my teeth. - He's just a liar and a coward and a traitor.
- Me? A traitor? - Oliver laughed. - I fight for what I believe in, Your Highness! Your brother fights for his people. Your cousin fights for justice. Why do you fight?
I was silent for a few moments.
- Revenge, isn't it? - Oliver whispered. - I saw what you did to those men. The way you handed them over to the Black Knight and helped him kill one by one, except me and Morvan. There was hatred in his gaze. An obscure hatred.
Dropping a cold laugh, I turned to him, bringing my face closer to yours.
- You don't know anything about the hatred inside me. - I said in a low, cold voice. - You think you were lucky to survive that day? You'll find out no!
Standing up, I whistled. A man came in with a hot poker. I looked at him and then he cowered in the chair he was in.
- How is MacGregor training mercenaries? - I asked, speaking slowly. - How do they get out of the castle without being seen?
Oliver was silent. Losing the patience I had reserved for that moment, I leaned the tip of the iron on his neck. Oliver screamed because of the pain he felt.
- If you don't want to die slowly, I think you better tell me everything I want to know.
- All right! All right! - he grunted. - I'll talk! I'm already dead anyway.
- Oh, great! - he said, pulling me away a little bit. - Then we agree that you're a walking corpse.
He took a deep breath trying to contain his vertigo. I was disappointed to have achieved something in the first threat of torture.
- There's an exit east of the hill. The light hits the rocks in front of the entrance, so it becomes imperceptible. An optical illusion.
- Got it. - Keilan manifested with a serious voice. - Those who look from afar think that the rocks are part of the construction and since we can't get very close to the foot of the hill, it's easy for someone to leave or enter without any problems. In this case, dozens of men.
- Yes. - He nodded. - We used the passage to go out to hunt and get supplies, but also to attack the watch groups and make some men infiltrate.
I looked at Keilan who nodded.
- So that's how that coward is holding up? By making others do his dirty work? - I sighed. - What about the mercenaries? I know mercenaries are expensive, and none of you were caught with coin trunks. Who's been paying them?
He remained silent for a few moments and when I threatened to burn him, Oliver manifested himself again.
- I don't know. I don't know. - he answered evasively. - Like I said, MacGregor doesn't trust anyone except the lady he corresponds with.
I looked at Keilan frowning and he shrugged his shoulders.
- What lady?
- I don't know her name, but I believe it's the girl who's painted on the board in one of her lounges.
I went up to him with the iron and gritted my teeth.
- What's she like? - grunhi. - And don't lie!
Oliver held his breath.
- She's blonde and very pretty. I think it's something of his, because I've seen him sitting there looking at the painting with affection. - Oliver said by shrugging. - It was the only moment I ever saw anything human in him.
I looked at Keilan who frowned. Standing up, I went to him.
- As far as I know, MacGregor is Ravenna's brother and MacBride's uncle. - I said thoughtfully. - Aileen's the one in the middle and she's blonde. I remember seeing MacGregor at one of the banquets pampering, or rather, trying to pamper her. Even though he was only thirteen, Aileen didn't seem to like him very much.
- Why are you saying that? - Keilan asked.
- Because I've seen her running away countless times. - I responded by closing my eyes. - Damn it!
I turned to Oliver.
- Were there any other paintings in the room? - Oliver looked at me scared. - Come in!
- Yes. - He answered. - There was another one with the same girl and a redheaded woman.
I put my hands on my head. The tent seemed to spin and I took a deep breath to contain myself.
- What's going on? - Keilan asked. - You look pale!
- Ravenna! - grunhi. - That bastard's still helping MacGregor get to the throne.
- MacBride Ravenna?
- Yeah. - I answered by punching the wooden pilaster that held the tent. - When MacGregor turned against my father, he got valuable allies as we both know. Ravenna never hid her optimism about having her brother on the throne, so that she could regain the title that the family had taken away from her. The part that doesn't make sense is that she agreed to marry one of her daughters to my brother.
I walked from one side of the tent to the other. Something was missing and I didn't know what it was, but I wanted to find out and doubted that Oliver really knew more than he had already said.
- get someone to take care of his injuries and put him in the cell. - said coming out of the tent.
- What's that? What's that? - Keilan questioned. - He's a traitor! You must
