This meant that Baron Wolfram, was familiar with the secret Princess Esme Elizabeth Martha Lionheart, the daughter of a lowly peasant concubine and the King.
He didn't know the complete specifics of why, the princess was being hidden, nor did he know why his majesty didn't just exile the princess somewhere she wouldn't be a bother.
Regardless of any of that, Baron Wolfram, did not believe himself to be a fool, No, the Baron was the most competent person currently in the room, he would naturally and easily understand what was going on.
"Hey! You alright!"
Arthur's voice dragged him straight out of his trance, demanding his attention.
"Oh yes of course I'm quite fine, please where were we?"
Unfortunately, he was not fine, He was absolutely not fine, the princess being here had made everything click inside his head.
It made sense why, he wasn't informed about the Explorer, the older nobles would never want him to be privy to this kind of information.
That is why he and Luke couldn't get any information from anyone about the Explorer, because his majesty had most likely issued a gag order to keep everything under wraps.
Everything made sense now, however with that realisation, came a secondary epiphany that forced his back to be drenched in sweat and his skin to go chalk pale.
"Are you sure you're alright, you're awfully pale"
Arthur looked at the man with a curious brow, there was a sudden change in atmosphere, it hadn't been tense before however now it felt as though he had every advantage possible.
"I'll bring a glass of water, please wait a moment"
Esme suggested, her face showing genuine worry about the man before her. She had no idea what was going on with him but in just a split second he looked as if he was under a lot of stress.
"No, no. That won't be necessary your– My lady"
He quickly straightened himself up and presented a facade of calm and poise. However inwardly he understood that he had to reconsider his allegiances.
He understood that Bulat probably had no idea about this, most commoners had no clue there was a secret princess.
From what he knows the excuse last year, when she appeared at the Sun's revival festival, was that she was a foreign delegate, invited to experience the culture of the Lionheart kingdom.
People tended not to remember faces, when they saw them once and never saw them again, it also didn't help that any rumors about a secret princess were drowned out by other scandals that were going on at the time, so the idea didn't stay long in the minds of the commoners.
However Baron Wolfram was not a commoner, he was a noble and thus naturally he was aware of Esme's existence. The fact that she was married meant, his majesty had made that decision.
"Now on the topic of Bulat, as much as he is a beloved figure, I believe he is not completely an innocent individual"
That last part of his sentence sent shockwaves to everyone in the room. Not because it was somehow a lie, no because it was a truth that came from someone who is supposed to be working for Bulat.
Arthur and Esme found themselves shocked, their eyes widening as they heard such a claim.
As far as they knew this man before them was in Bulat's pocket already, and thus it made no sense why he'd say something against Bulat.
The one who was shocked most of all, was Luke, the guard captain, his eyes bulged to the size of saucers, and he took a sharp inhale as he nearly staggered back out of sheer shock.
Gathering himself, he quickly grabbed the Baron's shoulders, seeking an explanation, however, Wolfram did not appreciate such familiarity.
"Unhand me you filth!"
Wolfram slapped the hand off his shoulder, with such ruthless disgust that Luke couldn't help but step back.
"As I was saying, Bulat is not as innocent as he may seem, that is why I believe it prudent to….uh"
To what?
The words trailed off, his mind unable to find a way to phrase his next words without completely throwing Bulat under the bus, but at the same time, he couldn't threaten or coerce the couple before him.
He had to make a choice.
Arthur waited for the man to continue his words, he couldn't really be sure about it but he felt that Wolfram had suddenly changed his approach, for what reason, he couldn't say yet.
Perhaps they weren't even working for Bulat to begin with and he had been mistaken.
"To ensure he gets arrested and thrown in Jail?"
Esme was the one who finished the sentence for him, not only surprising the Baron but herself as well, those words exited her mouth with so much ease, almost as if she believed there was nothing wrong with a woman speaking at this moment.
Before she would have hesitated or asked for permission. Yet now she spoke without restraint at all. She instinctively glanced at Arthur, thinking there was going to be disapproval on his face but all she could see was a small smile.
"Uhh, that's… No let's not get too eager yet, Bulat has too much power for that, we need to…."
Again he couldn't really come up with a workable plan, on the spot like this. It would be easy to throw Bulat to the wolves and save himself, however he was a reliable source of income, Despite being a Baron, Wolfram had shallow pockets.
Esme glanced at Arthur, hoping he'd speak over Wolfram, however he only gave her a look, almost as if to tell her "no, you do it". She pressed her lips together before speaking.
"Inform his majesty that his capital is being taken over by criminals?"
Esme pushed, forcing words into the man's mouth as a suspicion formed in her head.
He hadn't outright confirmed it, as he hadn't referred to himself with any noble titles yet, but she was almost certain he was a noble, if that was the case that meant he knew of her.
This development, was something she hadn't considered mostly because she did not think a noble would arrive at her doorstep. There might be no need to be in contact with Duke Lionmane after all.
Beads of sweat began to trickle down his forehead and for a moment he felt like he was stuck between two difficult choices, however, his mind came to a swift realization.
He figured allying himself with individuals who have ties to the king would be far more beneficial than being friends with a criminal like Bulat.
"Indeed, you're right my Lady."
He suppressed a grimace, the fact that he was talking to a woman about such matters filled him with a sense of wrongness, however he could not say anything, Arthur had already spoken about how this was his house and anything he says goes.
Still, though, a man who let a woman speak here, didn't exactly inspire awe and respect but Wolfram would keep his mouth shut.
"In fact for the past couple of years, Mr Witherspoon and I have been working in order to bring down Bulat but he's quite elusive."
Of course that was a complete lie, but it placed him in a favorable position and allowed him to be able to frame his involvement with Bulat as undercover work to gather information. Even as a lowly Baron, he was still a noble, he should be able to get away with that.
"Witherspoon? You're Cathy's Husband."
Arthur asserted, however with that confirmation, he was now certain that this Wolfram fellow somehow had turned against Bulat, but why?
"Har name is Catherine, but yes. I am her husband"
Luke corrected as he answered, his voice conveying a level of annoyance that wasn't lost on the people in the room. The guard captain, wished his wife would stop being so overly familiar with men and focus more on her duties. He didn't know why she insisted on being referred to with that ridiculous nickname.
"I've been wanting to meet you, Mr Witherspoon, thank you for coming to me instead."
Luke simply gave the Explorer a nod, he was in no mood to speak any more than he already had, what he wanted was answers from the Baron, why the sudden betrayal? Surely there was a deeper motive here.
"As I was saying Mr Bright, Bulat is elusive and–"
"We get the gist, you've turned your back on Bulat, in favor of working with us. The only thing we need now is the reason why"
"I believe you're mistaken, sir–"
Arthur simply gave Esme a look, giving her room to speak, interrupting Wolfram from speaking any further.
Esme could only feel a bit a sense of annoyance. She knew he was deliberately forcing her to have to speak, she had hoped that in front of a noble at least, he'd pretend to follow common etiquette.
"It's pointless to deny it, It's obvious you work for Bulat, or at least worked, as you decided to betray him just now."
Of course that was a lie, they had already suspected they these two worked for Bulat, the mention of Luke Witherspoon's name was more of an added layer of confirmation.
"So just tell us your reasons for betraying Bulat"
Arthur let his form get comfortable on the couch, placing both his arms on the top of the backrest and opening up his body in a display of confidence and lack of worry.
"Before I say anything, can you promise my involvement with Bulat will be overlooked?"
Arthur once again let his wife do the talking.
Esme felt the urge to lie however she knew that Wolfram was accustomed to living with liars and would see through her.
"That depends on how much you're involved, how much crime you've allowed to continue, We can't promise you much of anything"
Esme felt a bit of relief, it looked as though things were going to go much easier than expected. Although if she were to be honest, the fact that this was happening because of her ties to the royal family was unpleasant.
"I understand, Your Highness"
Luke felt as though he had been struck by a warhammer as his ears registered the words that left Baron Wolfram's mouth but he kept his mouth shut and waited
Baron began to speak, however in that moment, Arthur felt something.
It was a slow and steady pulse of magic that reached his senses, it was akin to a slow and gentle alarm, coaxing his attention to its location, he could tell it seemed to emanate behind him, the magic tickling his nape.
His brows creased momentarily before he quickly realized it was his quest log, which meant someone from the guild was either confirming his request for the monster encyclopedia or it was a quest.
Arthur decided to ignore it for the moment, it was far less important than the current conversation with Wolfram
.....
A/N: Next chapter probably on Friday. got a bit of writers block.