Chapter 301: Helping hand (1)
Tyrion returned to the palace, but he did not enter through the front doors for the guests or servants to see him. He went around to the guards’ quarters and slipped in to walk a path meant for only royals and their trusted servants.
"Tyrion!"
Tyrion stopped at the sound of his father’s voice.
"Can you explain why you are walking without a shirt around the palace? Your mother had complaints from the head maids when you and Teo did this," Tobias said, but he was relieved to see his son.
Tobias got a glimpse of the bloody shirt in Tyrion’s hands and asked, "Are you hurt?"
"No," Tyrion replied.
"Is someone else hurt?" Tobias asked.
"They can’t feel it," Tyrion answered.
"I see," Tobias said, the last of his worrying gone. "You are trying to get cleaned up before you go to Penelope. Come with me. I can lend you some of my clothes so you won’t get caught."
"Your clothes won’t be able to fit me. My muscles are far greater, and your style might bore Penelope unless you are giving me the uniforms you wear when you speak with the army. Can I have one made to match your own?" Tyrion asked, a brilliant idea coming to mind.
"No. They are now reserved for your brother. You have plenty of uniforms, Tyrion. I heard that you had the rest you left here sent to your home, and you are asking for more to be made. What use do you have for them?" Tobias wondered.
"It is best that you do not know," Tyrion replied.
"Come with me, son. My clothing will fit you. Your muscles are nothing to be impressed about when you stand before me. I am not so old that I can’t throw you on your ass," Tobias said, leading the way for Tyrion.
"You are old enough that you might break something if I lift you. Why didn’t you inform me of a group claiming that I am a deserter?" Tyrion asked, curious what the excuse was.
"I dealt with them by sending them away from the palace gates. You cannot escape hearing of people who are upset that you walk away from the throne. Many don’t think your reason for wanting to marry Penelope is enough, or they fear God will punish us for not following the order," Tobias shared.
"In all of this, they will not blame just me. They will go after Penelope."
"It is unfortunate, but she is an easier target since she is a woman. They don’t see her as Edgar’s daughter. She’s just a woman who blinded you," Tobias said.
"They are to be dealt with," Tyrion said, not wanting to let this go on.
"This is not the court we speak of, Tyrion. These are the people. We cannot go out and slaughter them for their opinions," Tobias said, hoping Tyrion wouldn’t do something foolish.
"I don’t care about the ones who cast their opinions. I care about those who take it upon themselves to attack the carriage Penelope and I were in. They must be dealt with," said Tyrion.
"I did not know that was who you were after. You are right that the ones who take it so far must be dealt with. I will look into it," Tobias promised.
"I have already started to look into it. I am sure you will have a complaint from the town guards about me taking the body. There is a man placed as a captain who needs to be removed. I only know his first name, Henry," Tyrion said, annoyed just by the mention of the name.
"I know him. He is always lurking around Edgar’s estate to catch him. It would be wonderful if the town guards would work with Edgar rather than against him. I worry Edgar will snap and kill all the guards," Tobias said, nervous that it would happen soon.
"I do not blame him," Tyrion said, folding up the shirt as he walked. "They are blinded by anger. Just as you have changed up the court, you should change up the town guards. We shouldn’t keep anyone who is useless around us."
"Speaking of useless," Tyrion said, looking at a man in the distance. "Are you trying to place him in the new court?"
"I wasn’t," Tobias replied, gazing at the man Tyrion spoke of. "Edmund showed up by himself. I didn’t send anyone for him. He must have heard about the state of the court."
"He approached Penelope about having dinner with him," Tyrion shared.
"That won’t be good if his wife is there. Edgar said he would kill his father if he brought Cassidy around his family. A sure way to get Edgar not to like you is to meet with Edmund and his wife," Tobias warned Tyrion.
Tobias spoke with Edmund, as Edmund had helped create laws that protected the innocent in the kingdom. It was the laws Edmund pushed for that Alessandra benefited from. Tobias couldn’t avoid Edmund, and Edgar understood this.
"I don’t have any interest in meeting with his wife. I also don’t need to meet with Edmund yet, here he comes," Tyrion said, annoyed.
Edmund could fight to get back into Edgar’s life, but Tyrion wasn’t going to be used as a pawn to help Edmund. He wasn’t going to let Penelope be a pawn either.
"The prince finally stands before me again. I haven’t had the chance to speak with you since you married my granddaughter. Welcome to the family," Edmund said, offering his hand to Tyrion.
Tyrion stared at the hand stretched out to him. "Lovely," Tyrion replied.
"I see my granddaughter has spoken to you and my son has rubbed off on you," Edmund said, placing his hand back at his side. "Are you also afraid of Priscilla?"
"Aren’t you?" Tyrion asked.
"I am. I will never forget the way she acted when our marriage ended. I am lucky that Priscilla didn’t try to kill me, though I am certain that if I tried to stay by her side, she would have poisoned me," Edmund said, followed by laughter. "You must be careful, Prince Tyrion."
"I would only need to be careful if I did something worthy of being punished for. You may sleep well at night knowing that I will never welcome another woman into my marriage," Tyrion said, the jab intentional.
Tobias cleared his throat.
Edmund wasn’t offended by the jab targeting his affair. "That is good to hear. Penelope is my precious little granddaughter. I hope that you will never make her unhappy. Don’t make the same mistakes that I did."
"I wouldn’t be so foolish as to lose a good woman," Tyrion replied, his burning gaze never once leaving Edmund’s face.
Edmund glanced at Tobias and noticed how he shook his head.
There was nothing Edmund could say to make Tyrion warm up to him.