Forest Kingdom Trilogy 2 - Blood and Honor

forget your place, actor,' he said softly. 'You're a hired man, nothing more. We own you, body and soul. Out there in public I may have to bow and scrape to you, but here in private you'll call me sir, and like it. Because if you don't, I'm going to hurt you. I know a lot about hurting people. I'm very good at it. Now get down on your knees where you belong, actor, and call me sir.'
    'Blow it out your ear,' said Jordan.
    DeGrange's hand dropped to the sword at his side. Jordan stepped forward and kicked him smartly, just below the knee. DeGrange grunted in surprise at the sudden blinding pain, and fell awkwardly to the floor as his leg collapsed under him. Jordan palmed one of his flare pellets and crushed it in his hand.
    Bluewhite flames leapt up around his clenched fist without consuming it. Jordan leaned forward and stretched out his blazing hand towards DeGrange. The Security man froze where he was. Beads of sweat formed on his face as Jordan stopped his hand only inches away from DeGrange's face.
    'You will treat me with respect at all times,' said Jordan quietly, 'both in public and in private. I can't afford to have you give the game away by reacting wrongly to me at any point. You're not a good enough actor to cover it up. Now get up, and address me properly.'
    He didn't threaten the man; he didn't have to. He stepped back a few paces, and blew out the flames on his hand. His skin was tingling faintly, but as always he'd taken no harm from the heat. The protection spell he'd bought all those years ago was still good. It ought to be; it had cost enough. DeGrange got slowly to his feet, still favouring his bruised leg,
    and Jordan watched him carefully. He'd been bluffing, but he was fairly sure DeGrange didn't know that.
    He'd believe Jor-dan's implied threat because his own threat had been real. Jordan preferred to avoid violence, whenever possible, but if he was to get any respect here, he was going to have to act the hard man, or they'd walk right over him.
    DeGrange nodded briefly to Jordan, and then looked at Roderik. 'He'll do. When his hand burst into flames like that, I thought for one horrible moment that I'd got it wrong, and he really was Prince Viktor.'
    'As far as you're concerned, he is,' said Roderik coldly. 'He's quite right. We have to be consistent in our attitudes towards him or we're bound to make a mistake at some crucial moment. Now apologise to him.'
    'Apologise to him? That jumped-up actor?'
    'He is your Prince,' said Roderik. He locked eyes with DeGrange, and the Security man's face went pale. 'Do as you're told, Brion. Apologise to him.'
    DeGrange's jaw clenched, and the muscles in his face jumped spasmodically. His hands curled into shaking fists at his sides. And slowly he turned and stiffly bowed to Jordan. 'I apologise for my disrespectful words and actions, your highness.'
    'Then we'll say no more about it,' said Jordan graciously. He cocked an eyebrow at Roderik. 'Something happened there. You forced him to do that somehow.'
    'Oh yes,' said Roderik easily. 'It wasn't difficult. DeGrange was once a widely respected and even more widely feared outlaw. He commanded one of the largest bands of cutthroats and bandits Redhart has ever known. They were finally hunted down and tracked to their lair some five years ago. Most of them were slain, but Brion was taken alive. Rather than waste the man's obvious abilities, King Malcolm had Brion put under a geas, a controlling spell. Brion is compelled to function as Head of Castle Security, and to do a good job of it. Originally he was answerable only to Malcolm, but with his death that control has passed to me.'
    'That was convenient,' said Jordan.
    'I arranged it that way,' said Roderik. 'A simple rider, attached to the original spell. So small and insignificant you'd never know it was there, unless you were looking for it. Malcolm never knew, of course, and Brion was prevented from volunteering the information. And you needn't worry about someone else taking control away from me; I changed the spell so that no more riders are possible.
    Malcolm never did know much about High Magic, and how it worked. You can trust Brion implicitly, Jordan. He can no more betray us than he can grow wings and fly. Every now and again he tries to assert his independence, but all it takes is a few words from me to bring him back to heel. Isn't that right, Brion?'
    'Yes, my lord,' said DeGrange.
    Jordan scowled at them both. He'd heard about the geas spell,