The Great Hall of Nightfall Keep was spacious but sparsely furnished, giving it a somewhat shabby air.
A single iron candelabra, a few worn tables and chairs, and the banner of Nightfall Keep hanging behind the lord's seat were the only notable features.
Once everyone was seated, the Maester of Nightfall Keep spoke up.
"My lords, ser knights, please forgive the humble state of our hall."
Arthur turned to Lady Corinne. "Tell me about this robber knight and his band. Their origins, identity, numbers, and where they operate."
"Th-that... um..." Corinne stammered, glancing anxiously at the Maester beside her.
"The girl is terrified," Lady Nym observed.
Arthur frowned. He hadn't threatened her in the slightest. Was this reaction really necessary?
Ser Williams spoke gently. "Lady Corinne, we have eaten your bread and salt. We are your guests. No harm will come to you while we are under your roof."
The Maester hurried to explain. "We do not fear you, my lords. It is just that the robber knight is connected to certain... unsavory deeds of the former Lord Avery."
Arthur realized instantly. They were afraid he was here to settle old scores.
"Ser Avery has taken the black. Whatever crimes he committed are washed away. I will not punish the current ruler for the sins of the predecessor."
"You need not fear, nor hesitate."
Hearing this assurance, the Maester—and indeed everyone in Nightfall Keep—felt a heavy stone lift from their hearts.
The Maester stood and bowed. "We thank you for your mercy and justice, my lord."
He then nodded encouragingly at Corinne.
Corinne stopped stammering and spilled everything at once.
"The robber knight is actually my uncle, Ser Hake."
"He acted on my father's orders, disguising himself as a bandit to raid passing caravans and extort protection money from villages in neighboring territories."
"After Father took the black and left for the Wall, Ser Hake insisted on continuing his raids around Nightfall Keep. We forbade it, but we couldn't control him or his men."
"We've been forced to pay him gold and supplies every month just to stop him from raiding us..."
"Paying a bandit?" Ser Bard couldn't help but interrupt. "Why didn't you report this to Starfall sooner?"
The Maester sighed helplessly. "Ser Avery lost half his lands because he used bandit suppression as an excuse to ignore his liege lord's call to arms. We feared that if this came to light, Starfall would punish us again."
"Hake knew this, which is why he kept extorting Lady Corinne. A month ago, he even demanded control of the castle itself."
"Maester, give me the location and numbers of this band," Ser Williams demanded.
"If you had surrendered control of the castle to a bandit, you would have shamed not only yourselves but Starfall as well."
"We realized the severity of the situation," the Maester replied quickly. "That is why, upon receiving Lord Arthur's letter, we reported the problem immediately."
"They are hiding in a forested hill camp about half a day's ride northwest of here."
"Their numbers have likely increased. Around three hundred men."
After listening to everyone, Arthur thought for a moment.
"As I said before, I will not pursue Nightfall Keep for past faults. Tomorrow, your men will join us, and we will wipe these bandits out."
Lady Corinne let out a breath, looking visibly emotional. "As you command, my lord."
"Furthermore," Arthur continued, "Nightfall Keep occupies a critical position as the main overland route connecting the Torrentine to the outside world. Lady Corinne, with all due respect, the ability you have shown is not sufficient to govern this territory effectively."
Corinne's face went pale. "My lord? You..."
The Maester looked ready to protest as well.
Arthur raised a hand to stop them.
"I intend for you to be betrothed to Ser Williams. He will administer Nightfall Keep and its lands on your behalf. Are you and Ser Williams amenable to this?"
"You don't need to answer immediately. I give you one night to consider. Give me your answer before we march at dawn."
Without waiting for a reply, Arthur stood and walked out of the Great Hall.
Nightfall Keep was in a similar situation to Starfall previously: a young, female ruler lacking the authority and capability to govern effectively.
But unlike Starfall, this location was vital. It was the gateway to Arthur's lands. Trouble here would impact Starfall significantly.
Arthur couldn't come running every time a minor issue arose. Placing Ser Williams—who had proven his competence and loyalty—in charge was the logical solution.
And a marriage alliance was the most politically sound way to achieve it without disinheriting the rightful heir.
Arthur had barely stepped into the guest room prepared by the servants when Ser Williams followed him in.
Williams dropped to one knee immediately. "Lord Arthur, I don't know how to thank you."
"Ser, I take it that is your answer?" Arthur helped him up.
"Governing Nightfall Keep well and ensuring no bandits plague these lands again will be the best thanks you can give me."
Arthur offered a few words of encouragement before sending Williams off to organize the Nightfall levies.
Once Williams left, Arthur switched his vision to Sharpwing.
Following the Maester's directions, Arthur quickly located the hideout northwest of Nightfall Keep from high above.
It was less a hideout and more a fortified village. Most of the structures were hidden within the hills and forest, making them hard to spot from the ground.
The two narrow paths leading into it were guarded by wooden gates and watchtowers.
Switching back to his own vision, Arthur unrolled a map of the Starfall territories. He marked the bandit camp with a red circle.
Beside this new mark, the map was already dotted with many small red circles, mostly located in remote hills and forests. These were suspicious settlements he had spotted during his aerial reconnaissance on the journey back.
Since he had decided to clean house, Arthur intended to do a thorough sweep.
Bandits, wildlings, tax-dodging drifters—it didn't matter.
The construction projects at Violet Canyon and Starfall could always use more labor.
Creak.
Just as Arthur was planning his route, Lady Nym pushed the door open.
"The girl agreed to the betrothal."
"A wise choice." Arthur put down his quill and looked up from the map.
"When do you plan to leave for Skyreach? I need to arrange an escort for you."
"After you wipe out these bandits," Nym said, leaning in to look at the circle-filled map. "I really want to see if your Regular Mountain Corps fights as well as they look."
"Then stay by my side tomorrow. Watch from a safe distance."
Arthur didn't plan to lead the charge personally tomorrow. He wanted to use this weaker opponent to hone his command skills.
And more importantly, to give the Mountain Corps a chance to sharpen their blades in real combat.
"What do all these circles mean?" Nym pointed at the map. "I noticed you marking them all along the journey."
Arthur rolled up the map and grinned.
"Maybe buried treasure?"