Page 180 of Whisper of Nightmares

Then, with a flick of his wrist, he summons the constable forward.

Percival’s protests erupt all at once. “This is absurd. You can’t⁠—”

His voice disappears beneath the roar of the assembly. People are on their feet now. Someone cheers. Another tells him he’s going straight to Hell. The same people who arrived ready to set fire to everything Dagfinn owns now crowd around him like a shield.

Percival is hauled from the assembly.

Euphemia watches him disappear through the doors.

For the first time all morning, she finally breathes.

Dagfinn turns to her, a wicked smile tugging at his mouth. “Well, that’s one matter handled.”

He looks nervous beneath his smile thought.

She leans onto the tips of her toes and plants a kiss on his cheek. “You’re doing what’s right. That’s all that matters. That’s what they want.”

Dagfinn gives her a nod before holding out an arm to quiet the crowd. “I’d like to be clear about one thing. Percival was dishonest and he abused his power to claim something that wasn’t his. Not so long ago, my father did the same.”

He gestures to Euphemia, who brings forward the deed.

“After my grandfather’s conquest, he could not simply declare Thorfell his forever. The laws of this kingdom required the estate to be formally transferred into his possession.” Dagfinn holds up the deed. “That transfer was made. My family became its lawful owners.”

He pauses.

The room listens intently.

“But it was not unconditional. The agreement required the Varinsson family to provide for any surviving heirs of the family from whom these lands had been taken. My grandfather believed there were none. My father, however, worried there might be. So, he buried the deed in hopes our family would never have to pay that debt. He broke our family oath to the Walshams.”

Dagfinn paces the stage, a furrow in his brow as he considers his next words carefully.

“Most of you don’t know this, but where my family comes from, being an oath-breaker is an act of the utmost dishonor. It brings shame to the family for generations. It condemns them all to an afterlife of eternal punishment, much like the Christian faith.”

Some people in the crowd cross themselves.

Others exchange uneasy glances.

At the murmurs of confusion and discomfort, Dagfinn shifts language.

“What I mean is this: the sins of my father’s father became my father’s burden. They became mine. And unless I make them right, they will become my children’s as well.”

He looks toward Maryam.

“And I intend to do just that.” Dagfinn holds out a hand to Maryam. “Ms. Maryam Alley, please join me on the stage?”

They hadn’t discussed this part in their scheming. As far as Euphemia and the others knew, Maryam already felt like they had reached a fair consensus.

This isn’t about Maryam, however.

It’s about Thorfell and the leader this town deserves.

Warily, Maryam joins Dagfinn before the assembly. He takes her weathered hands into his own, and though he speaks directly to her, Dagfinn ensures his voice is loud enough for all to hear.

“Maryam Alley—or should I say, Maryam Walsham?”

“You most definitely should not. I’ve lived my whole life with that name, and I don’t intend on changing it now.”

Dagfinn chuckles. “In either case, allow me to set right my ancestor’s offenses by fulfilling the oath they evaded.”