Day Two-Thirty-One: Tasteless

Fuck.

He's dead, diary. The Baron is actually dead.

I'm… I'm sorry Libby had to do the writing last Friday. After that ceremony, I wasn't in a fit state. I'd spent the entire day, hyped about bein' a hero… and then… then…

Then it happened. And now a good man is gone.

I hope Driscol burns in hell. Every hell the gods have ever invented. And maybe a few that they haven't. They can invent new hells for him. Yeah. I don't care if he thought he was doing the right thing, he was an evil, twisted fucker.

There… there was a funeral for The Baron today. King Jeffrey decided to make it a full castle affair: The Baron's coffin was paraded from the ruined castle gates and into the throne room, back to the spot where he died. Then the room was opened to anyone who wanted to come in and have a look at the old man, one last time, and thank him for stopping Driscol. He had a cloth on his face and gloves on his hands to mask the horrible burns.

I couldn't go. I couldn't look at him. I heard it was a wonderful ceremony, for the most part… until Jeffrey opened his big mouth. My brother Robert went to watch, and he told me everything that happened.

After everyone had gotten a good look at The Baron, King Jeffrey told everyone to take a seat. He went down to the coffin, personally, and hugged the thing. And cried. In front of dozens of people. I'm told it was a very touching moment, especially when Prince Logan and Princess Celina went to comfort their father. Jeffrey even paused to look at his old friend, pulling the cloth off The Baron's face and staring lovingly at the old man's familiar spectacles.

Sorry. Crying a bit. Excuse the teardrops.

Then King Jeffrey began to talk. He told everyone how he'd met The Baron in Wickeeford years before, how he had encouraged Jeffrey to be more than just the son of a nobleman. He'd shown Jeffrey what it was to be a king, a leader of good people. Given how Jeffrey turned out, I'm not sure The Baron was the best teacher, but… anyway…

Once he was done with his story, Jeffrey used the occasion for something else. He went back to his throne, stood tall, and announced that a very important project - one that The Baron believed in, and firmly - was underway. One that would make Castle GoodbyeOldFriend a major contender in the area. And while it was true that two of the project's leading organizers were now dead, work would not stop. Not for anything.

The hole. Jeffrey officially announced the hole. He has dubbed it the Glory Hole, as it will lead us all to prosperity and power. The name fits the description, but… something's just not right about it…

He also told everybody, says Robert, that the hole is already paying off in spades. A lot of new weapons used by our troops last week were forged from metal taken from the hole. The harpoons and their launchers were also made from that metal. Jeffrey says he's going to be hiring more blacksmiths in the coming months to exploit the mineral riches beneath the castle.

In short, by the end of the funeral ceremony, Jeffrey was too preoccupied by his upcoming wars - and I'm sure he plans on starting some wars - to remember that his top aide was laying dead in a coffin, a few feet away. Gods damn his soul, along with Driscol.

Even though the count deserved everything he got, he had a good point. Jeffrey's the epitome of everything that's wrong in this castle. Somebody needs to oust him…

Or…

Maybe it's just time that I thought about moving.

Don't really wanna talk anymore, diary. I have a lot on my mind, but it… it won't come out on the page properly. Everything's jammed up in my brain.

…

I'm gonna miss that man. I don't care if he was a little sketchy at times. He was doing the right thing. With him and the rats gone… do I have any friends left here? Should I be more scared than I already am?

Sincerely,

Dragomir the Guard