At Franka’s father’s words, Noc went still.
His entire body.
But not his mouth.
“It defies belief you took that fuckin’ whip to your daughter since she was fuckin’ five without anyone stopping you,” he spat, feeling no joy as he watched Franka’s father swipe blood from his mouth seeing as Noc’s repeated blows to his face where the whip had caught earlier tore that wound long and wide.
He felt no joy mostly because he also felt the job was not even close to done.
It took a while for the vibe in the room to hit him, but when it did he jerked away from Frey’s boys and turned his attention to the man himself.
Frey’s face was carved from stone, his eyes directed at his uncle, and they were blazing with hellfire.
“Since she was five?” he whispered, his tone heavy with disbelief and disgust, not to mention rage.
Noc shifted his attention back to the older man when he replied, “It’s none of your concern, nephew, what I do with my children.”
“It’s bloody law in Lunwyn that corporal punishment of minors does not go beyond a simple spanking or a paddle,” Frey shot back.
“She’s now an adult,” the man retorted.
“Which does not negate the crime of child cruelty, but adds the crime of assault,” Frey declared.
“I’m a member of a House, your House, may I remind you,” Franka’s father returned.
“You’re a monster,” Noc clipped.
The man turned his gaze to Noc. “And you’re a peasant who I’ve not given leave to speak to me.”
Noc opened his mouth but Frey got there before him.
“Are you unfamiliar with the Prince of Hawkvale?” he asked.
“I know of these secrets,” the asshole fired back, a sneer twisting his lips, “and this is not the heir to the throne of Hawkvale.” He indicated Noc with his arm. “This man is nothing.”
“This man saved you from slavery at the hands of Minerva and her minions,” Frey retorted. “This man has the ear of the Queen. The Princess. And The Drakkar. This man is twin to the heir of Hawkvale. This man is far from nothing.”
“You can pretty him up as much as you like, nephew, but his manner, his speech. He may look like a prince of our world, but he’s far from that. He’s simply common,” Franka’s father returned.
“Cease speaking,” Frey ordered.
“You are who you are, Frey, but I’m your uncle, your elder, and you never have leave to speak to me in that manner,” Franka’s father retorted.
“Cease…” Frey leaned forward and thundered, “speaking.”
“I—”
That was all the asshole got out before Frey was across the room with his hand wrapped around the guy’s throat, his feet lifted two feet from the ground, and he was slammed into a shelving unit so hard, all the bottles swayed and four crashed to the ground.
“I said…cease speaking,” Frey repeated through clenched teeth.
Franka’s father opened and closed his mouth like he was fighting for air at the same time he clawed at Frey’s arm at his throat.
“You better hope Valentine returns with Anneka, reporting Kristian and his family are safe, healthy and whole, or I swear to the gods, uncle, I’ll press for you to fucking swing,” Frey warned.
Franka’s father made a gurgling noise and Frey dropped him to the ground where he crumpled, landing on a hand and his knees.
Frey turned immediately from him to one of the men standing close to Noc.
“Thad, go to Finnie. Franka’s maid woke her along with me and no doubt she’s still awake seeing as she wasn’t keen on not accompanying me to the kitchens. Ask her to go to Noc’s room, attend Franka as the physician sees to her and ask her to stay there,” he ordered.
Thad nodded and took off.
Frey looked to one of the other men close to Noc and demanded, “Lund, fetch the constable. Nils Drakkar is being arrested tonight for child cruelty and assault.”
Lund didn’t nod. He smiled a humorless smile and then he left the room.
“Arrested?” Nils Drakkar asked in a choked voice, still on his knees, only his head was tipped back to look at his nephew.
“You’ve been committing crimes for decades, uncle. You’ll stand trial for those crimes and pay the penance,” Frey announced.
Nils pushed himself to his feet, declaring, “That’s absurd.”
“It’s the law,” Frey returned.
The older man’s back shot straight. “I’m a Drakkar!”
“You’re a gods damned useless piece of shite,” Frey bit out, turning again fully to his uncle. “I still cannot grasp what I saw when I walked into this room. I don’t even want to. How could you mark your child that way? It’s unfathomable to do to a son. But it’s unconscionable to do it to a daughter.”
Nils tossed his head. “You know Franka. She earned many punishments.”
“And her punishment was tearing open her flesh?” Frey asked with incredulity.
“As her father, it’s my decision what her punishment would be.”
“And that decision you made will land you in a cell,” Frey fired back. “And if I have anything to do with it, and in case you haven’t grasped this, uncle, I have a great deal to do with everything, you’ll stay in that cell until your dying day.”
Nils expression filled with disdain as he snapped, “You cannot mean that.”
“Look at my face,” Frey demanded, “and tell me if I do or I do not.”