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• Edward, son of a wealthy, well respected, and charismatic businessman, is shadowing his father after his father caught him scuffling with a neighbourhood girl about another girl. His father hopes through learning what he does he can learn to be more controlled…and controlling. The key is that money means nothing, it’s the status of the person spending it. However, shortly after an unknown deal is done with another party, the royal guard is sent after John and the two have to end up smuggling themselves home and John’s business partner scarpers into the wind.
• Cut to Edward when he turns eighteen, and he is haggling with woodworker to no avail. He leaves, with the woodworker saying “Happy birthday, by the way Edward.” He resides alone as an apprentice to Gabriel at his lumberyard. He is in a dead end life in a dead end village. However, a village fair is thrown in the next town over that brings together all of the surrounding towns and he is invited by name by somebody named Villegard. Edward and Gabriel ride together, getting some bonding time. At the fair, it turns out the baron won’t be showing up and standing in is his steward and his priest. Edward meets Villegard and is informed that Villegard is a representative of the guild of woodworkers. He is interested in what Edward is interested in his future looking like. Edward explains that he is not passionate about wood but just needs to make a living. Villegard nods and says that there are higher places that kissing the ass of the guild can take you, and that he wants to know about people coming in and out of the lumberyard. Edward emphasises that he does all of the deals around town and that Gabriel is flat broke. Villegard nods and closes by telling him to say hi to Gabriel. He returns to Gabriel who is perusing the spice racks. Gabriel is visibly shook by the idea that Villegard is asking about him. The chapter ends with Edward and Villegard locking eyes opposite the podium where the steward inaugurates the “artisan crafts” competition.
• Days later and the fair is well and truly over. In spite of the continued harassment that Gabriel receives, he urges Edward not to intervene. It would introduce unintended consequences and make Edward an enemy of the guild which he needs to become a woodworker. Edward, who this whole time has been waiting for his father, receives a message, not from him, but from his estate saying that he has been entrusted with no money, just ownership of the lumberyard which as it turns out John had owned the whole time, not Gabriel. No lifeline, no nothing, just a free ticket to this dead end life forever. This steels his resolve, and he takes Gabriel’s horse to the neighbouring town to investigate what is going on. Workers are sweeping what remains of the fair. He sees someone that he saw from the fair and they think that Gabriel sent Edward on his behalf. Edward finds out that Gabriel is doing business behind the guild’s back, an absolute no-no.
• Upon his return to the town, Edward is greeted by members of the guild at the lumberyard who know about his excursion to the town and blame Gabriel for sending him. Gabriel in jail is disappointed that Edward defied his explicit wishes. He explains that he only did business with the other town’s woodworkers because of charitable reasons. Edward is now faced with the prospect of either grovelling to the guild for a job there, or submitting himself as a farming peasant. Or god forbid a vagrant. Edward promises to get Gabriel out of trouble and he only has three days to do so before the trial.
• Edward begins looking into the other members of the guild. He quickly latches on to a woodworker named Fleta who takes Edward in. Edward discovers the dealings of the guild but is cornered by Fleta who demands he not say anything. Edward does anyway, just as Gabriel is to be put on trial, and some of the guild members are arrested except Fleta who he purposely doesn’t implicate. However, Villegard has been found innocent much to Edward’s shock. He checks the evidence against him but it has all mysteriously disappeared. Villegard talks to Edward. He notes that he looked into Edward and his efforts turned up nothing. For all he could tell Edward was never born anywhere. Villegard ends by saying that Edward had better tread carefully. Gabriel appreciated what Edward has done for him, but he fears for Edward’s safety; Villegard is a powerful man.
• Soon thereafter, nobody even wants to talk to Edward. Even the guy who wished Edward a happy birthday didn’t even want anything to do with him. Edward and Gabriel find out that their reputations have been trashed, and that everyone knows about Gabriel’s deceit. Edward storms over to Villegard who is no longer in the guild. Effectively exiled in his own home and despised by the town, he proclaims his innocence, but understands that since he spared Fleta then he has “at least one noble bone” in his body, and requests for one last time that he work for a different guild member. Edward gives a phat no.
• In the night, as Edward goes back to the lumberyard, Edward can smell smell smoke. A fire has been lit at the lumberyard, taking out the buildings, tools, and much of the surrounding forest. Edward races in and rescues Gabriel. Nothing but a charred horse carcass lies in a black scar where the lumberyard used to be. Edward, ready for blood, starts heading for Villegard as Gabriel is tended to by the town priest.