Chp.21: The king's reaction

Gerard reached the capital ten days after his talk with Haku. As soon as he was there he literally rushed to the royal palace and the king received him right away, even though it was the middle of the night. He was still in his dressing gown when she met him, and it was clear from the bags under his eyes that he hadn't even bothered to look presentable. Thornag, who had obviously been roused to escort the king, was also somewhat sleepy, but was as dutiful as ever. As soon as they were in a secluded place, Gerard handed him all the evidence he had collected and the recording he had made.

The next two hours passed with no one saying a word; the king remained silent and spent his time by observing the evidence, reading Gerard's report and listening attentively to the entire recording. Both Gerard and Thornag never intervened, although they would have liked to speak several times, the former to explain in person what had happened and the latter to express words of indignation at what Haku was saying. Only when the king had finished viewing and listening to everything did he finally look up, giving a sign of wanting to start a conversation.

Thornag and Gerard were a little apprehensive. How would the king react to the clear threat of the dragon? Would he be angry? Or would he be too angry at Carrion's actions to care about Haku? Or again, would he keep calm and think of a plan to fight back?

The answer was none of these. King Marcus was simply silent for a second, and then to the surprise of the other two people in the room, he burst out laughing. It was a strange laugh: he was clearly amused, but the tone also clearly contained some anger and a sense of defeat. "Ha ha ha! Brilliant, nothing short of brilliant! That dragon really did a perfect work! He played me very well! Ha ha ha!"

Gerard and Thornag looked at each other in confusion. Both of them weren't understanding what was going on. The king's outburst of anger seemed somewhat at odds with his words. Thornag tried to ask questions: "So... do you mean that..."

"That Haku won, of course" King Marcus answered anticipating him and without ceasing to laugh. "He used a perfect ruse to screw me over. Now I'm forced to follow his plan, exactly as he would like. But at the same time he made sure that I didn't come out too damaged, to avoid revenge. Offer me the chance to come out on top while he points several knives at my throat... very clever"

Gerard and Thornag were somewhat confused. That was certainly not the reaction they expected from someone who had been threatened and forced to do something by someone else, especially if that someone was a ruler. Also, his words were strange. "Several knives?" Gerard murmured.

"Sure. Haku has several weapons at his disposal while I, due to the limited time I have left, don't have even just one" Marcus answered. "He can wreak havoc on the kingdom at any time and in many different ways"

"Many ways?" Thornag asked. "I thought you said he only had one, namely 'The Spider' organization..."

"Thornag, my good friend, by now you should have understood that in politics what matters is not what is said, but what is hinted. 'The spider' is only one of the weapons that Haku has against me, the sharpest, and yes, against it I am powerless. We are now only four days away from the deadline, and even if I ordered a raid at this very moment, we wouldn't be able to capture even one percent of the members of the organization. It would take months of careful investigation only to locate the people who are in the middle of the pyramid, let alone at the top. Not to mention that most likely 'The spider' has spies everywhere and if this happens they will immediately inform Haku, who will order to immediately destroy the kingdom. The solution is to infiltrate the organization and secretly vanquish it from the inside... but that would require a lot of time, time that we don't have at the moment. For this alone, I'm forced to do as Haku tells me. But then there's more". King Marcus rubbed his hands in satisfaction. "Listing the disastrous consequences that would occur if this scandal were to come to light, Haku let me understand that he would have no problem sending groups of witnesses to other nations to prove my guilt and vilify myself in front of the entire international alliance. Or he could destroy my authority by informing my political opponents. In any case, he has many options at his disposal. Furthermore, by showing up with a fake body and a remarkably accurate illusion, he has shown me that he can slip in and out of human society as he pleases. He could very well take the form of any of my officials and kill me, or my family, or my ministers… and he doesn't have to fear capture or killing, because he could simply detach himself from his fake body and create another, which would makes him the perfect killer. He might even be in this room right now... he could be either of you... or he could even replace me. And there are probably other hidden messages he sent me that I still haven't been able to decipher". The king let out a soft laugh. "But I don't have to worry about it, because he doesn't plan on doing any of this"

Both Gerard and Thornag couldn't hold back a big: "What!?"

"Why do you think he did so much to cover up this story? He didn't need to. He could still blackmail me into getting my help and leave me to deal with the consequences. Instead, he planned a way for me to come out on top as well". Marcus' smile widened. "Haku knows very well that having a strong ally is better than making an enemy. You heard that, didn't you? This is a game where we can both win or we can both lose. He didn't say that one of us can prevail over the other. If I would refuse to follow his plan, even if his revenge would be terrible and ruin my kingdom, Haku would still lose a lot. Not only he wouldn't get what he wants, but he would also find an angry king on his tail... or worse, the kingdom would splinter into several warring nations which would surely be difficult to handle and would not hesitate to persecute the weaker ones, which Haku and his allies are at the moment. It is more convenient for him that I remain in a strong position so he can continue to count on my help using the various blackmails he has at his disposal. And at the same time, it suits me that he helps me solve this mess". The king looked out the window with an air of determination and amusement at the same time. "Haku's words aren't blackmail, they are an offer. A partnership offer. He's telling me he's willing to work with me. This time…and maybe in the future. He has many weapons to use against me, but at the same time he needs me to remain a strong king. This puts us on the same level"

As he spoke, Marcus couldn't help but feel pleased. And also a little defeated: Haku had really managed to harness him in a very tight skein. Even though she couldn't fully control him, he was still the one in control. This was the meaning regarding the last words that Haku said to Gerard. Marcus knew he meant their 'game' in which he tried to discover the dragon's secrets and he tried to keep them from him. Haku had clearly told him that he didn't feel any anger for that and that indeed he was willing to start something new together... but at the same time he had also said that he, instead of Marcus, would have done worse. Haku would have done anything to discover his opponent's secrets… just like he had done anything to bind Marcus to him with an indestructible thread. Now both of them were locked in an obligatory partnership, and the first one who dared to screw up would end very badly... although Marcus was sure that Haku had taken countermeasures even for that eventuality.

He thought back with amusement at the words of the priestess of the God of Knowledge. She had told him that Haku would soon start helping him improve his kingdom, but he didn't expect him to start so quickly. Now, thanks to him, not only Marcus had the opportunity to thwart a huge plot against him that would have had very serious consequences on the kingdom, but he could also remove many of his opponents and clean up his court a little from the rot that infested it. If he had played his cards right, when that story would have ended Carrion would have been punished with confinement, many nobles and corrupt merchants would have been tried and convicted on the false charge of having caused an epidemic by stealing public funds (and on further charges of corruption that would have emerged as soon as Marcus, with the excuse of wanting to prevent further damage, had started a serious investigation), and the extremist priests would have been sent back to their temples, where they could not do any harm. Marcus would earn the support (though not the trust or love) of the beastmen folk and prove himself to them as a virtuous ruler. In the long run, virtually all of his problems would vanish. And finally, with the disappearance of the tribes of lizardmen, tigermen and lionmen he would get empty lands that he could sell or offer to the penniless of his kingdom. Not to mention that the defense project started by Carrion wasn't yet finished; Marcus obviously would have continued it, but he would have employed paid workers to finish it. Since the project was already largely completed, this wouldn't have weighed on the kingdom's finances too much.

In short, Marcus had won across the board. The only one who would be defeated would be his pride. Not only had he suffered terrible errors of judgment, but it was another person, a dragon who until a few months ago had been his prisoner, who resolved them for him. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed by himself. However Marcus had always been a person who looked more to opportunities and advantages than to his personal grief, so he had no difficulty in forgetting the humiliation and instead focusing on how to act.

Thornag and Gerard had barely followed his speech, but both understood that the king planned to follow Haku's plan. "Are you sure of this, Your Majesty?" Thornag asked, not trusting the dragon in the slightest.

But the king nodded without batting an eye. "I know you fear he might backstab us, and indeed with anyone else that would be a very present risk... but no, I don't think he will. He has too much to lose in doing such an act. Haku is an extremely logical person , and he knows well that it doesn't make sense to act only in contempt of me... also because he has no reason to do so, as he himself stated"

"It's not a person. It's a dragon" Thornag reminded him. "Dragons deceive"

"The humans deceive too. Or any other race capable of speech" Marcus told him. "Also, from my point of view, if a creature can talk, then it's a person. I don't care if it walks on two or four legs"

Marcus walked over to his desk and started filling out some paperwork. "Tomorrow I will send my most trusted men, with a royal decree, to take control of cities throughout the Province of Baudonia. I will make it clear that anyone who opposes them will be tried and convicted of treason. They don't need to be experts in governing a city, just that I can trust them, and all they have to do is prevent everyone from leaving the walls... I'll take care of the rest in the following days". He looked up and looked Thornag: "You take care to find enough wyvern riders to transport my men. Even if we still have four days, it's better to act immediately"

"Yes, Your Majesty" Thornag replied bowing and out the door, without going too far, going to give orders to some of his men.

Gerard was left alone with the king (even though he knew that Thornag was keeping an eye on him anyway), so he took the opportunity to ask him: "Your Majesty, do you really think that dragon can succeed in his plan? I mean... do you think he can defeat Carrion?"

"I don't think so" Marcus replied. "I'm sure of it". Then he pointed to the door. "Now go, you are dismissed. Stand by for my further orders"

"Yes, Your Majesty" Gerard replied, leaving immediately, leaving the king alone.

Marcus continued to fill out his papers, but though his body was moving, his mind was elsewhere. "Haku… you played really well, and this time I'll have to do as you wish. I grant you, the first round is yours. But our new game has just begun, and I assure you I won't give you the control so easily!"