It's a work in progress

Lord Bondrewd had left two hours ago, and the king felt like a squeezed lemon. The negotiations had been extremely difficult, but he had managed to at least temporarily dissuade Bondrewd from the idea of taking the Blade of Dreams.

"Bitch, why is every lord an arrogant moron, you are sure that it is you, and not a hundred people before you, you are the chosen one, you will be able to tame this blade." The king took a breath and angrily pounded his fist on the rack, shattering his hand into blood.

"Clever bastard, he started twisting my balls right from the start." The reason for his anger was quite clear, Bondrewd had signed him up for an extremely murky adventure, and in addition stole not one, but three artefacts from the vault at once, although his promises were quite folded, the king was worried about only one thing, the lord quite clearly outlined his plan to save the kingdom, but why would Bondrewd, the king was a knight, but he did not believe in nobility. There must be a rational reason for everything.

"The king smirked nervously, his plan to marry his daughter to Bondrewd was postponed indefinitely." Avitus raised his head and prayed for the fate of the kingdom, before walking out onto the landing and going to his wife.

"Darling," Lilia met her husband halfway to the throne room, the woman looking slightly confused.

"Where have you been all this time?"

"Pondering," he could do with a little more interrogation, and the man quickened his steps and headed for his chambers.

"My king, wait." Lilia lifted the hem of her dress and ran after him. As they reached his chambers, Avitus stopped abruptly, his leaden-coloured face and wan eyes making it clear without further ado that something had gone wrong.

"Is it really that bad?" Lilia asked, sitting down next to Avitus.

"Yes, everything is so, Lilia's marriage is postponed, our new ally is very clever, even too clever, he is like a dog running after the prey, he doesn't see any obstacles." The king continued to speak, and the queen exhaled quietly, still this marriage seemed to be her gesture of despair, and simply madness.

"... I would rather have my four teeth pulled out one by one than have to make another arrangement with this man." The king finally spoke and leaned back on the bed, sighing heavily.

"I have something to tell you too, my dear, while you were in the treasury, I had a chat with the new squire. - The king looked at his wife as if she were a complete fool.

"Do you realise what kind of man you are?" The king closed his eyes, no longer having the strength to be angry or to shout.

"Not as bad as they say he is, we talked for quite a while, but in a nutshell: Bondrewd's goal is to "save" Celia from herself and normalise the situation, I tried to get information about Bondrewd himself out of him, but to no avail, either he really doesn't know anything or he's successfully playing dumb.

"I see, you've got nothing too, that's a shame, but it doesn't matter, we're in the same boat now, at least I hope so."

...

Dick and Bondrewd were travelling in the carriage so kindly provided by the King, and the Lord was doing better than expected, the King had set himself up like an idiot, and he had managed to bargain for better terms than he had hoped for. And now he saw Dick hugging his new two-handed sword, Bondrewd had not forgotten about his squire: firstly, he deserved it, he had plenty of opportunities to throw him and try to get away, well at least to try. Secondly, for even greater loyalty, subordinates should be rewarded for returning service.

And then Bondrewd thought, "And really, why didn't he run away, the experience of running away and then hiding in the middle of nowhere, well, he's quite a decent fighter, for the locals he's very good and in another country he could have settled down.

"Dick, answer me, why did you stay with me?" Bondrude's voice brought the bandit out of his dreamy bliss, and he answered with a slight irony in his voice.

"You know, Bondrewd, I didn't want all that: banditry, running and all the other delights of life as a forest brigand. It's just that I had no choice, and you've given me back a sense of... what's the right way to put it, I've felt useful and needed for the first time in years, I've seen people's reactions and their approval, and you're not a bad suzerain, and frankly, since I've been walking with you I think I've been doing all right." Dick finished his speech and stared at Bondrewd.

"I suppose ordinary people call it pride in one's subordinates, I wonder." Dick did not think of shutting up, complaining that the queen was boring him, and while he was talking to the king she was blowing his brains out in the most violent manner. 

"I've been meaning to ask you," Bondrewd's voice became as serious as possible, "What's the connection between you and Lady Aivina?

"Nothing much, before the siege she hired me and my gang to find a special ring, and we got it, but we didn't have time to hand it over, the city was already under siege, that's all."

"This is the ring? – Lord of Dawn took out of his pocket the ring with the black stone," Yes, it is, it is exactly that. - Dick reported quickly.

"What does it do?" Bondrewd had little hope of an answer, but Dick shivered slightly, as if trying to remember something. 

"I don't know exactly, but I heard from a man whose grandfather worked in a sawmill with that man's brother, who knew a woman whose sister was married to his nephew, a man who drank in an drank with an old case who saw that man's shit, who heard from a magician who told him that this ring was essentially a powerful anti-magic and dispelling artefact."

Bondrewd was amazed, no, he was fucking amazed, at two things at once: less at the "reliable source of information" Dick was referring to, and more at his incredible luck, which is what he was likely to need.

"Um. Bondrewd, is that your strange aura enveloping the wagon, or is someone already planning an attack." A slight smile blossomed beneath Bondrewd's helmet," Is it really that noticeable?

"Exactly not, it's just that I didn't feel the familiar magical aura when we passed the magic shop." Bondrewd touched the ring on his finger with his hand, and the muffling aura disappeared without a trace. The lord looked at his new piece of equipment, he had chosen this silencing ring without too much doubt - an ancient artefact that Avitus assured me worked much better than its modern counterparts.

Looking at his ring again, Bondrewd remembered another ring that he had not thought of for a long time. He took the ring that Audita had given him out of his pocket and examined it carefully, he didn't want to mess with her again. But he couldn't refuse her help either, even if it was about useless now, but maybe it would change in the future.

"Audita, are you on the phone?" mentally asked Lord of Dawn.

"Yes, and I have three news. First I want to ask your forgiveness for my inappropriate behaviour," in the voice of the guardian read shame, if the man could see her face, it was probably as red as boiled cancer. After a slight hesitation the girl continued.

"Secondly, the local god, Minor wants to talk to you, and he was very insistent on this meeting, so I do not recommend you to dodge, but of course it is up to you."

"And thirdly, I've gathered a lot of information for you, which may not be important, but I've tried."

"I'm listening to you carefully." Bondrewd answered her mentally with evident satisfaction, and leaned back in the carriage seat.

...

By the time he arrived, Bondrewd had heard a lecture about the situation in the local pantheon, other information was either secondary or already known to Bondrewd, but he was interested in one fact, the local Sylian god Minor was at odds with the rest of the pantheon, the reason was very minor, that someone had once taken his temple and parishioners. Audita swore that she almost managed to drag most of the pantheon to the "light side", well, they at least swore that they would not interfere.

And now, this very god was demanding an audience with him, "Very interesting." – Lord of Dawn looked out of the window and finding the coachman, ordered him to drive them to the temple of Minor.

Bondrudd's look was more than eloquent and the coachman, almost shitting himself, spun the carriage sharply and trotted off in the direction of the temple.

"Where are we going, Boss?"

"Business negotiations."