Mama Said, Think Before Speaking
“Mareketa’s generous behind! Who was that?” Jakeli exclaimed as Litoc and Besien left the room.
Hanni snorted at the prince’s statement and reached to get a jug.
“You’re not supposed to be saying that.” I commented.
“Saying what?”
“Blasphemous things. You’re the head of the church, well, once you’re king, if I remember correctly.”
“Well, I’m not a king yet and I say my words are ample, given the situation.”
“Marekata’s situation?” I jested.
“You know what I mean Jorj.”
“I’m not sure Jakeli, but if it’s about godesses and their behinds, wouldn’t it be proper to say bountiful instead of ample?”
Hanni’s laugh caught us both off guard. Jakeli look at her then me and shook his head.
“I can see why my cousin prefers your company. I’m not talking about you lot being crass either.” He stated, taking a cup and pouring himself a drink. “Really now, who was that?”
“Us? Crass? Preposterous!”
“You do realize that he’s coming back and going to demand to hear what you have after that stunt, right?”
“Yes, in fact I’m counting on it. For your sake and everyone else’s, let’s hope what I have is enough.”
“You’d make a great envoy Jorj. You still haven’t answered my question.”
I knotted my brows as I looked at him and realized his words were true.
“Watching the both of you proved to be educational. Remember that thing you did with soldiers and camps and whatever it was you thought you were doing?”
“There’s many things sivi and I were doing that will fit that description.”
“Well, whatever it was, some of your hired swords decided to play both soldier and bandits. Some of them tried to rob Hanni and I while we were on our way here, and some robbed traders and took their women. Besien there was unfortunate enough to encounter them.”
The prince tried to appear nonchalant as I relayed the events as I remember it. By the end of it, chalant he was not.
“I did not know of these!”
“Of course not. Who would tell you? From what we could tell they only preyed on easy marks. Those who would not matter enough to raise an alarm. It is only by luck my child, Jibel, was unharmed. You would not be here if he was.”
“Erdimal and I have already discussed at length about the children. Some of those that are not orphans are on their way back. Perhaps he would have told me about the conduct of my soldiers were it not for these unfortunate circumstances but now that I know of it, I cannot let it stand.”
“You do that,” I replied, “for now, let’s see if our friend’s mood has improved.”
Litoc stepped in through the door and paused, eyeing me. His eyes were red. He approached, shaking his head.
“Yer a real basterd Jorj, ye knowin’? What’ye bringin’ ‘er ‘ere fer?”
“To remind you why you do what you do. That you’re not above putting others above yourself.”
“Yer missin’ the point Jorj! I’m doin’ what I’m goin’ ta do ‘cause of this! Exactly this! If Silaron falls, and it will if we don’t find ‘cause ta charge Khevernak, more o’ this will come. Only it’s the entire kin’dom that’s goin’ ta be raped! Everyone. All o’ them. ‘swhy Amreth must die!” Litoc exclaimed, banging his fist on the table.
I expected that, it was unavoidable. Tempers were sure to flair. I was honestly surprised it took this long, or that Jakeli was yet to explode. I confess, however, that I did not think that far deep. Sure, we’d go back to Osea pretending to not know what’s coming but Litoc was right.
It did not look like Silaron would be able to find any evidence to accuse Khevernak of doing whatever it was it was doing. Whether Silaron falls because of its mistakes or because it fell into Khevernak’s schemes was just a question of time. And the people will suffer for it. It’s always the people first.
Jakeli swooped in with his ideas. I let them argue, for no other reason than to exhaust them. If I’m lucky, I would find something to add to what I was to propose. When Jakeli offered to let the guild reign free to investigate the towns and find spies, Litoc appeared like he was about to spit on his cousin.
“I tire of this Jorj,” Hanni spoke dryly, “royals do not get anything done. Shall I go and ask the messenger to prepare for our departure?”
“Ha. Better ye do that. Better if yer far away from ‘ere when thin’s ‘appen.”
The look Hanni gave Litoc was one bordering on murder.
“I could also,” she added, “do good on my promise and cripple the driver, then the prince. Then we run this kingdom as we see fit. Right now. What say you Jorj?”
She was joking. She must have been. The cousins did not see it that way. Litoc’s hand automatically went towards the hilt of the sword I gave him. Jakeli reached for his sword too. Litoc had told him about her, that was the only explanation. I did not expect this.
Think damnit! Think!
“Having you as my queen does sound like an offer I’d be an idiot not to take.” I answered, fumbling for words.
Shit, not that!
“I didn’t say that,” she smirked, stuffing bread into her mouth then adding, “idiot.”
How quickly everyone relaxed after that quip was magical. I laughed, shaking my head. Jakeli took a drink and Litoc, although his hand never left the hilt, was not as stiff as he was just seconds ago.
“Do stay, Hanni. If we’re to go, I want you here to hear it from them too, that we tried and they didn’t listen.”
“Why does it matter so much to you Jorj? They can’t even agree on one thing. Look at them. They’re hopeless!”
Don’t push them… yet.
“It matters only because I owe Litoc. Whatever they say after, my debt is paid. We leave regardless.” I met Litoc’s and Jakeli’s eyes before speaking again. “And Jakeli, I need that inn.”
“I figured you’d ask again, not demand it.”
“Dealing with your issues? I think it’s more than enough compensation. Spare me the titles, I don’t need it.”
“Fair enough. Now, we’ve kept my cousin long enough,” he smiled, “let us have it.”
“Right,” I stood up, letting my word hang in the air for effect while I paced, “what do you two think about collapsing the entire Khevernaki kingdom?”
Careful What You Wish
Whoever said that watching videos or lurking in forums at three in the morning was a waste of time need to apologize. It did not take long to elaborate on my plans, being that there wasn’t much to elaborate on in the first place, but in the five minutes or so that I paced, delivering what I had in mind, I watched their jaws dropped.
“Yer a demon…” Litoc remarked.
“You did say you wanted to make him squirm.”
“People are goin’ ta die Jorj!”
“Not Silaronian, well, hopefully not Silaronian. But what you’re really saying is, cousin, people might die.”
“That’s the whole plan. Avoid deaths but leave no doubts.” I added.
“Elim, is such a thin’ even possible?”
“I can’t see why not, though we have to check for some of the details with the loremaster. It’ll only take two, maybe three draks from mine and one of yours.”
“An’ a whole lot o’ coin ta pay people not ta work while they’re workin’.”
“Still cheaper than a war,” Jakeli returned, “’mlon, it’ll probably cost less than what we’re spending now for our people in Amreth’s lands.”
They went at it, back and forth, poking holes on my plans but I could already see where it was going. Whenever Litoc had a doubt, Jakeli vanished it. When Jakeli had an issue, Litoc provided options. I took a little measure of comfort knowing I have, in my own way, saved a friend from killing himself.
“I’ll leave you both to it,” I said, gazing at Hanni who looked bored, “we have packing to do, whether or not you’re coming with us.” I finished, meeting Litoc’s eyes.
“Ha. Ha. Ask anythin’ ye want Jorj, take a drak o’ carts if ye fancy but don’t go far yet. We might need yer… evil again.”
Hanni stood up and I turned to head for the door. Litoc called the attention of a soldier to send for the loremaster as I opened it. Jakeli called after me.
“Brungarma, Jorj. Remind me never to make an enemy of you.”
I nodded to him with a smile and turned, Hanni coming up beside me.
“You didn’t tell me about that last thing.” She brought up.
“The church? I had the idea just before Litoc came.”
“Really? You made it up just now?”
“I wouldn’t say I made it up. I just remembered. From my… dream. Came to me when Jakeli cursed.”
“That talk about Marekata’s ass inspired you?”
“Not the mention of her ass, no,” I laughed, “but religion itself. There was quite the number of them in my other life, some of them fit rather nicely to what I had in mind.”
“What of the girl. She seemed to have done what you thought could be accomplished.”
“Yes, it does seem like that doesn’t it? I was thinking we take her with us. The children will need someone to look after them if we’re to travel.”
“Don’t tell me you have something to add, after all that.”
“No, not that. For one, I’m thinking it will take us quite a while to find a teacher for Bira, one that’s not with the church.”
“For one?”
“Well, I was also thinking maybe we could go and find the truth.”
“You are swimming in too many ideas Jorj. The truth about what?”
“The size of Marekata’s butt.”
She punched me in the shoulder.