Bond Breakers

Conversation with the King

Merran could not believe the king. She couldn't... this test was idiotic; in fact, she had half a mind to leave tonight. She didn't need a crown, she had Temis. The problem was she had no idea how Erya would react, and something told her that this was important. The king was a rational man. Something had pushed him over the edge.

The other leaders were moving off to different parts of the castle, she overheard snippets of their conversation and was surprised to find them already sharing information about their lands. Although, the group was still divided as it had been earlier. Siva, Arya, and Mez serrated from the others. She went to join Khumo, Kaijan and Tia, who appeared to be waiting for her, when the King called her over. She nodded at them to leave before spinning around to face her King.

"Your majesty," she said as politely as she could manage.

He smiled, sadly. This close she couldn't miss it. His golden eyes were tired, his sun-stroked face lined with worry, and the corners of his lips struggled to hold any semblance of happiness. The pity almost floored her, here was her King, the most powerful man on Aradia, a ruler who had extended and shared that power with his people through incredible inventions that would stand the test of time.

"I know you're not happy with me," the corners of his mouth lifted, and she wished she could somehow just grab them and tug them into a full smile.

"Sire, it's not easy to leave my people's lives in another's hands."

There was a wistful look in his eyes. "I know what you mean Merran." And he really seemed to understand. There was an expression there that told her he knew about living a life that wasn't his own. Then again that was a king's job.

"But more times than not we have to reply on others, and this is the perfect opportunity to learn, to map the islands, to interact with all its people. Ones you may one day rule, whose lives you'll have to protect."

She nodded but didn't trust herself to speak. It made sense; however, her people were her family and entrusting them to someone else, it didn't feel right.

Erya appeared to sense her unease. "You attitude on the subject brings me to the reason you're here. Regardless of the tournament and these tests, the seven of you will continue to rule your respective cities, and maybe the whole of Aradia. I saw the way you stood up to me tonight, unafraid to speak your mind, your feelings, your beliefs or to back down. You are a great judge of character Merran, and most of the time you're in the right. It is that the leaders will need."

He stood tall but his skin was taught. Stress holding his muscles in place as if he were a puppet on its strings. "They will need an arbitrator, a person not afraid to stand down if another has more power, but at the same time one who will stand against them if they attempt to belittle another."

She finally found her voice. "That isn't an easy thing to ask Erya."

The king had always been a bit of a mystery to those around him. Gifted with abilities that made him more god than man, he was strangely enough happy to sit and invent, to share his power instead of being afraid of what the people would do with it. But now... something had cost him, the full of life man she'd once met seemed lost and in unimaginable pain. And then he smiled, and everything changed. His laugh rumbled out of him, and strength, life and light seemed to fill the room because of it.

Still chuckling. "No, it isn't, is it?"

He put both his hands on her shoulders. "I see that you respect them immensely. But from what I've heard, they admire you. Don't roll your eyes young lady," he sighed. "It is true. You may not see it or think it's true because you're from a small fishing village, but there are stories about how you treat your people, how you fight for them and the small yet mentionable tale of the largest Forician ever killed."

Merran still didn't believe it. "I do what I do because I have been gifted with the capability to do so."

"And that's exactly the reason I know you can do this," his eyes and voice were alight now, full of life that hadn't been there only moments before, "you will do what is right not because you have to or because you're forced but because you love doing it. You take joy out of making people's lives better. I saw that right from the beginning..." he trailed off as if lost in a memory before shaking it away.

"My point is you're not afraid to stand up against someone who is wrong, just as much as you'll use whatever you can to convince them that they've crossed a line or are heading in the wrong direction using means other than violence exactly like you did tonight when you used that brilliant little home ground advantage tactic."

"It's a pity Shayla is prepared for every argument."

"You have no idea," the king said and then looked guilty for it, like he'd stolen cookies when she wasn't looking.

"I will do my best," she promised thinking that she already had some fences to mend.

"I'm comforted by the thought, especially with this competition coming."

Memories of her outing came flooding back, the argument between the rulers, the idea of challenging one another, the causes, and effects it could have on Aradia, on their people, their trade...

"Out with it then," Erya said holding out his hand towards her and rotating his four fingers in a way that said just lay it on the table.

She wasn't surprised he'd picked up on her misgivings, and she wasn't about to lay it out in a sweet manner.

"This tournament, it will be difficult to do what you want me to with them having to compete against another, it could cause wars between leaders, hate between races and worse the end of the free trade that all of Aradia relies on."

"I wouldn't worry about that Merran," the King had a twinkle in his eye, a golden sun shimmering with knowledge, "not if everything goes to plan."

She nodded, but hardly felt encouraged, how often did everything go to plan?