Jaid didn’t notice Drim at first, too busy watching the inauguration happening in front of them—vice-president Callum Briz swearing in his oaths. It gave the man a needed moment to deal with the sudden surge of emotions. The two of them hadn’t talked since the day of the election. And by ‘hadn't talked’ it meant not even a single word. No passing greeting, no checking-in, not even a friendly smile. It wasn’t that the woman was being particularly cold or scornful towards him. Rather, it was like she stared through his body as if he didn’t even exist.
Yet when the king hadn’t seen the knight waiting in the hall initially, he felt both relief and disappointment. And now that he’d suddenly stumbled upon her, he was overcome both with impromptu joy and severe panic. It also didn’t take long for him to be discovered since The Paladin’s instincts quickly clued in to the fact that she was being observed. But luckily, it was just enough of a brief moment for Drim to hide his burgeoning emotions.
“I didn’t think you were planning to come today,” the president-elect decided to address the issue immediately instead of attempting to avoid it. “Since I assumed you’d still be angry about… well… you know.”
The woman turned to him, her face entirely devoid of amusement. “You mean how you blatantly lied to everyone and accused me of being a traitor, sullying my good name and hampering the already shaky confidence that some had in me. All just as a distraction with enough shock-value to divert everyone’s attention while you tried to sacrifice yourself unnoticed so you wouldn’t have to deal with their feelings and your own guilt. If that’s what you’re referring to, then yes, I’m still mad.”
“And just when I was starting to think that you were the one person in this world I could trust the most, you pulled that zjik. It hurt, and I felt so betrayed. I doubt that level of trust will come back easily. And frankly there were a few days when I didn’t even want to see your face again.”
“So, umm, I do appreciate the time you gave me alone. It did give me much needed space to reflect on our relationship. And—annoyingly—during that time, I mostly found myself coming up with ways to justify your actions. Because I can’t seem to stop myself from agreeing that, in your position, it was the best move.”
“Really, it was extremely well-calculated, and I find myself frustrated with my own mind that I didn’t see it coming. I consider tactics in the field one of my strengths. Yet despite having all the same information that you did, I was completely blindsided. Ultimately, choosing me to target was the single genuine option you had, since I was the only other person who fully knew the truth. If you’d gone with any other distraction that didn’t seek to limit me, I would have exposed your deceit immediately.”
“But you were frankly too hesitant and uncommitted with it. If you’d attacked and restrained me yourself as you explained, instead of leaving it to the others, then you probably could have gotten away with it. Maybe you didn’t want to hurt me, or didn’t want to draw that extra attention, but that was your fatal flaw—too considerate to actually see your manipulative intentions through.”
“Though even as I find myself repeatedly agreeing with your side of things, and condoning your choices, it still really hurt because it was you. With anyone else, I think I’d have been able to accept the betrayal a lot easier. But in that moment, and all that time thinking afterwards, I really thought I was going to lose you in more ways than one. So to convince myself that there is a path forward, I had to be here tonight—to watch as you saw your plans through, to prove to me that it was all worth it.”
“And besides that, my own emotions or doubts don’t really matter in this instance. There is one facet of our relationship I have to put above all others. You are my king, and I am your knight. Regardless of my feelings, it is my duty to serve you as needed. And since this is such a high-profile event with an extreme amount of security risks, it was out of the question for me to not be here.”
“Well, I’m glad you are,” the guilt-ridden king could only utter the honest truth. “A lot of the reason we were able to get to this point was because of your own choices and efforts. If you hadn’t believed in us, there’s a good chance we’d likely still be rotting in that frozen prison. So tonight’s victory is just as much yours as anyone else's. It would be a dire shame if you were to miss it.”
“And… if it’s any consolation, then know that what I did has been eating away at me ever since it happened. Hell, even before it happened. Part of me didn’t want us to actually pull-off killing Rathe, knowing what would happen next, what I’d have to put you through. If nothing else, please believe that it will be one of my biggest regrets for the rest of my life. And I hope that someday I can earn back that trust and your forgiveness.”
“Because, well, I don’t know. The thought of losing any of my friends really sucks, but when I think about the idea of us drifting apart, of either just being work acquaintances or heading down different paths entirely. It really irks me for some reason, and it’s unbearable when I dwell on it. I guess, I just don’t want to see you go, Jaid. It never sat right with me when we sent you away the first time, so I hope we can mend this rift to avoid that future again.”
“Well, thank you, that did actually make me feel a bit better hearing that you suffered too,” a semblance of a smile finally crept up onto Jaid’s face. “And though I doubt I’ll stop being mad at you anytime soon, that is what I want as well—to move forward and keep working side by side, saving lives and improving the world. But right now, my belief that I could rely on you is wavering after that zjik you pulled.”
“However, I do think there is one way I could forgive you—not entirely or immediately, but it would at least get us back on the right path. I need you to promise me, Drim. Promise that you’ll stop trying to sacrifice yourself, stop taking on all these burdens alone. We’re not as weak as you might think. We don’t need our feelings or our lives sheltered from harsh realities at all times.”
“And most importantly, I need you to promise that you won’t ever try to abandon us like that again. No, that you won’t try to leave me behind again. If you can swear to that, then I can start to forgive you.”
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“Okay, I promise,” Drim responded without hesitation, stating his stance with genuine sincerity so that there could be no doubt. And he took a few steps closer, getting just inches away from the knight, staring straight into her eyes. “I’ll never attempt to throw my life away like that again. I promise that I won’t be so stubborn as to not let others help me and will try my hardest to find another solution. Because I know you all care about me so much, that it’s not just my life to give. So I’ll hold onto it, knowing the value that it has for everyone around me.”
“Though I can’t promise that I won’t do anything stupid or reckless again, because that’s just who I am. However, I did already have a conversation like this with Phon. While I can’t change that part of my personality or plans, if you want, I can include you in all of it, so that we can find the best way forward together. No more surprises, no more tricks and deceptions, no more lies. Every part of me out there and plain to see, every aspect of my life shared with you. That I can swear.”
“Well, I guess that’s a good enough start,” a genuine, unrelenting grin finally worked its way across Jaid’s face. “Actually I—” Before she could finish her thought, the pair was interrupted by an influx of clapping causing both of them to turn their heads towards the stage. Callum’s inauguration was wrapping up, which meant they were out of time.
Yet the woman still had one final piece she had to get off her chest, something she wouldn’t allow herself to dwell on any longer. “Wait, Drim,” she stopped him as he was about to turn and leave. “Did you mean what you said? That when all of this is over, you'll hear what I have to say?”
“Yes, absolutely,” Drim confirmed once more. “I’ll listen to every word and give you a proper answer.” With that, the president-elect departed, but only made it a few steps before he turned back. “Oh, one last thing, with this, would you consider your job request complete? Have we taken over the world?”
“Erm, I suppose, yeah,” the knight had to admit, more surprised by the sudden question that she had to answer. “I don’t think it can be more conquered than this.”
“Good, good,” the king nodded happily at the confirmation. “We wouldn’t be able to do some of this if your request was left unfulfilled.” Before elaborating further, he departed for real this time, yet once more glanced back for the last word. “Oh, and you look beautiful tonight.”
“Eh?” Jaid looked down, and the man could only take a moment to relish in her confusion while she confirmed that she was still only dressed in her usual knightly garb. But he’d only spoken the truth.
Then the president-elect reached the edge of curtain where he crossed paths with the now sworn-in vice president. And Callum paused to greet him as soon as he was out of sight from the audience, mostly the media and their cameras. “We don’t have long before they’d start to suspect something is wrong,” the young politician mentioned to the king.
“So I’ll just say this. I’m only aware of my part in what’s to come, and what’s expected of me. Though I don’t know what the goal is, I’m certain you’re about to surprise us all. The world won’t be the same, will it? But no matter, I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations.”
“We leave it all in your hands, Callum,” Drim shook the man’s hand proudly. “I’m certain we’ve picked the right person for the job. I have complete faith in you.”
“Well, that makes one of us,” the vice-president of the world could only let out a wry-laugh. And then their handshake broke off, leading The Fiendish King to head out for his time in the spotlight.
Waiting for him at the center of the stage with a giant grin was Marigauld Viscelli, the temporary/permanent speaker for the Central Peace. Since she had been assigned the position until Hower’s return, yet the man was nowhere to be found, The Representative of Regend was gleefully stuck in the role until a new official speaker was appointed. And the CP members, particularly the woman’s allies, didn’t seem particularly bothered to rush the issue.
After shaking hands and exchanging greetings, the politician led the president-elect through the oaths. And there were too many, far too many. It got to the point that Drim had to force himself to pay attention and not let his mind wander off. To think one of the most important moments of his life was so mawhging boring.
But he had to keep a good face, because all the while, countless cameras were recording him from the crowd. It was a bit daunting to think that he was being watched by virtually the entire world, whether on their TVs, phones, computers, or anything else that had a screen. At least it wasn’t his first endeavor into highly viewed fame, and he had promised them a good show, so it wouldn’t do to look like even he didn’t care about what was being said.
And they eventually got to the last of it, the final oath sounding a lot like all the others, but it was more of a broad stroke than all of the specifics he’d just sworn to. “I, Drim Drazah, The Fiendish King, do hereby swear to serve this world with unbiased judgment. To ensure protections and devote myself to building the prosperity of all citizens, regardless of race, class, allegiances, or any unique trait. I hereby commit myself as a servant of Rathe, and will fulfill my duties to this planet’s people until the end of my term and beyond.”
Then with that, even the horrible irony that he had to internally laugh out, Drim Drazah was officially the President of Rathe. He and Marigauld shook hands one final time before she departed the stage while the crowd applauded endlessly. Now all that was left for the day was the president’s speech, and the world would then move on to their New Year’s Eve Celebrations.
But as the now-most-powerful man in the world—as if he wasn’t already—walked over to the new microphone that rose out of the floor, he wondered just how the inhabitants' plans might change. Because now there was no turning back. It was finally time to change the world.
“Thank you everyone!” President Drazah began his address. “Thank you to every citizen of Rathe. Without you, we never would have made it to this moment. When my sister and I revealed ourselves just shy of five years ago, only off by a day, we were mostly met with scorn and criticism, serving as torturous reminders of the past and fear for the future.”
“Though we faced a lot of opposition along the way, especially in those early days, as we worked hard to prove ourselves, to prove our commitment to making the world a better place. Still, to this day, some have not changed their minds about us, the name Drazah eternally burned into their hearts as an eternal evil. But many of you kept watching and had the strength and courage to move past our cursed heritage, to give us a chance as our own individuals.”
“As we saw in the election, almost the entire world has come to support us in our mission, and want to join us in our vision for the future. For that, I am eternally grateful, not just for the opportunity, but your undeniable trust. And that is why, with a heavy heart, it pains me that I must now… betray you all!”