Ramos, the king of Rophmna, sat alone, an extravagantly decorated stone hall sprawling out before him. During the daylight, hordes of people clamored for his attention. Many wanted him to settle their disputes in their favor. Others wanted some measure of authority granted by him. King Ramos wasn’t ignorant of the fact that some sought any sign of weakness to dispose of him and replace him with a ruler more suited to their dark desires. But today, before the sun rose, he made sure there was only one person to meet him.
From one of the many side doors, a man walked in. He was well-dressed with bright-colored clothing. Every detail of his appearance, from his perfectly combed hair to the shine of his leather boots, declared that he settled for nothing less than full control of everything. His gray hair was slicked back and trimmed short, and his face was gentle while showing his battle scars and wrinkles proudly. Even in the king’s presence, he walked with a surety that few could claim.
“You wish to speak to me, my lord?” The elderly man’s voice was clean and flat. No flourishes, no hint of an accent, just the words as they were.
“You’ve been busy.” The king gave a knowing smile to the elderly gentleman. “Tell me, Midas, what is so important that you need to use my royal messengers so frequently?”
“You know of the sin of wrath that was summoned five years ago in Aquittemia?” Midas replied unapologetically. He continued without waiting for a response. “I looked into it because Nora Stormleaf slew the demon. The summoners targeted one of her charges specifically. It was an odd case simply because the child was a beastkin.”
“Yes, if I remember correctly, you investigated it rather thoroughly.” The king leaned forward on his throne. “You called for the arrests and executions of dozens of cultists. But what does that have to do with what you’re doing now?”
“It’s unfortunate, but we did not get all of them, Your Highness,” Midas said emotionlessly. “I’m seeing signs that match what happened five years ago occurring again now. So I’ve been trying to pinpoint their end goal. All I know is that they’re not targeting the city again. It could be that they’re targeting the tournament.”
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“Why do you never have good news?” The king leaned back and closed his eyes. “It will be my son’s sixteenth birthday soon. Tradition dictates that we hold a tournament for any potential knight prospects.” He let out a heavy sigh. “What do you recommend? Do I call off traditions because of some terrorists?”
Midas waved his hand and shook his head. “Unfortunately, I would say that is a bad idea. That would tip them off. We don’t want them to know we’re watching them. I want to use this opportunity to catch as many of them as possible.” Midas shrugged. “Besides, the people have been looking forward to the tournament for a while now. I also know that all the other kingdoms, including The Wild Kingdom, have asked for representatives to spectate.”
“More headaches,” the king groaned. “I request that you refrain from reading my personal messages in the future,” King Ramos said, knowing the only way Midas could have that information was to have read all the messages in and out of the castle. “Now, on to more personal matters. How is my nephew doing since you’ve taken to educating him?”
“He is quite a charming boy.” Midas smiled. The first genuine emotion appeared on his face. “He needs to stay away from all those books about fantasies where the hero saves the princess and slays the dragon and focus on military strategy.”
“Ha! He’s a dreamer, isn’t he?” The king laughed. He loved his nephew, and when he fell ill five years ago, everyone thought he had died. But it was a miracle that he woke up just before they pronounced him dead. His personality had changed some, but everyone attributed it to the fever he’d had. And now that he was growing up, he was shaping up to be a fine man. “I’ve got to know. What brings the hero of the kingdom to show so much interest in a single boy?”
“Truth be told, I’ve had my eye on many children for some time before that.” Midas had returned to his monotone voice. “He was the one who was able to catch and hold my attention.”
A single word came from the king’s lips. “Why?”
Midas smiled again. “He reminds me of myself when I was that age.”