It takes three weeks for word to reach Aramellianna’s ears of the results of the second mission west to find and retrieve Daniel. Rumors started appearing in the last couple of days, which her subordinates reported to her, but she kept her composure until she received an official report.
Infuriatingly, that report didn’t come from any member of the Stalvaltan Guard. Instead, it came from an imperial messenger, representing the Grand Zenkon Empire, the self-proclaimed most powerful empire in the world. While arguably true for the continent, they fare only slightly better against the demon armies than any other lone kingdom, which is why it’s so important that the Eastern Alliance, headed by the Empire, stays intact.
As Aramellianna reviews the message she received, it speaks of a joint effort launched from Fort Twilight to assault the Citadel and lay siege. While the plan for the Stalvaltan soldiers was to do virtually the same, there was no way the joint forces could have believed they stood a chance. In fact, a larger force would only simply compound their losses. The hope was to sneak in while ranged magic was used to distract the dragons and any other major threats, retrieve Daniel, and retreat before anyone processes the Stalvaltan troops as a threat.
Now, it seems the joint force suffered a complete and total defeat.
Aramellianna had to read it twice to be sure. Usually, there are cowards, messengers, and even supply units that are able to retreat, or a force will retreat when it becomes clear victory is impossible, usually after only a third of the army has been destroyed.
Instead, 100% of the joint task force have seemingly vanished, indicating that not even messengers were able to return. Then, a message reached Fort Twilight, which the commander relayed to the Empress, rather than to the Grand Duchess, who had commissioned the mission in the first place.
That message came from an alleged ‘Empress Hekate Fell Lawson, ruler of the Citadel and the Fievegal’. “So,” muses Aramellianna to no one in particular, “Hekate has declared herself an Empress now… Perhaps victory is too easily going to her head.” The Grand Duchess sighs, setting the message down. “No. However it’s taking place, she and her allies are far beyond our imagining, it seems.”
The message is wordy and full of poetic language, but in short, it declares that Hekate captured and imprisoned all of the soldiers that arrived from the east, including the stealth teams, who allegedly tried to harm her friends. From there, Empress Sundenelle of the Grand Zenkon Empire has called for a summit to discuss the new threat.
Aramellianna massages her temples. It’s difficult to say if the mission failed because of the additional troops interfering in some way, or if the mission was always going to fail. The real question is; why is the Empress taking an active interest in the kingdom of a newly self-named Empress?
As she’s preparing to head out for the summit with her daughters in tow, another messenger arrives… from Fort Peony.
“{Grand Duchess Aramellianna kos Stalvaltan,
This is a formal message in simple code. Your asset has been lost. Your troops are recovering at Fort Peony after we were able to retrieve them. It seems a wingflame made its way east, but I’ve received no news of any attacks.
Additionally, I’d like to warn you against any further action against the Citadel and its ruler. Victory is likely not tenable, and for now, the proclaimed Empress Hekate and her dragon allies are not hostile.
Following their recovery, your troops will be released with haste.
Very Respectfully,
Commander Leiwelles kos Morglodston
Commanding Officer
Fort Peony}”
Aramellianna sighs again.
“Mother?” asks Wenlianna as she observes the Grand Duchess’s frustration. Aramellianna looks around for a moment before responding softly.
“The airship went down near Fort Peony.”
Wenlianna fidgets, and Aramellianna reassures her. “It wasn’t a failure of your designs, short of still underestimating a dragon, apparently.”
Wenlianna nods as she thinks. “A-Are… the soldiers?”
“I don’t have numbers, but at least some of them survived. It seems the Empress isn’t aware.”
Wenlianna remembers the black hair she found. She wanted to make her way to the capital of Mornistae and use the magic artifact to see if its glow indicates magic. But, because the Empress summoned the higher lords, ladies, and kings of the allied kingdoms to a war summit, they all will be going. While a humanitarian at heart, the Empress is still a strict ruler, maintaining order during the ongoing war.
“Ready yourselves for the journey, girls. I have a feeling we have a long road ahead of us.”
***
Daniel studies his phone, sketching some designs that he can now make more accurately with his engineering books and various blueprints. He’ll have Xyreko look at them later, but for now, he’s just killing time with some quiet.
He learned recently that Hekate has decided that her name is ‘Hekate Fell Lawson’, ‘Fell’ as a sort of self-proclaimed nobiliary particle signifying her rank as someone important like ‘von’ of Germanic noble nomenclature, while hinting that she’s a feldrok, and ‘Lawson’ signifying her status as self-proclaimed wife of Daniel.
He chuckles at the thought. He’s not sure why, of all people, Hekate ultimately not only allows, but encourages the other women around Daniel to be affectionate with him. She could have put up an actual fight in every scenario, from Ryuogriar asking for the first of the dragon eggs, to Treia and Gwenesphia coming to live in the Citadel simply to be with Daniel, and finally, Shek and Skloe, who are regularly making use of a magic machine that relieves their chests of milk as their own pregnancies progress -much faster than the dragons’ eggs-.
Is she afraid I’ll secretly run away or disappear? I hope she isn’t harming herself because of insecurity.
Daniel decides to ask the only person who he suspects might know. “Xyreko? Can you meet me in my room?”
The golem appears after a few moments, immediately teasing, “Daniel, is it my turn?”
He snorts lightly. “Don’t start on that. It’s actually what I want to ask about.”
She cocks her head, and Daniel asks seriously, “How has Hekate been doing?”
“Lady Hekate? To my knowledge, she’s doing very well. She’s highly motivated, a diligent student of magic and rulership. She has a lot of catching up to do, but she’s making vast efforts to ensure that she makes wise decisions and can defend the Fievegal.”
“Is that all?”
Xyreko seems surprised, and Daniel corrects. “Sorry, I don’t mean to make it sound like I’m belittling her. She’s doing amazing, in that regard. I probably should be praising her more. But, what I meant was, does… it seem like she’s pushing herself beyond her limits? Does it seem like she’s trying too hard… because she believes…”
“That you won’t love her if she doesn’t?”
Daniel nods reluctantly. He couldn’t find the right words, but Xyreko cut right to the core of it.
“Pardon my rudeness, but don’t flatter yourself so much, Daniel.” He laughs briefly at Xyreko’s even more brutal reply.
She adds sincerely, “Lady Hekate is undoubtedly motivated to be the best Empress she can so that you’ll be pleased with her and praise her. That is true, but she genuinely seems to be enjoying herself. Feldroks are naturally drawn to the top of life. They become stronger as they grow older, they become stronger in the presence of death, and they become stronger as they learn.”
“But, don’t you worry that she’s trying to compete with… ugh… her ‘rivals’? Or, even trying to defy the gods?”
Xyreko walks closer and sits down beside Daniel. “Again, it may be a part of it. But, I have no reason to believe she’s not happy, currently. Her spirits are always high, not feigned high for others’ benefit. She revels in being as powerful as she is, but she does it to help the people she cares about. You may be surprised to hear that Lady Ryuogriar is Lady Hekate’s closest confidante in matters that do revolve around you.”
This genuinely surprises Daniel. He cocks his head, and Xyreko chuckles. “I know. I wouldn’t believe it at face value, either. But, when Lady Hekate does want advice, she goes to Ryuogriar more often than anyone else. They have a very fiery personal rivalry, which is likely where your own fears come from, but as leaders of the Citadel, they both have a vested interest in the future.”
“I worry, though, that she’s encouraging the others… at detriment to herself.”
Xyreko laughs this time, and she laughs for an awkwardly long time. She even lays back in her seat. It’s definitely the most unprofessional she’s been since they met.
She finally calms down while Daniel waits patiently for her answer, even if he’s a little perturbed that it’s so funny to her. “You’ve clearly forgotten, then, Daniel.”
“F-Forgotten?” asks Daniel uneasily.
Xyreko looks directly at him, and he feels like she would be grinning wickedly. “It’s a shame to tell you, but I would encourage you to continue along her designs.”
“Please tell me.”
She nods. “Lady Hekate does not fear you leaving. She knows how to retrieve you, if she believes you can still be hers, and even if you return to Earth. No, she encourages the others, she allows them their own wishes to be with you and to be intimate with you for a very selfish reason.”
“And that is?”
“She told you herself, my dear, sweet Daniel. Three times Daniel. Don’t forget.”
Daniel twitches. He recalls it now. It was the day Ryuogriar laid her egg, and Daniel helped her. Hekate explicitly expressed her approval, but demanded triple of anything Daniel does with everyone else.
“Th-... She… can’t be serious.”
Xyreko continues to stare at him, and he can feel the amused smirk coming off of her expressionless golem head. Daniel clutches his head. “What? Does she want thirty children of her own?”
“Oh? So you intend to sire children with Vaergraes and Ryukana as well, yes?”
Daniel flinches. He looks at Xyreko, who adds, “I’m sure they’re both willing, if you ask.”
Daniel sighs. “Why me, though? Why am I this lucky?”
Xyreko chuckles. “I know, Daniel, that you believe you were no one special in your world. Perhaps that is true. But, you are special here, because you’re the one who is here. You are even unique in your quirk of having no magic. You brought wisdom needed to protect the world, luxuries that surpassed even the greatest technological achievement of this world -the Citadel-, and you treat peoples who were not your allies at first as friends after sparing their lives.”
Daniel shakes his head. “Most of that wouldn’t be possible without the Citadel. And, half of them all but literally accept me because I… ugh… ‘conquered’ them.”
Xyreko leans against Daniel’s shoulder. Her golem is hard, but the gesture is still comfortable. She adds softly, “That’s true. You conquered. You proved you are the strongest in this world, even if it meant using something this world couldn’t stand against. When you aren’t physically the strongest, you make yourself strongest another way. Believe it or not, Daniel, many women like conquerors. They like men who guarantee them the future even more.”
With a sigh, Daniel slouches in his own seat. “I used to hate fictional stories like this. I still think they’re ridiculous…”
“If you were to choose one at this point, you would break many hearts. They are all happy to have you, because you guaranteed the future by destroying the Devourer. They are happy to share you because the bigger your family is, the more reasons you have to stay with us and fight for us.” She takes his hand, holding it. “My family was and is precious to me, and those that accepted becoming soul-bound are still cherished to me. I consider you family, now, Daniel. The Devourer would have consumed this place eventually, and I couldn’t converse with anyone while the Citadel was inactive. You restored me to life, in a sense. And, I’m happy to see your family grow. I would kill all the men that come here if it meant you could have all the women to yourself, if that was your desire.”
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
“Please don’t. I’m sure I’m pressing my karmic luck as it is.”
“Karmic luck?”
“I’ll explain later.” Daniel takes a breath and sighs. “If you believe anyone is under pressure or becoming aggressively jealous, please let me know. I don’t know what I’ll do, but… I guess for now, I’ll keep trying to be the person they seem to treasure. Whatever that means.”
Xyreko nods. “I will work tirelessly to make the Lawson royal family the strongest family this world has ever seen.”
Daniel sighs, and Xyreko chuckles warmly. She pets his head gently, saying tenderly, “Don’t worry, Daniel. You’ve been chosen in this ‘story’. Enjoy the luxuries and keep working to keep them. I’ll help you as long as I’m able. And, I’ll be keeping tally for Lady Hekate.”
He suppresses a light chuckle. “That fox-eared little woman will be the death of me.”
“Maybe, but I’m sure she’ll make you happy up to the very last second.”
Daniel smiles. “Yeah… probably so.”
***
“All hail her Imperial Excellency, Empress Sundenelle kos Lindenmorg,” calls out the court crier. “Ruler of the Grand Zenkon Empire, Commander in Chief of the Eastern Alliance, Saintess of the Southern Divine Order, and Lady of the house of Lindenmorg!” All in the imperial audience chamber in the grand castle of the Empire kneel as the Empress walks in, dressed in her full imperial garb. Her long royal purple coat all but drags behind her, and her military-esque dress is refined, but beautiful.
Sundenelle takes a seat in her throne, and she declares, “Be seated. We have much to discuss.”
The many nobles, kings, and queens in attendance take a seat. Aramellianna is seated next to Rikuto, with Heralesse on his other side and King Greydald and the Queen Mother behind them. Rikuto whispers as advisors report to Sundenelle on the attendants, “This is the first time I’ve seen the Empress. She’s so young.”
Sundenelle appears to be no more than twenty, but she commands the respect of kings and queens three times her age.
Aramellianna replies quietly, “The former Emperor fell ill when she was sixteen, and the following succession was… an event, to say the least. Sundenelle came out on top through a series of events, not least of which was her cousin and uncle killing each other in a confrontation between their factions, and her rallying noble and commoner support to unite against the rising demon threat. She gained popularity due to her focus on the Empire as her relatives and the Empress bickered over the throne. She was able to march on the palace and depose the Empress.”
“She deposed her own mother?”
“No. She is the daughter of the Emperor’s third wife, who serves as her lady-in-waiting.”
“Her own mother?”
Aramellianna nods subtly without looking away from the Empress. “As a daughter, Sundenelle had a true claim to the throne, where the Empress and Empress consorts have a tenuous claim at best. Lady Byleathea offered to retire to a villa or monastery to not pose a threat to her claim, but Sundenelle kept her as a lady-in-waiting instead.”
Rikuto nods, absorbing the information. Knowing what he knows about the world of Zenkon, though, it should seem odd that a young woman as Empress is not engaged or married already. However, he also considers her mother, who he now suspects is the mature woman seated behind the Empress in a more modest noble lady’s dress. That she is ‘lady-in-waiting’ rather than ‘Dowager Empress’ implies certain things about Sundenelle, but only narrowing down her possible personality.
And, he runs out of time to ponder or question.
“I understand there is someone from another world in this chamber serving as royalty. Stand and present yourself,” states the Empress.
Rikuto takes a subtle breath to calm his nerves and he rises to his feet. He bows at a professional Japanese 45 degree angle. The court crier announces, “Presenting King Regent Rikuto Tachibana of Earth, your Excellency.”
“King Regent Rikuto Tachibana. I have heard of many rapid developments coming from your kingdom and your allied noble territories. It is an immense relief to know the gods have not forsaken us.”
“You humble me, your Excellency,” replies Rikuto. “I endeavor to help this world resist the threats to its stability.”
“Raise your head,” declares Sundenelle. Rikuto looks up, and she studies him for a moment.
“I am certain I do not know the wisdom of the gods,” begins the Empress. “But, I was expecting someone older.” She smiles warmly, rather than condescendingly. “We already have much to thank your kingdom for. Relief supplies have drastically saved our more vulnerable allies from drought, famine, and pestilence. With the ever-present threat of attacks from the demon forces, it’s more important than ever to be ready to hold the line.”
“Thank you, your Excellency. As much as possible, the Kingdom of Mornistae is at your service.”
Sundenelle nods, pleased. She asks a little facetiously, “I wonder if the Empire would prosper with such wondrous advancements in magical technology were we to become husband and wife.”
Rikuto sees in his peripherals when Heralesse twitches, but she keeps her composure. He knows the chain of command and positional authority gets really murky in this very audience room precisely because the kingdoms and Empire are all distinctly separate territories, but merely allied to fight against the demons. So, while Sundenelle is the commander in chief of the alliance formed by those kingdoms and the Empire, she only has authority in that respect. He doubts she can force him to become engaged to her, but he also wonders if Mornistae would honor such a request/demand should the Empress make it either to keep the peace or to become a direct part of the Empire.
Regardless, he decides it’s probably a good idea to clear the air here before a misunderstanding arises. “If I may, your Excellency; I’d like to clear up any misunderstandings relayed information could have created. I am directly responsible for economic and agricultural reform for the Kingdom of Mornistae, for which I was summoned and made King Regent, which will allow us to provide a more active role in the war. However, I am not a technology expert. Many of the developments in our kingdom were spear-headed by the Stalvaltan household.” He gestures to his left, where Aramellianna is sitting, followed by her daughters in succession starting with Wenlianna. Wenlianna fidgets, but remains composed.
Sundenelle looks at Aramellianna, asking, “Is this true, Grand Duchess Aramellianna?”
Aramellianna stands up when addressed, and she curtsies in a surprisingly feminine manner, considering how cold and hard she can be. “Indeed, your Excellency. The Stalvaltan Grand Duchy has proudly pioneered many advancements in magical technology.”
“I see. But, I have rather reliable information that indicates some of these advancements are nothing short of otherworldly.” She looks at Rikuto. “You are the otherworlder summoned this past year, yes?”
Rikuto nods. “Yes. Or, I am one of two,” admits Rikuto. This causes a brief stir in the audience as the other kingdoms, especially those that don’t neighbor Mornistae and wouldn’t have precise information, hear the news for the first time. Sundenelle cocks her head. “One of two?”
“Yes, your Excellency. I can’t speak for the gods, but I was summoned alongside a man named Daniel, who came from the same world as I did.”
“Is this ‘Daniel’ present?” She glances at the advisor off to her left, who shakes his head subtly, while Rikuto hesitates.
“He was banished, your Excellency,” states Aramellianna mercilessly.
“Banished? This otherworlder Daniel was a criminal?”
Aramellianna smirks in her cold and calculating way. “If the crime of using otherworldly methods to save a princess’s life at the cost of her modesty, but no harm to her purity should be considered so.” Aramellianna is a political fiend when she wants to be, and Rikuto once again is forced to wonder whose side she’s on.
Sundenelle asks coldly, “Is this true?” She looks to Rikuto and Heralesse, but also Greydald and the Queen.
“Yes,” replies Rikuto reluctantly. “Daniel used methods from our world that can work even when this world would see no means of survival, but it required the removal of her corset, specifically, which is obviously under her dress. And, Second Princess Erimaya was able to survive. She is still resting, preventing her from attending this summit, but she will make a full recovery.” That's a partial lie. Erimaya vehemently refused to travel with them because of everything that happened.
Sundenelle confers with her lady-in-waiting, as well as the other advisors, while the other nobles and royals murmur among themselves. Given the tenor, it’s not pure outrage. Many of the nobles seem to agree with the logic of banishing him for ‘defiling’ a princess.
Suddenly, Heralesse, of all people, stands up. "Your Excellency; please pardon my sudden interjection, but my younger sister is alive. I disliked Daniel. I wanted to exploit his wisdom to better our kingdom, but he gave such benefits willingly. Then, he saved my sister's life when all others had given up. He asked for nothing in return, and he made no complaints when… the decision was made. Whatever anyone thinks they know about him, Daniel is a valuable ally. He was banished to the battlefront at Fort Peony, but has since disappeared behind enemy lines after defending Fort Peony from a dragon. Single-handedly. Our current intel indicates he is a hostage of Empress Hekate Fell Lawson."
Something that has bothered Rikuto for some time is the name of the ruler of 'the Citadel', as it translates. Rikuto is not overtly familiar with Earth's western cultures; European and American specifically, beyond what crosses the cultural divide in movies and other forms of media. With that being the case, he's fairly confident that "Earth western" names are rare in this world, making Daniel’s name unique. Likewise, "Hekate" is the name of a Greek goddess, and "Lawson" is a very European/American sounding name. As an American, Daniel surely has a family name, but he never revealed it to anyone, including Wenlianna, who may not even know that most people on modern Earth possess a family name, whereas it is a sign of nobility on Zenkon.
If one or the other was in isolation, it could be coincidence, but two distinctly Earthly-western-sounding names on one person is ringing alarm bells for Rikuto.
But then, that would mean Daniel is not only alive, but…
For now, Sundenelle waves her hand dismissively. "This summit does not recognize the self-proclaimed Fievegal as a sovereign nation, nor this demonkin Hekate as a sovereign ruler. She shall not be referred to as ‘Empress’ in my presence again."
The summit is silent, showing no objections to her declaration.
“Then, am I to understand the recent mission to lay siege to the Citadel was in fact a mission to retrieve this Daniel of the otherworld?” asks Sundenelle, looking at Rikuto once more.
However, Aramellianna is the one to answer. “That is correct, your Excellency. Though, at first, it began as a covert operation using Stalvaltan Guard Battlemages. It seems decisions were made in the field by officers outside of my jurisdiction to join the mission to increase the chances of success, but even with the additional aid, our forces were no match for the dragons.”
Sundenelle replies with her head cocked, “I was told that the bulk of the forces repelling the siege were golems, Grand Duchess Aramellianna.”
Rikuto notices the latter flinch. It seems it was expected that dragons would be encountered, but very little additional intel was available about the Citadel prior to launching the mission. And, Rikuto learned of it only through the Empress’s summons.
“You have a different report than my most recent, then, your Excellency. Regardless of the forces of Em-... Hekate’s army, our joint operation was soundly captured to the last, as I’ve heard. I am awaiting more detailed information from reconnaissance units sent to corroborate following the defeat.”
“Indeed. I have also sent teams to investigate the Citadel and the disappearance of the troops. After all, twenty thousand soldiers disappeared behind enemy lines. Tell me, Grand Duchess; is one man worth the lives of twenty thousand men?”
Aramelliana sucks her teeth silently -or at least, quietly enough that only Rikuto hears-. She replies as respectfully as she can, “Your Excellency, I genuinely believe the socioeconomic value of Daniel to exceed the weight of the two hundred men I sent to retrieve him, and I would argue that he is worth the risk of twenty thousand. I have it on good authority that he is capable of producing weapons capable of slaying dragons.”
Once more, the summit hall falls into a soft murmur as the other kings and nobles discuss their skepticism or shock at this news.
Sundenelle simply smiles. “Is that so? An otherworlder dragonslayer. In your estimation, Grand Duchess or King Regent Rikuto; how many troops will it take to liberate this Daniel of the Otherworld?”
Rikuto and Aramellianna glance at each other subtly. Aramellianna has far more experience with troop movements than Rikuto does, but he has the advantage of having studied Earth’s history, which has some usable wisdom even for this world’s warfare.
“I don’t know that a practical number can be determined,” states Rikuto after a moment. “There are merits to the small strike force method Grand Duchess Aramellianna intended to use, and there are merits to an overwhelming force. While Daniel is arguably invaluable for the technology he is capable of producing and adapting to this world’s production means, there are no adequate statistics on what it takes to bring down a dragon, and even less is known about Hekate. If we send a large invasion westward, we also run the risk of drawing the attention of the demons, who could easily use the opportunity to either flank us while our backs are turned or outright ally themselves with Hekate in order to defeat us. In that case, small strike forces may continue to be the best bet, though that is only my opinion on the matter.”
Sundenelle looks at Aramellianna.
“I agree with King Regent Rikuto, your Excellency. I would personally trade a great deal to retrieve Daniel, if only for his dragonslaying weapons. However, I am forced to face the reality that is the dragons and Hekate, whose strength we can’t accurately quantify.”
One of the others from across the room finally stands up, and Sundenelle addresses him. “King Vubencleff? You have something to say?”
The addressed king bows. “Yes, your Excellency. Grand Duchess Aramellianna; is there any possibility that this otherworlder Daniel could have turned coat and allied himself with the demonkin Hekate? For all the trouble you’ve gone to retrieve him, it seems there are a lot of unknowns even now.”
Aramellianna’s icy gaze remains stoic, but even still, possesses a sharpness like a blade. “Daniel is a human, and he has slain allies of Hekate in the form of dragons, which is how we know he possesses weapons capable of doing so. He has no magical ability of his own, and yet he was able to do what we consider to be impossible for a single person. To assume Daniel is now on Hekate’s side is to assume that she would readily forgive him for slaying her allies. If those are assumptions we’re making, then it would be fair to assume everyone here except ourselves are potential traitors.”
Aramellianna’s contentious words cause a brief stir, and Sundenelle waves her hand, calling for order.
“That’s enough,” calls the young Empress. “She’s not wrong. It is more reasonable to operate under the assumption that Daniel is a prisoner than to assume he turned traitor. That said, we should still approach the situation with caution. Sadly, we know from experience that dragons require no fewer than seven thousand highly skilled troops to be defeated, and Hekate apparently is allied with over a dozen. I hereby call forth this mission; we shall band together and begin forming strike teams utilizing the absolute best of every strategy our combined forces can muster. We can’t afford to divert large portions of the military away from the front lines, but if we can prepare strike teams with specific missions, we stand some chance of remaining undetected. If this Daniel does possess the technology to make an anti-dragon weapon, it is imperative if we are ever to win this war.”
The other nobles and kings agree, and Aramellianna sighs as she takes her seat. “Let the circus begin…”
“Your grace?” murmurs Rikuto as he also takes a seat.
“She just told the combined heads of over three million soldiers that her highest interest is retrieving Daniel.” Aramellianna looks at Rikuto. “An unwed Empress of prime marrying age just expressed something that she desires.”
Rikuto nods reluctantly. He unfortunately understands what she’s getting at. They will compete for the completion of the Empress’s special mission, come hell or high water, and ultimately, get in each others’ way.
Ignoring that, Rikuto ponders something else. Like the king who asked, who has even less knowledge than Rikuto about the situation, Rikuto doesn’t see the pieces coming together as they’ve been discussed.
Rather, what concerns him isn’t so much whether Daniel is prisoner or ally, but what he has been up to since he vanished.
***