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Posted on June 13, 2013 at 07:06:11 PM by a r t h u r
 Arthur watched Thoth’s face carefully, trying to discern the direction in which the boys thoughts, and his mood, were travelling. It was normally fairly easy to tell with Thoth, but on this occasion there was quite a mix which made it harder. The king however thought he could see something akin to suspicion. He accepted the questions patiently, nodding his head – they were good questions. “Sir Walter said that you would be free to return to Shaman at your leisure. I suspect however that once they had you, they would not allow you to leave again, no matter what you wanted.” He paused and met Thoth’s eyes again, “I have no way to prove my suspicions to you, but I urge you heed me in this. I honestly believe that, at the present time, Earth is the worst place for you to be and the Aurans do not wish you well.” Arthur knew well that Earth was of interest to his own son, Tristan knew his father’s story, he knew that his grandfather spent the majority of his time there. The prince however, still had both his father and Mallos in his life, Thoth had lost Aura. His urge to go to where she had lived most of her life must be intense. “That’s not to say you can never go. I would hope that one day you can, just not now.” “As for what they want with you,” the King replied in response to the second question, “in the most fundamental of terms, they want power. When your mother passed they lost their figurehead and I think it probably weakened them. From what Sir Walter told me, I believe they want to keep you from other organisations that would use you to undermine them further. I believe they are eager to take you sooner, rather than later, in the hopes that you are still young enough for them to control you.” Thoth would not like that suggestion, Arthur knew, and he did not envy any Aurans who might come to try. They would discover fairly quickly that the King was not their only problem. “I believe they spoke to me for a number of reasons. Firstly, because you are a subject of my Kingdom and it is standard diplomatic practice. They seemed to want to see how far they could get using official methods and channels. The second reason, I suspect, is that by both Shaman law, and Earth law, you are underage, and thus, on behalf of my Mother, I represent the closest thing to your legal guardian.” Arthur smiled, “if you wish to meet with Sir Walter yourself, however, I would happily organise a meeting to enable you to do so. I’m afraid I would however, have to insist on being present, just as a precaution. I know you are quite a water-bender.” Arthur turned to the box on his lap and opened the lid, pulling free the four folded sheets of parchment, their seal tabs already attached, but lacking their official wax pendulums. “I doubt these will help much in the long-run, he explained to Thoth, “I have other suggestions for the long-term if you will accept my help, but I believe it pays to have all bases covered. I would rather have something than not have it only for time to show me that it was needed after all.” The king unfolded the first sheet and handed it to Thoth for him to read. “This one simply names me as your official guardian until you attain the age of thirteen. It is, of course, not binding until you put your signature to it.” Removing another sheet from the bottom of the pile in his hands, Arthur handed Thoth the second document. “This one,” he explained, “is slightly more complicated. Unless things have altered drastically on Earth, you do not become an adult there until you are aged somewhere between sixteen and twenty-one. It varied by culture when I was there a long time ago. This presents the Aurans with a loophole, if they should succeed in getting you to Earth against your will, then they can claim guardianship over you, when Shaman cannot. This document is a contract of retainder. In essence what it does is bind you to me, meaning that you owe service to me when I require it, in return for me helping to further your interests. This particular contract leaves what that service is open and to our personal discretion. I have no intention of invoking it at any point in time. I will ask you for nothing for the five years that the contract is active. All it does is offer another legal way to help you if you end up with the Aurans. I can then argue that they cannot keep you, because you are already sworn to me.” Honesty, the king had decided, in this situation was the best way forwards. “Again, if you choose not to sign it, it is redundant, it’s your decision. As I said before, I doubt it will be of any great use to us, but I will rest easier if even the smallest cracks are covered. For the larger fissures, I have other suggestions, if you would hear them?”  |
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- like a champion high diver, - By thoth June 15, 2013 at 08:07:16 PM
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