IP: 82.19.140.112
Posted on January 22, 2014 at 05:11:12 AM by arthur
 The choice snapshots of Lorraine looking distinctly bedraggled had been very well chosen, Arthur thought, as he took another sip of diluted wine and although he had not displayed as such on his face, they had provoked in him the very reaction Mallos had intended. Unfortunately for him, Arthur was more than prepared to play the long game and retained a look of passive indifference. It took Arthur a few moments to realise what had happened when the Spaniard dropped English for his native tongue, and thus the King missed a small chunk of dialogue. It was harder not to frown in concentration than it had been not so smile, but somehow he managed it. Arthur was most familiar with the Castillian dialect of northern Spain, his Aragonese was a little less polished, and Mallos’ particular choice was, typically, his worst. He knew he was missing many subtleties of meaning as the deity continued with his show as he was forced to settle for the basic gist of what was being said. It was some comfort, at least, that he had no intention of responding in any kind of detail to Mallos’ explanations or justifications and so his rather chopping translation served him well enough. The final snapshots of Lorraine were particularly wonderful, and the king was sure to remember them, drawing a distinct amount of pleasure from her distress. He would indeed remember them for a long time to come, but again he succeeded in keeping his expression constant. Mallos was not going to win this one if Arthur could help it. The king responded in English. “Mallos,” he said when the Spaniard finished, ignoring his father-in-law’s final declaration as completely as he had done the rest of the animated monologue, “what is my job?” Arthur took another sip of wine, resting his right leg over the knee of the left as he set the goblet back down on the table. He began to play with the signet ring on his finger, twisting it idly back and forth. He didn’t give Mallos long enough to interrupt. “It is not, whatever you may believe, to sign papers all day, even if it does feel like it sometimes. My job is to serve my kingdom, to lead it, to govern it, to maintain order and to protect those who live here. If I am supervising the clear-up of your messes then I am have to take time away from government. However much I may encourage you in your campaign against Lorraine, whilst you are trapped here on Shaman I would have thought you would have the good sense to realise that you both pose a danger to my subjects. No one was hurt this time, true enough, but can you honestly promise me, without a shadow of a doubt, that they couldn’t have done?” Arthur’s eyes narrowed a little, “no,” he said, shaking his head, not giving time for any kind of response, “you can’t.” No doubt Mallos could have said the words, he might even be able to mean them, but Arthur would remain firmly unconvinced. “We are not all blessed with your gifts,” the king pressed on, “I certainly cannot build a ship as quickly as I can blink, and neither can my people. The people here work hard to build what they build and what sort of king am I if I cannot defend their property? They work for weeks, sometimes months on things that you then destroy without thought. The fact that you and the other originals can rebuild them quickly falls short of the point, but I doubt I will be able to make you understand that. I confess, friend, that I am a more than a little disappointed that you do not respect me enough to consider the repercussions of your actions upon my position, my duty, and the things I believe to be important.” Tap tap tap. They were interrupted by a knocking on the glass of the window pane, and Arthur turned to find a raven sitting on the exterior windowsill. “Kraar!” the king said in surprise, concern marking his face a little as he leapt to his feet and pulled open the window to admit his sister’s familiar. The bird hopped inside, shook the snow from his feathers, and then perched himself on Arthur’s shoulder. He was just about to deliver his message when the king gestured for his silence. “Excuse me a moment, Mallos,” Arthur said, walking around his desk to the door. “Stay put,” he instructed the Spaniard as he stepped out into the corridor where he remained insight of the door. The raven’s news could not have been better timed, and, out of sight, he allowed himself a grin. Arthur returned to his desk with Kraar, and the raven took his place on the perch on the king’s bookshelf that was usually occupied by Pendragon. Arthur didn’t look at his father-in-law but rummaged in the old oak trunk that stood in the room’s far corner and pulled out another goblet, a little less fine than the one Arthur had been using to drink out of. He set it down on the table with a clink. “I want your magic,” Arthur said, tapping the rim of the goblet with his forefinger, his attitude retaining a certain coolness in a display of the disappointment he had described not five minutes previously, “I will keep it safe, and you will go with Kraar and help your daughter.” |
Replies:
- there's a wise man in every fool. - By mallos January 24, 2014 at 02:19:22 AM
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