The King sounded sincere, but Lith knew that the request to summon his Demons was just a ruse to check how much free will they retained.
A wave of his hand and the shadows in the room merged into the forms of the former members of the Queen’s Corps.
“What’s going- Your Majesty!” The two soldiers acted aloof until they noticed the presence of the Royals and then fell onto their right knee. “What are your orders?”
The ritual salute was so deeply ingrained in their being that their mouths spoke before their brains could remind them that death had relieved them of their service.
“At ease.” The King ordered. “How are the clouds today, Captain?”
Locrias recognized the code words for the assessment of the threat at hand, but Lith was there as well, and answering would have meant revealing one of the Kingdom’s secrets.
“I don’t know. I haven’t materialized in days.” Locrias shrugged.
“Never mind.” A wide smile appeared on Meron’s face as he inwardly sighed in relief. “How is Verhen treating you, Captain? Is your condition painful? Your family is deeply worried about you.”
“Verhen is a fair lord, my liege.” Locrias replied and Valia nodded. “He has given me an opportunity to keep fighting and I can’t wait to go back to the Kingdom. Becoming a Demon comes with a price, but I’m willing to pay. Dead or not, my mission remains.”
“Excellent news. You are dismissed.” The Queen nodded.
“With all due respect, my liege, we are disappointed in how you dealt with the Dead King and Morn’s order endangering innocent lives.” Valia said. “We are keeping your secrets and our oaths, but now more than ever our duty is toward the people of the Kingdom, not politics.”
The Royals pursed their lips in annoyance. Valia’s words bordered on insubordination and matched exactly the attitude that her personnel file reported.
‘It seems that undeath didn’t change their characters.’ Meron said via the mind link.
‘That’s not very reassuring. It only means that now they can change allegiance if they found us lacking.’ The Queen replied.
“We are aware of our faults and have come here to make up for them, Lieutenant.” Sylpha actually said. “What happened after the Dead King’s broadcast was solely Morn’s fault and he’s been dealt with.
“We have protected Verhen’s properties and interests and now we are offering him a fair deal. There’s nothing more we can do, but if you have any suggestions, I’m willing to listen.”
Valia opened her mouth to reply, but Lith raised his hand, dismissing the Demons.
‘Your defiance is only giving them more reason to be afraid of my abilities.’ Lith said via the chains. ‘I understand that you are angry, but if you want to say anything, do it through me.’
‘I’m sorry, but seeing their smug faces while they worried more about codes and secrets than of our death got the better of me.’ Valia replied.
“Before we move on with the treaty, there’s something I have to say.” Lith returned to his human form and sat down so to not look down on the Royals. “The terms of our deal must apply to my family as well.
“I want all of them to have a clean slate. My parents worked hard for their lands and my sisters have never aided me in my crimes if not by hiding my real nature for obvious reasons.”
“Of course.” Meron nodded. “We want all the Verhens back to the Kingdom. If they share your potential, your family would be an invaluable asset. In due time, the Verhens might even become another founding pillar of our country.”
Once again, Lith could perceive from the King’s heartbeat and perspiration that the offer was sincere, but it was hardly a surprise. Having a whole family of Divine Beasts at their back and call was the dream of every ruler.
“I’m glad we are on the same page because until a second ago I was worried about my wife.” Lith said with a huge grin on his face while the Royals stiffened. “She’s a Verhen as well now and her crimes must be pardoned.
“She deserted her duty and escaped her for my sake, so I consider the consequences of her actions part of my burden. Kamila worked hard to become a Constable and I want her to get her job and career back, if that’s what she wants.
“If in order to return to the Kingdom I have to sacrifice her happiness, then we have nothing to talk about.”
An awkward silence fell into the room.
Morn and Sylpha had always included Kamila in the deal, but giving back her old job would prove to be difficult. Constables were bound to know lots of secrets and were supposed to be loyal solely to the Crown.
Kamila Yehval had already betrayed their trust and her duty once, she could do it a second time.
“It depends on what you can offer to the Kingdom.” Sylpha replied after a while. “I guess you have decided to become a Magus.”
“Exactly.” Lith nodded. “It’s the only way to not be burdened by an I owe you for years. Also, I have no intention to join the Royal family.”
“You can’t unless you divorce first.” Meron replied with a sigh. “On top of that, know that no matter your choice, the deal is based on the assumption that you’ll consume the Royal pardons you gained as a Great Mage, Archmage, and even the one you’ll get as a Magus.
“The favor we promised you after Kandria’s plague will be considered extinguished as well.”
“Sounds fair.” Lith said. “One more thing. I want you to give the families of Locrias and Valia the opportunity to transfer to Lutia and provide them with everything they might need.
“As they have proven to you, they are still loyal servants of the Crown and they deserve to be treated as such.”
The more conditions Lith moved the less the Royals liked that situation. Once the war ended, they needed something to keep him on the leash, but he was covering all of his bases.
Even worse, refusing to reunite the Demons with their families might have cost the Crown their loyalty so Meron was forced to agree.
“Not everyone can become a Magus, Lith.” Sylpha pointed out. “What you have t offer must be something capable of making the life of everyone better, not just a few spells that only the elite can use.
“Also, even though we don’t expect you to disclose the full extent of your contribution until the deal is sealed, you still have to give us enough elements to assess the usefulness of the knowledge you are willing to share.
“Only then can the Crown decide whether to accept your deal, ask for more, or turn it down entirely.”
“I have several things I want to offer the Kingdom, starting from what Lochra Silverwing failed to grasp in her legacy.” Lith said, making their faces deform in a mask of amazement.
“Are you telling us that the First Magus, the mother of modern magic, was wrong all along and you know better?” Meron couldn’t contain either his surprise or disbelief.
“Not at all.” Lith shook his head.
