Chapter 9 #2
“Vic?” Nessa’s disbelief was rank. “King Carmine? You can’t be… that’s…” And then she let out a bark of laughter and clamped her hand over her mouth. Her eyes, however, betrayed her horror.
“Did it happen?” asked Sam. “The coronation?”
“Not yet. It’s slated to take place tomorrow night.” Lady Hammerfell sighed. “He wanted ample time to meet with anyone who was willing to negotiate.”
“I thought of speaking with him,” said Anna quietly. “Reasoning. But my last vivid memory is of him stabbing me through the leg when my negotiation with Melisende didn’t proceed as he wanted. I’m not sure I have much influence.”
“Damn it, Vic.” Harald closed his eyes as he steeled his nerve.
Of course, Vic hadn’t been idle. Of course, he wouldn’t just drop his newfound obsession with bringing justice to Flutic.
Alone in the dungeon, he’d no doubt drawn Eclavistra’s attention, which had resulted in his being…
armed with what? A dozen demons? More? “Fuck.” Harald’s shoulders sagged.
“That’s… you didn’t know,” said Anna. “So that’s not why you came back.”
“No,” said Harald. “This is all news to us.”
“What are the Houses deciding?” asked Nessa.
“Hard to say.” Anna sat back, and only now did Harald see the exhaustion riding under her skin, how stark the freckles were, how tired her eyes.
“Everybody’s denouncing him publicly, but of course they are.
I’ve little information, cooped up as I am here, but I’d wager the rest of my Infinitum that delegations are rushing back and forth from the cathedral each day as everyone scrambles to figure out their angles. ”
“Agreed.” Lady Hammerfell shifted her weight to her other leg.
“With Melisende and Drakenhart gone, the Houses have lost their wiser and more cunning leaders. Lady Mirella Argent of House Silvershield is diplomatic and silver-tongued, but as treacherous as she pretends to be pure. Lord Rowan Thorn has all but revealed his demonic allegiances, while Lord Doran of House Emberfell has been sunken in madness and fury ever since you killed his daughter, Kessa. Only Lady Elara Verdant of House Viridian retains anything akin to some semblance of morality and prudence.”
Nobody spoke. Harald felt Sam’s gaze upon him and finally met it. Her stare was demanding, insistent.
“You want us to go talk to Vic,” he said, not bothering to make it a question.
“Obviously,” said Sam. “We can’t let him crown himself the demonic monarch of Flutic.”
“Agreed,” said Nessa. “My own quest can wait. This is… I mean.” She shook her head in bleak amazement. “The angels damn it, Vic.”
Harald hunched forward, fingers interlaced, weight on his elbows on the armrests.
“Well, think this through. We announce ourselves. Vic grants us an audience, delighted with himself, and probably expecting us to congratulate him. We tell him he can’t be the demon king of Flutic.
He gets put out, tells us we’re no fun, then says he’s serious. We say… what? That we won’t allow it?”
“It’s always been nearly impossible to reason with the man,” agreed Nessa dourly.
“We can’t allow it,” agreed Sam. “To give the demons control over the entire city?”
“On some level, it won’t affect the depths of the dungeon much,” said Nessa hesitantly.
Sam glared at her. “Not everything is about the dungeon. Think of all the tens of thousands of innocents who’ll have to live under Eclavistra’s rule.”
Nessa shrugged one shoulder. “They’ll survive. The poor always do. It’s the nobles who refuse to play along who will die.”
“No.” Sam stood up, hands knotted into fists. “I won’t allow it. We must speak with him. Vic is—Vic is a crass idiot, a fool who loves his own wit and words more than anyone else, a—a whoring, drinking, amoral… bastard, but he’s not evil.”
“Are you sure?” asked Lady Hammerfell, tone demure. “From the way you’re describing him…”
“I’m sure.” Sam glared back at the Gold-ranked raider. “Every time when we needed him, he was there. Complaining, sure, making terrible jokes—but his actions have always spoken louder. We must confront him. Reason with him. Even if we fail. We must try.”
Harald nodded reluctantly. “He’ll laugh us off. If he really does have the Crown, his Presence and Ego will be formidable. And if he can bring the other nobles to heel… it’ll give him exactly the right platform he wanted to change the city.”
“For the worse?” Sam sounded horrified. “He kept going on about improving the lives of the poor, but how will enslaving them to Eclavistra be any better? She must have enchanted him, tricked him, done something to make him act this way. If we can wake him up, I know he’ll see the error of his actions. ”
“I do love your naive enthusiasm,” said Nessa darkly, sitting back and crossing one leg over the other. “Have you actually met Vic?”
“Sam is correct.” Kársek’s quiet voice cut through the conversation.
He’d been listening intently, brow furrowed, and his voice now was firm.
“My people in Deepforge won’t accept demons as overlords.
If Vic refuses to see the light of reason and the honorable path forward, I will speak with my people.
I cannot guarantee what Forge Father Thangrim shall decide, but it shall be either to depart the city or rise and resist Vic’s rule.
If we can ally ourselves with one other House, better yet, two, I believe we can marshal enough strength to depose him. ”