Chapter 114

Enigmatic Future

“… we arranged the bones in such a way as to pertain to the cultural ambiguity within which they were forged; a tapestry of abusive signs told a story of a boy wrung for entertainment, placated by cheap gold found embedded in the fragmented ribs. Barbaric practices, indeed.”

Historic Archives, Vol. II – Age of Strife

Noah stared at Asandra’s fading back for a long while, the look in his eyes deep. Everything in life was fleeting, he mused. Temporary. In many ways, that was the universal bind, that nothing lasts. Sighing, he turned a corner and vanished into the darkness, his thoughts heavy, maligned by the reality that was catching up to him too quickly for his comfort.

**

Evon found himself reckless, yet excited. Considering his surroundings, a boorish and dry restaurant with a subpar cuisine, it made little sense as he enjoyed the best of everything since he was a child, but he could hardly quench his emotional state. Even with the presence of Duke Godwind by his side, a man quite fit for the place with his boorish personality, it was difficult not to be excited.

His search for the enigmatic merchant, Mr. Flint, was quite short. While Duke’s invitation did surprise him, Evon was a smart man and realized the Duke was merely a middleman – someone the merchant himself sent as means of forming a connection.

The two waited in silence, Duke Godwind having long since closed his eyes, while Evon stared out the window, curiously observing the men and women on the street. Though he was hardly completely sealed inside the Royal Grounds, he rarely visited the city itself and found it quite fascinating to observe people who, in many ways, worshiped him and his family.

The doors suddenly opened and the two men quickly focused on the front; through them walked a relatively young man, appearing in his early thirties, confident-looking and well dressed, alongside a much more awkward-looking lad whose eyes immediately bolted toward the floor, bowing toward Evon and Godwind. The younger man, on the other hand, leveled their gazes together and faintly smiled as he pulled the bowing lad forward, sitting down.

“I hope you don’t mind,” he said. “I’ve ordered us some food and wine.”

“Not at all,” Evon said, smiling back, ignoring the lack of formality the young man was showing. The Duke even less so, as he knew that this young man was somehow linked with Skyler and the organization behind him. “Mr. Flint, I presume?”

“I’m flattered, Your Highness,” Noah eyed the prince, trying to discern the quantifiable parts of the man’s personality. He’d only ever truly interacted with the Prince way back when Olivia dragged him to a courtly meeting, where he insulted the man as a part of the bet. “Duke Godwind.” He nodded toward the Duke who had a rather odd expression in his eyes.

“Mr. Flint,” the Duke nodded back. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“This shy man is my associate,” Noah pointed at the shivering Kolk. “Kolk. I hope you don’t mind his attendance.”

“Of course not,” Evon said. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”

“I’m neither brave nor idiotic enough to refuse Your Highness,” Noah said, smiling. “Forgive me it took so long; I have been busy.”

“No apologies necessary,” Evon said. “I am quite a direct person, Mr. Flint, and I nary have the time to waste. I’d like to directly make you an offer.”

“… offer for what, Your Highness?” Noah asked, tilting his head with a smile.

“Participation in your enterprise,” Evon said. “Amber Bank.”

“…” Noah fell silent, having already expected it. He glanced to the side and saw Godwind frowning, appearing to mull over something in his mind.

“Mr. Flint?” Evon prompted after a moment of silence.

“Much like you, I like to be direct, Your Highness,” Noah said. He already had approximated Evon’s general personality and the goal, but he still had to probe to confirm his suspicions. “Thus, forgive my transgressions.”

“Transgressions?” Evon quizzed.

“Royal Family is in dire straits at the moment,” Noah said. “With fangs of the foes lurking about every visible and invisible corner. I’d assert that you have three things that you can offer in exchange for participation: security, funds, and personnel. Unfortunately, I am only interested in the funds; but, Crowns alone are nary enough to embolden myself against the entire Kingdom, Your Highness.”

“… you are a perceptive man, Mr. Flint,” Evon said, drawing back in his seat slightly, his smile fading, replaced by a serious and dark expression. “As you’ve said, my Family is being targeted by enemies both visible and otherwise. If that makes you uncomfortable, we need not make our acquaintance overt, Mr. Flint.”

“I can vouch for His Highness, Mr. Flint,” Godwind suddenly interjected before Noah had a chance to respond, surprising the latter. Glancing at the wry Duke, Noah saw the silent glint in that gaze. “He is a smart and resourceful man, much like his Father.”

“… pardon my tongue,” Mr. Flint said. “But his Father is dead, Duke Godwind.”

“… my Father is dead because he allowed himself to be killed, Mr. Flint,” Evon said as Noah held back a shocked expression. "Our investigation has ascertained as much. While I cannot say why I am certain that whoever killed my Father did so without a struggle on his part. I believe in my Father's judgment, as I always had – if he had allowed himself such a fate, there is a good reason for it."

“… your Father was a good man, Your Highness," Noah said, rapping his finger against the table. "Which is why he gave you a way out."

“… a way out?” Evon frowned just for a moment before his eyes blared in a glint of understanding, his lips parting in shock. “You… you mean…”

"Your Dynasty is old, Your Highness," Noah continued. "And what held it to the sky has slowly been waned throughout the time. Friendships and bonds that built this Kingdom brick by brick had been eroded and were taken over by the base nature of humans. While I cannot tell you who wanted your Father dead, I can inform you who wanted your sisters dead, which should tell you everything.”

“… who?” Evon suddenly asked, his countenance darkening, like a sheathed sword whose handle had just been gripped, ready to slice out.

“…” Noah turned to silence as the doors opened and several figures carrying trays of food and flagons and bottles of drink walked in. They quickly bowed and called out Prince’s and Duke’s names, a trace of awe present in their expressions. The three men remained silent throughout the ordeal as the table in front of him grew fabled in drinks and foods, with the waiting staff withdrawing with yet another set of bows.

“Who, Mr. Flint?” Evon asked again, cold and detached.

“… you know who, Your Highness,” Noah said, smiling as he took the bottle of wine, pouring himself a cup. “I am merely affirming your suspicions.”

“…” Evon’s expression dropped as his breathing grew ragged.

“The world isn’t the way it used to be, Your Highness,” Noah continued. “And allegiances change. Generation after generation, the veneration for the Throne weakened, and people turned toward what gave them hopes. Who will a commonman revere more? A distant Prince who promised him nothing, or a person who promised him a beautiful life in the Halls of Light after death, so long as he is obedient?”

“…” Duke Godwind also seemed to have realized the implications but was unable to control himself as well as Evon. Those implications, after all, were Kingdom-shattering, and should the word get out, all three men could face the Trial of Light.

“… you don’t seem entrenched in such faith, Mr. Flint.” Evon said after taking several deep breaths to calm himself down.

“… in many ways,” Noah said. “I am a heretic. I’ve little use for hollow faith, I’m afraid.”

“You don’t believe in Light?” Evon asked, appearing somewhat surprised.

“… what is Light, Your Highness?” Noah suddenly asked. “What precisely am I to believe in?”

“The founding truths of the world, Mr. Flint,” Evon replied, frowning. “You may disagree with those who practice it, but Light itself is the binding agent of reality.”

“… so to say, then, that it’s because of Light that the sky rains? That the rivers flood? That the trees grow? That the dogs bark?” Noah’s words stumped Evon momentarily. “Light, you’ll find, is a segment, like everything else in this world. There is no whole unless it is comprised of everything else. But, alas, we digress. I don’t need your funds, nor your personnel, nor much else of what you have to offer, Your Highness. But… I could use one thing.”

“… you want to wage a war against the Principality?” Evon asked.

“A war? Do I seem like a soldier to you, Your Highness?” Noah chuckled faintly. “No, not a war. Whoever reigns, if I am being honest, has little to do with me. I am merely a simple merchant trying to make a living in whichever just way that I can. It isn’t a lie, however, that I’d much prefer to be reigned by those who mostly keep to themselves rather than the sly fanatics. For that purpose, we can make acquaintance,” Noah smiled. “But – and I stress this evidently, Your Highness – you, nor anyone in your family, should leave the Royal Grounds under any means until the Holy War.”

“…” Evon frowned, contemplating.

“This isn’t merely a suggestion, Your Highness,” Noah continued, his expression turning serious. “A little chaos in the world is good, fun even – but should anyone from the Royal Family die before the Holy War, it would have ramifications that no one living soul could withstand. What I need in return for continued Crowns that will fill your coffers… are the records – all records the Royal Family has of its history and the history of the Principality.”

“… those records are sealed, Mr. Flint,” Evon said. “For a reason. I am afraid I cannot honor your request.”

“Those records are sealed to maintain a façade, Your Highness,” Noah said. “The façade… is crumbling. I don’t care for what your family had done over the years, nor do I care for any treasured secrets those records might hold. All I care for is to understand the parameters within which I am forced to operate.”

“… you should accept, Your Highness,” the Duke suddenly said, surprising Evon who turned away from Noah onto him. “You should accept.”

“…” the knowing look in the Duke’s eyes didn’t escape Evon, though he couldn’t ascertain what it was about. However, there seemed to be almost absolute certainty in the Duke’s eyes over the decision, something he’d never seen before.

“… Duke Godwind,” Noah suddenly called out, causing the man to shudder momentarily. “If I recall currently, you had some trouble with House Revvor?”

“Yes, Mr. Flint,” Godwind nodded. “They overcharge wheat and corn, considerably so.”

“… why?” Noah smiled faintly, slowly beginning to form the whole picture of the Kingdom, one that was erroneously hidden from him all this while.

“The old bastard Ikov seems wholly entrenched in hatred toward me,” Godwind replied with gnashed teeth. “Blaming me for his son’s ills.”

“…”

“I’ve never even met the boy,” the Duke replied to Noah’s quizzing look. “The bastard fucked his sister and she birthed a mule and he is now blaming me—”

“Duke Godwind!” Evon suddenly exclaimed with a growl, startling the Duke.

“Forgive me, Your Highness! I misspoke!”

“May I ask you a personal question, Your Highness?”

“Yes, Mr. Flint.” Evon nodded, turning away from the Duke.

“How many rotations do you have left?”

“…” Evon frowned suddenly, causing Noah to smile bitterly.

“If you have any remaining, send a letter to Duke Ikov,” Noah added. “Offering one up for a trade.”

“… for… a trade?” Evon appeared to be genuinely insulted by the suggestion, causing Noah to sigh inwardly in bitterness. Breaking apart the cemented tradition… was exhausting.

“Whatever he offers, you naturally don’t have to accept,” Noah said. “I merely wish to see the Duke’s response. From my understanding, Drath House is undeniably loyal to the Throne, and seeing as you’ve allowed Duke Godwind to sit here with us, so is House Fyrost.”

“… you doubt a Duke’s allegiance, Mr. Flint?” Evon asked.

"You are here precisely because you do too, Your Highness," Noah said. "It's just a test. Offer up a rotation for a trade; if possible do so through the public channels."

“… it will make us appear more desperate,” Evon mumbled in understanding. “And make others think we will try everything to remain afloat. It should embolden our enemies. What about House Myrsell?”

“…” Noah merely smiled indifferently, but Evon understood – he had lost the grip.

“Duke Godwind should distance himself from the Royal Family for the time being,” Noah suggested. “If it had been known that you two are close, make a public scene of your separation. On my end of things, I will begin indebting Noble Houses one by one. And, if the stars align, House Revvor… will be our first major customer.”

The merchant’s enigmatic smile caused Evon and Godwind to shudder; there was something obliquely sinister about it, something chilling that was impossible to put into words. Regardless, Evon had come to realize that he had made a deal with a phantom – someone who disregarded everything and everyone. People like that, however, were better as friends than as foes, Evon knew. Or, at the very least, he hoped…