"I take it preparations for the trip to Kalamanda fair well?" The king said, leaning back at the large table. He frowned slightly, looking around at the various different members of his war council.
"I have been assisting General Lorcan in making sure his troops are equipped properly. Councilor Yankov has been liaising with the Merchant's guild, and things are progressing smoothly." Councilor Crownguard said, nodding his head sagely. "My son will bring what information he has gathered about the region, village and the Noxian forces that have mustered there in several days' time." A frown settled on the councilor's face as he looked at his documents that he had laid out before him. "Apparently Noxus reinforced their standings in the city with half a brigade of infantry and cavalry within the last week."
"What is our best estimate of their strength now?" The king said, grimacing.
"Easily over two full brigades of infantry now, and several battalions of cavalry." General Jormander said, lifting a sheet of paper, his eyes dancing over it briefly before he shrugged. "There are a large number of support elements as well, with infrastructure to support the troops who are stationed there, bringing in supplies from Noxus, food and water, information and anything and everything the commander there will need to sustain his forces indefinitely. Word from my dragnet reports that their supply lines are stretched thin, but holding for now."
"How about our own supply lines?" Prince Jarvan said, tapping a finger on the desk to garner attention to his point. "I know that some merchants have stated they were afraid to ship along the east road considering the recent blast there. Will they hold up to the strain our own forces are exerting at the moment?"
"I believe they will." Coucilor Crownguard said, nodding his head in the prince's direction. "Councilor Yankov has been pressuring the merchant's guild to increase their tonnage, but he says that he's had trouble convincing them that the east road is safe. Some say they will only continue to ship if they can take the west road, but that adds nearly a day and a half to the shipping times." He shrugged, shaking his head. "More considering the limited facilities we have to monitor traffic at the western gate."
"Have the Piltovan engineering crew finished their repairs on the east road yet?" The king said, again glancing over his notes.
"I do not know, to be honest, sir." Crownguard said with a slight frown. "They seem to be working efficiently, but I do not know how long it will take to finish fully. Cecil Heimerdinger, the yordle who was responsible for the blast, is leading the efforts. His techmaturgical machines, while efficient, are doing the work of hundreds in a fraction of the time."
"Many people do not care for their metal monstrosities and contraptions." The prince murmured with a slight grin. "Though I do not blame them, the machines have their uses."
"I take it you voice your concern over the injuries that were inflicted upon your companion, yes?" General Lorcan asked aloud, only confirming what most of the other members suspected. Jarvan frowned slightly but nodded. "And she is healing well, yes?"
"She was fully healed days ago." Jarvan said with a thin grin sliding onto his face. "We've been training recently to try make sure she's not lost any of her strength."
"Also to defeat the Seneschel, no?" Lorcan said, his eyes twinkling as he grinned.
"Enough." The king snapped, rapping his knuckle upon the table. "We can speak of this later." He sighed heavily, shaking his hand. "Councilor Lorcan, what's your best estimate on how long it will take to get our tonnage back up to our full capabilities through the east gate?"
"If my estimates are complete, the repairs should be complete by the end of the week." The councilor glanced down at his desk and then back to the queen, finally shrugging. "That is if we allow the Piltovans to progress as they see fit."
"I do not wish to ask them to withdraw." The king said, shaking his head firmly. "Their assistance is invaluable, and I do not wish to send them any ill will. Our relationship with Piltover is not one I wish to squander over mere shipping issues." He looked to the blue eyed head of the Crownguard family. "Can we spare any men to post patrols along the east road for the time being to keep current traffic safe?" He turned to Lorcan. "Would that be feasible?"
"Perhaps." Lorcan said, shrugging. "I shall see if I can start rotating some of the garrison out as they are reequipped and mobilized."
"Do it." The king said, nodding, returning to his notes for several brief moments. "Do we know who the commander of the Noxian forces are at this point?" The king wore a slight frown as he shuffled through the stack of paper that he had been given as an outline for the meeting. They had already covered the first two pages, and the officials who had been necessary for those discussions had left, leaving the king with only those who would play a large role in the coming months. All of the forces that would be stationed in Kalamanda had been shifted to General Lorcan's staff to streamline the chain of command. He had been working closely with Councilor Crownguard who had been doing his best to coordinate the information flow in the region by liaising with the Pilotvans, Ionians, and the Kalamandans themselves. No small amount of his information came from his own children, both of which were serving as emissaries and representatives to the League of Legends. He was also doing his part to bridge the gap between several other members of the legislative council and the military to facilitate supply movements and the flow of necessary goods and arms.
"It was stated in my son's last communique that the Noxian Commander had been withdrawn to be replaced, though he gave no indicated reasoning behind the move." Councilor Crownguard shrugged. "My staff believes that General Malek Hawkmook may be given the command now that he had been forced home from Ionia, but that is only one theory."
"And there are other theories?" The king said, frowning.
"A few, yes." The councilor said with a shrug. There was substantial pause as he glanced at the prince. Jarvan IV was surprised and he sat up slightly, realizing that the attention foretold that the news would undoubtedly have some bearing upon him. "The second, more popular theory, which I might add is pure conjecture, is that command will be given to the newest General of Noxus to test his mettle."
"Swain..." Jarvan growled, shaking his head.
"Yes." The councilor nodded his head. "My staff believe his decisive tactical style and his ruthless ambition will be used to try and gain a foothold for Noxus in the region, especially after the loss of Ionia."
Is this what you were planning on Swain? Jarvan uncurled his fist from around the arm of his chair as the wood creaked under his grasp. Your play will be made in Kalamanda, and I will be there, waiting for it.
"That would make sense, yes." The king said, frowning glancing at how ridged his son had become. "Until we know who we are dealing with, are there any ways we could strike out and oppose the Noxians short of continuing to marshal our forces into the region? I don't like this powder keg that is continuing to build."
"We could try and starve the Noxians out." Jormander said, shrugging, speaking up. "Any target trapped in a building will eventually flee for food or water..."
"You mean to blockade the Noxian forces inside their camps in Kalamanda?" Lorcan said, pushing his spectacles up further onto his face. "I thought the idea was to not incite open war here."
"You misunderstand my example." Jormander said, bowing his head and frowning slightly. "Apologies. Noxians are going to be desperate for resources with their loss of Ionia. They will be forced to trade for raw materials and foodstuffs, and that means they will most likely look to Zaun. If we attack them where they are weakest..." The king raised a hand to stop the general and he nodded.
"Is there any reasonable way we can disrupt the supply lines without risking open war?" The king suggested, glancing at Jormander.
"We could deploy a company of rangers to run interference along the roads between Zaun and Noxus." Joramander said with a shrug. "Noxian forces have finally secured their trade routes from Askay and Meland and onwards to Zaun, but with their shipping tonnage from Ionia reduced to nil with the recent release of Ionia from Noxian stewardship, they've grown heavy on their dependence on Zaun for trade. My information net tells me there are large gaps in the security along this new trade route that we could easily take advantage of in the darkness of night."
"Rangers could be effective, but I feel the risk is too great." Prince Jarvan said with a frown. "The threat of escalation if any of our rangers are captured is not an issue we can tread lightly upon. It would be dangerous to assume Noxus will let guerrilla attacks upon their supplies go unnoticed."
"So we remove anything that could be traced back to Demacia." Jormander said, shrugging. "It is simple enough to do."
"That region is rife with bandits and wild beast. Our men would be fighting for their own lives as much as they were fighting against Noxus." Jarvan said shaking his head. "They wouldn't survive long like that, constantly fighting. Little rest that far behind enemy lines, on the scale that we would need to make a sizable dent in Noxian supplies in Kalamanda would far exceed even the capabilities of the most elite rangers."
"And you know this how?" Jormander growled defensively.
"Firsthand experience." Jarvan hissed through clenched teeth, dragging out each syllable.
"Ah yes, your little trip into the wilds. Perhaps you overestimate your own strength and underestimate our forces, prince." Jormander said, frowning, his voice tense as his glare. "Perhaps you should first familiarize yourself before you decide to judge."
"He is familiar with the region, and the Noxians." The king said firmly, glaring at Jormander. "That is one of the reasons I asked him here today." His glare swept to his son, the prince's fiery glare smoldering behind his blue-grey eyes.
"Sir, my dragnet can easily pick up any information needed that the prince could provide. It will be accurate and up to date... not the hunting tales of an overzealous young man." Jormander said, shaking his head.
"When was the last time you fought for four days straight without food or sleep, general?" Jarvan asked, his voice low and guttural. "I've been in that region and I am familiar with the weather, the terrain, the fauna and the dangers that the region offers. The people are neither forgiving nor as lame as you seem to think. It would not be easy for a large force to operate there. If one were to be captured... Noxians long ago mastered the art of torture, general." Jarvan IV said with an imperious smile. "They are much more competent than you in that respect."
"How would you know of the general's torture methods?" General Lorcan said, a thin grin starting to form upon his face as he took the prince's cue. He had been watching the growing discontent between the prince and the Demsec general, and Jarvan had glanced at him several times, as if he were preparing a trap.
Jarvan let himself indulge in a brief, victorious grin. Wily as you are, General Lorcan, you are much sharper than anyone gives you credit for.
"I have firsthand experience." The prince said, nodding his head to the Demsec general. "I faced the pleasure of being submitted to Noxian torture while I was a guest of their dungeons for the brief time I was there. It was not a fun experience, however, I did not think Demsec so rife with corruption and the rot of laziness, general, that your interrogator would break his own hand against the body of the man he sought information from."
A moment of tense silence filled the air.
"Is this true, Jormander?" The king growled, his eyes wavering on the precipice of a dark, raging storm. Jormander sneered at Jarvan and the prince watched as the general's fists shivered in anger upon the table. He crumpled a piece of paper in his hand as he tried to open it and it convulsed back into a fist. "You would torture your own people? You would lay a hand upon my son!?" The king slapped his open palms upon the table. "Speak now, Jormander, or I will consider your silence an admission of guilt!"
"Demacia as a nation has always prided itself upon its national security and the unending loyalty of her people." Jormander snarled, fury in his eyes. "We maintain this fervent loyalty through underhanded measures as it is! The Measured Thread is nothing more than propaganda and drivel used to brainwash soldiers and children. I would seek to remove the cancer of a spy amidst our great people with the same loyalty and desperate measures and you react like this?" Jormander sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. "I would have thought you more understanding of my decisions. Your son could be a spy for all you know, hell, he may not even be your son! Who knows what Noxian sorcery could be at work here? Perhaps your son could explain why he was found in company of the man who shot him several weeks ago. A meeting between spies perhaps?" Jormander grinned as if he had won the trading for blows. "It may have been a set up to try and gain the trust of those around him!"
"That does not warrant torture, you power blind fool." The king hissed, barely restrained fury boiling behind a calm facade. Jarvan shivered as his father's eyes tracked to him, the blue thunderheads already storming with a terrifying fury. "Explain yourself, Jarvan. Now."
"O-of course, father." Jarvan said, clearing his throat. It had been many years since he had seen anger of that level in his father's eyes. "I was taken into custody upon revealing that I had been drinking with a murdered man the night previous. Based upon his equipment and items found in his possession, it is believed that he was one of the men that had assaulted me within my chambers in the palace. He was the marksman who I caught a bolt in the shoulder from. However, in my defense, I knew none of this at the time when I was simply searching out a drink to cool my head after a fight between Shyvana, myself, and the fiancé you assigned to me. The man offered me a seat at his table in a packed tavern and I accepted. That was the extent of my knowledge about him."
"And you believe the theory about his identity to be true?" The king said, his gaze withering upon Jarvan slightly.
"Yes." Jarvan said, nodding after several seconds. "He carried with him an armored case which held shards of a mysterious black ice that had been fashioned into bolts for the crossbow he also carried. I'm sure if it were compared to the fragment that was pulled from my shoulder, it could easily be confirmed. And while the general's theory about my being a spy is amusing, I don't exactly understand why I would risk my life to save Shyvana if I was a spy. To be perfectly honestly, that seems like a really stupid way to blow my cover."
"That proves nothing though!" Jormander snarled. "The evidence could have been planted on him to make it look convenient as an assassination. He could have been an innocent man for all we know, but he was brutally slain. I believed it to have been perpetrated by the prince as an act of revenge for attempting to shoot his pet dragon. I tried to prove this, but the prince proved to be much more hardened than I would have thought. If only I had more time I could have easily ascertained the truth."
"What, with chemicals and magic?" Jarvan snarled.
"You had him tortured, Geoffrey?" The king hissed in disbelief. "Have you really grown so mad?"
"He refused to believe me when I told him I had left the man unharmed, despite the fact that I had been escorted away by one of his men, which he had placed into my command to spy on me, I might add." Jarvan sneered, rolling his eyes. "You still have Wallace Lee tailing me and going through my documents, do you not?"
Jormander snarled angrily in response, but he offered no words in defense of his actions.
"This simple fact was also corroborated by Sergeant Major Argus Perrywinkle, one of the most respected noncommissioned officers in the entire Demacian military. And yet you chose to have your thugs try and take petty revenge on me because you seem to hold some sort of grudge." Jarvan crossed his arms over his chest and jerked a thumb towards the door. "If you wish to check for yourself, the sergeant major is standing just outside. He will back my story up." Jormander started to stand in protest, but Lorcan cut him off.
"If I may add one fact, your highness." General Lorcan said evenly, raising his hand slightly. The king gestured to him to speak with an exasperated wave of the hand as Jormander sank back in frustration. "When I had the prince sent to the infirmary to have his wounds examined from his stay with the good general, I got most of the story from the prince about what had happened. He seemed genuinely surprised about the man who had referred to himself as 'Deadeye'. Something stood out to me, based upon his story. There was no direct attempt to kill the prince during their short time together, which tells me the man did not wish to reveal the fact that he was, in fact, an assassin. When the prince mentioned that his sergeant, Lee, I believe it was, had bumped into him and the prince had spilled coffee over himself, I realized that the sergeant had most likely seen something the prince had not while tailing the prince." Lorcan paused for a moment, taking the chance to shoot Jormander the barest of menacing smiles. "I had the prince's tunic tested for poison. Sure enough, I found Hysteria, a slow acting poison that slowly drives the victim insane by attacking the nervous system, causing massive brain hemorrhaging. Other than its distinctive killing style, it is virtually untraceable when ingested."
"If it is so untraceable, how did you find it?" Jormander said, rolling his eyes.
"I said it was untraceable when ingested, general." Lorcan said tightly, the loathing no longer hidden behind polite tones. "It binds with metal fairly easily due to the heavy elements in the poison. They pass quickly through the body though, doing the damage and then getting flushed from the body within a matter of days. The onset of the poison comes after that, slowly, as if it were of natural causes. Had you actually been looking for fact and reason, you would have noticed it. Even a cursory glance at the man's equipment would have revealed evidence of the poison. It is hard to remove from cloth and metal. However, you were more interested in finding a way to pin it on the prince out of petty hatred."
"Have you anything to say in your defense, Jormander?" The king growled, the fury still boiling in his eyes like a rolling thundercloud.
"I do." Jormander said, his normally olive complexion drained of color leaving him looking pale and withered. He glanced at his lap in an out of character moment of unabashed shame. "Sergeant Lee was to be removed from the prince's command a day before the incident occurred. However, he failed to return to his post within the Security Brigade, and when I looked into the paperwork regarding his transfer… it was missing."
"You mean to say..." Lorcan stammered, his eyes growing wide behind his spectacles.
"I did further digging into the man known as 'Sergeant Wallace Lee.'" Jormander said, his frown now deep seated and troubling. "There was almost nothing on him in the Demacian archives and when I examined his service record kept on file in the Demsec records, there were major holes. He had all the necessary requirements filled perfectly, but when you dug deeper, there was just nothing to the man."
"He was a ghost, then?" Councilor Crownguard said, his blue eyes wavering slightly with curiosity.
"He was, at first." Jormander said, shaking his head. "I sent a request out for possible duplicate records from his supposed previous postings, hoping them merely misplaced, but nothing showed up. Within a day though, I had received word that record of a Seaman First Class Wallace Lee had been found, misplaced in a Freljordian Garrison Commander's office. As it turns out, Seaman Lee was a sailor who had been stationed in the Freljord on a merchant ship. He was an orphan, naturally, and he had been raised in the military, but his career was rather unspectacular. Not of poor conduct, simply boring and just that: unspectacular. He was bound to make the return trip on the DDS Excursion, but he suffered an incident and was forced to be waylaid from the ship's crew. With the sinking of the ship, his records were moved to that of a man who had been missing, as his body, which we now know wasn't on the ship, had not been recovered. He was later to return to Demacia on the next ship home, but after that, the records of the new Sergeant Lee take over."
"So you mean to tell me that Sergeant Wallace Lee isn't Sergeant Wallace Lee?" The prince said, leaning back, slumped slightly in his chair in surprise. How can that be? I checked him out myself…
"As far as I can guess, Wallace Lee died in the Freljord months and months ago." Jormander muttered, his face a stony mask of apathy.
"You assigned a spy to spy upon the prince of Demacia, you fool." Lorcan whispered incredulously. "I have never seen incompetency so perfectly manifested before. Congratulations." Lorcan shook his head as he leaned back, stunned. "I'd ask to shake your hand but for fear of catching your stupidity."
Jormander balked for a brief moment before his face turned to that of outrage. He slammed his hands on the table and burst to his feet, sending the chair crashing backwards. Before he could shout an inflammatory reply, the king held up a hand and silenced them both.
"Jormander, you are relieved of command of the Demacian Security Brigade at this time." The king said softly, his voice surprisingly serene. "You are to remain in your quarters from this time, henceforth, until I deem it necessary to bring you before a Military Court to stand trial on counts of gross negligence, incompetence, willingly endangerment the royal family, the unlawful detainment of an Officer of the Demacian Military, and the knowing torture of Demacian personnel."
"But sir... Jarvan..." Jormander started to say, but the king slowly looked to the man and what little color in his face instantly drained away.
"Do not speak my name, cur!" The king hissed, venom and fury dripping from his voice. "You will be dealt with in time. I would have you executed on the spot, but I feel lenient considering. You best be glad that your stupidity did not result in the death of my son or his friend. I can only hope the enemies you have made in your time, who will most likely serve upon your tribunal, do not see it fit to let you die quickly." The king waved his guards forward. "Get this wretch out of my sight!"
The prince watched as Jormander stammered back, his knees weak under the full force of the king's words and started to protest, anger in his face as the guards grabbed his arms. His glare was molten and poisonous, instantly turning to Jarvan IV as if his very gaze could kill. Jarvan remained impassive, despite the hatred and loathing in the man's eyes. He jerked his arms free from the imposing guards as they started to drag him away. He tried to remain defiant as he straightened his tunic, but the guards grabbed him by the shoulder and steered him from the room. "Release me! I have my dignity! ENOUGH!" His shouts and protests faded slowly from earshot and down the hallway.
"Remind me why he is a general again?" Lorcan said, shaking his head in mock disgust.
"He was one of the few officers well trained enough to lead a unit that large, as well as maintaining an understanding of infiltration and information." The king said, raising one eyebrow as he looked at the elderly general. "He had an exemplary record, despite the various citations about his conduct." The king shrugged. "I took him under my wing and he proved capable. He earned that position, despite his attitude. Or perhaps you'd like to dispute my views of my generals, Holven, namely yourself?"
The older man raised his hands defensively. "Apologies sire." He said, though prince Jarvan caught a flash of something in his eyes that seemed reminiscent of exasperation. Lorcan pushed his glasses up on his nose as he bowed. "I did not mean to call your judgment into question, merely my counterpart's conduct." The king did not respond, turning away to stare out one of the windows at the falling snow.
"Father..." Jarvan started to say, but Lorcan put a hand upon his shoulder and shook his head. The prince frowned but shut his mouth. The king ran his hands over his face, breathing a heavy sigh of frustration.
"Better not to disturb him, young'n." Lorcan said softly, letting his head hang for a moment. "I do not speak for him, as this is merely an observation, but I believe Jormander was almost like a second son to your father. Jormander and your father are surprisingly alike, and with you father's responsibilities as king, and his responsibilities to both you and Demacia, he is forced to choose between the two of you. Despite the apparent ease with which he made the decision, I do not think it easy for him. Give him time."
Jarvan's face was stony. "As you say."
"Besides, you have more pressing concerns." Lorcan said, grinning crookedly. Jarvan gave him a quizzical glance. "You should be focused on trying to win over the people's support for you and your dragon princess." He chuckled. "Demacians are stubborn and resilient. They will not easily accept a commoner, or a dragon for that matter, so easily as their new queen. You may wish to consider that going forward."
"It is not something I hadn't considered." Jarvan grunted glumly. "Though I had somewhat hoped that things would simply fall into place with time."
"They may yet…" Lorcan mused, tugging on his wispy beard, his glasses shimmering menacingly, "…but I would keep my eyes open for opportunities, if I were you, should they arise."
Jarvan grunted, frowning thoughtfully.
"I apologize for gathering you all here this afternoon and then curtailing this meeting as such, but I have suddenly lost my desire to speak of war." The king bowed his head, rubbing his index finger and thumb over closed eyelids. He sighed heavily a second time as he sat back in his chair heavily, his shoulders slumping. "Please, if you do not mind, I would like to reconvene tomorrow morning to speak further about the preparations for Kalamanda."
"Of course, your highness." Lorcan said, standing and bowing deeply. "It will give me time to concentrate my information as best I can."
"I shall do what I can as well, your highness." Councilor Crownguard said as he stood and bowed. "I would like to confirm the information that was... gleaned here today if nothing else." The councilor turned and nodded to the prince and Lorcan. "If you will excuse me?" The king waved dismissively, and Lorcan and the Councilor started from the room. Jarvan IV started to follow, but the king rapping a knuckle against the heavy wood table froze the prince in his tracks.
"A moment, if you have the time to spare, my son." The king said, frowning as he glared at the polished sheen of the table.
"Of course, father." Jarvan said, bowing slightly and turning to face the king fully. He dropped into a stiff parade rest, his hands clutched at the small of his back.
"How long... how long has this been going on?" The king said, looking up the prince with a troubled frown. "This business with the spy? And how long has the general harassing you? "
"Two or three weeks?" Jarvan said, frowning. "It hasn't been more than a month since I formally met Jormander, but I believe that his problems with me might go back much further than that. As for the other matter, I had some notion of Lee from when he was assigned to me, but I never followed up with any of it." He shrugged. "An oversight on my part, considering all I took was a cursory glance at his records, looking back."
"Why did you say nothing of it to me?" The king asked, a bit of disappointment in his voice.
The prince blinked twice, surprised. Anger would have been easy to handle. Disappointment, however... that was completely unexpected. "There were circumstances, father." Jarvan said, evenly.
"Circumstances?" The king raised an eyebrow, fitting his son with a glare that quickly withered the prince's resolve.
"Threats, then." Jarvan said quietly. "I know you hold no fondness for Shyvana, father, but I do. He threatened her with rape and pain and only god knows what else while she was lain up in the hospital, unconscious. I had no power to protect her on my own, because I was constantly doing the general's bidding in what little time I had and that of my own duties as it were. I tried to keep one of my few staff to watch over her, but with Jormander's resources, what could I do? He had one of my own men working against me... or so I thought, and there was nothing I could do with Shyvana so isolated. He said he bore your blessings in his duty."
"In his pursuit of the safety of Demacia, yes, but not this kind of madness." The king murmured, frowning. He looked up from the wooden table and locked gazes with the prince. "And you truly believed him capable of this?"
"He held a friend of mine captive for almost a week to force me to come to him, into his lair, so he could lay the down the law." Jarvan growled. "He had me tortured for information, simply because he could. His men were scared, but he forced their hands. He may have Demacia's interests at heart, but he is a cruel and evil man, father. Only now, I fear for anyone who tries oppose or harm her."
"I see." The king said, softly, shaking his head. "And what of Sergeant Lee? Do you think he shall try to do you harm?"
"I do not know." Jarvan said, grimacing. "If I had not heard the story of the poison from General Lorcan, I would not be sure what to think, but now..." Jarvan paused, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Even now I am not sure what to think."
"Very well." The king said, sighing and shaking his head. "If you see him, jail him. But for now... let it be. I wish to look into the matter a bit more for myself."
"But sir, father, he was under my command. It should be my job to..." Jarvan started to say, but the king raised his hand.
"No, I started this one when you returned home." Jarvan III shook his head. "I ordered it, I approved it, and now, as such, I shall deal with it accordingly."
"As you wish, father." The prince said, nodding quietly.
Several long moments of silence passed.
"Is there anything else I can do, father?" Jarvan said, bowing his head ever so slightly.
"No, thank you." The king said, shaking his head. "You have done enough for today." He glanced at the table and then looked up, meeting his son's gaze. Several long moments of silence passed. Prince Jarvan started to turn away, but the king cleared his throat. Jarvan turned to meet his father's gaze, but the man had turned away, and he stood regally, a slight air of haughtiness about him. He coughed into his hand once and glanced briefly over his shoulder to make sure his son was still there, looking back towards a shelf lined with books. "I believe I forced you to cancel with Shyvana this morning, did I not? Perhaps you can salvage what is left of this evening."
Jarvan stared at his father for several long moments and he realized his jaw was hanging open. "Uh..." He shook his head when his father cast him a curious glare. "What... what of my engagement? Would it be proper?"
"Would you listen to what I told you even if I did?" The king said, sinking slightly where he stood, withering as the wrinkles on his face and the bags under his eyes seemed to deepen. He looked aged and weary for a few moments as he closed his eyes, running a hand over his beard and exhaling slowly. There was electricity in his blue eyes though, and their strength seemed to have banished the exaggerated age in his features. "For now... forget about it. There are more important things to worry about with these new issues at hand. I do not need you to be opposing me at every turn over a decision in which I obviously no longer have a hand in making." He pushed himself up and breathed deeply, though his shoulders still sagged slightly.
"Father..." Jarvan breathed.
"Hmm?" The king looked to his son, expecting a question, but the prince swept forth and enfolded his father in a hug. The king was unable to hide his surprise, unsure of what to do with his arms, but after several brief moments, he wrapped his arms around his son for the first time in years.
The king stepped forward along one of the walkways that lined the high walls of the ornate entrance hall of the Demacia palace. He leaned on the railing and exhaled softly, shaking his head.
"I never guessed one such as yourself to expect parenting to be easy, my king." Xin Zhao said, approaching along the walkway. The king glanced at the Seneschal and nodded vaguely.
"I think I have aged more in the two months since he has returned than in the previous two years that he was gone." Jarvan III mused softly, shaking his head again as he watched his son stride through the hallway below, his bodyguard, the sergeant major, practically jogging to keep up with his son's massive strides. The king chuckled softly at the prince's boyish enthusiasm as he no doubt rushed to share the news with his companion and lover.
"What brought about this sudden change in heart if I may ask?" Xin said, a thin smile on his face.
"Do you have children, Master Zhao?" The king said, looking over to the Seneschal with a raised eyebrow.
"You know that I do not, sire." Xin said, bowing his head. "Though you are almost akin to a brother to me, and the prince was the closest thing I've ever had to a child."
"I forgot how close you two were when you he was but a child." The king said, a fond smile playing over his face. He looked to the Seneschal with a grin as if he was remembering something long past. "You know, you are actually the reason that my son chose to wield the lance as his weapon of choice." Pain followed the king's expression and he shook his head. "I was long blind to the affection I had for my own son, more concerned with politics and the future of Demacia. I never once stopped and considered how my son was—is the future of Demacia."
"I'm glad for you, sire." Xin Zhao said, grinning.
"Though it was no small part Catherine's urgings and the unending dedication that Shyvana and Jarvan have for each other either." He exhaled sharply, a wry grin breaking over his face as he stood up. "They've been spending every single evening sparring and fighting, training endlessly to defeat you. They train till dusk and till their bodies cannot cope. I don't think I've ever witnessed this level of devotion before."
"Not even your own to your nation, sir?" Xin jested, laughing lightly. The king smiled and nodded.
"They are both extremely strong." The king murmured, shaking his head. "But their mental fortitude and resolve must be equally tempered if they wish to have any hope of succeeding in their endeavors. This is not Noxus. The Demacian people do not value strength as highly as their Noxian counterparts. I fear that the road before them is going to be longer and far more arduous than they believe it will be."
"They are both resilient, sire." Xin Zhao nodded his head as he spoke softly. "The prince's will has been both tempered and developed with his time apart. His temper has not diminished, and I fear he maybe as impulsive as before, but his eyes betray how he has grown."
"You saw it too, then?" The king said, frowning.
Xin nodded. "Before, his eyes were dead, but it seems that the dragon girl has instilled fire back into his eyes. She has rekindled the fire in his heart. The fire of a warrior, fueled by a draconian lover burns incredibly hot within him." Xin smiled as the king sighed, running a hand over his face. "You may not like it, sire, but they are a single being now, forged in battle. Not even the weight of Demacian tradition or the disapproval of her people wil break that bond."
The king grinned as he pulled his crown from his head and ran his hand through his black hair. He looked at the crown he held in his hand, running his fingers along the jewels that had been lain in the gold and silver. "When you put it like that, I fear for your safety, especially if the words of the dragoness's skill is true." Xin shrugged as the king looked up and met his gaze. "Her power is both fantastic and terrible... the power of a dragon..." He snorted and shook his head as he returned the crown to his head.
"Taming her heart was no small feat for your son." Xin said, resting a hand on the railing. "He is strong as well, though, if I lose to her in a duel, it is because she has bested me in combat and her strength is greater than mine. I will not let her win so easily."
"I do not wish for you to let her win." The king said, grinning. "Even if I may not disapprove of it any longer... I don't approve of it yet either."
"Give them time." Xin laughed aloud. "Even an immovable object can be swayed with enough force."
Jormander paced restlessly in his office, a wild look upon his face, his short blond hair tousled about.
How dare that punk of a prince try and replace me!
He spun on his heel and lashed out, smashing a vase with his fist, casting fragments through the air, skittering along the stone flagon floor. Guards burst into the room, expecting an assassin, but in absence of a malicious force, they found their commander with a wild-eyed glare, a bloodied hand and ruffled hair. He snarled at the guards and spun, clenching his fist, blood dripping to the ground.
He thinks he's better than me! He thinks he can do my job for the king!
He snarled and looked for something else to lash out at but he froze. He turned to one of his aides, who had been watching the entire tirade, a cruel smile breaking onto his face. He tugged his jacket tight across his chest, running a hand across the front of it to smooth the rumples, leaving a massive bloody streak down his front.
The guards took half a step back each.
He knew what would happen if he dared cross me...
He turned to a guard who stood staring at the smashed vase. "Go and fetch Major Seymour of the Victoria training company, First Demacian Royal Guards Battalion." Jormander said softly. "I wish to speak with him."
The guard looked shocked at first but he snapped off a salute and disappeared, doing whatever he could to leave.
The malcontent within the room was cloying, as if a blood stained haze had settled upon the room.