His weapon
King Soto, anxious, walked from one corner to the other, thinking of the best way to carry out his plan. Opportunities were getting shorter, and the inexplicable events that had occurred during these weeks had cornered him. But a cornered animal is when it is most dangerous.
Yes, Soto, in his mind, was drawing his strategy, and for it to be successful, he had to hit on several fronts. In this way, not even the almighty Alcott could stop them.
Soto was thinking hard when the hall door opened, and the two guards he had sent for Sir Perseus appeared, throwing the poor knight at his feet.
Perseus, on the ground, was at the level of the king’s shoes, gnashing his teeth. But he was smart, holding back his fury. Because he knew that if he played his cards right, one day he might see this bastard of a king pay for his crimes.
Rising from the ground, he bowed to the king, and said, “My king, did you send for me?”
Soto, seeing Sir Perseus, swallowed the bile that was about to belch from his mouth. How he hated this man, not just him, but his entire race. Half of the blood that he carried in his veins, even though it was from Bodoro, was not enough to make him worthy of his presence. However, the king had to tolerate him. He was a critical piece in his game, and he couldn’t afford to strangle or disembowel as he wished to do right now.
After turning his back on him, the king climbed onto his temporary throne without a word. Wishing he had brought his own, more befitting his importance than the rubbish Mahala provided. He, taking his seat, looked at the young knight, then said, “Of course, I sent for you, you stupid.”
Soto, with a flick of his hand, called out to one of his guards, who approached holding a small wooden chest. “Oh! There, here it is,” the king gazed at the box, his eyes glittering maniacally. The guard handed it over, and Soto took it carefully. He opened the box, and when he saw its contents, he smiled placidly. Then he looked up, watching Perseus, looking at him apprehensively. That’s how he loves to keep him, always with fear in his guts.
The king got up from his throne and walked slowly towards where the knight was. And Perseus, by the way, didn’t want to know what was inside.
Soto, coming within inches of him, said, “Do you know what I have here, Perseus? I don’t imagine you do.” Answering himself, he reached in and pulled out a small pouch. Perseus widened his eyes, wondering what sorcery the king had acquired. But Soto said, “No, no, no. Whatever you are imagining will be the complete opposite. This thing I have here, Perseus, is my secret weapon.”
The knight began to sweat since this king never bluffed when it came to doing evil, rather the opposite. Perseus swallowed and waited nervously for Soto to finish. “This, here, is something that my best herbalists developed to give me the winning hand. I don’t have to explain anything to you, but since I feel in a good mood, I’ll tell you.”
The king looked at Perseus with disgust from head to toe, focusing on his face, hating the pale colour of his skin, and most of all, his silky silver hair. He loathed the Ruana race, simply. Then, the king continued, “My plan goes beyond a moment, as I have spent decades designing how to defeat Ruana. Unpleasant people, especially their king.”
The knight listened carefully to what King Soto said about his origins, discovering more and more how twisted the mind of this person in front of him was.
“You are a living example of that. Look, your father got rid of his son because you are a bastard, even I wouldn’t do that.” Perseus, even though he’s known that all his life, couldn’t help but feel a tug at his heart. Soto smirked, gloating that he could still hurt Perseus with that. “What I have here in my hand, boy, is a mixture of poisonous herbs, which for normal people like me, would not harm, but for someone like you…” The king turned around, heading to his throne, leaving the information in the air.
As he sat down, without ceasing to look at Perseus with cruel eyes, then said, “I have been unable to administer the silica to the queen.” Soto shook his head and smiled at the same time. “Ah, it will take me a while to get used to calling her Lady Amberjill. In any case, where was I? Oh, yes, if she won’t drink or eat the plant, I’ll use this.”
King Soto rose from his throne and walked menacingly towards Perseus, taking him by the collar of his tunic. And once their faces were inches from touching, and between his teeth, and spattering saliva, he said, “And you will be the hand I will use to destroy her.”
Sir Perseus’s stomach caved in, causing him terrible pain. The knight shook his head, fiercely denying his involvement in anything to do with hurting the queen.
Without looking at him, Soto said, “Do you want to know what this powder does?” Soto gave him one last look before turning his back on him.
“You’ll hear it, even if you don’t want to. This filthy race of pales has a different complexion than the rest of the world, and I’ve been trying to destroy them for years. Finally, with this, I will succeed.” The king raised his hand and showed Perseus the pouch.
“The contact of this powder with their skin will generate a reaction that will destroy the immune system. And in a span of a week, even the slightest breeze of wind that brings even the most harmless bacteria will kill them.” Finally, Soto faced a stunned Perseus. “Including you, so I recommend that you wear gloves and a face mask.” The king approached him again and continued, “And if you are not willing to do it, imagine what it will do to the bastard my daughter carries in her womb. Do you think that I didn’t know?”
Sir Perseus’s eyes turned almost black, and the veins on his forehead and neck popped out, giving him a terrifying appearance. “NO, YOU WILL NOT DO THAT,” the knight said with a dark voice.
King Soto, for the first time in his life, felt real fear. Slowly, and without turning his back on him, the king walked back, until he was a good distance from Perseus, thankful that his soldiers were holding this wild creature. And when the king recovered from his initial fright, he sat down on his throne and threw the bag of dust at his feet.
“You have seven nights only to do the job. I want the queen dead, and if I don’t get what I want, someone will pay, and you know who it will be.” With a shake of his head, a furious Perseus was dragged out of the hall.
And as the king watched the scene, his most loyal guard and escort came to where the king sat, still watching. “You know what you have to do, Maddox.” Without turning to see his guard, the king said. His spy nodded and left the place.
“Do you think he will do it?” From a distance, a voice was heard, which the king knew very well. Soto, placidly turning to see the newcomer, “if he knows what is good for him, yes.” He smirked, then said, “But now, I think it’s your turn to act.”
Lord Garson smiled, agreeing.
