"So what should we do now?" Derman asked weakly.
"We need more bloody time, I'll have you strengthened even if I have to break your bones doing it"
'So I don't have any broken bones now' He thought, he wasn't very sure about that.
"Until tomorrow then, right?"
"Hell no" the man chuckled, "I said I'll have you strengthened, boy, and that means today, you're not bloody sleeping tonight!" He roared with laughter.
Derman closed his eyes and collapsed on the ground, he slightly regretted even asking the man to train him, but he was no crybaby, he would stand tall and look forward to that coming torture, well he was lying on his face now but that doesn't matter. He was a brave man!
But he bloody dreaded the coming night. 2
Half an hour later, he walked stiffly through the palace, trailed by two of his guards. Today he had to take care of all the loose ends, he hated how he relied so much on Angar, but he had no choice, he had too much to do.
First, he needed to negotiate with the Wayers, he would give them what he could, not everything they wanted, if he started his reign by submitting to another family's whim, then he would not finish the year before he becomes simply a puppet. He would never let that happen.
Secondly, he needed to appease the military, that is one of the reasons he wanted to become a strengthened one so badly, the military would be more easily persuaded if he was one, as Army General Bicar Namos was himself one, along with many of the officers, and they wanted more privilege for their comrades, which they honestly deserved, as they were the sole reason why Amadal had not fallen to the empire five years ago when many others fell.
Back then the kingdom's military was not very reliable, but after many losses and failures, the king began to reform it by introducing new blood to the ranks of officers, based solely on merit, which meant that they were mainly commoners, one of those new bloods was the current general himself, who was only a sergeant at the time, but had lost not even one of his men even though his squad was on the front line, his men worshipped him, and he became very loyal to the late king.
Of course the nobles who were forced to step aside did not like it, but they could do nothing, the king was not a weak man, and he was known for his ruthlessness towards those who defy him.
Derman needed their support, but he could not allow them too much power over him as well, and if they find out that he had given military positions to the Wayers, then not only will they not support him, he was sure that they would fight him, it could very well turn into a coup.
He did not even think about the Delats, he would have taken a wife anyway after the coronation, and she would have been a lady anyway by tradition, so there was nothing he could do about it, he would just have to stay vigilant, and honestly, he couldn't be bothered right now, just the Wayers and the military gave him enough headaches.
"Tell lord Roland I will meet him at conference room, after you do that, send a messenger for the Army General, tell him to attend me in the command office" he told one of the guards, he needed to take care of the Wayers first, they were the biggest thorn on his side.
The conference room was where the king officially met with foreign dignitaries, it was a wide room with a domed ceiling. A golden throne decorated the far side of the room, sitting on it, the king would directly see who was coming through the door. Derman did not approach it, he was not king yet, but he did choose to meet Roland here because of it, so they would speak under the empty throne's gaze.
A few moments later, the door opened, and two men walked in, Roland Wayer was at the same hight as Derman, with jet black hair and brown eyes, as well as an expertly trimmed beard, he strode in with a straight back and a puffed chest, looking directly at Derman. No one would mistake this man for anything other than a noble who expected obedience from even the carpet under his feet.
The other man though, he was the complete opposite of Roland, he was a few centimeters shorter than the Lord and completely ordinary. Derman was confused, he never saw the man, so he was not from the noble families, then where did he come from? Moreover, why did Roland bring him with to a private meeting?
"My prince" Lord Roland said, reluctantly tipping his head slightly, the other man bowed his head with a slight side look at Roland.
"Lord Roland, it has been a long time"
"Indeed it has…my condolences on the king's murder, those empire bastards have no honor, we will have our revenge on them soon enough!"
Derman rolled his eyes internally, the man had some really poor acting skills. And his condolences were only for the king? Not Sura, not Kalan? 'so he's leaving it to me, to say what I want to be known to have happened' he thought.
"Thank you, my Lord, my father AND my brother's assassination will surely be avenged, I was made to understand that you were informed of what exactly happened isn't that right?"
"Your…secretary has visited us yesterday"
"Then let us be frank, Roland, what do you want?"
The man looked at him intently for a moment, then gazed up at the high ceiling and said. "We request for three captain ranks in the military, for the sons of Lord Falah, Lord Bayaz and Lord Belma, as well as one position for Lord Serdar's retainer in the treasury, as for me…I only wish to help you in your duties, so I offer you my retainer, Kamal, for your assistance in your day to day activities"