Chapter 97: Chapter 84: Underneath The Mask

The drink smelt like honey and as smooth as it slid down his throat the King waited for Mirai to finish his drink before picking up his own. Slowly he raised his hands to his face and cautiously removed his mask.

Mirai gazed upon the kings face surveying it with finer detail he wasn’t sure what he expected maybe a missing eye, scars upon scars or burns covering half his face but what stared back at him was an ordinary face sure a little weathered from age but otherwise just an average face.

“Ah, it seems I’ve disappointed you.” The king chuckled.

“Most people were masks to hide something you know.”

“Like the one you’re wearing now right now?

“So you found out huh? How long have you known?”

“Since the beginning, since before you met my daughter.”

“Color me all kinds of impressed.”

The king poured another round of drinks and Mirai started to drink while accessing how to approach the next part of the conversation, the king took charge revealing the extent of his knowledge.

“Why are you so nervous, we’re both royalty right?”

“ You’ve got the wrong guy I’m as common as dirt as I’m afraid.”

“Siegfried Anguis von Octavia, only son of Victor and Lianne Octavia.”

Mirai’s lips contorted into a glower as he sat his empty chalice down on the table the king was grinning in contrast, “You going senile old man, that boy died during the Dresden Civil war ten years ago.”

“There we go the mask crumbled at last.”

“ Just get to the point already.” Mirai snapped filling his glass.”

“The last time I saw you, you could barely walk.”

“ What the hell are you talking about?”

“In our youth, your father and I were close, like brothers in fact.”

“I know it’s much too late, but you have my condolences, he was a great man?”

“ Yeah a lot of good that greatness did for him, now he’s just food for the worms.”

“Thanks anyway for your condolences but as I said, Siegfried’s dead, I’m Mirai now.”

It seemed impossible to get under the king's skin as he was always looking ten steps ahead, Mirai was smart enough to know when he was outclassed. “Mirai there’s one final matter that wishes I discuss with you, Not as a king, but as a Father.”

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“What are your true feelings regarding my little girl?”

“ You haven’t gleaned my intentions yet, how shocking.”

“ I am but a man same as you, so please enlighten me.”

Mirai breathed taking a minute to collect his thoughts as images of his Mistress flickered in front of his eyes, without meaning to he started to smile and he felt butterflies in his stomach.

“I love her.”

“Oh?”

“Good that’s all I needed to hear.”

“What are you getting at?”

“You have my blessing, to marry Mei.”

“Marry my Mistress… Uh, I mean Princess Mei.”

“You don’t want to?”

“ No, of course, I do.

The king’s concern for his daughter appeared to be genuine it was quite surprising that the man at the heart of this war was capable of sparing time for such paltry concerns. Then again once a Father or always a Father he supposed.

“You remind me of both my Fathers.” Mirai chuckled

“Hmm...”

“When my parents were slaughtered in the civil war I was found and taken in by a Baron and his daughter.”

“Your highness, you have the bravado and presence of my birth Father.”

“That’s high praise I’ll gladly take your compliment.”

“But you're lying, you're  not the behemoth you pretend to be, Like the Baron I see a great sadness in your eyes, you’re tired aren’t you?”

The king paused for a moment mulling over Mirai’s remarks it seemed he had caught the King off guard, “I see you have inherited Lianne’s sharp mind in addition to her brilliant eyes, but alas the time for banter is at an end.”

The king rose to his feet with haste placing donning his steel helmet once more,  letting the silence linger he made his way from the tent beckoning Mirai to follow, the time for the last war council was nigh and soon enough the streets of Edelgard would be awash in fear, blood and the malodor of death.

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