Senecio adn Tide II

[Mirach]

"For now it's enough for me to know that you're working on it," Svarik said. "If you want a tip, you could formulate it as an order and just add *please*. I will know."

[VisAnastasis]

Falcon nodded slowly, taking in the offer seriously as if it was important to him. He was quiet for a moment, before replying.
" For now, just do not mistake my greed for power for a lack of trust in you... please, " he said then, quietly. " I am here because I trust you. I am here with you as if it's no big deal... while for years, I was certain only reason I'd choose to go to the sea would be to gaze at some high-quality stars before I end my life... " he murmured. " I am alive, but I suck at healthy ambitions. I am trying to work with you more than just next to you, without forcing my tempo on you, either. When I sent you on that first trip, I genuinely wanted to buy you time to take care of yourself, but... To my surprise, I found myself quite enjoying making all the shots while you were away, too. I can do a lot as lord of underground, but this is an insane amount of power I knew I never would be able to have as myself. Signing me blank papers to do whatever I wanted with them... I doubt anyone but you in the whole world would be crazy enough to do that for me with such ease. You shouldn't have spoiled me so much, honestly. I should be content enough with things as they are, but it is gotten too damn comfortable to be greedy... "

[Mirach]

"As if you wouldn't spoil me," Svarik smirked. "All I ask is that you keep me informed what you're doing in my name and why."

[VisAnastasis]

Falcon raised his eyebrow a little, distracted with his comment.
"  Okay, aside from the fact that you are taking my depressing ominous admissions creepily well... what would I have to gain by keeping that information from you? It is not like I can imagine us wanting such drastically different things that something I want would make you angry enough that I hide it from you. Can you?" Conrad asked doubtfully." It would actually go against me if you were ignorwnt enough to make people suspect you are controlled by someone else ruling the land. I already am regularly telling you general information, but I am actually keeping a journal details of every single your social *activuty* and law change, both ones we did together at the start, and recent ones I was mostly doing on my own. Since you are not busy today, do you want to take a closer look? I planned to dramatically give it to you when we get back and start the bigger slice of work, but if I don't say I keep it now, I'd look too shady," he sighed, and from his bag, he took out a solidly sized journal, partially filled, with green leather covers, and golden flowers engraved all over them." And don't worry about concealing it. I wrote it in first person and in your handwriting, so if anyone sees it, they would think you are just leading a detailed account of your policies and appointments... I also wrote some law tips in the margins that look like self reminders, and some keywords and ideas here and there so you can use it as learning tool and inspiration... "

[Mirach]

"Oh, really? That's exactly what I need. I'm not as much worried that you would make some decision I wouldn't approve as worried that not having done these myself, I might forget even if you do tell me about them. It's a lot..."

[VisAnastasis]

" Oh, yes... I haven't been writing it from the very start, but once I started, it just came naturally to make a new entry at the end of the day, while you'd sleep... " Falcon said apologetically when he opened it and skimmed through already filled pages wonderingly. " I know it's a lot, but I thought it's best you have it, so you would feel more confident -  even I could forget some of the information, so it would be no surprise you, who didn't do it, would. I wrote dates on every journal entry, too, so you can have a good feel for the timeline. I plan to write more as we go along. I didn't exactly start from the coronation, from obvious reasons, but at one point while you were recovering, I thought it may be... really hard for you to suddenly adjust to too much information from work. You had trouble coping with everything, " man passed along the edge of one of the first pages thoughtfully. " So I decided to begin documenting all those kingly things, to prepare it for you for the time when the crisis is over and I judge you are well enough to... participate a little more actively. I am not saying I think you're all peachy now, I did not make a magic checklist, but after you returned from the trip, I felt more confident about you being able to handle a little more on your plate... "

[Mirach]

"This will help," Svarik said, turning a few pages in the notebook. "Thank you. And I can give a weekly allowance of signed blank documents, if you want."

[VisAnastasis]

The book was neatly and carefully written, with indeed, every day marked properly, with notes written in simple and easy to understand prose. There were a couple bigger, but mostly a lot of smaller little regulations and changes to various things, as it seemed rather than shake the country by doing too huge things in the first months, Falcon focused on smaller changes that were popular with the people, so that he can gain their trust in the long run.

Gradually, they seemed to be getting more ambitious, but it was a subtle barely noticeable slope, one you could mostly see when comparing first and last changes - on first pages, some minor appel on peace on the street and raising the pays to the capital guards, and lowering some taxes on food... to the last, when there were already some firmer law changes where he lightly increased taxes on the rich, and lightly decreased taxes on the middle and lower class, a rather more delicate matter he could never have done without all the hard work in between those pages. As well, in the book, there seemed to be written lot of "appointments", both with people Svarik met and did not meet in person - it seemed some of those were ones either Falcon met in his name, or workers on the renovation of his house, who appeared a lot more lately, as they were probably a part of the cover-up that would make Svarik appear like he was hard working even though he was on the trip.

" Weekly allowance... yes? That's... one way to put it... " Falcon said thoughtfully while watching Svarik skim through the book. " On the risk of sounding ungrateful and greedy... I feel like putting a number on it would make things more awkward if I run out of them. It feels terrible to ask, and in some cases, it's really a bad choice if I had to use them sparingly. I know you trust me a lot, and sign every paper I put in front of you, but since you're so casual about it, you probably haven't noticed by now, but you've given me hundreds of sighed papers by this point... A set number of weekly papers can limit what I can do - there may be some weeks that we are more restrained to let new things settle down a bit, but we are mostly working at a very speedy pace... I've gotten to know everyone in your new council quite well by now, so we've got quite more efficient cooperation while you were away... I can't directly do things as myself, but as your friendly host lord Conlaed Falcon, I can distribute your "orders" to the council, and through the high priest and head of the council that are on your side, I can have them bring up my ideas and concepts as theirs... It's a balancing act, but it works out for now... "

[Mirach]

"I would be rather amazed if you are so efficient that you can run out of documents more quickly than it takes me to sign blank papers," Svarik smiled a bit. "I'd have no hope of catching up in that case. Don't take it as a challenge, yes? I mean, I can sign them for you when I'm around but I don't want to have too many ready ahead. If these would by any chance fall into wrong hands, it could be a disaster. But if you could estimate ahead how many you'd need for a week, that should be a safer amount to store, and if you run out, you can always ask for more." 

[VisAnastasis]

" Oh, you should not worry too terribly - moderate amount of worry is okay. First, papers are kept in that special secret room in our house, second,  I devised a system where law officials could not just randomly make law changes if they got hands on the papers alone - and if random people find them and turn them in, it's suspicious, but we can claim someone tried to make forgeries. You see, the papers only have your signature, but for the document to be valid, it needs your kingly seal and two more specialized seals on top. I keep all three seals on me at all times, so only I can stamp the documents once they are written, in the end. " he reached for his bag and pulled out a rather unexpected object - a little cremation urn. " It's technically a crime for someone other than you to carry them, so I figured this out - people carry ashes of their dead In those urns. This is a tiny urn fit for a very small child, and it's illegal for guards to search ashes or human remains without a warrant - and by the time they get a warrant, I'd hide them somewhere else. You see, this tempo of laws isn't the hard part... It's really the hardest to balance out everything so that it doesn't look like I have too much influence, as I am not council member, just using my position as your host. It mostly works out well because you're technically living at lord Conlaed's, mine house, so it's not suspicious yet that, while you're still recovering or busy, I'm handing out lot of you orders and ideas. That's why I want to do as much as I can in those early stages, while it's still easiest... More time passes, it will be harder for me to do things in your name, and I will have to put more and more effort into concealing my involvement than in actual changes... "

[Mirach]

Svarik nodded slowly. "Then we need to figure out how to make it so that you can act in your own name."

[VisAnastasis]

Falcon didn't reply to that right away. It was an unsaid matter that lingered between them but was left unmentioned, as there never seemed the right time, with one crisis appearing after the other. Falcon would always deflect it in general, but this was too direct notion to ignore.

" No matter how much I think about it... It does not seem like it is something you couldn't physically do... but something we shouldn't do, " he still deflected half-heartedly, looking rather stiff. " I've put up a lot of care into building up your reputation. We need a king of very strong disposition and trust to be able to peacefully maintain the power in the land so used to war. Teaming up with the most famous and hated traitor in history, really? That's about the one worst thing that can happen. As the cherry on top, I am hated for my military actions most fervently - we can not tell if big enough chunk of military will riot enough to set a civil war in motion. That can open us to war from Highlands, or worse, local rebellions. What normal person would accept a king that is being led by the most hated person in the land? " he murmured downheartedly. " A king without united military is an easy target. All the changes we want to make could go to waste because of my greed. No matter how much I think about it, the smartest, easiest solution is to work from the shadows and let you handle it for few decades until everyone that can recognize me as traitor is dead, and then work through your descendants, doing as much as I can, like until now. We need as much unity as we can, if we are to save the world from those Being wars one day, and we can't do that without enough power to be on the equal stand with them. I don't want to ruin the chances for literal world peace just because life of one single person is miserable for it... "

[Mirach]

"There must be some way," Svarik insisted. "Starting with cleaning your name, slowly shifting the public opinion..."

[VisAnastasis]

" You don't understand... just how bloody the end of the last war was. The emperor... the thief had no mercy for his enemies. Every single person that fought for me lost their life. There is not one trustworthy enough soldier left to vouch for me. Everyone... was killed. " Falcon replied quietly. " Even if some of the highlanders I protected survived, what Highlander would be foolish enough to stand up for the honour of the former Lowlandian general like me? And what Lowlandian would believe a Highlander so much? I've known for years that I have no evidence to prove I am not the reason we lost the Highlands war and the last emperor died. That's why I knew it was always futile to hope. I mean... True, I did not know... that man survived. The man I served under before deflecting... Former General Otma. " In Conrad's eyes, there was a sharp coldness and bitterness Svarik rarely got to see these days. " I only learned that he was alive from you those few days before the Long Night. Perhaps I dared... to have a tiny sliver of hope until I met him... But it is pointless, really. He is... literally the only person in the world with high enough standing in the army that huge amount of people still respect him. He is most accomplished general Lowlands ever had. If anyone, he is the only person that, perhaps, maybe would be given enough benefit of the doubt... A person that knows I am innocent. But it's hopeless. " he gritted his teeth firmly. " Stepping out and admitting he was alive all these years would ruin his legacy and prevent him from the quiet life he wants to lead. It would take years of his life, to keep the situation in the military stable and keep public opinion calm enough to prevent riots in the army. There's no way that coward has the guts for it. It is a fool's hope. He cleared his conscience enough by knighting me a White Eagle - true, it does absolutely nothing, because no one will ever believe me a dead general made me a knight conveniently with no proof, so it's essentially an empty title, but it seemed enough to ease his conscience... He was so adamant about never returning to Lowlands when you and I went to meet him, so it's honestly garbage hope to count he'd be willing to do anything for me... "

[Mirach]

"That was only one talk," Svarik said gently. "But I understand if you don’t have much hope about it. You won't be disappointed that way, at least. I will keep the hope for both of us."

[VisAnastasis]

" It's not... like I want to stubbornly make it impossible. It's not my goal to be a tragic hero figurehead. I simply lost... I lost to general Otma and the emperor, and victors write history, " Falcon replied, with a more hoarse tone. " It's not like... I wouldn't want it to work. It's not that I don't believe in you. I don't believe in him, " Falcon's hand was trembling, but from pain or anger, or both, it was hard to tell. " There is no way he would put so much effort and sacrifice so much for my sake. Not counting that talk, last time we met, he destroyed the last remnants of my men, and left me for dead. He spent years afterwards secluded in the middle of nowhere, living only for himself and that little village, nothing else. There's.. there's no way... I can hope he would... "

[Mirach]

Svarik took Conrad's shaking hand into his and pressed it. "You don't need to. But I will."

[VisAnastasis]

Conrad's hand was shaking in his, but slowly, the trembling subsided, and the man pressed it back firmly. He didn't reply right away, but when he did, he slowly turned to meadow king, and put a hand on his shoulder, their eyes meeting.

" Svarik... I can not imagine anything other than arguments can come if I were to speak with him about any of this... I want to give the task of doing whatever you think should be done to you. Do your very best... please. " he, at last, spoke to him, meaningfully, as if finally deciding on something. " Even if you fail miserably, I think I could lead a less bitter life... knowing it was not me giving up, but just that we were not meant to succeed. I need you to try your best until you succeed or until it's laughingly obvious it's futile... Can you do that for me? "

[Mirach]

"That's what I intended to do all along," Svarik said firmly. 

[VisAnastasis]

With Svarik's decisive expression, some shade cleared out from Falcon's face and another note unmistakably exchanged it - in the warmth of his gaze, there was trust.
" Whatever happens, remember... that there is no shame in losing. Sometimes, you give your best, and you still lose. " he pressed Svarik's shoulder lightly. " Whatever happens... I still have you. Above all this, above everything else, even being a king, even this task I gave you, take good care of yourself. Stay by my side, as long as you can. That will be enough... "

[Mirach]

Svarik nodded earnestly.  "Not a good precedent today, but I'm trying, I promise," he smiled a little.

[VisAnastasis]

Falcon smiled back at him more widely.
" Well.. you sucked at taking care of yourself last night, but you know what? I'll forgive you for today because it is partially my fault... I am trying, but I failed too, " he admitted more lightly, feeling freer to speak openly of it at this moment. " After you told me today that you'd never spend that much magic in one day if you weren't thinking we'd be home by now, I could not be disappointed with you. I got so used to surprising you, I thought of giving you a few more days as but a surprise, nothing else... I was too damn caught up in the theatrics of it all and looked forward to giving them more than thinking of how pressed for time you must feel. This shouldn't be one of those things I surprise you about... Next time, I'll tell you in advance, what is the upper limit of time we can spend here. You wouldn't have put your life in danger if you knew you had more free days to spend. I completely missed the mark this time, but I'll do better next time, I promise... "

[Mirach]

"Thank would indeed be helpful, thank you very much," Svarik smiled a bit teasingly. "And now go get some sleep, yes? I've got love advices to get."

[VisAnastasis]

" I don't know exactly which love advice you mean, romantic or platonic, but I have some suspicions... I won't say anything right now, but in case you find out something that you think I could already know, can you please remember I love you very much and am not keeping secrets from you, just waiting for the right time for everything? " Falcon teased sheepishly. " Just in case something suspicious comes up... In case nothing comes up, since I am trying hard to not manipulate you too much, and promised you more transparency five seconds ago... I do have some love advice of my own that I want us to discuss after we return to the capital. "  

[Mirach]

"You do?" Svarik glanced at Conrad curiously. "Okay... I'll remember that."