Mark of Betrayal (8 page)

Arthur shuffled in his seat, clearing his throat. “That would be impossible.”

“
Why?”

“
Because the vampire who sentenced the prisoners we keep here is…dead.”

My stomach dropped. “David?”

“
Yes.”

“
Then—”
Ouch.
I hadn’t expected that. “Then, I guess I’ll have to assign someone else I can trust.”

“
The Loslilian director of penalty would perhaps be best.”

“
Who’s that? I thought Morgaine was head of, like, everything Lilithian.”

“
No,” Arthur said with a smile. “Only in Paris. She was brought here purely to torture David. She would not know the finer details of Loslilian prisoners or punishment schedules.”

“
Oh. So, who’s this director of penalty, then?”

“
Bernard.”

“
Bernard?” I said it quietly to myself. “Okay, well, I guess I’ll speak to him.”

“
Very well. But not alone.”

“
Why not?”

“
He’s spent far too long trolling those dark corridors, my dear. He has little respect for anything or anyone. I’d not put it past him to be rude.”

“
I can handle a person being rude.”

“
That may be so, but I will not tolerate anyone disrespecting our princess.”

“
Aw, how sweet,” I said, my lip in a false pout. But it faded away quickly with a question resonating from deep within my worry-spot. “Hey, Arthur?”

“
Yes.”

“
Do you really think I’m going to stuff all this up—you know, wreck everything you’ve built?” I asked delicately.

He rubbed his face with both hands. “No. I don’t. I just don’t want you to run in with guns blazing—trying to change every law you oppose, all at once. As you spend more time in the community of vampires, you will see, more clearly with each passing day, that there is good reason for everything we have done.”

“
Okay.” I nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“
That is all I ask.”

With the awkward first part of our conversation out of the way, I felt more comfortable to attempt a little probing. “So, you knew Drake pretty well, right?”

“
Know
him well, yes. He is a good friend.”

“
But, you haven’t seen him—since the attack?”

“
No. I’ve not even had word from him. I was told only that he was in Rome.”

“
Does he know you’re here at the manor?”

“
I don’t know. He would be aware I have taken my bi-annual leave, but he would not likely know where I have gone.”

“
Won’t he think you should have stayed? You know, because of the whole Lilithian uprising and all.”

Arthur shook his head. “I have served my time. Friend to the king or not, I must take my leave.”

“
Do you think he’s still alive? Like, after he was stabbed—do you think he survived it?”

“
I would be certain of that.”

“
How could he survive it, though—if it was my venom on the sword, how could he live?”

“
There’s no saying it was your venom. It could have been a ruse.”

I nodded. “True.”

“
Or, perhaps it may be that he is a very powerful being and cannot be killed. I have not only heard stories of his dark magic, but seen him use it.”

“
Really?”

“
Yes.”

“
Can I…can I ask what sort of magic you saw?” My eyes widened a little.

Arthur looked down at his open palm, as if he held something there. “I watched him turn a red rose black—suck the life from it—then restore in the same breath.”

“
Wow. So, maybe he is evil? Maybe I should seek to destroy him?”

“
What does your heart tell you?”

I thought about that for a second, trying to dislodge all the other voices in there that weren’t mine. “It tells me to negotiate with him—that he
is
capable of reason.”

“
And what does your private council think of this?”

“
Well, Mike thinks I’m young and naïve—that I just don’t have any idea what I’m talking about.” I looked down.

“
Mike is young, himself.” Arthur smiled. “You are a bright girl, and I know you do not see good and evil in two dimensions.”

“
No. I don’t. But, is that wrong?”

“
No, Princess, it’s not. The world is so full of philosophy and opinion. And each individual has opposing concepts of harmony and peace. We
all
defend our beliefs, our perceptions of what is right or wrong—and it is impossible sometimes to know which side to take.”

“
I know. It’s a grey area.”

“
Yes. One may ask himself if he should follow the leader that shares the majority of advocates, or the one whom he agrees with himself. And
that
—” he grinned, leaning back on the swing, making it rock a little, “—even
I
have not answered to this day.”

“
Hm, well, it’s a good question, Arthur. I guess, in the end, you just have to follow your heart.”

“
Some do not have that luxury,” he said. “Humans, especially, follow tyrants sometimes out of force, often just fear, but, I believe, mostly…naivety.”

“
I think most people know what’s right and wrong, Arthur. And in the end, we all always overthrow oppression.”

“
How little you know of history for a girl whose own father is a professor in this field.” He sat forward a little. “What you need to ask is not whether we overthrow oppression, but who is the oppressor—
who
do we overthrow?”

“
The bad guy.”

“
How do you decide who is bad?”

I shrugged. “Guess it’s a matter of opinion.”

“
And whose opinion counts?”

“
Everyone’s.”

“
But, not everyone agrees.” He turned in the seat to face me. “Take Hitler, for example; people followed him, convinced, as he was, that his madness was merely revolution.”

“
Yes, but in time, they rose against him. Good did triumph.”

“
Again, not that
I
feel this way, but how do
you
know
that
was the right course of action? And who decides?”

“
We all decide, Arthur, because bringing pain and suffering to anyone, for any reason, is never right.” I tucked my hair behind my ear and looked up at him. “The world will not stop fighting for freedom and peace.
That
is what’s right, and tyranny is wrong.
I
will always take the path that leads to freedom for my people.”

“
For
your
people—exactly. And what if the path to freedom would result, ultimately, in the sacrifice of many others? Would you be any better than your tyrannical predecessors for opting to walk it?”

“
Well—”

“
You see? How do you choose a side? What is right? What is wrong—and according to whom?”

“
It doesn’t matter.” I frowned. “That’s all separate from me. I’ll find a way to bring the Three Worlds together—we
can
live in peace. I know we can, and I know I can do it without causing any suffering.”

“
Except to kill those who oppose you.”

“
Well, no.”

“
Then what
are
you going to do? Imprison them? Set them free to start wars—cause more damage, more deaths?”

“
Arthur…this is too much for me. I’m not ready to deal with this yet.”

“
But you must, Princess. You are in a position of power and that brings with it the obligation of decision. You are in no way separate from this,” his voice softened. “In the coming weeks, you will be queen, and then, every action you take, every decision you tactlessly regard, will single-handedly affect the lives of many.”

“
See? This is why I didn’t want to be the queen. I’ve got you telling me I need to make decisions, Mike telling me not to because I have no idea what I’m doing, and, inside, what I feel is right doesn’t match what everyone says is right. I’m just not ready for this.”

“
But you have no choice.” Arthur spoke louder. “You
will
be queen,
you
will have to decide what is right or wrong, and sometimes, it will be between the
lesser
of two evils. Sometimes, there is no circumventing the unpleasant.”

“
Why are you doing this, Arthur?” I swallowed the shaky lump of anguish his ruthlessness created. “What do you hope to achieve by making me feel even smaller, even more stupid than I already do.”

“
I just want you to wake up, my lady, and ask yourself what you plan to do, and why.”

“
I already know why—I just don’t know
what
.”

“
No. You know what you hope to achieve—peace among all. But you do not ask yourself why that matters, or why you choose to care.”

“
Why do I need to ask that?”

“
Because the answer to the
what
should always come after the
why
.”

His words filtered through me, passing every channel of self-doubt, meeting with the stark blankness of confusion.

“
You must have a motive behind everything you do, Amara. Freeing the prisoners, disbanding the Sets, negotiating with Drake—if you can’t find a good reason why you feel this necessary, then perhaps it is the wrong course of action.”

“
So, you think I should kill Drake?”

“
I think you should be sure about what you want to do, before you do it.”

“
You didn’t answer my question, Arthur.”

“
It is not my job to give opinion, my lady, only to help you find your own.”

I sighed. He is so exhausting. “How will I know when I’ve found it?”

“
When you ask yourself
why
, and know the answer.”

“
Then I’ll never know which path to take. Because I don’t think I’ll ever approve of killing someone just because they oppose us.”

“
Then ask yourself why.”

“
Why what?”

“
Why do you oppose death?”

“
Because it’s wrong.”

He rubbed his brow. “I have seen many rise to power in my time—all of them with the best of intentions, and it is those philanthropic aspirations that ruin them. You can’t save everyone, Amara.”

“
I—” I stopped and thought about what I wanted to say.
Shut up and leave me alone
seemed to be all that came to mind.

Arthur breathed out and tore his blue eyes away from my face as he brushed his hand through his windswept, carelessly messed hair. “You’re just a young girl,” he said softly, “And I do not mean to be harsh on you, but I do care; I care for you as a person and as ruler of a nation. I have lived many years, seen many political changes in the world. I know, from experience, that winning hearts can sustain dominance for only short periods. You will need cruel methods, possibly even death, to prevent opposition. And they
will
rise against you. I do not see vampires following wilfully, even when you capture Drake and imprison him.”

“
Disbanding the Sets,” I said.

“
What about it?”

“
That should win hearts for a while.”

“
It would.” He half laughed. “But it will see more problems than it will fix.”

I shrugged. “Probably, but, really, I don’t want to argue this topic, right now. I’m tired, and I didn’t come out here—” I motioned to the garden, “—for a political debate.”

“
I’m so sorry, my dear. That was not my intention, either. But the things you say—your views and opinions—they give me great cause for concern.” He clasped his hands together, resting his elbows on his knees. “There will come a time where you must choose a side and defend it. There will be no negotiating some things, and I just don’t want to see you heartbroken when you’re forced to make a decision that will cost lives. And one day, Princess, you will have to.”

“
Look—” I rolled my eyes behind his back. “I appreciate your concern, but I feel strongly about this. I won’t see the demise of vampires for Lilithians to live, and I won’t see the same in reverse. We live in united peace, and that’s all there is to it.”

“
No, there is much, much more to it. When two sides oppose, they fight until one yields, and—”

“
It doesn’t have to lead to war. No one has to die.”

“
For one, war does not always involve death, my dear, but without death, very rarely sees one side surrender. You do not wish to kill or be harsh to enforce your reign, but you want to be respected enough to be followed. You can't buy peace with daisy chains, Amara.”

“
Well, if we have to go to war to achieve peace, then I guess we’ll go to war.”

“
So, now you approve killing to fight for your cause?”